Thirty-three Sale United Football Club members descended upon Ballarat across the King’s Birthday long weekend, representing the region in the Country Leagues Football Association 2023 Country Championships.
The girls under 18 team ended up winning the tournament.
Sale United Football Club had more representatives in the 2023 Country Championships than any other soccer club in the region, with 29 players and four coaches ranging from under 11s to under 18s.
Sale United’s Paul McGrath and Steve Giuliani were appointed coach and assistant coach of the under 14 boys, with the Swans’ Madelaine Breakspear and Romi Bitar selected coach and assistant coach of the under 18 girls squad.
Sale United senior women’s fancy footwork forward Dani Wilson was named the under 18 girls captain, with the Swanettes’ fierce defender Emma Robb selected as vice-captain.
Sale United’s Jax Eldred was named under 14 boys captain.
Gippsland representative teams travelled the nearly four hours to famously cold Ballarat on Friday, June 9, before descending on one of three locations: Morshead Park, Trekardo Park and Victoria Park, on Saturday morning for Day 1 of the championships.
It was a formidable opening to the competition for the under 14 boys, who faced tournament favourites Ballarat District League, and lost 6-0.
“We started off slow and lethargic and had no real impetus in our play, and within 10 minutes were 3-0 down with three glaring individual errors,” Sale United’s Paul McGrath said.
“We struggled for the rest of the game.”
Game two was against Sunraysia District League.
“We faced a quick, well-organised side, and again we just were not at the races, possibly the playing on the main pitch and with a crowd that was drowning out our support, the boys just couldn’t string a pass together, which was really getting to me as I know we are way better than this but not committed in our play,” Magrath said.
The under 14 boys lost another game, going 6-0.
“Game three we played against Geelong District, going down 9-0 was not ideal, but in general, we were outplayed and out-thought,” McGrath said.
“Half of us wanted to be there, but the others not so much.”
The under 18 girls had a more positive start to the three-day regional football competition, the Gippsland representative team defeating Bendigo 2-1 in the opening match.
“We came from behind to claim the win,” Breakspear said.
“Our first goal was scored when Summer Cooper was brought down in the box; Dani Wilson converted the penalty.
“At half time, it was 1-1.
“The second half, we came out and played better football; Dani converted a chance in the second half to take home the three points.”
The under 18 girls met a formidable Albury Wodonga in game two.
“They were a tough physical team,” Breakspear said.
“They scored in the first few minutes of the first half. They scored another goal in the first half through our own error. At the end of the first half, we got a free kick over towards the right wing; Dani whipped the free kick in and hit the crossbar, it bounced down, and Sally Hoffman pounced on the header to score.
“Second half was end-to-end, and neither team was able to add another goal.”
The under 18 girls were defeated 2-1 by Albury Wodonga.
On Sunday, the under 14 boys met West Gippsland representatives, Gippsland Soccer League, with a goal from Traralgon City’s Max Canty cementing a 1-0 win in the first game of day two.
“With having our morning game postponed till 6pm, we had the morning off, and we all had a team meeting at 12.30pm to outline the day ahead,” McGrath said.
“Parents and players involved, we discussed and agreed that effort and having a go was not there on day one.
“I discussed with them that the score is not important, but our conduct and effort and what we trained on was. I wanted to see us try!”
The meeting did not fall on deaf ears, with the under 14 boys claiming a 1-0 win.
The under 14 boys then faced Albury Wodonga in the day’s second game.
“Losing to eventually the winners outright 6-1 was not all doom-and-gloom as our performance was there; just a few errors here and there cost us,” McGrath said.
“We tried to play attacking football, and that’s all I want to try and see from my teams.”
The under 14 boys met South West District Football in the final match on day two.
“With only getting 60 minutes between games today, cramps and injuries were starting to climb as we faced South West District Football,” McGrath said.
“With my star centreback Chantel Stephens out through injury and captain Jax Eldred struggling with cramps, we set up and went for it.
“On the main pitch under lights, God did we produce.
“At 20 minutes, Max Canty scores from 25 metres to go one up. South West District Football were going all out to equalise, and we were trying to get another goal.
“It was end-to-end stuff, a coaches nightmare of a game but a supporters dream.
“South West did equalise and, to be fair, a fair result.”
McGrath was immensely proud of his squad’s efforts on day two, describing the football his team played on Sunday as chalk and cheese to the football they played on Saturday.
For the under 18 girls, they faced Ballarat in Game 1 on day two.
“The under 18 girls had a win against Ballarat; won 3-0”, Breakspear exclaimed.
“Dani Wilson scored two goals while young Miley Cooper (Moe United) scored one goal.”
The under 18 girls met a physical Sunraysia in game two, going down 2-0.
On Monday, the third and final day, the under 14 boys played their last 2023 Country Championships match, meeting Bendigo.
“With all our squad really hurting with such a big day the day before, we did lose our captain Jax Eldred to a calf muscle injury,” McGrath said.
“Luckily, Chantel Stephens (Churchill United) declared herself fit.
“Going down 1-0 in 10 minutes, I was worried that the squad would just give up due to tiredness, but I was wrong.
“Equalising just before halftime through Keech Malual, we were on the ascendancy.
“Tyson Stephens got us the winner five minutes from the end.
“We finished fifth in the league out of eight teams. Day one was not good, but proud of them for the rest of the tournament.”
The under 18 girls sealed a 1-0 win against Geelong in their final round game on day three, advancing to the Grand Final against the formidable Sunraysia.
“We played out a tough game and went to extra time with a lot of opportunities on goal,” Breakspear said.
“Sunraysia didn’t get much of a sniff at goal at all during the game.
“The game went to penalties, we scored three, and Sunraysia missed all three.”
The under 18 girls were duly crowned the Country Leagues Football Association 2023 Country Championships.
