IGNATIUS PARK DOWNED, BUT NOT OUT IN THE CUP
TAKING on a young Brisbane Roar striker was always going to make life tough, but Ignatius Park coach Bill Mitchell saw enough to suggest his charges had bright football futures.
As Townsville’s stars of tomorrow took on the Bill Turner Cup semi-finals in Brisbane, the chance was there to go deeper into the competition than ever before.
However, faced with a formidable Kelvin Grove State
High School outfit, which featured a member of the Roar’s under-14 squad, a first-half blitz proved too much to overcome in the 4-0 defeat.
But what Mitchell saw in his young Ignatius Park side was their show of resilience.
Once they adjusted to the speed of the game, defensive duo Evan Msonga and Tyler Pearce began to shut down the teenage tearaway and limit the damage.
From there, while they were unable to make an impact on the scoreboard, they became a far more threatening unit.
Ahead of their third place playoff today, Mitchell said his team now had the understanding of what it took to compete with more dangerous rivals.
With 11 players eligible for under-15 selection again next year, he said there were signs the college’s winless drought in the Cup could soon end.
“The biggest thing for them is they want to succeed and they have a winning mentality. They were asking me after the game if we’re training in term four,” Mitchell said.
“The boys now understand what they need to do defensively so that’s the No.1 ticket item.
“As we got used to the speed of the game and understood what was required, it was a big learning curve.”