St Andrew’s Cup Report

During the School Holidays at the home of Football NSW at Valentines Sports Par, the St Andrew’s Cup took place. A monumental tournament now running for 25 years, with a who’s who of independent schools as the likes of Shore, Barker, Cranbrook, Knox, International Grammar, Moriah, Newington, Oakhill, Redlands, St Andrew’s, St Aloysius, St Ignatius, St Joseph’s, St Pauls, Sydney Boys High and Waverley. We all took part in what was a fantastic two days of school football action for students ranging from Years 9 to 12.

Shore was placed in a Group with Moriah, Sydney Boys High and Oakhill, finishing 3rd in the Group with a win, draw and a loss, and then was put in the Plate tournament where Shore played and defeated Redlands in the Quarter-Finals, St. Aloysius in the Semi-Finals and lost in extra time to St. Joseph’s in the Plate Final.

With 20 players performing at their best and giving the coaching staff valuable insight, this tournament will prove invaluable preparation for the season ahead.

Top image: Shore’s 20 players at the St Andrew’s Cup

Mr Elvis DeMarchi
MIC Football

Group Game 1 vs Moriah College 1-0 win

Shore started the tournament in great style by getting a 1-0 win over Moriah. The first-half displayed Shore’s unrelenting pressure, not allowing Moriah to find rhythm in their passing game and therefore, creating chances through counterattacks. However, Shore was unable to capitalise until late in the second-half through some magnificent skill by Will Procter and a tidy finish by Angus Leslie. After the goal, Shore maintained control of the game, denying Moriah goal scoring chances and seeing out the game 1-0. Overall, a great performance from Shore to kick start the tournament.

Sam O’Brien
(Year 12)

Group Game 2 vs Sydney Boys High 0-0 draw

Going into their second game of the group stages, Shore was looking strong after a 1-0 victory in their first game. As the game kicked off, it was clear Shore had control. Dominance was seen through Shore’s retained possession of the ball and the play rarely entering Shore’s defensive half. The first-half ended 0-0, however it seemed as though goals were sure to come for Shore in the second-half.

After a tactical team talk from the coaches on how to penetrate Sydney Boys’ defence, Shore went into the second-half with high hopes of winning their second game. Shore began to consistently move the ball swiftly around the back lines and switched the play, leading to a tiring Sydney Boys High team and an energised Shore team. As the second-half went on, Shore was still goalless. Attacking plays were formed, and shots were taken, however none found the back of the net. Sydney Boys High had rare counterattacks, but the Shore defence was persistent and won the ball back quickly. Sadly, despite Shore’s complete domination throughout the first and second half, the game ended with a 0-0 draw.

Ben Hadfield
(Year 12)

Group Game 3 vs Oakhill College 0-3 loss

In the third match of the pool stage in the St Andrew’s Cup, Shore faced a strong and technical Oakhill. The game started out with very high intensity from both sides despite being the final match of the first day. Regardless of persistent high pressure from Shore’s attackers, including the likes of Angus Leslie and Hamish Walls, leading into half-time, Oakhill had managed to secure a 1-0 lead off of a counterattack. In the second-half, despite Shore not dropping their heads, Oakhill harnessed the momentum of their first goal and quickly created a 3-0 lead complemented by clinical finishing and solid technique. Despite going away with a loss, Shore had a lot to take away from the match, specifically in relation to the continual work rate required by the team as a whole, which would serve as very valuable information leading into day two of the competition.

Braden Dent
(Year 12)

Plate Quarter-Final Game 4 vs Redlands 3-0 win

Shore faced off against Redlands in the Quarter-Finals of the St Andrew’s Cup. Commencing with a dominant start Shore was able to capitalise with both Angus Leslie and Oliver Parrish contributed to an early 2-0 lead. Shore continued to take full control in the first-half, preventing Redlands from any opportunities back into the game, concluding the first-half. Shore once again came out strong in the second-half, posing as a formidable opponent for Redlands. This commanding display from Shore allowed for openings in a tired Redlands defence, allowing for Hamish Walls to find space and adding to the total, giving Shore a 3-0 lead. Shore remained composed, securing a 3-0 victory and progressing to the Semi-finals of the St. Andrew’s Cup.

Tom Maslen
(Year 12)

Plate Semi Final Game 5 vs St. Aloysius 2-1 win

After an impressive 3-0 Quarter-Final win against Redlands, Shore played St Aloysius in the Semi-Final of the Plate. After playing them in a closely contested pre-season match only three weeks prior, it was to be a strong match-up. The game was closely contested in the opening minutes of the game, with both sides having minimal opportunities in front of goals. Around 10 minutes in, St Aloysius opened the scoring with a well taken goal from their striker. With a few minutes left in the first-half, Will Procter brought the game back level with a brilliant shot from outside of the box. With the game looking as if it was going to penalties, Will Procter made a darting run from the bi-line into the box, drawing a foul, resulting in a penalty. With 5 minutes to go, Daniel Higgs nicely slotted the penalty into the bottom-right corner, sending Shore through to the Plate Final, winning 2-1, in a good, well-fought performance from Shore.

Killian Featherstone
(Year 12)

Plate Final Game 6 vs St. Aloysius 1-3 loss in extra time

The final game was the best performance we had during the day. All the players put in the maximum effort and performed very well. One flaw during the game was the fatigue that each player had from the two previous games. This led to our team becoming very tired quickly and not able to play at 100 percent. Although players were tired, each team member still performed very well.

One aspect of the game that was very well done was the teamwork and chemistry the team had. Each player communicated very well with each other, meaning that runs and passes were played very well. After the first goal was conceded, we did start to drop our heads, leading to 2 more goals. During the second-half all the players suffered from fatigue, hindering their performance. This was a result of not working hard early, meaning more players had to work harder later. Overall, the final was the best game we played in the tournament, and every player played very well.

Jaxon Black
(Year 9)