The Albury Eagles U9s put in a brilliant team performance to secure a win over the always-tough Farncombe Honey Badgers in a fiercely contested home fixture.
From the first whistle, it was clear this would be another tight battle against a physical Honey Badgers side. The Eagles started brightly and got the breakthrough in the first period thanks to Max, who stormed down the left wing and capped off his run with a superb finish to give Albury a 1-0 lead.
The second period saw no goals but plenty of determination, with Jenson, Digby, and Sullivan forming a solid defensive wall to keep Farncombe at bay. Their discipline and positioning ensured the Eagles held onto their slender lead heading into the third period.
In the third, Rui stepped up in attack and made a huge impact. Leading the line with real intent, he was quick to pounce on two chances inside the box, scoring twice in quick succession to extend Albury's lead to 3-0. Farncombe responded with a scrappy goal – a low shot that goalkeeper Tommy almost kept out, but the ball just crept over the line.
With the score at 3-1, the fourth period was all about resilience and hard work. The Eagles battled to prevent any hint of a Farncombe comeback. Leo was tireless in midfield, shrugging off a tough challenge and earning a free kick from the halfway line – which he struck sweetly, the ball flying in for a stunning goal to seal the win.
Every player played their part in a hard-fought victory, with standout effort from Digby, Sullivan, and Marcell, who showed great energy and focus throughout.
Eagle of the Week: Rui – for his clinical two-goal display and his excellent work dropping deeper to help link the play.
A strong all-round performance from the team – well done, Eagles!