U14’s Boys 4 Caroline Springs 1

A great result for Coach Kosta’s boys who are fighting to get into the top half of the ladder by seasons end. Both goal scorers were clinical in their finishing, as it seemed the boys couldn’t put a foot wrong against their opponents.

U14’s Girls 4 Glen Eira 0

A great performance by the girls, who took control of the game and didn’t let go. A slow start saw Bentleigh take time to adjust to the 3-5-2 formation Coach Jasmine instructed them to play, finding it hard to keep possession on the bouncing pitch. After settling in, the girls were able to find space and take a 3-0 lead into half time. Coach Jasmine was very happy with the girls defensive efforts, and wanted to see not shots on goal in the second half. A great overall performance by the girls.

U15’s Boys 2 Berwick 2

It was a real arm wrestle for Coach Pas’ boys, who battled against their opponents and the pitch to secure a result. Before kickoff, Pas asked the boys to work around the water logged pitch, requesting they don’t take too many touches on the ball. Berwick took the lead early on, but a great solo run tied thing up. Berwick were able to sneak a goal in before half time, but Coach Pas knew the boys were still in the game. A tug of war second half saw Bentleigh find another equalizer from a corner, in a game showed great fight.

U16’s Boys 0 Altona Magic 1

An unfortunate result for the boys, in a game that was described as a “snatch and grab” with Altona taking all three points by poaching a difficult goal in the box. The Altona Magic side was hungry for a result, chasing hard in the first half. After the halftime break, Bentleigh were chasing the game yet weren’t sharp enough in the final third to find an equalizer.

U18’s Boys 0 Eastern Lions 1

An unlucky result for the boys, who are fighting for a spot in the top four. The game could have been completely different, after a red card was given to a Bentleigh defender within the first three minutes. The controversial red fired up Bentleigh who hung on through the first half, coming ever so close from set pieces. At halftime Coach Chris was happy with the boys compact defending, but needed the boys to be patient taking their chances knowing “the longer game will go on, the more they wont think they can do it”. Eventually a scrappy goal from a corner got Eastern over the line.

U18’s Girls 0 Dandy City 5

A rough result for the girls who went up against a very physical and aggressive Dandy City side. Without their starting striker, the girls struggled to keep the ball in their attacking half. Dandy struck quickly, with two goals in five minutes early into the second and remained in control for the rest of the game. Bentleigh were down 3-0 at halftime, yet Coach Phillip saw positive signs for the girls who kept showing their attacking intent. Dandy struck after halftime with two unstoppable long-range goals. Coach Philip was disappointed with the score line but was proud of the girls’ character to continue fighting.

Written by Aiden Zeccola