U17A Round 6 vs Essendon

Playing without their usual intensity and confidence, the Waverley Under 17 A were soundly defeated by Essendon 5 goals to 1 – their first defeat of the 2010 season.

Appearing to be intimidated by the ferocity of the Essendon tackles and defensive pressure, the Waverley boys were made to pay dearly for repeatedly turning the ball over in the midfield and for the lack of defensive intensity that enabled Essendon players to carry the ball to repeatedly enter their circle to shoot on goal or secure penalty corners.

The standout player for Waverley was clearly Ben Wilkinson. Certainly, without Ben’s stoic efforts the result would have been substantially worse. Mention also needs to be made of the efficient stick work of Callum Smillie that lead to Waverley’s only score.

Much can be learnt from this performance and all remain confident that the boys will regroup and emerge a better team as a result of this experience.