Local
Last weekend the Burdekin Panthers had three home games against Riverway JCU on Saturday, winning all of them. The Premiers won 2-1, the Under 23s won 2-0 and the Women Premiers won 2-1. The Division 1 team had a bye.
This week the Panthers have four games starting with the Ladies away to Warriors on Wednesday night. The Funkies are at home to Rebels on Friday night and the Premiers and Under 23s are away to Rebels on Saturday.
The Ayr Anzac Club Premiers were looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss last week. On top of this, James Cook University (JCU) were only one point behind Burdekin in 4th place. The Panthers started the game focussing on possession but couldn't turn it into goals. JCU looked to catch Burdekin on the counter when right on the stroke of halftime JCU scored one of the better goals you'll see with a first-time volley from outside the 18-yard box. The Panthers came out in the second half determined to get on level terms and within two minutes of the restart Elliot Dal Santo fired in a low, curling cross which the keeper fumbled, and Jay Leckenby pounced on the loose ball to score. The Panthers were now right in the game and Ryan Scodellaro forced a great save from the goalkeeper. With ten minutes to go, JCU couldn't clear the ball from their penalty area and Jay Leckenby scored his second goal to make it 2-1 and the Panthers survived a nervy final minute to hold on for a much-needed win.
The Burdekin Tyre Service Under 23s had a good team on paper for this home game and were able to follow through with a well-earned win to match the pre-game potential. The Panthers dominated the first half creating enough goal chances to be confident, but for the most part these chances were spurned. It wasn’t until the 36th minute, and again in the 43rd, that Adam Mottin scored what proved to be the match winning goals. In the second half the Panthers were less dominant but were in the box seat and their goal was rarely threatened. It was an important win that hopefully will be the catalyst for a good run into the final third of the season.
The Ayr Anzac Club Ladies started strongly against JCU, and after a string of passes Sienna Lago scored the perfect first goal for the Burdekin side. The Ladies defensive and attacking pressure continued and the Panthers midfield of Charlotte Dal Santo, Charley Ruskin and Kya Quagliata blended together well. The Panthers second goal from a Charley Ruskin corner was scored by Kyla Steiner for a 2-0 lead at half time. After the break JCU attacked ceaselessly but the Panthers defence worked tirelessly to defend their two-goal lead. An unfortunate scramble in the goal box saw JCU score to add pressure to the Burdekin side. The Panthers had countless opportunities to score but unfortunately could not find the back of the net! The 2-1 win was the Ladies first win of the season.
The Under 13 Panthers had a big weekend with a double round leading into the school holiday break. On Saturday they played top of the table Donohue's Warriors, going down 5-0 at Paradise Park. This was a huge improvement on their last match up, with the young Panthers building their plays and showing resilience against the tough competition. Rohan Kelly stepped into a sweeper role and was willing to get his hands dirty to clean up the Warriors attack. Jacob Menso was under pressure in goal but was up to the task.
On Sunday the Panthers were at home against Brothers Blues and came away with a very hard fought 1-0 win. After a good passage of play Tannar Cole scored from a Lincoln Innes pass giving the Panthers a boost of energy to get them through to half time. The Panthers came out in the second half and stood solid in defence until the final whistle. Sam Heatley and William Shears were a standout in defence with Hayden Zandonadi and Tannar Cole also having good games. A well-deserved win and a much needed break for the U13 Panthers.
Juniors
The final round of games before the school holiday break, were played last Saturday with teams from Rebels, Saints, Warriors and JCU Riverway coming down from Townsville to play. We will see everyone back either 13th or 20th of July, stayed tuned to Facebook and emails.
The Burdekin Annual Carnival will be held on Sunday 14th July, so please send in your club team nominations. If your club team is not able to get together a team and the kids want to play, teams can be combined then.
National and International
In the Asian World Cup Qualifiers, the Socceroos played Palestine in Perth last Tuesday, winning 5-0 and qualifying for the next phase of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.
The Matildas will soon be in France for the Paris Olympics. Their first match will be against Germany on 25th July in Marseille. In other news Sam Kerr has signed up for another two years at Chelsea.
Euro 2024 has kicked off and in the first game Germany thumped Scotland 5-1. There are twenty-four countries competing in six Groups of four with the top two teams in each group, and the four best third placed teams going through to the knockout phase of sixteen teams.
This week’s quote is from Manchester Utd and England Star Bobby Charlton. “It was a fair decision, the penalty, even though it was debatable whether it was inside or outside the box.”
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2023 Burdekin Life Pty Ltd.
