By JARROD POTTER
THE finals’ run was brief but the success of 2014 will live on at the Cardinia United Junior Soccer Club.
Cardinia United under-13 South D boys team came into the semi-final full of vigour after winning the league championship with a 13-2 record after the home-and-away season.
Despite an attacking style of soccer in the first half giving the Cougars a number of chances up forward, the best efforts of the Pakenham-based soccer club weren’t enough to guide them to a grand-final appearance.
Jackson Lino stormed forward at any chance – using his speed to burn off the Sandringham defence – and also starred from the set pieces and corners as he lofted chance after chance into the box.
Otim Arima and Vince Scacco mopped up in defence to keep Sandringham from having too many shots on target. Scacco’s cool head under pressure allowed the likes of Lino, Carter Warne and Tristan Durovic to push forward and generate a storm of powerful strikes on the Sandringham goals.
A potential goal was disallowed for Cardinia United – a strike seemed to break the plane but the linesman was unable to call it in – keeping the game alive.
Sandringham was on the back-foot throughout the match, but its two defining breakthrough runs in the second half resulted in a pair of goals which proved the difference.
Cougars wingman-turned-striker Jackson Lino cannoned in a goal in the dying minutes to keep the draw viable, but the whistle sounded before the Cougars could complete the comeback.
Coach Mark Dunn said everything but the final result fell the Cougars way and he congratulated Sandringham on its victory.
“It’s all good – we were pretty close but it didn’t quite happen,” Dunn said.
“Through the whole game I had a lot of people say to me that we dominated most of the game, but we couldn’t get it in there.
“They had two shots at goal and made them, but that’s soccer and you have to hand it to Sandringham.”
Dunn was impressed with his charges’ adherence to the strategy – not rushing their passes and staying calm in the defensive end.
“Yesterday (Sunday) was a culmination of a whole season’s work and they put together the game I wanted to put together,” Dunn said.
“Not panicking in defence – we could stop, switch the ball in the backline and get it out to the wing and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Cardinia United’s under-13s take away the FFV league championship from 2014 and a lot of lessons along the way, which Dunn made sure the team knew despite the disappointment of the loss.
“It was a great game – as I said to the boys afterwards – the league championship builds up over the whole season, but this was just 50 minutes that didn’t go our way,” Dunn said.
“At the end of the day, the boys made a final.
“As Rob Hastings said to the boys before the match ‘you may not ever make one again… so get over the nerves and enjoy it’.
“And that’s what they did.”
Sandringham will face Seaford in the 13 D boys grand final.
Cardinia United Under 13: Tyrone Martier, Cartner Warne, Jordy Dunn, Otim Arima, Jackson Lino, Jared Lawrence, Vince Scacco, Dylan Raynes, Deng Wol, Tristan Durovic, Andrew Schellebeck, Mitchell Ostrognaj and Jas Singh.
