By Chris Totobela
Local representatives in the Hollywood Bets Regional League enjoyed another weekend of good results in the latest round of fixtures. Newcomers, Young Eagles hosted Kenton On Sea-based Junior Sundowns in a tightly contested encounter, with the local side starting stronger and taking the game to their opponents.
The visitors seemed to struggle with the pace of Eagles’s attackers, and they finally succumbed to pressure when Lucky Ncudu found himself unmarked in the box and slotted the ball home to give his side the lead. Sundowns started pushing forward in search of the equaliser but spent more time on the turf, seemingly looking for free kicks.
The visiting coach made some changes early in the first half and started dominating the midfield tussle. Eagles appeared to run out of ideas when they reached the final third of the field and had no choice but to substitute their target man, who gave away possession frequently. The home side took their slender lead to the halftime break. It was, however, Sundowns that started the second half well and made a few more changes to their line-up to beef up their firepower. They forced a couple of good saves out of the Eagles’s goalminder.
The home side absorbed a lot of pressure and spent most of the second stanza on the back foot. They made a couple of changes and were also the recipients of several cautions as the players found themselves unable to keep up with the pace of the game, committing late tackles. However, despite the pressure from their opponents, Eagles managed to hang on to their single-goal advantage until the final whistle.
The home side would need to beef up their striking force as they seemed very slim in that department. They also need to trust each other and not spend too much time on the ball while allowing the opponents to regroup. It was a hard-fought victory for Eagles, but they have their work cut out if they want to compete at this level.
Meanwhile, in another regional game, Jacaranda Aces returned with maximum points when they defeated Young Pirates in Port Alfred. Another local side, City Pirates, thrashed a tired-looking Mighty Forest by five unanswered goals. Maru lost in their away game against Bathurst giants United Eleven by two goals to one.
