Lightning

[kevrenor]

Heading off to the wilds of Chester Hill shortly to watch Fairfield City Lions vs CC Lightning! Will report back ....

OK, well Rowdy will probably fill you all in more, but the result was:

Round 8:
Fairfield City Lions 1 (Y Ekinci 9')
lost to
Central Coast Lightning 2 (Nigel Boogard 27', Matt Simon 60')

Scorcher goal by Boogs, and nice one by Matty as well. Alas Matty got a soft (read un deserved) 2nd yellow and was walked.
Lightning dominated the first half but kept losing concentation and shape and that is dangerous against a team of the Lions experience. Deserved to win but could just as easily drawn or lost.

Under 20s won 0-5 to stay on top of table

[kevrenor]

Football NSW web site says:
Washed Out games for Round 9 - Saturday 28 April:
Central Coast Lightning v Macarthur Rams @ Pluim Park

[mariners4ever]

will it be rescheduled

[mortez]

It will have to be rescheduled for a latter date. It will suit the Lightning as Matt Simon and Brad Porter would not have been playing if it was tonight.

[greenpoleffc]

2-0 at home to Sydney Uni, 2 up inside 15 mins (Myles and Cooper) and never really troubled from then on.

Better finishing would have seen them 4 or 5 up at the break. 2nd half quite drab really. Coopers goal was a great strike from outside the box.

Trott, Porter and Simon on duty. Trotty did what he had to quite well, Simon ran around a lot, dived in all over the place but achieved very little really.

Porter is a class above at this level and he knows it. Boogs was there but not in squad (suspended??)

Woodcock looked more potent than Simon and has very quick feet - be interesting to see how he goes against better players.

U20's won 3-2 (?) against a very good looking Uni side.

Crowd?? couple of hundred maybe

[DJ]

Simon spent half the time on his arse, I think he needs some new boots!

Boogs was injured.

Porter is very good and has learnt a lot within the last year!

[Rowdy]

Lightning will be playing a 're-scheduled' game against Fraser Park FC tonite at Pluim Park for those who are either:
a) brave
b) have hot water bottles or
c) have 'Eskimo ancestry''.

U/20's kick-off @ 5:30pm
1st Grade @ 7:30pm.

[Bearinator]

Could be a good "warm up" for those going to Orange

[Rowdy]

Doh! My BAD

Misread the Soccer NSW website.
Game is NOT at Pluim but in Fraser Park.

[Perm]

thanks rod.
i did go to watch the dragons smash kariong but i was looking forward to having a look at lightning.

[marinermick]

little discussion about lightning lately

anyway, they had an excellent win on the weekend against sydney uni and are looking good for a finals berth:

www.footballnsw.com.au/nswswsl/hgthome.cl?PT=td&C=CCL&TI=2&G=1st&D=1

[Rowdy]

Ist grade currently sitting in 5th spot on the table & U/20's are in second and have already booked their spot in the semi's.

Central Coast Lightning V PCYC Parramatta Eagles tonight at Pluim Park.

Top of the table clash with the U/20's kick-off at 5:30pm and will be a cracker of a match, with Parramatta currently on top of the table.

1st's kick-off at 7:30pm against a 2nd place Parramatta.

[Rowdy]

U/20's went down 2-1 in a hard fought match. They were unfortunate to lose a defender to a second, rather soft yellow for a clumsy 'bump' in a tackle, so down to 10 men with still 10 min till halftime. Coaches Brogs & Hackett were filthy with the ref to say the least, and I believe he coped a spray at half-time. The remaining 10 players battled hard and kept their chances alive despite being a man down, but ultimately couldn't make up the deficit for the draw.

The win to U/20 Parra still keeps them in pole position on 66pts and Lightning also retain their 2nd place on 60 pts, with Mt Druit 3rd well behind them on 41pts.

First Grade replicated the U/20's score also going down 2-1. Lightning opened with the first points, an't remember who scored for us, to busy laughing at Pollock all night (he was very messy to say the least). Parra equalised. Do know that Neil Woodcock and Myles'y in midfield were playing with injuries, so that didn't help the cause. Lightning were the better team imo, but Parra scrapped in a late goal in the second half to take the win.

Parra are now sitting in 2nd place on 51 pts, 1 pt behind The Northern Tigers who are placed top of the table. CCL hold onto 5th spot with 39 pts , 1 point in front of Syd Uni who are on 38.

Syd Uni have a catch up during the week against Saints, who are in front of CCL in 4th on 46pts. Uni then play the Northern Tigers in the final Round.

CCLightning play Granville Rage next week at home for their final game of the season before hopefully making the semis.

[marinermick]

rowdyroddy said:

U/20's went down 2-1 in a hard fought match. They were unfortunate to lose a defender to a second, rather soft yellow for a clumsy 'bump' in a tackle, so down to 10 men with still 10 min till halftime. Coaches Brogs & Hackett were filthy with the ref to say the least, and I believe he coped a spray at half-time. The remaining 10 players battled hard and kept their chances alive despite being a man down, but ultimately couldn't make up the deficit for the draw.

The win to U/20 Parra still keeps them in pole position on 66pts and Lightning also retain their 2nd place on 60 pts, with Mt Druit 3rd well behind them on 41pts.

First Grade replicated the U/20's score also going down 2-1. Lightning opened with the first points, an't remember who scored for us, to busy laughing at Pollock all night (he was very messy to say the least). Parra equalised. Do know that Neil Woodcock and Myles'y in midfield were playing with injuries, so that didn't help the cause. Lightning were the better team imo, but Parra scrapped in a late goal in the second half to take the win.

Parra are now sitting in 2nd place on 51 pts, 1 pt behind The Northern Tigers who are placed top of the table. CCL hold onto 5th spot with 39 pts , 1 point in front of Syd Uni who are on 38.

Syd Uni have a catch up during the week against Saints, who are in front of CCL in 4th on 46pts. Uni then play the Northern Tigers in the final Round.

CCLightning play Granville Rage next week at home for their final game of the season before hopefully making the semis.

thanks for the update roddy

let's hope they get through

the coach has done an awesome job considering the players he has lost and the injuries he had to deal with

[Knighty]

heya guys.. just found out about these forums...
im playing for lightning in the 20's atm.. Good to see there is a support base for the mariners feeder team.. theres more info on the team on here than what we get in the newspapers..

anyway.. would just like to say thanks for the support.. 20's have got a game against granville on sunday that could potentially determine who we play in the semis if we get a win and mt druitt or syd uni have results go their way.. last home game of the season and we have only dropped 5 points here all year.. hopefully get a good crowd for the final game..

cheers guys (and gals)

[thetoffeemen]

Best laugh all year at the Lightning v Granville game at pluim yesterday. The ref lost his yellow card, picked up by a player and put on the sideline, had a few bookings on it, silly referee never looked for the card untill end of the game, by this time I think it was on the train to Newcastle.

[marinermick]

also, congrats on the lightning making the semis

[Rowdy]

Unfortunately for John Mc Lafferty and the Boys, they have finished their season after going down to St George on the weekend 1-0.

From the NSW Football website:

Lightning crash as Saints march on
By Greg Stock at Jensen Park

Central Coast Lightning captain Peter Preston trudged off Jensen Park on Saturday afternoon for arguably the last time, almost certainly bringing to an end an impressive 20-year career in somewhat indifferent circumstances.

The 37-year-old former Gold Medal winner was nursing a sore hamstring, and a heavy heart, after his side were bundled out of the race for the NSW Super League championship with a 1-0 loss to St George Saints in the elimination semi-final.

Lightning coach John McLafferty paid tribute to his on-field leader. “Peter has been a tremendous servant for football on the Coast and, sadly, it does look like he has played his final game,” McLafferty said. “He has racked up an impressive career in football.”

The Lightning started slowly and allowed the Saints to dictate play and race to a sixth-minute 1-0 lead courtesy of a Mitchell Fihlebon header. Former Sydney Olympic midfielder Peter Vassilis delivered a perfect cross to the back post where Fihlebon was able to shed his marker and nod home what would turn out to be the winner.

The goal galvanised the Saints, who were clearly the better side during a largely pedestrian first half. Their best route forward was down either flank where Vassilis on the right and Carlos Villazon on the left were in complete control.

If the first half was with the Saints, the second was all Lightning as the visitors shook off their lethargy and threw everything bar the kitchen sink in an attempt to keep their season alive. Spurred on by Preston and midfielder Andrew Myles, Central Cast were only denied by heroic goalkeeping from Saints number-one Trinity Allen.

Allen twice pulled off double saves, the first from Jamie Lobb in the 76th minute, the second from Darren Cooper four minutes later that ultimately saw defender Joseph Savor clear the ball off the line in heavy traffic. Allen earned the plaudits of coach Matthew Ribarovski in a man-of-the-match performance.

[marinermick]

hardlines

the under 20s did beat bonnyrigg though 1-0

[voice of reason]

rowdyroddy said:

Central Coast Lightning captain Peter Preston trudged off Jensen Park on Saturday afternoon for arguably the last time, almost certainly bringing to an end an impressive 20-year career in somewhat indifferent circumstances.

Lightning coach John McLafferty paid tribute to his on-field leader. “Peter has been a tremendous servant for football on the Coast and, sadly, it does look like he has played his final game,” McLafferty said. “He has racked up an impressive career in football.”

Is this the same Peter Preston who retired last year from Killarney as well!!??

I'll believe he's retired when I see it....

Give him credit though, he's had a great season with Lightning. A team needs someone like him at the back with a very wise head..and his sense of humour.