Awakeri Soccer Club... the Greatest Junior Soccer Club in New Zealand

June 17 2000

Awakeri’s younger age groups led the way on Saturday, with some very good performances.

6th Grade Awakeri Draintech Diggers had a convincing win against Ohope, coming out the winners 4-0. The goals were scored by Riki Roia, Liam Richards and Sidney Jones. Player-of-the-match was Logan Munro, who played well in the outfield in the first half and as goalie in the second half. He saved some great shots against a fired up Ohope side. Also worthy of mention was Matthew McKeown-Orr, who played a ripper of a game.

Joel Ingle earned player-of-the-match for his 6th grade team Awakeri Hurricanes when they played Ohope. He was determined to go after the ball, making some good runs up field. The whole team contributed well and came out with a 3 - 1 win. Jayden Haddock scored two well-earned goals, and Leah Sheather also put one in.

In the 7th grade, Awakeri Blues had a comfortable win against Whakatane. The whole team did very well, their passing and positional play showing good development. Devon Swart and Kane Wakefield shared player-of-the-match, and both scored goals, as did Waylon Skipps.In fact, Skipps and Swart scored four each!

Peter Clarke Ltd Awakeri battled hard for the whole game, against Whakatane Sharks in the 7th grade. They are really enjoying their soccer and developing well in areas like tackling. David Ernest was player-of-the-match for his efforts and Harry Cotter was another to play extremely well. Maddison Constantine put his ball skills to good use. Sharks won the game 4 - 0. Another pleasing feature were the compliments paid to referee Neil Mower for his explanations to the players as the game went along.

Passing the ball proved to be the answer for the 8th grade Awakeri Magic team. After being down one goal to nil, some good passing gave Magic a couple of quick goals in their 2 - 1 win against Whakatane White. Vincent Sheather scored first followed by Mathew Reeves. Players to stand out were Paul Haslam in the midfield, and Amy Falwasser who was named player-of-the-match for her determination.

Total Power Services Awakeri Rangers had a seesawing 8th grade game against Whakatane Wolfpack. Joseph Newdick had a confident game and was Rangers’ player-of-the-match. Vikki Lowndes and James Attewell did a lot of work around the field, while goalkeepers Emma Barr and Ben Hancox both did well in their turns. The game ended at 0 - 0.

The David Da Silva Autos 9th grade played Ohope at Bluett Park. The game was very even. Lots of goal attempts by Ohope were saved by Mitchell Warne in the first half and Leonard Sonntag in the second. The game looked like ending nil all when Jonathon Hudson drove a long shot into the net in the last five minutes . He was also player-of-the-match.

In the 11th grade B division, Adamson’s Amcal Pharmacy Awakeri Athletic won by default against Paroa, who turned up with only four players! In the A division, Gould Contracting Awakeri Hotshots got back on track with a win against SKF Kawerau. Lance Robison scored twice, one a beauty from a narrow angle. Darren Groom and Ian Sisam also put the ball in the net. Player-of-the-match Neil Sax ran his heart out in the midfield. Jonathon Dawson also worked hard and troy Jansen showed out in defence. Hotshots won the game 4 - 0.

A nasty injury to midfielder Matthew Gwynne was the low light of Awakeri Store Strikers 13th grade game against the powerful Ohope team. He was injured trying to get the ball past the keeper in the first half. Awakeri dominated the half, creating a number of chances before Carrington brown used his pace to get away and score. Ohope bounced back in the second half, scoring three time in the first five minutes. Strikers picked themselves up and narrowed the gap, when Brown hit a good shot and Liam Fitzgerald was on hand to put away the rebound off the keeper. Ohope had to work hard for their 5 - 2 win. Jeremy Hawkes earned player-of-the-match with an outstanding display in the centre of defence, he was well supported by all the backs. Rebecca Geddes, Nicholas Haslam and Matthew Barr all did their jobs with great determination. Cody Hancox had another good game between the sticks. His coming off the line to intercept through-balls was a feature.