U6 to U11 players
U6 – U11 can register online (no trials), once registered you will receive a club acceptance email to advise if there are any positions available in your selected team.Once accepted you will then need to pay a non-refundable deposit of $300 for U6 to U11′s by EFT to secure your spot for season 2020.
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JUNIOR STRIP FITTINGS FOR 2019 SEASON
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Trial Dates and Schedules for Season 2020
]]>Final round of the year… sitting in a good, but by no means safe position before the tough game against the back to back NPL champions, Campbelltown City. A win would see us make the finals, a draw or a loss and we’d have to rely on other results… A big game!
A faced pace to the start of this one as both teams looked to press early. Both Japanese wingers, Matsumoto for the home side and Haruoka for the Kings were targets from each team with long balls.
The Red Devils took a very early lead. A 7th min cross and shot wasnt able to be cleared off the line and the home side were up 1-0. Some poor defending not long after gave C’Town another huge chance and luckily for us, Marino’s shot went wide. The Kings needed to hit back and soon! After some great lead up play in the middle of the park from Klimek and Martinello, Patty Caraccia was obstructed in the box. He didnt go down looking for a pen, but to the away sides amazement, referee Mooney blew his whistle and pointed to the spot!
Captain Klimek stepped up to take what could be the biggest kick of the season… A brilliantly dispatched penalty sent keeper Harpas the wrong way and the Kings were back in the game! 1-1 with 10mins to go before the break. Unfortunately the score line was short lived with C’Town awarded a penalty of their own when Dittroia was brought down in the box. spot kick was taken and scored. 2-1 to the home side. Just minutes later, the worst ever penalty call was made. Defender Alex Sunasky and midfielder Alex Mullen came together in what was nothing more than a tussle in the box as the ball was coming in. No shirt pulling, nothing… Mullen went down and sucked Mooney into blowing his whistle yet again.
A livid Kings bench and travelling supporters couldnt believe it. Always seem to get calls like this against us when these officials have our matches… however, justice prevailed as the horribly cheeky, almost smart assed penalty from Marino hit the crossbar. The striker then followed up and put the ball in the net and celebrated… not knowing the 2 touch rule, the goal wasnt counted… quite funny really!! 2-1 at the break and lots of work to do in the 2nd half.
As other results from games broke, as it was, the Kings, somehow, were out of the 6. Blue Eagles were on top of Raiders and Metro were easily dispatching of relegation favourite West Adel. The Kings now needed to win this game.
Again, a tight tussle to start the 2nd half with VC James Skeffington beautifully played in by Luke Klimek cross. Unfortunately Skeff only hit side netting and score remained 2-1. Not many more chances to either side to be fair, and the midfielders were earning their pay. Klimek, Caraccia, Stokes & Mercurio were among the best for the Kings. A frantic final 10mins sadly couldnt result in a goal or 2 the Kings needed… and that was it. Full time and we ended the season with a 2-1 loss at the hands of the impressive Campbelltown side.
Results from other games didnt go as expected, but ultimately the 6 draws in a row mid season cost us out deserved finals spot. We had the equal lowest goals conceded… just 1 point short of 6th spot (and 1 win from 2nd!) Earlier in the day, our U18’s continued their winning form before finals with a 1-0 win. Just what coach Pepper wanted before the business end! Unfortunately Vizzari’s reserves coughed up a cheap goal late to lose 2-1 and slide down the ladder. Still making finals, the lads could have finished top. but it wasnt to be.
Thanks to all the supporters for coming out this season- all the lads truly appreciate it.
Make sure you head down to support the 18’s and Reserves as they kick off their finals campaigns this weekend!
U18’s: v Comets: THIS SATURDAY: 10:15am @ SA Athletics Stadium, Mile End
Reserves: v West Adelaide: THIS SATURDAY: 3:30pm @ Valo Football Centre, Regency Park
BIG NEWS REGARDING OUR RELOCATION COMING SOON!!
ROUND 22 RESULTS
Under 18’s: 1-0 win
Reserves: 2-1 loss
Seniors: 2-1 loss
HEJ POLONIA!
]]>Well this was the day… the day we all bid farewell to our home of 69 years! An emotional day for all involved… committee, players, fans and anyone involved in the club over the last almost 7 decades!
After a tough 0-0 contest last week against the Comets, the Kings looked to cement their spot in the top 4 with a win against old rival, Adelaide Raiders. A win would see a big shake up in the top half, so Costanzo’s men knew what to do.
You’ll have to excuse the length of this report as i was running around most of the day- as were all of the committee! But its a good wrap up!
Both sides were greeted to the pitch by over 700 fans as they walked out with 2 junior teams and my proud as punch 3 year old son! Coin was tossed by 2 legends of the club, Marian Kolecki and John Kosmina… a wonderful moment for all involved.
The Kings dominated the first half, peppering ex Croydon custodian Nick Munro’s goal. Pacey winger Masahiro Haruoka and VC James Skeffington were causing havoc down the wings- whipping in dangerous crosses to tall timber Nathan Munro in the box. Not much work to do for keeper John Hall to do down the other end! At one stage in the first half, we struck the crossbar twice- bouncing straight up and back down again… the ball just didnt want to go in!
Shot after shot, attack after attack, the Kings just couldnt find a way thru and both teams went into rooms and out of the pouring rain at the break with scores locked at 0-0.
Second half was a lot more even… Raiders getting on the front foot and making the Kings defense earn their pay! Then finally on the stroke of 67mins, Patty Caraccia perfectly struck a long range effort just outside the 18 yard box and into the corner of the next.. sending the home fans wild!
Unfortunately for the boys in white, celebrations were short lived as Raiders got back into the game with one of their few attacks…5 mins after taking the lead, Croydons defense wasnt able to clear a dangerous cross into the box and was tucked away by the Raiders striker. 1-1 with 20mins left to play.
Both teams gave it their all… tough, hard, fair challenges were coming in left right and centre… long balls and shots from range were flying in…but with the sky getting darker and the cold breeze kicking in (tho most didnt feel it after all the beer and Krupnik shots), the referee blew the full time whistle for the final time at Polonia Reserve.
A huge round of applause for both teams as they walked off… and special mention to Adelaide Raiders who waited at the race and clapped the Kings off the park as a team- well played lads.
Celebrations, presentations, mixed grill plates and plenty of alcohol was to follow in the club rooms! Almost every person came back in for a drink or 2 (or 10) and reminisced about the memories at the ground. A long and enjoyable night had by all!
Both the under 18’s and Reserves sides picked up valuable wins and have cemented themselves in the top half of the ladders- ensuring finals football for those 2 teams! Extremely well done to Steve Pepper and Adam Vizzari and their sides for a fantastic season so far!
This week sees the Kings travel to Newton to take on Champions Campbelltown City who secured their 2nd consecutive title. A must win game for the senior side who need at least a point to play finals football. This is the last league game of 2019, so make sure you get down to the Steve Woodcock Sports Centre Saturday night! 7pm kick off for seniors.
Finally, i want to acknowledge the hard work of the committee who organised Saturdays game. All the planning leading up to the day and the running around on the day was all worth it. A successful day for the club… so thank you Julie, Angelo, Maria, Mark, Andrew, Roger, Simon, Brad, Fran, Theo and of course Eddie!
ROUND 21 RESULTS
Under 18’s: 1-0 win
Reserves: 2-0 win
Seniors: 1-1 draw
HEJ POLONIA!
]]>It was another crucial match day at Polonia Reserve on Saturday when Croydon welcomed the visit of the high flying Adelaide Blue Eagles who sat in second position prior to kick-off.
The Kings knew a victory however would see them leap-frog Blue Eagles (at least) and possibly more, depending on other results.
The match started off with Blue Eagles looking sharper and a series of corners and attacking half free kicks saw them test Croydon early.
It took a finger-tip save from John Hall which clipped the crossbar as well to keep Blue Eagles at bay in the early exchanges.
Having weathered the storm, Croydon started to slowly get into the groove and began to assert themselves on the game and several corners and good chances were created at the other end, the closest being a close range clip from Munro, which somehow managed to go over the bar whilst everyone held their breath.
In a great end-to-end spectacle, you could see it would be a tight affair and that one goal could well seal a big advantage.
On 25 minutes, the game was opened up even more, when a great cross found the head of Haruoka who’s perfect timed run ensured the ball found the net with Blue Eagles defence wondering what just happened and the keeper out of position looking stunned. 1-0 up!
The end-to-end football continued until the half time whistle and you could sense Croydon were ready to step up a gear in the second half.
Caraccia, Heinike and Martinello were kept busy in the midfield and Trimboli, Munro and Hauoka ensured the Blue Eagles defence had to work just as hard with their constant attacking threats. Mid way through the second half came a turning point when a scuffle following a Sunasky tackle on Evan Kounavelis saw the Blue Eagles attacker retaliate with a head-butt and whilst Sunasky got a yellow for the tackle, the referee, after consulting with her assistant had no option other to give Evan a straight red and the Blue Eagles quest for an equaliser just got tougher.
Coach Ange Costanzo again used his bench to effect and Panagaris came on for Sunasky, Skeffington on for the hard running Trimboli and Mercurio on for young Heinike and the fresh legs ensured Croydon would not let go and further chances were created, but again near –misses were the order of the day.
Despite being down to ten men, Blue Eagles still huffed and puffed and almost broke through but again it was John Hall who’s outstretched arm parried what looked a certain goal around for a corner which the Kings defence ultimately withstood. The final whistle came, and it emerged that Croydon would jump into fifth spot and a finals position almost secure and one that can be secured should they get maximum points next week.
Again it was pleasing to see every Croydon contributor play well, with captain Luke Klimek showing the way as we eye a best possible ladder finish with only 3 rounds to go.
Earlier in the day, the Under 18’s smacked Blue Eagles 5-1 to boost their finals chances, whilst the Reserves had a much tougher day in the top versus bottom clash, but still showed enough class to run out 2-0 victors to maintain top spot and make it another clean sweep for Croydon.
Attention this week turns to our next opponent, another strong finals candidate in Adelaide Comets and they will be keen to avenge their last defeat to Croydon, whilst we look to march forward in what could well be our second last ever game at Polonia Reserve. Even Comets reserves will remember their heart-breaking cup final defeat, so this is one fixture you’d do well to come early and watch all 3 games as each has it’s great importance as the minor round draws to a close.
So let’s see those red and white scarves and the boisterous support continue because these are our Croydon Kings, your Croydon Kings and more silverware is there for the taking but we all need to band together to make this happen. Every one percent counts!
Hej Polonia!
]]>Croydon have asserted themselves as genuine finals contenders after a solid 3-1 win over West Adelaide at the VALO stadium on Saturday evening.
In what could be described as a danger game for the Kings, the desperate West Adelaide were also playing on a knife edge given their realistic relegation candidacy.
The Kings started with the strong wind at their backs and took control of the game early, however the difficult conditions made it harder than usual to penetrate with any fluency. Westies looked to go long whenever they could but Brazzale and Stokes at centre back dealt with most efforts very well with Sunasky & Klimek in the full-back positions dominant.
Eventually after many forays into the penalty area, it was Patty Caraccia who broke through tucking away Croydon’s opener after 31 minutes after some bustling and fancy footwork between Trimboli & Munro caused mayhem for the West defence. Another effort by Patty hit the woodwork but as half time approached, a West free-kick/cross actually was bundled in however the flag was up for offside, so the Kings held on to lead 1-0 at half time.
The second half became a battle of the conditions as much as anything, and whilst Croydon coped much better, it was West Adelaide who got the equaliser through Lesi after 70 minutes and it was game on.
Alas for West, the Croydon lead was restored within just two minutes when Caraccia again latched on to a loose ball to smack home and 2-1 to Croydon.
Moments later another great Trimboli run after a great through ball saw his shot smack into the crossbar illustrating Croydon’s willingness to stay on the attack.
Westies heads started to drop and after both teams made subs to grind out a result, it was the combination of Croydon subs James Skeffington and Peter Mercurio that eventually had the latter finding the net on 84 minutes and thus putting the game to bed.
It was another game where it was hard to sort best players as all 14 that took the park made valuable contributions.
The win moves Croydon into sixth and with a home match with Blue Eagles up next (second on ladder and only 3 points ahead) we can jump even higher should we continue our great form and snag another win. We have now virtually no injuries (touch wood), and to start with a bench containing Skeffington, Mercurio & Panagaris (frequent first eleven players) the squad outlook looks ideal as the finals get nearer.
Earlier on in the day back at Polonia Reserve, Stevie Pepper’s U/18’s made up quickly for their previous week’s loss with a thumping 6-0 win over Westies, keeping them well and truly in finals contention. Another win this week could see them rise higher, much like the seniors position – we shall wait and see!
The Reserves continued their amazing form with Vizza’s boys getting up 3-1 to maintain their top ladder position. Ichiguchi, Papapetros and Scardigno scored for Croydon in a game where they always looked in control. Best part was the notable great form across the park form all contributors, proving the depth at Croydon has hardly been better.
There are only 4 games left in the minor round, the next 3 at home and all against teams above us, proving the perfect tonic in the lead up to finals, so let’s not leave it till later to get out in full force – let’s see if we can get some big numbers out to support our Polonia boys as we slowly edge towards our last ever game at Polonia Reserve (10th August) after 69 years.
All 3 teams deserve your support and you won’t be disappointed with the attitude, the quality and heart shown as we become the danger team that all others will want to avoid come finals. Hej Polonia!
]]>Croydon Kings kept their finals hopes well and truly alive after prevailing in a must win game against the in-form Adelaide United youth team on Saturday at Polonia Reserve.
Starting the day on the same points, both teams understood the importance of the game and it was Croydon who took the early initiative with the returning from suspension Antony Trimboli creating havoc on the right wing early on.
With the game only a few minutes old, a right wing cross found the unmarked Nathan Munro on the far post who couldn’t have placed his header better and gave the keeper no chance with his placement. 1-0 to Croydon!
The game took on a midfield battle soon after and Martinello, Heinke & Caraccia were particularly busy, whilst the defence looked well focussed.
Alas it took an ex-Croydon King (again) to stand up for United and this time it was Alhassan Toure who broke free and spanked a low drive in off the post for their equaliser.
1-1 as it remained at half time.
The second half saw Kings take control of possession and attack after attack were initially well nullified by the United defence although after some goal-line clearances and similar amazing near-misses, you sensed it might be another one of those days where we couldn’t quite nick the winner and have to accept yet another draw.
Some changes were made and as many started to look at their watches, another goal scramble following a corner where players were jumping up to win header just on the edge of the penalty area after some “volleyball type spikes” and players half-calling for fouls, the ball fell near Munro and this time his outstretched leg clipped the ball perfectly to land in the net and it was 2-1 Croydon.
The Kings deserved this lead and despite United changing to 3 at the back in an effort to risk all or nothing to find a later equaliser, the Kings kept their composure and almost could have snagged a couple more late ones themselves but were more than happy to get the final whistle at 2-1, thus keeping our quest for finals football on track, and any minor worries of potential relegation quashed once and for all.
Earlier in the day our U/18’s were no match for the top of the table NTC team going down 5-1, although the score probably didn’t reflect the balance of the game. They are still in the hunt for finals and have some promising and winnable fixtures coming up so let’s back Steve Pepper’s lads to get the job done!
The reserves continued their amazing form with a 3-0 win over AU reserves, and now look the goods even to take out the minor premiership. That said, before kick-off, it was noticeable that there were only 4 points separating top from seventh, so anything could still happen in this league, so interesting times ahead.
This week we are away to West Adelaide. This away fixture will be at Valo (Angle Park) and the new kick-off time of 5.30pm is to be noted. That said, the U/18’s and reserves will play their games at Polonia Reserve at 11am and 1pm respectively, so let’s pop down to Polonia first to cheer on our youngsters before heading off for the short trip to Angle Park where our seniors take on our traditional rivals who, despite having a horror patch of form at the moment, will be desperate for points in their quest to stay in the premier league, so we don’t want to let this one slip and need total focus and of course the usual boisterous Polonia support!
See you there!
Photo credit: Joe Janko
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