Drop ten turn and face 53

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 53

Two finals, a Cup win and taking on International Schoolboy Representative  competition

In season 2016 Chris Woo was our 1st XI Captain and a fine job he did. The squad was a strong one with numerous Rep players. So with this in mind, it is important to consider the sacrifices the boys made because for the school alone they amassed 33 games. As ever we entered the early season St Andrews Cup. This is always a good test because it brings together twelve of the strongest sides in Independent Schools football. This year we started well downing both Barker and Sydney Grammar 4-0 but missed out in the final to a late goal against St Aloysius. Further trials against St Pius Old Boys, HFC Armenia, Riverview, St Augustines, Kissing Point and Sydney High set us well for our opening NSWCIS game against Kings, a game we won well.  Moving on to the start of the ISA competition, we ran up six consecutive wins including 1-0 away wins over both St Pats and Oakhill. A 5-1 NSWCIS Cup quarter final victory over St Philips Newcastle, was apt revenge, for a semi-final reversal against that college back in 2008. Keeper Chris Kastropil was playing for his second consecutive season, while the Di Ciano brothers Alex and Julian an opportunity to play together both making the ISA Rep side. Alex went on with Mitch Whalley to play for NSWCIS, the first time since Daniel Bateup and David Prentice in 2002, that we had we two spots in the squad. Robbie Leonardi, James Kellendonk, Alec Vinci and Chris Woo all turned out for the ISA side.

With the ISA policy of ‘no night finals’, since 2009, the significance of the NSWCIS night matches, has really taken over as that opportunity for SPX to showcase not just its fine, competitive football but also the undoubted school spirit and fanatical support. Thus, playing Moriah College was one such opportunity to shine. A NSWCIS Cup semi-final under lights out at Valentine Park, FNSW headquarters. Moriah were the existing holders of the Cup and my good friend Dome Helene was coach of the side. Oh what a night! Hundreds of SPX students came out to get behind the boys. Our boys were outstanding on the night matching the champion Moriah team throughout. A Pius goal was controversially before the game went into extra time at 0-0. Penalties looked to be the solution until in the last minute when their champion player, Ryan Blumberg, scored a late, late, winner to sink our dream. Ryan was well known to my-self. He had played the previous year in my All Schools Championship winning, CIS side. After this year’s competition he went on to win a place in the International Nike Academy, eventually joining Charlton Athletic in England.

The buzz of the semi final once again demonstrated how far our Football programme at the college had come. The boys had given their all and come so close. Fortunately, we were given a chance to put things right going away to Queensland for the High Energy Cup the following week. 

In the HIgh Energy Cup we eventually prevailed, after going down 3-2 initially to Africa United we got a 9-3 win against African Unity. This was followed by a 3-2 win over Kings which put us through to the final on the second day against the same side. In a tense, pressure filled match our main striker Harry Clay took a sharp chance to seal a tight 1-0 win. Captain Chris Woo and SPX  lifted this Cup for just the second time in 12 years.

 This was to be no ordinary tour because for reasons beyond our control several schools had withdrawn from the tournament and it would be a four team, two-day competition. Resourceful, as ever, we quickly arranged three additional tour matches including one Brisbane side St Laurence’s  who we downed 6-1 and State League outfit Ipswich City Bulls. This was great game against an older side played on Astro-turf and was kindly arranged by old mate and ex SPX teacher Lee Addison. The 2-1 win saw coach Chris Semaan take the field for our side, something the boys enjoyed immensely. 

Returning to Sydney with silverware is always special.

We are proud at SPX of our good standing in the football community. It was very encouraging then when I got a phone call from the New Zealand Schoolboy International side coach, asking if we wanted to play them in a midweek tour game. As any who knows me will attest I will take my sides to play anyone. We had previously taken on the ISA side and the NSWCIS sides providing opposition but this was a whole new level. As it turned out the weather was terrible and we ended up playing the game down on the ‘all weather’ at Miranda. The background to this invitation was that New Zealand had games arranged with Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, NSW Schoolboys and Australian Schoolboys. When the Wanderers dropped out someone told them to ring St Pius X Chatswood. How good is that! In what was a good game we went down 5-2. I pulled in a couple of Old Boys on the night, Dan Makerry, Ben John  and a very young Scott Browning all turning out to help.

While the New Zealand fixture was a high point in the season, our bread and butter, the ISA was to prove a step too far in 2016. A couple of wash outs against SCECG’s and St Andrew’s  meant we had little opportunity to improve our 6 1 and 1 record finishing second. The single defeat had been a 1-0 reverse at home to Oakhill. A semi-final tie at Oxford Falls with St Pats started so well going with us going ahead but going eventually going down 4-1 at the final whistle. Disappointing as this was, we had had a competitive season bringing home silverware from Queensland. Our squad of 17 included; 

Chris Kastropil; Alec Vinci; Jarrod Chater; Harry Clay; Sam John; James Kellondonk; Jake Saunders; Chris Woo; Alex Di Ciano; Julian Di Ciano; Roberto Leonardi; Diego Cuadros-Garrot; Mitch Whalley; Anthony Kelly; Nathan Mellino; Lachlan Back; Daniel Warren

Once again Danny John had kept us all entertained with his brilliant editions of Shoot Tackle and Goal while Rachel Woo captured the key moments in our season pictorially. 

Our record was; Played 33 Won 20 Drawn 4 Lost 9 

For 89 Against 52. 

Goalscorers; Clay 14; Leonardi 12; J DiCiano 7 Vinci 6