The 2005 season...

Here we go, here we go, here we go... The draw for the 2005 season is here, with Ravens resuming their quest for their first ever 1st division premier league premiership in the ten team GHFA Premier League. Stay tuned for regular updates and breaking news. If you've got a spare five hours, you can access our 2003 and 2002 archives right here.  

The draw 

The Gladesville Ravens Premier League 2005 fixture list

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GHFA Premier League Ladder

Check out www.ghfa.com.au and try negotiating their tricky results and tables feature..

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Goalscoring chart

With Meeky topping last year's goal scoring chart in 1st grade with 5 and Stuart pipping Keith in 2nd grade with 4, viewers should realise that it won't take a large amount of goals to win the 2005 title. Keep an eye on the table below to see who shows the best form early in the season. 

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Goal of the Year

With some crackers to choose from, the 2004 goal of the year has been adjudicated on by a panel made up of FIFA president Sepp Bladder, ex Liverpool coach Gerrard Houllier, and Glen Hoddle. And the winner is..........Dean Meek for his goal against Thornleigh which got the Ravens away to a great start in 2004.

Ben Shine - Epping YMCA (Away)
Without a league goal all season, who would have predicted a searing thirty yarder from the boot of Benny, after good work by Keith had set up the opportunity. A goal worthy of the Premera Liga from the young midfield starlet.

Chris Bryant - Pennant Hills (Home)
A great ball from Robbie sent Chris through on goal and with the keeper advancing he got to the ball first and headed it down and past the keeper and then tapped the ball into the back of the net. A fantastic goal and one which he let the Pennant Hills faithful know about as well after they had taunted him throughout the first half.

Paul Galanos - Pennant Hills (Home)
Sprinting into the area on to a pass by Craig, who would have predicted the perfect control, the calm head and the pinpoint finish to put the Ravens one up, with the irrepressible Gal scoring a cracker.

Bradley McIndoe - Putney Rangers (Home)
Matty floated a beautiful ball into the box, which was met with a powerful diving header from Bradley that sent the ball flying into the top right hand corner. What a ball and what a goal!!! The Ravens players and fans celebrated fervently, as the Putney heads dropped. 

Georgie Vallas - Epping YMCA (Home)
Ravens on the counter, a precision ball forward from Brendon "Moussoir" Harden finds Georgie racing through the centre, a touch to control, a touch to compose, a touch on to the left and a deadly finish via the goalkeeper's fingertips for 1-0 Ravens. Route one soccer made to look attractive.

Robbie Volpato - Pennant Hills (Away)
A controversial goal in its inception, but a spectacular shot from distance that just evaded the keeper's fingers and found the net to set Ravens up for another three points.

Costa Roids Hrysanthos - West Pennant Hills (Home)
A goal made by the Zedman, picking the ball up on the right, feeding Zorby who held the ball up and hoisted the ball over for towards the dynamic run of the mercurial winger, whose ball to Roids saw an unstoppable shot unleashed with the right boot. That shooting practice from Thursday night when Roids was meant to be injured did the trick.    

Bradley McIndoe - West Pennant Hills (Home)
A move of sublime skill and panache, Meeky sending Roids away with a deft through ball, the perfect square ball to Bradley, who took his time to size up the chance, check for wind, blow his nose and write his memoirs, before placing a shot past the keeper for 2-0. 

Shawn Maple - North Epping Rangers (Home)
A midfield masterpiece, the anchormen craftily toying with possession, feeding Roids for the lay off and a screaming effort from leading scorer Shawn into the roof of the net from 25 yards.  

Pete Smith - Normanhurst Eagles (Home)
With the Ravens down 1-0 it was time for a set piece straight from the training ground. Nico Christou with the free-kick, Tex first to react at the near post, running on to half volley the ball into the roof of the net for a dramatic equaliser. 

Keith Lambourn - Epping Eastwood (Home)
Ravens came out firing in the second half and were rewarded within five minutes, Goergie V ghosting down the right and whipping in a pinpoint precision cross for the head of the incoming Keith whose bullet header gave Ravens the impetus for a rip roaring second half.

Shawn Maple - Eastwood St Andrews (Home)
This is what Premier League is all about, and what a magical goal from Ravens busy midfielder Shawnie. Receiving the ball some 25 yards out, a shimmy on to the left peg, and a world class curling effort beyond the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper and inside the apex of post and cross bar sent the crowd into raptures. Extra points for the celebration at the Hill.

Stevie Zalalas - Eastwood St Andrews (Home)
Ravens stepping up a gear, and man of the moment Shawn jinks past two men as he looks for the shot; however he makes for the by-line and crosses a superb ball in for the incoming Zedman to steer the ball into the net with a pinpoint header for the match winning goal. The celebrations well received by the Peel Hill faithful.

Dean Meek - Thornleigh (Away)
A majestic ball over the top from Matty Roberts, Meeky burst on to it down the left, controlled exquisitely with his left, took a touch to draw the keeper, and cracked a stunning shot inside the right hand post for a well deserved second goal.

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Man of the Match Awards

The Man of the Match awards, handed out by the captains after each game, is the most coveted of awards - a trophy at the presentation night awaits. Table up Pennant Hills (H).

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Herbie Goes Bananas 

Rapid Seaforth 0
Gladesville Ravens 4
(27/02/2005)

A depleted Rapid Seaforth took the field against a Ravens outfit that was brimming with new, albeit familiar faces. David Atkin was back in the fold after 2 years on loan in the Pol Pot Premiership, whilst Ross Kethel, and his lethal left foot were back from a stint in Europe. As well as these two former players, Courtenay Randall was a welcome addition up front, and Anthony Vatalis deputised for Aman in goals.

 The coach of Rapid Seaforth, Herb Klemperer, who was touted as a possible successor to Joel late last year, used the unusual tactic of fielding a limited number of players for both grades, 15 in total, rather than using the fixture as an opportunity to view his whole squad.

So it was a near full strength Ravens 1st grade side that kicked off against a rather tired Seaforth, who had already played 70 minutes against 2nd grade. From the off, the Ravens dominated proceedings and very rarely conceded possession, with the centre midfield working the ball around nicely. Courtenay was moving well off the ball, making good runs and providing a target for the midfield maestros. Ross Kethel was giving the Ravens plenty of width out on the left and sent over some telling crosses.

It didn't take long for the Ravens to get on the scoreboard, with Shawn crashing home a drive from the edge of the area and Courtenay turning and belting a ball into the roof of the net. In between shots on goal, the defence had very little to do, but cleaned up anything that came their way effectively. David Atkin was lucky to touch the ball twice, which was probably a good thing, and Anthony had only the one involvement in the game when he was forced to pick up a stray through ball with not a Seaforth player in sight.

With the game heading towards a cricket score, Chris "Willie" Bryant did his best to keep the opposition in it, as he squandered numerous chances. The best of these came after a low cross found Chris unmarked on the far post. Somehow he managed to lift the ball over the bar from less than a yard out. A shot that even the great Willie Newton would have had trouble missing. Robbie got in on the goal scoring act, after the keeper, who was having a blinder, saved Robbie's first shot, but was powerless to stop his second and Robbie curled it into the far corner. Shawn got a second after he took the ball from the half way line and skipped past a couple of would be defenders, before slotting the ball past the advancing keeper. A classic  goal. The half time whistle sounded after what was a very quick 35 minutes, which unfortunately ended up being the full time whistle, as Rapid Seaforth threw in the towel.

 Not the greatest preparation for the coming season, but some nice football was played despite the poor opposition.

Pistol Pete Sinks Seaforth's Ship 

Rapid Seaforth 0
Gladesville Ravens 1
(27/02/2005)

A return to action for the mighty Ravens reserve team ended with Ravens lucky not to have thrown away their lead and wondering how they hadn't put this result to bed long before the final whistle. A strong looking team took the field for the Ravens, with Marty taking the spot in goal, behind a three man defence of new boy Rashy as sweeper, with Ravens stalwart Phil Mac and debutant Ledley Vatalis in the stopper roles. A five man midfield boasted Spaniard Simon down the right in a wide role, Tex, Foto and Joe in the middle, and Mousey out on the left. Up front saw Courtney make his first start for the club alongside Stu, with a late inclusion Adz, Roids and the mighty Hwang on the bench.

 Playing uphill and into the wind in the first half gave Ravens plenty to  doin defence, cutting out a series of long balls, while there was little for the front pair to feed off as the breeze played havoc with the Ravens through ball. Rashy and Vatalis looked assured in their new roles, although Rashy was caught in possession midway through the half after doing well to intercept a dangerous pass and looked on as Seaforth wasted the opportunity with a weak shot. Simon was finding a lot of space up the right hand side and his delivery almost led to an opener for the Ravens, with Foto going close with a thumping header.

 The breakthrough came courtesy of a sloppy pass in the Seaforth midfield which was read by Tex, who set off on a run to the edge of the area, where the attempt to feed Courtney was blocked, but the ball sat up beautifully and Tex slotted a low left foot shot past the keeper's desperate dive from twelve yards out for 1-0. Ravens had their tails up and made a couple of rotational changes, Adz coming on for Mousey and Roids up front for Courtney.

Roids was straight into the action, picking up the pieces of a mazy Vatalis run into the box, but his shot was blocked, with Vatalis screaming in vain for the return ball that would never come. The half time whistle came and Ravens knew that they had weathered the storm, and come out of it with a slender advantage to take into the second period. Ravens continued to rotate players in the second half, and with Wanger coming into the fray, goalscoring opportunities were always going to be created, although not scored. A deft run by Roids down the right saw Wanger completely unmarked in the box, six yards out, but his shot from Roids pass was delayed and the chance went begging. Another chance came his way seconds later, even closer in, and the ball squirmed wide, before Stu showed great composure to beat his man down the left from a hopeful through ball and crash a shot against the post.

Roids was again involved to cross deep for Adz to rise impressively at the far post and plant a header against the hand of the Seaforth defender - inexplicably referee Mr Magoo missed the incident and waved play on. In fact the failing eyesight of Ravens own Collina failed to spot a lot of things, mainly some rough tackles by the Ravens on their Seaforth counterparts, Phil Mac and Vatalis the main protagonists. Foto then ended the Seaforth playmaker's game with a neat tackle which left him writhing on the floor. Adz also made way after a horrific two footed tackle ended his afternoon, but escaped serious injury, before Seaforth were denied an undeserved equaliser, first by the bar after Mousey had gifted the ball to the centre forward, then by Marty after Rashy and Vatalis had simultaneous brain explosions in their own penalty area. There was time for Roids to smack an effort against the bar and for Vatalis to hit the wall with a curling freekick, before the referee ended the contest.

A welcome win to begin the pre-season warm up program, notable performances from Rashy and Foto giving the Ravens management plenty to think about with the season only a month away, and a display of finishing from Wanger that we would only need to wait fifteen minutes to see surpassed as the first grade took centre stage.

Ravens Too Good For Putney 

Putney Rangers 0
Gladesville Ravens 4
(12/03/2005)

With the Ravens struggling to find a team brave enough to play them, it was their old foes Putney who stepped up to the mark, knowing that this would be their only chance to play top flight opposition, having been relegated to the second division of premier league the year before.

The Ravens side would be missing only midfield maestro Nick Zorbas, who was still involved in the test series against New Zealand. They welcomed into the fold new signings Arthur Prentzas and Dan Ellerton, whilst Aman Ramrakha was back from international duty to take up his customary position in goals.

So the formation that Joel started with, was the usual 3-5-2, himself playing behind Dave and Nathan in defence, whilst Arthur, Shawn and Robbie manned the central midfield. Ross and Steve took the left and right flanks respectively and Brad and Courtenay started up front, with Chris, Dan and Louis Vuitton warming the bench.

The game kicked off at a leisurely pace, as both sides look to conserve their energy in the rather warm conditions. Both sides enjoyed a reasonable amount of possession, however the Ravens were guilty on far too many occasions of giving the ball away too easily. The Ravens therefore, had to soak up some pressure, but did so comfortably, with Putney only having the one half chance. Then within a blink of an eye the Ravens took the lead, after Joel sent Steve away down the right and his cross picked out Courtenay perfectly. The flashy striker brought the ball down with his back to the goal, before spinning and hitting a lovely right footed shot into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.

The half continued much the same as it started, with the Ravens still giving possession away cheaply, but looking capable of scoring at any time. Brad flashed a shot across the goals and Courtenay put one just wide after drawing the keeper. Arthur nearly headed home on his debut, but the keeper was able to put him off just enough.

The half time whistle went, and Chris Mahar was very happy to relinquish the whistle after receiving some uncalled for abuse from some of the Putney players. With the game still evenly poised at 1-0, Joel decided to make some changes, taking off himself, Steve and Brad. This saw Robbie drop back to sweeper and Ross move into the centre midfield, as Dan took up his position on the left flank with Chris Bryant joining Courtenay up front. Louis Vuitton, on loan from Gladesville RSL, took Steve's position on the right of midfield, and the Ravens returned to the field with the clear instruction of keeping possession better.

Keep possession better they did, and a tired Putney, who had been talking up their superior fitness in the first half, were no match for a rampaging Ravens side. Within 20 minutes, Courtenay had wrapped up his hatrick and the game, with two sublime finishes. The first saw him run onto a through ball, before elegantly chipping the advancing keeper from 18 yards. His third goal was again the result of a well timed run and a perfect through ball, as he finished the move with a neat finish.

Courtenay then made way for Stevie Zed, who took his place up front, as the Ravens looked to increase their lead. Chris Bryant was having a whale of a game as he turned the Putney defence inside out on numerous occasions with his pace and skill. He was unlucky not to get a goal, particularly when he let rip with a scorching shot the skimmed the top of the cross bar.

The Putney players, now well beaten, were starting to get a little frustrated as a few niggling challenges started to creep into their game. Ross Kethel, who was commanding the midfield magnificently, was on the receiving end quite a few times, but along with the rest of the Ravens side kept hsi cool and continued to play an attractive brand of football.

Louis, who was playing out of his skin on the right, finally made it 4-0, after another good Ravens build up, saw Stevie Zed send in another telling cross, which gave Louis the chance to side foot home from 8 yards, although this was no easy finish.

Dave and Nathan were the unsung heroes, as they allowed Putney only one half chance in the second half, and snuffed out most other attacks before they started. Robbie, who played well in the holding role in the midfield, also looked good at sweeper, and Dan certainly looks to have given the Ravens another option in the midfield.

4-0 was the final score, as the Ravens cruised for the majority of the second half. Shawn and Arthur played well together in the centre midfield, and if everyone stays injury free, Joel looks set to have a few tricky selection decisions to make for the first competiton game, although it has been these sort of selection problems the Ravens have needed, as a lack of depth has ultimately been their undoing in years gone by.

So after 4-0 victories in both grades, the Ravens can looked forward to their Grey Shield clash with Epping YMCA next weekend.

Ravens Too Hot To Handle 

Putney Rangers 0
Gladesville Ravens 4
(12/03/2005)

Games between these two sides often become the stuff of folklore, and with neither team holding home advantage, this was a chance for Ravens to avenge their heartbreaking extra-time loss in the Grand Final of 2003.

 WIth a high extending from the North East giving unseasonably hot temperatures on a breezy afternoon, this was to be a test of the fitness regime undertaken by the squad in the pre-season. Marty lined up in goal behind a surefooted defence of Phil Mac and Chrissy Mahar, with Mousey out left and Simon out right in a four man defence. Tex and Chrissy Christou manned the centre of midfield, with Adz and Nico out on the flanks, and a front pairing of livewire Chrissy Bryant and the mercurial Stuey. With Foto, Joey and a host of others unavailable, the bench boasted Wanger amongst a number of first grade stars stripped and ready for action.

 Ravens elected to run with the strong gale in the first half, looking to make the most of the advantage and take the game to Putney. The early exchanges saw Putney more than match the Ravens in midfield and cause the defence problems, although Phil Mac and Mousey were in no mood to mess around, clearing their lines with grit and determination. Chrissy Bryant had just broken through to slide a shot just wide when Spaniard Simon cut out a Putney through ball and delivered an inch perfect through ball to the rampaging Bryant, who, with the keeper slow to react, spurned the opportunity of the lob and crashed the ball under the keeper for 1-0 with a terrific finish. Ravens had their tails up, Wanger came on for the goalscorer Chrissy, and with his first touch of the ball was controlling a long pass from Adz, ghosting past his man and slotting in a most un-Wanglike finish to sublimely beat the stranded goalkeeper for 2-0. Ravens were on fire in the toasty conditions, and following two uncharacteristic mistakes from their midfield duo, Tex gifting the ball in his own area and Chris Christou caught in possession in a dangerous position, Ravens knew that it was going to be their day when a marvellous combination of passes down the right sprung the Putney defence for a third time; Nico had found space on the right and was having a field day, and it was his pass and a one-two with Stu that found him one-on-one with the keeper and there was no doubt about the outcome, a Michael Owen-esque finish leaving the keeper for dead.

 Three goals to the good at half time, but Ravens knew that the strong wind would turn the game and make it a real test of their nerve in the second half. The Putney surge did not eventuate though, and despite bringing on two first grade players to beef up a poor midfield, there was no way through a strong and resolute Ravens defence. The half was ten minutes old when Ravens hit the fourth, a sloppy piece of play in the Putney midfield leaving Stu to intercept and slot the ball across the face of the goal where Adz had made a dashing run and side-footed into a virtually unguarded net. Wanger continued his good work, breezing past defenders with little effort in a performance that will whet the appetites of the Ravens fans for the 2008 season when he returns to league action. Adz went close from a Christou corner, heading just wide, while at the other end a brilliant last ditch tackle by Phil Mac denied Rangers, both players ending up needing treatment. Mousey made way to fulfil his league duties for the Tigers, with Ledley Vatalis coming on in his spot. The former Spurs man looked assured at the back, bringing a new dimension to the game, and as the game wound down to the final whistle, a superb break down the right with Simon again the instigator, saw the ball whiopped across to the rampant Vatalis who, from one yard out, provided the Willie moment of the day, scooping the ball over the bar with not an opponent in sight.

The whistle blew on a fabulous Ravens performance. Another solid and gutsy display from Phil Mac, a cultured game from the Spaniard, and a lively day for Wanger; plenty of plusses in a game that was controlled from start to finish by the Ravens. Revenge exacted, and a slightly tougher opponent than the previous game, but a long way to go before the season opener in April, and the sternest test yet next weekend against old foes Epping YMCA. Go the Ravens.

The Italian Job 

Epping YMCA 0
Gladesville Ravens 1
(20/03/2005)

This was always going to be a difficult game for the Ravens, once again
fielding a weakened side, so weak in fact that they played the whole game
with ten men, with the promise of 90 more minutes not enough to entice the
ageing legs of Chrissy or Goggs. The improvised line-up for the Ravens was
Purce in goal, looking for a more relaxing game that his previous busy 90
minutes in an outfield position, with Nath and Dave at the heart of the
defence, and Mousey and Phil Mac doubling up from reserves as the fullbacks.
A tired duo of Tex and Simon joined Robbie to fill the midfield, leaving
Wanger up front on his own, with Roscoe playing his customary roaming
position.

Ravens had it all to do, 6 of the 10 players on show having already played a
full 90 minutes, but that wasn't going to deter them, as they set about the
task with renewed vigour and determination. Ravens were on fire up front,
Wanger being heavily marshalled, but freeing up space for Roscoe and the
inevitable forward runs of Tex. Roscoe it was who had the first chance,
crashing a shot wide, then Wanger found time to set up Simon for the cross
which was well held by the Epping keeper. Purce was called upon to rush out
and dive at the attackers feet after Nath had gone walkabout upfield in
search of glory, before Ravens struck, and what a goal it was. Simon had
been felled, leaving Robbie to take a free kick some forty yards out. A
quick piece of thinking saw a route-one ball played in for Roscoe, who leapt
like a salmon to glide on to the ball and head home forcefully past the
flailing right hand of the Epping keeper. A glorious goal, and Ravens were
ahead. It should have been two soon after, Roscoe beat three, and had Tex
waiting for the through ball for a one-on-one with the keeper, but he
elected to shoot instead, and Epping were being torn to shreds by the verve
and imagination of the gutsy Ravens pack. With the half almost over, Purce
was called upon to make a smart save from a vicious drive from the edge of
the area, and the game remained at 1-0 until the break.

So Ravens enjoying the lions share of possession, a man down and with
several players running low on gas, the second half was always going to be a
difficult one. And so it proved. Epping began to up the tempo, as Ravens
tried to calm things down. Phil Mac was involved in a clash of heads, going
to ground for a couple of minutes, then Simon was caught, and the crowd
enjoyed one of the dives of the season, an artistic double-Spaniard with
pike; Mousey then joined the injury list, just beaten to the ball then
falling to the turf in agony with a severe bout of cramp. Tex was down to
pedestrian pace, but luckily Dave was full of beans and he and Nath kept the
defence tight and gave nothing away despite a flurry of corners. Purce once
again made a smart save from one of those corners, before Ravens went close
to two, Dave finding himself up field, but the shot was wide. Roscoe was
finding space down the left hand side, but precious little support in front
of him, although Phil Mac was there to provide the outlet. There was time
for Tex to use up the last of his energy chasing a over-zealous through ball
from Nath before the final whistle brought the game to an end and a fabulous
squad performance to give the victory to the Ravens.

A post-match inquest into the turn-out for this game is going on as we
speak, Ravens management may choose to start with an unchanged line-up in
the first grade for the season opener, such was the manner of this
performance. A fabulous result to go into the season, and Ravens will be
looking to emulate the form of the first half of last season.

Light On Numbers, But Not On Courage 

Epping YMCA 4
Gladesville Ravens 1
(20/03/2005)

The Charity Shield spectacular at St Patricks College saw a vastly
understrength Ravens side go into battle with old foes Epping Y, and in a
game of many goalscoring opportunities, Ravens were left kicking themselves
as they squandered chance after chance.

An unorthodox line-up saw Ravens adopt a 4-3-2 formation, fielding only ten
fit players to make a mockery of their squad depth; Marty took the
goalkeepers jersey with Phil Mac in the centre of defence. Purce made an
outfield appearance at left back, with Mousey at right back. Spaniard Simon
played a roaming defender role. A robust midfield boasted Chrissy Christou,
Tex and Goggs, while up front Stuey was joined by the in-form Wanger. The
Ravens began the game like a team lacking in numbers, but managed to control
the first ten minutes and eke out the first chance, a good move involving
Simon and Wanger down the right. The pivotal number 3 for Epping Y though
was to get things going with a cheeky run and shot which Marty couldn't get
near and Epping were in the driving seat at 1-0. A second goal eventuated
soon after from a similar run by the same player, leaving Phil Mac in his
wake to stroke the ball home for two. Ravens then got into gear, and the
chances started flowing, Goggs beat at least five players to tee up Wanger
from four yards, but he scuffed his shot, and the rebound was in turn
scuffed by Stu. Tex drilled a shot over from thirty yards, Wanger had a
great chance but shot at the keeper, Stu looked as though he had rounded the
keeper but then hit the ball into his arms, then finally after a melee in
the Epping penalty box, Stu emerged with the ball and made no mistake from
fully three yards, giving Ravens a sniff. Goggs then had a rasping twenty
yarder tipped over by the Epping shot-stopper and Ravens knew that they
could not waste any more chances. The Epping no 6 was causing all sorts of
problems, and it was his persistence that made it three, sweeping the ball
home after Marty had saved well from the initial shot. Purce was having a
great game at left back, risking life and limb in some meat-filled
challenges, and Mousey was busy at right back against the duo of Ethiopean
middle distance runners in the Epping Y team. The half time whistle was
welcome, Ravens having restricted a full strength Epping to three.

The second half was barely two minutes old when Ravens were dealt a further
body blow, a fourth goal sealing their fate, and a good goal it was, a
hat-trick for the number 3 who twisted to rifle home a shot from the edge of
the area past a bemused Marty at the near post after a good run and shot had
been blocked. Ravens were much the better side in the second half, making
life difficult for Epping, while soaking up a lot of pressure. They stroked
the ball around with imperial composure, and had Epping arguing amongst
themselves on more than one occasion as their stubborn never-say-die
attitude ground down their opponents. In the end, a good run from Wanger
almost produced a second goal, but the keeper was up to the task, and Goggs
had a shot well saved after Simon had played him in through the right hand
channel. The introduction of Nathan to the heart of the defence served
Ravens well for the final 15 minutes, and with the extra man, the game wound
down to the final whistle. The final shance of the day though fell to the
feet of the mighty Wang, fortuitously turning on to a deflected through ball
to find himself clean through, out came the keeper, Wanger delayed the shot
in true Wayne Rooney style causing the keeper to go to ground early, which
left Wanger an open goal to blaze the ball wide. 4-1 the final score, but
Ravens know that they played remarkably well considering their plight, and
will benefit a lot more from this game than their opponents. Top
performances from Purce, Simon and Goggs, alively showing from Tex, and the
return to normality for Wanger after his impressive performance in the
previous game.

Ravens Pushed By the Boys From The Bush 

Gladesville Ravens 3
Kenthurst 1
(02/04/2005)

With the start of the season pushed back by 1 week, Ravens were given the opportunity of getting some much needed game time under their belts. An all age team from Kenthurst, pushing for promotion into the 2nd division premier league the following season, was to be the opposition, and they travelled to Gladesville on a splendid Saturday afternoon.

Ravens weren't at full strength, missing strikers Chris Bryant and Courtenay Randall, through injury and illness, whilst English import Dan Ellerton was still trying to get over an injured ankle. Ravens had been buoyed by the news earlier that day, that Dean Meek would be returning to the fold in a couple of weeks, after quitting the Brisbane Strikers. So the game kicked off with Ravens playing their usual 3-5-2 formation. Joel started at sweeper, with Nathan and Dave given the job of marking the strikers. Out wide on the left was Stevie Z, with Chris Christou backing up after half a game in 2nd grade to play on the right. Goggs, Zorbie and Robbie were given the job of controlling the middle of the park, whilst Brad and Ross, who was pushed forward from left midfield, took their positions up front. Paul Purcell was to stand in between the sticks, as Aman was buggered from a ten minute run on the field in 2nd grade.

The first 10-15 minutes saw the Ravens control the game, giving away no chances and loitering constantly in the opposition half. However, apart from one or two long range shots, they didn't really look like scoring, and started to lose their way a little, as passes went astray, and Kenthurst players started to find a bit of space. Nathan and Dave were called on to make a few well timed tackles, and but for their intervention, the boys from Kenthurst may have had a few more chances.

There was no reason for panic just yet though, and when Brad surged on to a through ball to lift his left footed shot over the advancing keeper and into the back of the net, it felt as though the Ravens might go on a record a comfortable win. But after Brad's nice finish, the Bush Boys responded well and it wasn't long b