Cataraqui Soccer Club

The combined Cataraqui III & II teams managed to send 12 over 35 individuals (and one 34 year old) to Perth on the weekend for this very enjoyable Tournament.  It was a glorious day with just the right amount of breeze and minimal humidity to allow the players to enjoy the football.

The tournament format this year was somewhat different from previous years with the organizers arranging to decide the overall winners on a penalty shoot out between the top two placed teams in the round robbin.

John McGarry, suffering from a knee injury was sidelined before the game even started and Brian (I am 35 years since conception) Dodo had to ask permission to be allowed to play in each game.  John took over the reins as coach and rendered stalwart service for the whole day.

Cataraqui got off to a slow stat in the first game against Gloucester, and spent some agonizing minutes camped in their own half.  A switch from zone to man-to-man marking sorted the problem out by half-time.  The second half was entirely different with the pressure much more evenly distributed.  Gloucester were unlucky on an off-side call, only the referee missed Rob McDonald adjusting the corner flag as their forward was open in front of goal.  Yianni Tryfonopolous made some fine stops in both halfs and James McIntyre headed off the line.  Cataraqui had chances of their own and finished with three excellent goals from Rob Lusink, Ross Corcoran, and Joel Badour to seal a well-deserved victory.

We moved from the Conlon Road fields to the Civitan club for the next two games.  The second game against Perth was end-to-end stuff with Cataraqui having most of the play, but no finishing touch.  Wayne Ingham had a dazzling run and a cracking shot from not to far inside the Perth half which dislodged the goalkeeper's water bottle, but was on the wrong side of the post.  Eddie Edwards had the ball in the net after a cross from the right, but was ruled off-side (I suppose things even out).  Perth Saints were never really a challenge in this game (the least good tempered of the day).  Nonetheless there was no score in this one.  Nice to see Jeff Bell again, although he was injured in a later game.

There were tired legs and dry throats in the third game against Brewers.  Cataraqui, playing back-to-back after the Perth game, had a nice goal from Ross Corocoran.  Although we went into the break one goal to the good, things did not last with Brewers drawing level with a well taken goal early in the second half.  Both teams were tiring fast in the second half, which was punctuated by fair efforts on both sides but no further scoring.  Time for a beer at the Civitan and some hot dogs: the lunch of champions.  (I was out of this: still recovering from the hot wings of the night before.)

The final game was at the Conlon Fields against Quinte Old Boys.  This was an excellent game to play in.  It seemed that the beer and hot dogs had done their work.  The entire team was firing on all cylinders again.  Joel Badour turned on a sixpence (tanner to the Scots) and scored what was probably the goal of the tournament.  That wasn't quite enough, excellent build up from Warren Tutty and Pete Jenkins had Joel through again for his second, and a well taken penalty rounded out his hat trick.  Having said that Joel scored the goal of the tournament leaves me with some difficulty in describing the last goal.  James McIntyre scored a first class headed goal from a corner kick.  This was a well deserved goal from someone who had worked hard all day on the field, and for weeks before off the field to help get the team out to the Tournament.  Quinte Old Boys did get one back, but there was no real fire in their team which had played several games back-to-back.

Cataraqui sat atop the table with 8 points, ahead of Perth Saints on goal difference, goals for, goals against, etc.  Sadly, it was not to be in the penalty shoot out.  Well done Rob Lusink and Brain Dodo for scoring from the spot, but in the end we lost the shout out 4-2.  The shoot-out format does not sit well with many people (myself included), but the rules of the tournament were available by the time we kicked off on the day.  Congratulations to Perth Saints on their victory, and for organizing the event.  Special thanks to Perth OPP for their understanding of the rules in force for the hour or so after the game.