Towering central striker Harry Sawyer bagged five goals while midfielder Devante Clut netted a hat-trick in the Young Roar’s 10-0 annihilation of Adelaide United Youth in their Foxtel National Youth League clash at Cleveland.
“Everyone who came on contributed to the football game,” said Roar Youth Coach Josh McCloughan.
Sawyer, in his first season at the Roar after playing NPL with Western Pride, said he couldn’t recall scoring five goals in a game since junior football.
“There was great movement around the pitch and it’s good to finish off the work,” Sawyer said, underlining what was an impressive team performance.
The Young Roar controlled the match from the outset maintaining a large portion of possession with crisp passing, resolute defence and fast-paced counter-attacks.
Clut (above) was an outstanding performer in midfield, regularly creating overlaps which led to numerous goal-scoring opportunities.
Dane Ingham and Shannon Brady continuously menaced the Adelaide defence while Adam Sawyer and Jesse Daley combined well with Clut to control the middle of the park.
Goalkeepers Tomislav Bilic and Michael Theo were rarely troubled. Theo, who played the first 45 minutes only, looked strong and confident in everything he did and provided valuable experience and direction.
Defender Luke DeVere made his long-awaited return from injury and was all class in the centre of defence before also being substituted at half-time.
Corey Brown played a full 90 minutes and was strong in defence while providing constant support on the left going forward.
The scoreline is understood to be a record-winning margin in Foxtel NYL, bettering the Young Roar’s 11-2 victory over the AIS in 2012,
Words by AARON COOPER
Images by ANDREW SHAW
Goals
11′: Clut dribbles into the box from left and is clearly fouled by Adelaide fullback Mark Ochieng. Clut takes the kick himself and drives it hard and low into the left with Young Reds keeper Daniel Margush going the other way. 1-0
13′: The Young Roar win possession from the kick off and charge down the right. Shannon Brady beats his marker and crosses low into the six-yard box where Harry Sawyer gets goal-side of his marker and side-foots into the net. 2-0
25′: Brady and Harry Sawyer successfully combine again. Brady is too fast for his marker and crosses into the six-yard box where the lanky Sawyer goes full stretch to tap into the net. 3-0
32′: The Young Roar again beat a flat Adelaide defence to put Harry Sawyer into a one-on-one. As defenders close around him, he passes square to Jesse Daley who shoots but his attempt hits an Adelaide defender. It seems the chance is lost but the ball bobbles away from the defender and falls to Clut who makes no mistake from four metres out. 4-0
50′: Shannon Brady spins away from his marker yet again and is clearly felled inside the box. Devante Clut hits the penalty to the left again and although Adelaide keeper Daniel Margush dives that way he can’t get a hand to the powerfully hit spot kick. Hat-trick Clut! 5-0
54′: After a good run down the right Shannon Brady fires a fierce shot on target that the Adelaide keeper can’t hold. The ball pops out for Jesse Daley (above) to easily bury for the Young Roar’s sixth. 6-0
65′: Harry Sawyer bursts through the flat Adelaide defence yet again and rounds the keeper to put an angled shot from wide on right into the open net. H Sawyer hat-trick! 7-0
67′: And then he had FOUR. A pinpoint cross from Shannon Brady on the right finds H Sawyer who out-jumps his marker to head into the Adelaide net. 8-0
82′: Clut is felled inside the box on the left by Thomas Love. Substitute Nick D’Agostino steps up to the spot, and like Clut hits it left., while the Adelaide keeper goes the other way. 9-0
83′: Harry Sawyer gets his FIFTH as he buries a shot from close in on the left. 10-0
Talking point
The Young Roar fielded three over-age players – Michael Theo, Luke DeVere (both first half only) and Corey Brown – to give them some valuable game minutes. Yet it was the squad’s youngsters who stole the limelight. The slow and often flat Adelaide defence had no answer for Harry Sawyer’s strength and height, the speed of Shannon Brady (below, winning a penalty) on the right, and the 90 minutes of enthusiasm and work-rate from Devante Clut in midfield.
Quote unquote
Brisbane Roar Youth coach JOSH McCLOUGHAN: “This is the result of hard work and if we keep performing and sticking to our structures then the results will come.”
Five-goal hero HARRY SAWYER: “I could have had more, but it was good to get five and get some confidence for the upcoming weeks.
“They (team mates) do all the hard work and I just have to make sure I’m there to finish it off”
Goalkeeper MICHAEL THEO: “It was great to be in a game situation. The boys did well obviously. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Defender LUKE DEVERE: “It was good to get game minutes to build confidence and work on communication and things like that.”
(On the performance of his Young Roar team mates) “We’ve got a bright future ahead for the Roar.”
What’s next
The Young Roar are back at Cleveland on Sunday, 3 January against Perth Glory (10.30am KO) and play there again on Saturday, 9 January (4pm KO). After that they are away to Melbourne Victory in the final round of the competition needing to finish top the table to go into the Grand Final.
Match stats
Foxtel National Youth League, Round 7, Saturday, 19 December at Cleveland Showgrounds
Brisbane Roar 10 (Clut 11′ pen’, 32′, 50′ pen., H Sawyer 13′, 25′, 65′, 67′, 83′, Daley 54′, D’Agostino 82′ pen)
Adelaide United 0
Halftime: 4-0
Brisbane Roar: 1 Michael THEO (gk) (20 Tomislav BILIC (gk) 46′), 2 Jaiden WALKER, 4 Mark RODIC, 5 Luke DeVERE (3 Cameron CRESTANI 46′), 6 Devante CLUT (c ) , 7 Dane INGHAM, 8 Corey BROWN, 10. Adam SAWYER, 15 Jesse DALEY (13 Mitch HORE 57′), 17 Shannon BRADY (9 Nick D’AGOSTINO 70′), 18 Harry SAWYER
Unused substitutes: Nil
Yellow cards: Devante CLUT 37′, Dane INGHAM 48′, Nick D’AGOSTINO 87′
Red cards: Nil
Adelaide United: 1 Daniel MARGUSH (gk), 2. Nicholas APOSTOLOPOULOS (17 Thomas LOVE 46′), 3 Ruon TONGYIK, 4. Jordan PUDLER, 5 Oliver ZAFIRIDIS (9 Donovan POLLOCK 46′), 8 Jordan O’DOHERTY (13 Alec MAIOLO 56′), 10 Dylan SMITH, 11 Samed ALTUNDAG, 12 Mark OCHIENG, 14 Adam PISCIONERI (c ), 15 Benjamin WARLAND
Unused substitutes: 20 Sergio SERRET (gk).
Yellow cards: Ruon TONGYIK 6′, Adam PISCIONER 30′, Samed ALTUNDAG 52′, Mark OCHIENG 60′
Red cards: Benjamin WARLAND 75′
Referee: Matthew Male Assistant referees: Cameron Fawcett and Zac Keenan; Fourth official: Daniel Olson
