The sunshine came out in Wollongong in what was another entertaining day of football for day two of the National Youth Championships for Boys.
Day two of the tournament saw Northern NSW Football continue their undefeated runs as the sides came away with two wins.
The under-15s side secured a thrilling 4-0 victory over Football Northern Territory at WIN Stadium.
NNSWF came firing out of the gates, putting the pressure on Football Northern Territory from the first whistle.
Kai Thompson opened the scoring in the first half, with a well-placed strike into the back of the net to give NNSWF the lead into half-time.
Football Northern Territory started the second half strongly, but it didn’t take long for NNSWF to double their lead.
Alex Little was able to find the back of the goal after a NNSWF free kick rattled the crossbar and dropped to his feet. What was almost more spectacular was Little’s goal celebration, which saw him do a backflip.
The celebrations continued for Little, who wasted no time before he netted his second after he dribbled past several defenders before he pulled the trigger and gave NNSWF a 3-0 lead.
NNSWF extended their lead after they were awarded a penalty kick. Will Kauter stepped up and calmly converted from the spot with a strong strike. The score remained 4-0 at the final whistle to make it two from two for the under-15s.
The under-16s side put on a gritty performance to claim a 1-0 win over Football Australia’s Invitational IV.
NNSWF started strongly and created multiple goal-scoring opportunities early in the first half. They were rewarded before half-time as Anderson Haldon’s strong strike from inside the penalty area flew past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
In the second half, NNSWF continued to push to extend their lead but could not capitalise
The Invitational IV were desperate to equalise, but NNSWF’s defence remained calm and minimalized any threat that came their way.
Neither side could find the back of the goal in the second half, with NNSWF taking the 1-0 win.
NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge was proud of the effort the under-15s and under-16s produced today.
“It was two big games today for both of our teams, where it was important that that backed up what they did well from yesterday,” Doidge said.
“It was two very different games. Our under-15s really dug deep and showed some good bravery and creativity in the final third.
“The under-16s had to dig deep to find a different way of producing some sort of result. It was important that they approached the game with the right mentality, which they did.
‘It is all about recovery now for the two sides, which is really important as we head into day three where it is crucial that we finish the group stage off strongly.”
More on the National Youth Championships:
CLICK HERE to view the Official National Youth Championships 2024 Boys’ Tournament Digital Program with Fixtures
CLICK HERE to watch* the National Youth Championships 2024 Boys’ Tournament thanks to Kommunity TV (*subscription required)
CLICK HERE to view the live tables and results
