Gloucester Scorpions Under 14s

THE Gloucester Scorpions under-14s continued their impressive season with a convincing 7-2 victory over Great Lakes Vikings last Saturday.

The earliest kick-off of the season saw the teams take to the field at 8:40am, with the ground still icy and slick from an overnight frost.

The wet conditions made quick passing difficult early on, and Gloucester initially struggled to settle.

Great Lakes made the brighter start, combining well through midfield and exploiting pockets of space in the Scorpions’ half.

Although they currently sit at the bottom of the ladder, the Vikings produced a performance that certainly didn’t reflect their league position.

Their relentless pressing forced several Gloucester mistakes and created a number of opportunities, testing stand-in goalkeeper Aiden Peters, who filled in admirably while regular keeper Ewan Sheely was given the chance to showcase his striking ability further up the field.

The Vikings’ defence was organised and disciplined, forcing Gloucester to shoot or cross from a distance. Eventually, the breakthrough came when winger Eli Soupidis cut the ball back to Ewan Sheely, who unleashed a superb left-foot strike. The ball curled away from the goalkeeper before nestling neatly inside the post.

Little did the crowd know, there were plenty more goals to come.

Peter Clinch doubled the lead with a powerful long-range effort before Gloucester’s attacking pressure began to mount.

Brock Gruisinga’s tireless work rate was rewarded when he calmly rounded the goalkeeper and slotted the ball home to make it 3-0.

Football, however, has a habit of changing quickly. As Gloucester became slightly complacent and failed to track back defensively, Great Lakes capitalised. The visitors struck twice before half-time, reducing the margin to 3-2 and ensuring the match was far from over.

Clearly disappointed with their finish to the first half, the Scorpions returned after the break with renewed focus and a slight tactical adjustment.

Lachlan Maggs and Matthew Ruyter were outstanding in defence, repeatedly shutting down the Vikings’ attacking moves and providing the platform for Gloucester to regain control. Eli Soupidis was exceptional, producing dazzling dribbling runs through the midfield, beating as many as five defenders on several occasions before deservedly adding his name to the scoresheet.

River Cowley also continued his outstanding form, capping another excellent performance with his first hat-trick for the club as Gloucester powered away to record a dominant 7-2 victory.

The Scorpions now turn their attention to next Saturday’s clash against Cundletown Jets at Cundletown Oval, with kick-off scheduled for 10:00am.

By Trudy SCHULTZ