Round 9 delivered a full slate of action for our Murray United squads, with teams hitting the pitch across the NPL and CPL competitions. From gritty draws and comeback wins to dominant performances and valuable lessons, our athletes showcased their growth, resilience, and passion for the game. Here’s your wrap-up of all the weekend’s action!
🟥 JBNPL 1 – U17 Boys
Final Score: 0–3 Loss vs Box Hill
Despite the scoreline, the boys started brightly and looked confident on the ball. Defensive organisation and attacking chances gave us early momentum, but a costly lapse before halftime flipped the match. A miscue off our own attacking corner led to a quick counter and a chipped goal, followed by another blow just minutes later.
The second half saw us fight hard, dominating possession and creating multiple scoring chances, but we couldn’t capitalise. A third goal against us came from another error, and while the boys pressed with intensity, the result didn’t reflect their effort.
High Performance Players: Pieter, Oli, Richard
🟥 JBNPL 2 – U14 Boys
Final Score: 1–3 Loss vs Geelong
Goal Scorer: Cameron Harb
A tough outing for the U14s who struggled to find rhythm and fluency early on. Geelong’s tactical play unsettled us, and although we had glimmers of hope—particularly through the tireless Andy and ever-aggressive Jimmy—we lacked the consistent desire to win key moments. A late push opened us up to a third goal and sealed the result.
High Performance Players: James Griffith, Andy Reckless, Lachlan Pardy, Sam Davies
🟥 JBNPL 2 – U15 Boys
Final Score: 2–1 Win vs Moreland
Goal Scorers: Christian Pasqualotto, Connor Medcraft
Despite being understrength and away from home, the U15s dug deep and earned a hard-fought victory. Christian’s long-range strike opened the scoring before Connor slotted home a second just before the break. Moreland pulled one back, but the boys held strong defensively and had chances to extend the lead late.
Special thanks to fill-ins Ashton, Huddy, and Ayden for stepping up.
High Performance Players: Tyla Singh, Liam O’Connor, Connor Medcraft, Andrew Herzina
🟥 JBNPL 2 – U16 Boys
Final Score: 3–3 Draw vs Avondale
Goal Scorers: Koby Shields, Leroy Ogesare, Eka Nkoranyi
A spirited comeback in a chaotic match saw the U16s extend their unbeaten run to six. Koby opened the scoring with a thunderous strike before two soft goals saw us trailing. Leroy equalised, but Avondale hit back again. Down to 10 men after a second yellow for Koby, the boys rallied—earning a penalty that Eka calmly converted. Two golden chances late went begging, but the fight was undeniable.
High Performance Players: Koby Shields, Leroy Ogesare, Odin Hooper, Jack Ryder, Keiran Flanagan
🟩 CPL Girls – U13s
Final Score: 2–0 Win vs Altona City
Goal Scorer: Matilda C (2)
Resilience was the name of the game for our U13 girls. With illness still affecting the squad and just one sub, they dug deep and played with heart. Two brilliant goals from corners were a reward for their commitment to structure, effort, and unity. A true team performance!
High Performance Players: Matilda C, Paige P, Zahlee M
🟨 CPL Girls – U15s
Final Score: 1–1 Draw vs Altona City
Goal Scorer: Alexis I
The U15s were composed and creative in attack from the start, but a handball penalty saw Altona go up 1-0. After losing captain Carly to injury, the team regrouped. In the second half, Lexi broke through and equalised after some slick ball movement. Tired legs and brave defending saw the game end level, with standout performances across the park.
High Performance Players: Zoe F, Rowena R
Impact Players: Keira A, Sibel P, Inanay G, Ruby O, Pippa O, Alexis I
Special Mentions: Emma M (back-to-back full games!), Sade S for stepping up when needed.
🟩 CPL Girls – U17s
Final Score: 6–0 Win vs Altona City
Goal Scorers: Sade Selvey (3), Jenna Ruhbaum (2), Isla Harrison (1)
A dominant first-half performance sealed the deal for our U17s. Goals from Jenna and Sade gave us a 4-0 lead at the break, with midfield control and wing play driving the charge. Though the second half lost some tempo, the girls remained in control. Isla, from the U15s, slotted home late before Sade completed her hat-trick.
High Performance Players: Jenna Ruhbaum, Sade Selvey, Olive Fullwood, Louisa Griffith
Thanks to U15 contributors: Molly, Sibel, Ruby, and Isla!
Next weekend will see the NPL Boys teams have a weekend off, while the CPL Girls will see the girls playing back at home to a full crowd.
