Sixteen teams left. Three rounds to go. One trophy to win. 

Last Wednesday, the William Clarke College Senior Boys Football Team were set to play another match in the state-wide CIS Cup knockout competition. Following an emphatic win against SEDA College, Mr Sen’s men were ready to give it their all once again – although this time, they did not have the advantage of playing at home. The boys in blue travelled by mini-bus to Lane Cove for an away fixture against St. Ignatius College Riverview – a GPS school that defeated Barker College 2-1 last round. The ‘Golden Generation’ had been anticipating this match for almost two months, talking tactics, writing up squad-hype emails, and even meeting for a pre-match PowerPoint on matchday. The victor of this battle would be decided by one factor and one factor only – pure, absolute, and utter desire. 

Although they did not have the same luxury of a home crowd as Riverview, William Clarke had a group of parents, as well as students Joseph, Logan and Tim who provided more than enough support for WCC to start off strong. As soon as the referee blew his whistle to commence the match, William Clarke rattled their opposition with intensity, attacking force and sheer determination. A number of chances were instantly created, and within the first two minutes of the match, the ball fell perfectly to Jazz outside the box. With relentless power, Jazz hoofed the ball straight into the bottom left corner; a strike no keeper could save.  

1-0 to WCC.  

The boys in blue erupted in celebration – what a start to the match! The opposition players, students, coaches, and physio had certainly been shaken by the Golden Generation sooner than expected. But this was no time to get complacent for WCC, as Riverview responded instantly on the front foot and gained momentum back in the next ten minutes, before scoring the equaliser, and WCC’s first conceded goal of the tournament.  

1-1 

This was shaping up to be a nail-biter of a match, with plenty of action already in the first 10 minutes. The momentum continued to build for the opposition, as they backed up their goal by winning a penalty not long after. Things certainly were not looking good for WCC. However, goalkeeper Joel, with ice in his veins, stepped up to the decisive moment and denied the penalty with a heroic save. Mr Sen’s men were back on the front foot and began to take control of the game again. Threading the needle in the midfield and showcasing next-level composure, Zach proved to be the difference in regaining momentum for the team and bringing WCC back into the game. After an excellent tackle in the midfield, Aaron found Luka with a quick pass, who dribbled with pace down the middle before striking the ball with venom into the bottom corner.  

2-1 to WCC.  

Not long after, an unstoppable WCC counterattack came to life, with Liam P darting down the wing and beautifully crossing it to super-sub Jackson who finished it with style.  

3-1 to WCC. 

The boys in blue had earnt themselves a comfortable lead, but this was short-lived. Right before halftime, a Riverview freekick was whipped into the box, and after a short scuffle, the ball found the back of the net. 

3-2. 

After an action-packed match so far, the Golden Generation entered the break with a narrow one-goal lead. If the second half was to be anything like the first, then both sides had nothing short of everything to play for.  

The second half began in a similar fashion of intensity to the first, except this time the WCC squadron were excellently organised by Josh in a low-block to defend their lead. Some would even say they were “parking the bus”, with Luke clearing any loose balls as far as possible, and fullbacks Daniel and Liam T winning every challenge there was to be won. Eren and Hugh bossed both the sides and centre of the pitch, outrunning and outsmarting anyone who opposed them. Putting everything on the line to maintain the one-goal advantage, WCC were taking similar shape to their favourite English Premier League team – Burnley FC. Needless to say, Burnley legend Sean Dyche would have been more than proud of the initial defensive display in the second half. However, this defensive focus did not prevent Mr Sen’s men from continuing their attacking prowess, as after 20 minutes of the half Liam P slotted away an excellent finish one on one with the keeper. 

4-2 to WCC. 

WCC once again found themselves in a comfortable two-goal lead and were in high spirits. The fresh legs of Sam, Ethan and Archie brought new energy to the squad, and continued the WCC momentum. But once again, there was something about this two-goal gap that sparked an attacking force in Riverview, and they started pushing pressure on the WCC boys. With 15 minutes to go, a freekick outside the box found a Riverview player, who finished the ball into the back of the net. 

4-3. 

It seemed as though this continuous fire of goals had become a recurring pattern throughout the match, and although Riverview had their eyes set on another goal, William Clarke knew that their own goalscoring was not done for the day. Remaining unphased by the opposition’s attacking ambitions, the boys in blue edged over with their own offense. In the last 10 minutes of the match, the ball was lobbed into the box from a WCC corner, and a headed effort from Jazz ricocheted off the post into the feet of Liam P. A striker’s dream – all he had to do was tap it in, which he did, with class.   

5-3 TO WCC.  

An immense goal at an intense point of the match, the WCC boys sprinted to the corner to celebrate with Liam, who topped the goal off with a magnificent knee-slide. Mr Sen’s men switched back into defensive mode, but yet again after a two-goal lead, Riverview managed to win a penalty controversially awarded by the Riverview student linesman. This penalty, unlike the first, was struck into the bottom left corner.  

5-4. 

However, much to WCC’s fortune, this goal was of no importance, as the referee blew the final whistle seconds later. This rollercoaster of a match was finally over, and the Golden Generation had done it once again! While it wasn’t their best defensive display, the boys did what was needed to get the job done – score more goals than the other team.  

As the great Johan Cruyff once said, “To win, you have to score one more goal than your opponent.” 

Having made the quarter-finals, the WCC Boys will next be traveling up to Newcastle to play St. Philips Christian College and striving to continue their excellent form. Only 2 games away from the final, the Golden Generation will be giving it their all every step of the way, with their eyes set on the Grand Final and claiming the ever so sought-after silverware.