Spirit ready for season start
Friday, 27 February 2009
Seventeen-year-old Matt Timbrell was a match-winner with a double as a youthful Bundaberg Spirit twice came from behind to defeat
Gladstone powerhouses Clinton 3-2 in a full-on trial match at Across The Waves (ATW) Football Club grounds on Saturday night.
It was another good stepping stone for the Spirit two weeks before the kick-off of the new Hyundai Queensland State League season, although coach Lynn Hodgkinson said their first half was “poor’’.
“We did well with what we had – Clinton are a very good side – they won their grand final last year and their Second Division team drew with Waves’ First Division team which shows how strong they are as a club,’’ Hodgkinson said.
“We had five or six guys out who are all contenders for the starting side, but our second half was much better although we missed a few sitters at the end – we traded free kicks to start with, they then we, then they went ahead, but Mitchell Broom equalised for us, and finally Matt Timbrell put us ahead with his second goal midway through the second half.
“What pleased me most was we won it with four 16-year-olds who had never played First Division before – it was all about trying different things to see what works and what doesn’t work and there were some good things.’’
Hodgkinson also named midfielder Broom as among their best as their young guns aimed up.
“Three of our young players led the way – Mitchell (Broom), Jack Hambrecht, who played at left and centre-midfield, and Michael Coleman, who played right fullback in the second half,’’ he said.
The Spirit also won their first trial game, against ATW 2-1 nine days earlier, and they will have their last hit-out before the season proper when they travel to
“Jason De Papi may be out with a knee injury. Also
“Still we are not going to be anywhere near our peak even though we will be only a week out from the season – we are just getting injuries at the wrong time.’’
Their two quality keepers, Daniel Watson and Dayne Rimmington played one half each against Clinton, and Hodgkinson said it was “impossible’’ to split the pair, and he is considering “some form of rotation arrangement’’ between the pair.
“Both have trained very well, and unlike most squads who have got a clear-cut No. 1 keeper, we have got two who are very evenly matches – they have got different strengths and I can’t fault their attitude or commitment, but form will tell me whether we go one way or the other or keep sharing,’’ he said.
Naka will provide a much needed boost to their strike-power, especially with the loss of a wealth of experience in the likes of Laurie Stephenson, Aaron Bakker and Laurie Stephenson, and three of their young guns, Josh Brillante, who has moved to
Hodgkinson’s son, Mitchell, who was a member of the North Queensland Razorbacks squad last season while doing a Physiotherapy Degree at James Cook University in Townsville, is another a welcome addition to the squad after deferring his studies until July.
But Hodgkinson is also exciting by his young talent, describing the likes of Hambrecht, Luke Leggett and Coleman as “all very promising players’’.
Brett Kitching has retained the captaincy after leading from the front in their debut season, but he is still recovering from an Achilles injury, and he will miss what could not have been a tougher season opener at Martens Oval against defending champions Sunshine Coast Fire next Saturday night.
Vince Habermann
