Xavier College’s second match of the 2016 Jesuit Soccer Carnival was a must win occasion. The team was greeted by persistent rain, dampening the pitch but not the enthusiasm.
The team opened the match in superb fashion, with Captain Seb Lock able to convert a Frank Kanesoulis free kick from in close, Frank’s work was all that was needed to allow Seb to tap in the easiest goal he has ever scored in the 6th minute of the match. Whilst Xavier College completely dominated both possession and territory for the remainder of the first half, the team was unable to convert their chances into further goals. Lee Gellis in particular had no less than two other scoring chances, but he drove one wide of the right post and curled the other into the base of the left upright. So the team entered half time up 1-0 over a tiring opposition.
The second half opened in the same manner as the first half. Frank Kanesoulis was causing all sorts of problems on the left flank, and he whipped in a superb low cross which Aaron Fabris was able to glance the ball into the LSHS goal and the lead was doubled in the 37th minute of the match.
Essentially, this opened the flood gates as LSHS dropped their heads. A Nicky Edwards corner, which he had been taking expertly throughout the match, was headed home by Seb Lock in the 46th minute of the match and he had a brace and the team had LSHS on the rack. Barely two minutes later, it was Marius Sorace who was able to convert an error from the LSHS goalkeeper, who whilst trying to clear the ball, only managed to kick it to Marius who blasted the ball back at the LSHS goal in the 48th minute of the match and the score had suddenly blown out to 4-0.
This was where the score remained until the final whistle. Job done. Now we needed to put away St. Ignatius’ College, Riverview in similar fashion – a team that was coming off an excellent 3-0 victory over hosts St. Aloysius’ College – in the afternoon game.
