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    • 2018 Pre-season training
      • BNU would like to invite all returning and new mens players, interested in playing 1sts, Reserves and 3rds, to our pre-season training.Training starts on Tuesday 30 January 2018, then every Tuesday and Thursday after. 6 - 8 pm Prince of Wales park, bottom field.Questions? Please call or text Men's 1st team coach Dene Bannister on 027 201 2972.We look forward to seeing you there 😁

    • 2018 Pre-season training
      • BNU would like to invite all returning and new mens players, interested in playing 1sts, Reserves and 3rds, to our pre-season training.Training starts on Tuesday 30 January 2018, then every Tuesday and Thursday after. 6 - 8 pm Prince of Wales park, bottom field.Questions? Please call or text Men's 1st team coach Dene Bannister on 027 201 2972.We look forward to seeing you there 😁

    • Coaches go to "extreme measures" to raise money for BNU
      • Brooklyn Northern United’s Men’s 1st team coaching duo Dene and Annie Bannister are going to extreme measures in an effort to raise money for the clubs' competitive men's and women's teams. The husband and wife team are preparing for what is being dubbed a “BNU-athon”, with the couple running a combined 101kms (celebrating the club’s 101st season) on 18 March to tie in with the club's annual Club Day.The couple have calculated they'll need to run a total of 202 laps of the perimeter of the club’s home ground, Wakefield Park, kicking off at 7am on the day. With one runner on the course at all times, they expect to complete the distance within 12 hours.Dene says that amateur sports clubs face a constant challenge raising funds and that he and Annie are prepared to ”put their money where their mouth is” to raise $12,000 - $16,000 to pay for the subscription fees of the men’s and women’s competitive teams at this proud club.“Every season our small but dedicated committee works around the clock trying to raise enough funds to support the needs of the competitive teams. It’s not easy on them, each year they put up with me arriving cap in hand, asking for gear, kit, training grounds and they do all they can to meet those needs. We thought it was time for us to show our commitment to the players and repay the faith to the committee," says Dene.“Neither of us have contemplated anything like this before but we aren’t afraid of a bit of hard work. Who knows, we may fail spectacularly, but we can’t keep expecting the club to put in the man hours they are putting in, trying to keep the club afloat. We need to try something different if we expect a different outcome.”What's even more fantastic is that Dene and Annie are not just focused on their own team. “It’s a show of support to all competitive players at the club. We see so many capable players drop off the scene due to affordability issues. Amateur sport needs to be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford the privilege. This is as much about supporting the sporting community as anything else.”A Givealittle page has been set up for people to show support of the event as the couple in attempt to complete this mammoth ultra-running challenge. There will be a range of donation options available, including donation buckets circulating the grounds during the Club Day event.Annie says, "There are no guarantees we will raise the $12,000 - $16,000 we are aiming for, even if we go the distance. We need the assistance of our members, supporters, local businesses and the general public to help us out by spreading the word via social media and word of mouth. Without the required support we are just a couple of crazy people running around for 12 hours.”While Dene and Annie are both nervous about the big event, the love for their club and determination to provide the players with the best possible football experience outweighs any reservations they may have. Let's get out there to support them on 18 March.

    • Coaches go to "extreme measures" to raise money for BNU
      • Brooklyn Northern United’s Men’s 1st team coaching duo Dene and Annie Bannister are going to extreme measures in an effort to raise money for the clubs' competitive men's and women's teams. The husband and wife team are preparing for what is being dubbed a “BNU-athon”, with the couple running a combined 101kms (celebrating the club’s 101st season) on 18 March to tie in with the club's annual Club Day.The couple have calculated they'll need to run a total of 202 laps of the perimeter of the club’s home ground, Wakefield Park, kicking off at 7am on the day. With one runner on the course at all times, they expect to complete the distance within 12 hours.Dene says that amateur sports clubs face a constant challenge raising funds and that he and Annie are prepared to ”put their money where their mouth is” to raise $12,000 - $16,000 to pay for the subscription fees of the men’s and women’s competitive teams at this proud club.“Every season our small but dedicated committee works around the clock trying to raise enough funds to support the needs of the competitive teams. It’s not easy on them, each year they put up with me arriving cap in hand, asking for gear, kit, training grounds and they do all they can to meet those needs. We thought it was time for us to show our commitment to the players and repay the faith to the committee," says Dene.“Neither of us have contemplated anything like this before but we aren’t afraid of a bit of hard work. Who knows, we may fail spectacularly, but we can’t keep expecting the club to put in the man hours they are putting in, trying to keep the club afloat. We need to try something different if we expect a different outcome.”What's even more fantastic is that Dene and Annie are not just focused on their own team. “It’s a show of support to all competitive players at the club. We see so many capable players drop off the scene due to affordability issues. Amateur sport needs to be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford the privilege. This is as much about supporting the sporting community as anything else.”A Givealittle page has been set up for people to show support of the event as the couple in attempt to complete this mammoth ultra-running challenge. There will be a range of donation options available, including donation buckets circulating the grounds during the Club Day event.Annie says, "There are no guarantees we will raise the $12,000 - $16,000 we are aiming for, even if we go the distance. We need the assistance of our members, supporters, local businesses and the general public to help us out by spreading the word via social media and word of mouth. Without the required support we are just a couple of crazy people running around for 12 hours.”While Dene and Annie are both nervous about the big event, the love for their club and determination to provide the players with the best possible football experience outweighs any reservations they may have. Let's get out there to support them on 18 March.

    • BNU AGM follow up
      • The BNU Annual General Meeting was held at the BNU Clubrooms at Island Bay Tennis and Squash Club on 9 November. We managed to scrape together a quorum (which has become customary over the last few years).If you want to see the Chairman's and Treasurers' reports and the minutes of the meeting, you can get a copy by emailing us.

    • BNU AGM follow up
      • The BNU Annual General Meeting was held at the BNU Clubrooms at Island Bay Tennis and Squash Club on 9 November. We managed to scrape together a quorum (which has become customary over the last few years).If you want to see the Chairman's and Treasurers' reports and the minutes of the meeting, you can get a copy by emailing us.

    • 2017 pre-season training dates announced
      • BNU has announced pre-season training dates for next year for its Men's and Women's teams.For men interested in playing Cap Premiere, Cap 3 and Cap 5 grades, pre-season training for the BNU Men's 1st, Reserves and Third teams starts on 17 January 2017. Training will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm, at Prince of Wales park, lower field. For Women at all levels, pre-season training starts 8 February . Training is on Wednesdays 6.30pm-8pm at Nairn Street park and Sundays 11am-12.30pm at Prince of Wales park, lower field.For more information, email bnudof@gmail.com.

    • 2017 pre-season training dates announced
      • BNU has announced pre-season training dates for next year for its Men's and Women's teams.For men interested in playing Cap Premiere, Cap 3 and Cap 5 grades, pre-season training for the BNU Men's 1st, Reserves and Third teams starts on 17 January 2017. Training will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm, at Prince of Wales park, lower field. For Women at all levels, pre-season training starts 8 February . Training is on Wednesdays 6.30pm-8pm at Nairn Street park and Sundays 11am-12.30pm at Prince of Wales park, lower field.For more information, email bnudof@gmail.com.

    • Help us in 2017 - get $250 off your team's subs
      • We're still looking for committee members for the 2017 season, and we could also do with some help from our members to keep the club ticking over. Team subs will be reduced by $250 if the team has a member on the committee or organises an event. (PS there are conditions, so contact the committee to find out more).We're still looking for people to do the following roles:- Treasurer- Subs collection- Events- Communications and PromotionIf you can help, please email us.

    • Help us in 2017 - get $250 off your team's subs
      • We're still looking for committee members for the 2017 season, and we could also do with some help from our members to keep the club ticking over. Team subs will be reduced by $250 if the team has a member on the committee or organises an event. (PS there are conditions, so contact the committee to find out more).We're still looking for people to do the following roles:- Treasurer- Subs collection- Events- Communications and PromotionIf you can help, please email us.

    • BNU Prizegiving this weekend
      • Everything is in place for BNU's End of Season Do and Prizegiving this Saturday 10 September. After a cracking season, we're looking forward to the opportunity to let our hair down and celebrate some of the season's finest moments.The event will be held at BNU's clubrooms at the Island Bay Tennis and Squash Club, 2 The Parade Island Bay. For the princely sum of $10, you'll get food, some glory, entertainment, and subsidised drinks. Look forward to seeing you there!Doors open at 7pm.

    • BNU Prizegiving this weekend
      • Everything is in place for BNU's End of Season Do and Prizegiving this Saturday 10 September. After a cracking season, we're looking forward to the opportunity to let our hair down and celebrate some of the season's finest moments.The event will be held at BNU's clubrooms at the Island Bay Tennis and Squash Club, 2 The Parade Island Bay. For the princely sum of $10, you'll get food, some glory, entertainment, and subsidised drinks. Look forward to seeing you there!Doors open at 7pm.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men’s 1st team vs Kapiti Coast United
      • We headed up the coast to take on Kapiti in search of a third win on the bounce. Kapiti are a spirited outfit and we knew a tough 90 minutes were in front of us.Again the weather would play a part, constant rain had cut up the pitch, making it tricky for both sides to settle into any sort of rhythm. Kapiti adjusted to the conditions quicker and started playing some tidy one touch football through midfield.Too often, their decision making in the final third was lacking and on the occasions where they did test the goalkeeper, Sam Martin was up for the challenge. He has been almost unbeatable in recent weeks and was continuing his fine form.Kapiti were awarded a penalty in the 30th minute, after Matty Balmforth was correctly adjudged to have fouled the Kapiti striker on the edge of the area.The Kapiti striker looked confident as he placed the ball. He smashed it towards the top corner, only for Martin to tip it onto the crossbar and we cleared the ball from danger. Kapiti failing to take their opportunity proved to be a crucial turning point in the match. We started to play with better urgency. Terry O’Donnell and Andy Cochrane took control of midfield, George Frost was an effective threat on the right hand side and Tom Graham was proving to be a handful for the Kapiti central defenders.It was Graham who thought he had put us in front when he headed home from a corner, only for the referee to award a foul against Nick Grice for holding in the area.Games against Kapiti are always full of spice and this was no exception. The referee missed a Kapiti player putting his hand around the throat of George Frost. With the referee unsighted, the assistant put his flag up, indicating he saw the incident, only to call the referee over to tell him he hadn’t seen it either. A slightly bemusing few minutes with the Kapiti player going unpunished. We had another corner right on the stroke of half-time and as Cochrane swung it in, it was Grice who was being held by the Kapiti defender and the referee pointed to the spot.Clune stepped up and made no mistake as he slammed the ball into the roof of the net. A quality finish from the Irishman, putting us 1-0 up as we headed to the sheds for a well-earned break.We spoke at half-time about having to do the hard work again. It was all or nothing for Kapiti. They needed a win to have any mathematical chance of avoiding relegation. We could not afford any complacency.Kapiti again started the stronger of the two sides. They had increased their tempo and were getting into dangerous areas. Martin, though was thriving in the conditions and made a wonderful save with his feet to preserve our one goal advantage.Graham, thought he had extended our lead, only for a late offside call from the referee’s assistant denying him his goal.The game was being played at a frenetic pace and chances were flowing at both ends. We introduced Tom McCann, his pace in these conditions would surely cause the Kapiti defenders plenty of headaches.It was McCann and Clune who combined for what should have been our second goal, only for us to overplay our hand and miss the opportunity to get a clear strike on goal. We needed a second goal and some breathing space.Our second goal finally came in the 63rd minute. We again caught Kapiti on the break and it was again McCann and Clune at the heart of it. McCann drove at defenders on a trademark mazy run before testing the goalkeeper, and as the ball was parried, Kapiti failed to clear and Clune was on hand for a tidy right foot finish into the top corner. 2-0 Brooklyn.This was Clune’s 50th goal for the 1st team. A wonderful achievement from such a committed and loyal club man. Congratulations Paul, fantastic effort.Kapiti were never going to lie down, and if anything, our second goal sparked them into life. They drove forward in numbers, clearly with nothing to lose. They were piling on the pressure.Their efforts were rewarded in the 72nd minute after another fine save from Martin, it was our turn to fail to clear our lines and Kapiti scrambled the ball over the line. 2-1 and Kapiti had earned an invitation back into the game.We introduced Steve Lyons and Hamish Parker to strengthen our hold in midfield. Our defensive unit had been resolute for much of the afternoon. Joe Cruden, Matty Balmforth and Nick Grice were all outstanding in difficult conditions.With time running down, we were still creating chances on the break. Lyons broke free from midfield with a neat piece of skill, before releasing Parker through on goal. Parker unleashed a fierce left footed drive, only for the goalkeeper to push it around the post.We held the ball up from the resulting corner as we wound down the clock. The final couple of minutes passing without incident. The final whistle sounded and we were rewarded with our third win on the trot. The lads have been working very hard and are deserving of these results. I have never seen this group react to a win like this before. You could see just how much this meant to them.Outstanding performances from Sam Martin who made some phenomenal saves, Joe Cruden who enjoyed his best performance of the season, Terry O’Donnell again dominated the midfield battle, Tom Graham’s pace and trickery caused Kapiti concern all afternoon and man of the match Nick Grice who stood up at crucial times throughout the encounter to keep our lead intact.The win takes us up to 7th and with two games remaining we still have work to do. Maximum points could see us finish as high as 5th, while anything less could see us fall back into less desirable situations.With our next scheduled opponents North Wellington playing in the Chatham Cup, we have a week off next weekend. We will use the break to refresh and refocus ahead of games against Tawa and North Wellington. It’s all in our hands now. We must finish the job.Special thanks to those who travelled to provide support. It is greatly appreciated. Annie and I are so proud of the way the lads have been working. The turnaround in form and belief has been outstanding. The players deserve so much credit for the hunger and desire they have shown. Other sides have simply failed to match our intensity. We need to maintain these levels over the next two encounters.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men’s 1st team vs Kapiti Coast United
      • We headed up the coast to take on Kapiti in search of a third win on the bounce. Kapiti are a spirited outfit and we knew a tough 90 minutes were in front of us.Again the weather would play a part, constant rain had cut up the pitch, making it tricky for both sides to settle into any sort of rhythm. Kapiti adjusted to the conditions quicker and started playing some tidy one touch football through midfield.Too often, their decision making in the final third was lacking and on the occasions where they did test the goalkeeper, Sam Martin was up for the challenge. He has been almost unbeatable in recent weeks and was continuing his fine form.Kapiti were awarded a penalty in the 30th minute, after Matty Balmforth was correctly adjudged to have fouled the Kapiti striker on the edge of the area.The Kapiti striker looked confident as he placed the ball. He smashed it towards the top corner, only for Martin to tip it onto the crossbar and we cleared the ball from danger. Kapiti failing to take their opportunity proved to be a crucial turning point in the match. We started to play with better urgency. Terry O’Donnell and Andy Cochrane took control of midfield, George Frost was an effective threat on the right hand side and Tom Graham was proving to be a handful for the Kapiti central defenders.It was Graham who thought he had put us in front when he headed home from a corner, only for the referee to award a foul against Nick Grice for holding in the area.Games against Kapiti are always full of spice and this was no exception. The referee missed a Kapiti player putting his hand around the throat of George Frost. With the referee unsighted, the assistant put his flag up, indicating he saw the incident, only to call the referee over to tell him he hadn’t seen it either. A slightly bemusing few minutes with the Kapiti player going unpunished. We had another corner right on the stroke of half-time and as Cochrane swung it in, it was Grice who was being held by the Kapiti defender and the referee pointed to the spot.Clune stepped up and made no mistake as he slammed the ball into the roof of the net. A quality finish from the Irishman, putting us 1-0 up as we headed to the sheds for a well-earned break.We spoke at half-time about having to do the hard work again. It was all or nothing for Kapiti. They needed a win to have any mathematical chance of avoiding relegation. We could not afford any complacency.Kapiti again started the stronger of the two sides. They had increased their tempo and were getting into dangerous areas. Martin, though was thriving in the conditions and made a wonderful save with his feet to preserve our one goal advantage.Graham, thought he had extended our lead, only for a late offside call from the referee’s assistant denying him his goal.The game was being played at a frenetic pace and chances were flowing at both ends. We introduced Tom McCann, his pace in these conditions would surely cause the Kapiti defenders plenty of headaches.It was McCann and Clune who combined for what should have been our second goal, only for us to overplay our hand and miss the opportunity to get a clear strike on goal. We needed a second goal and some breathing space.Our second goal finally came in the 63rd minute. We again caught Kapiti on the break and it was again McCann and Clune at the heart of it. McCann drove at defenders on a trademark mazy run before testing the goalkeeper, and as the ball was parried, Kapiti failed to clear and Clune was on hand for a tidy right foot finish into the top corner. 2-0 Brooklyn.This was Clune’s 50th goal for the 1st team. A wonderful achievement from such a committed and loyal club man. Congratulations Paul, fantastic effort.Kapiti were never going to lie down, and if anything, our second goal sparked them into life. They drove forward in numbers, clearly with nothing to lose. They were piling on the pressure.Their efforts were rewarded in the 72nd minute after another fine save from Martin, it was our turn to fail to clear our lines and Kapiti scrambled the ball over the line. 2-1 and Kapiti had earned an invitation back into the game.We introduced Steve Lyons and Hamish Parker to strengthen our hold in midfield. Our defensive unit had been resolute for much of the afternoon. Joe Cruden, Matty Balmforth and Nick Grice were all outstanding in difficult conditions.With time running down, we were still creating chances on the break. Lyons broke free from midfield with a neat piece of skill, before releasing Parker through on goal. Parker unleashed a fierce left footed drive, only for the goalkeeper to push it around the post.We held the ball up from the resulting corner as we wound down the clock. The final couple of minutes passing without incident. The final whistle sounded and we were rewarded with our third win on the trot. The lads have been working very hard and are deserving of these results. I have never seen this group react to a win like this before. You could see just how much this meant to them.Outstanding performances from Sam Martin who made some phenomenal saves, Joe Cruden who enjoyed his best performance of the season, Terry O’Donnell again dominated the midfield battle, Tom Graham’s pace and trickery caused Kapiti concern all afternoon and man of the match Nick Grice who stood up at crucial times throughout the encounter to keep our lead intact.The win takes us up to 7th and with two games remaining we still have work to do. Maximum points could see us finish as high as 5th, while anything less could see us fall back into less desirable situations.With our next scheduled opponents North Wellington playing in the Chatham Cup, we have a week off next weekend. We will use the break to refresh and refocus ahead of games against Tawa and North Wellington. It’s all in our hands now. We must finish the job.Special thanks to those who travelled to provide support. It is greatly appreciated. Annie and I are so proud of the way the lads have been working. The turnaround in form and belief has been outstanding. The players deserve so much credit for the hunger and desire they have shown. Other sides have simply failed to match our intensity. We need to maintain these levels over the next two encounters.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men’s 1st team vs Island Bay
      • We faced our local rivals in what was a crucial fixture in our bid for Capital Premier survival. We needed to start turning our promising performances into points. Our resources were being severely tested. We were missing several players and were even forced to bring injured captain Joe Cruden onto the bench to make up the numbers.Island Bay started the stronger, enjoying the majority of possession and territory. They had us camped in our own half during the opening ten minutes. Despite Island Bay’s pressure, goalkeeper Sam Martin was having none of it as he produced some wonderful saves throughout the first half. He made one world class double save and another save with his feet where the Island Bay player was a clear favourite to score.Island Bay were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute after Matt Balmforth was adjudged to have gone through the back of the Island Bay striker. Balmforth pleaded his innocence with an eloquent and calm request for the referee to change his mind. The referee remained unmoved as he pointed to the spot. The Island Bay striker stepped up and drove an emphatic penalty into the top corner. 1-0 Island Bay.The lads had soaked up pressure well and heads didn’t drop, in fact we applied pressure on the Island Bay goal, with immediate reward. A slick move involving Scott Macandrew, Andy Cochrane and Elliot Riley found Paul Clune in the box, with his shot blocked and partially cleared the ball broke at the feet of Tom Graham who slammed home his first goal for the 1st team. What a great time to register your 1st goal. The reward could not be more deserving to a young player who has worked so hard on his game throughout the season. This was his moment, and he certainly enjoyed it.Graham’s goal spurred the boys on and we found ourselves in front, with another special, high quality goal. We again caught Island Bay on the break, with speed and precision through midfield, the ball was played in behind Island Bay’s defence. The goalkeeper was drawn off his line and outside the area. Elliot Riley had made a fantastic run and as he beat the onrushing goalkeeper to the ball, he acrobatically headed the ball over the keeper and into an empty net. This was Riley’s first goal of the campaign and again the celebration didn’t disappoint. 2-1 Brooklyn.You could see the confidence grow with every pass. We were soaking up Island Bay’s pressure and punishing them on the break. Nick Grice was having yet another fine performance at centre back, making several crucial interventions, Terry O’Donnell and Andy Cochrane were dominating midfield, Scott Macandrew and George Frost were dangerous in wide areas. We were again creating opportunities for the attacking unit, this week we were proving to be much sharper in front of goal.We should have had a third minutes later, via another promising Macandrew break, the ball found Clune at the far post, who smashed the ball from the edge of the area, only for his shot to canon back off the upright.It wasn’t all Brooklyn, Island Bay had several chances, only to be thwarted time and time again by the impressive Martin. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, he is the best goalkeeper in this league and today was another demonstration of his undoubted ability. The defensive trio of Grice, Balmforth and Harry Tod-Smith all made valuable contributions with several crucial interceptions, blocks and well timed tackles. They were all fine examples of the fight the entire team was showing.As the half drew to a close Island Bay finally made one of their chances count after a shot smashed the underside of the crossbar and the Island Bay striker had followed to bundle the ball over the line. 2-2 after what had been a most entertaining first half.We re-confirmed a couple of technical aspects at the break, but we were largely happy with how the game plan was being executed. We felt we would get more chances, it was up to us to force the result.Island Bay started the second half just as they did the first, only this time they got instant reward. We had prevented their danger man Ian Paterson from having too many clear opportunities during the first half, only for him to skip inside two Brooklyn players and produce a nice finish with the outside of his right foot into the bottom corner. 3-2 Island Bay and we had work to do.We again set out about responding to the challenge. O’Donnell and Cochrane were immense in the middle of the park, complimenting each other’s styles well. Macandrew continued to wreak havoc on the left hand side and Clune was starting to come into his own. It was that man Clune who drew us level in the 64th minute after a Frost corner was partially cleared, Frost again delivered the ball into the area, Island Bay’s keeper came to collect, only to drop the ball under pressure from Grice and Clune was on hand for a tap in. 3-3 and momentum was with us.We immediately introduced attacking players Hamish Parker and Angus Rooney into the game in search of a winning goal. Rooney was full of running, despite having already played 90 minutes for the reserves earlier that afternoon and Parker’s passing range and energy were proving beneficial against a tiring Island Bay side. With time running out, both sides had chances, Graham had a chance well saved by the Island Bay keeper and Macandrew drew another decent save minutes later.We weren’t to be denied, today would be our day. Hamish Parker found himself with a clear shooting opportunity on the edge of the area in the 86th minute. His side footed shot made it’s way through a crowded penalty area, only for Clune to flick the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. 4-3 Brooklyn. One bench ecstatic, the other dejected.We endured the remainder of the 90 minutes, making one final substitution with Joe Cruden coming on for the superb Clune, plus four agonising minutes of added time before hearing the sound of the final whistle. We had secured our first victory over Island Bay’s 1st team since 2005, and more importantly, secured three very valuable points.It’s days like this that make it all worthwhile. The performance levels from every player were absolutely superb. Scott Macandrew was brilliant at left back, Terry O’Donnell and Andy Cochrane dominated midfield and were the focal points of so many promising attacks. Nick Grice and Elliot Riley both had season best performances and man of the match Sam Martin was the best player on the pitch.We enjoyed the result and celebrated accordingly. It wouldn’t be a Brooklyn victory without us belting out Sweet Moly Malone and indulging in a few too many beers.Now it’s time to turn our attention to University next weekend. We have given ourselves a chance to kick on and get out of the danger positions. It’s up to us to maintain the intensity and desire that was on show last night. If we can do that, anything is possible.Special thanks to those who braved the cold to support us last night, in particular Phil Clayton who is such a wonderful supporter of our football club. Thanks for your continued support Phil. It is genuinely appreciated. The lads' girlfriends who support us week in, week out deserve a special mention. Their vocal support was rewarded with last night’s entertaining performance.Bring on University!

    • MATCH REPORT: Men’s 1st team vs Island Bay
      • We faced our local rivals in what was a crucial fixture in our bid for Capital Premier survival. We needed to start turning our promising performances into points. Our resources were being severely tested. We were missing several players and were even forced to bring injured captain Joe Cruden onto the bench to make up the numbers.Island Bay started the stronger, enjoying the majority of possession and territory. They had us camped in our own half during the opening ten minutes. Despite Island Bay’s pressure, goalkeeper Sam Martin was having none of it as he produced some wonderful saves throughout the first half. He made one world class double save and another save with his feet where the Island Bay player was a clear favourite to score.Island Bay were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute after Matt Balmforth was adjudged to have gone through the back of the Island Bay striker. Balmforth pleaded his innocence with an eloquent and calm request for the referee to change his mind. The referee remained unmoved as he pointed to the spot. The Island Bay striker stepped up and drove an emphatic penalty into the top corner. 1-0 Island Bay.The lads had soaked up pressure well and heads didn’t drop, in fact we applied pressure on the Island Bay goal, with immediate reward. A slick move involving Scott Macandrew, Andy Cochrane and Elliot Riley found Paul Clune in the box, with his shot blocked and partially cleared the ball broke at the feet of Tom Graham who slammed home his first goal for the 1st team. What a great time to register your 1st goal. The reward could not be more deserving to a young player who has worked so hard on his game throughout the season. This was his moment, and he certainly enjoyed it.Graham’s goal spurred the boys on and we found ourselves in front, with another special, high quality goal. We again caught Island Bay on the break, with speed and precision through midfield, the ball was played in behind Island Bay’s defence. The goalkeeper was drawn off his line and outside the area. Elliot Riley had made a fantastic run and as he beat the onrushing goalkeeper to the ball, he acrobatically headed the ball over the keeper and into an empty net. This was Riley’s first goal of the campaign and again the celebration didn’t disappoint. 2-1 Brooklyn.You could see the confidence grow with every pass. We were soaking up Island Bay’s pressure and punishing them on the break. Nick Grice was having yet another fine performance at centre back, making several crucial interventions, Terry O’Donnell and Andy Cochrane were dominating midfield, Scott Macandrew and George Frost were dangerous in wide areas. We were again creating opportunities for the attacking unit, this week we were proving to be much sharper in front of goal.We should have had a third minutes later, via another promising Macandrew break, the ball found Clune at the far post, who smashed the ball from the edge of the area, only for his shot to canon back off the upright.It wasn’t all Brooklyn, Island Bay had several chances, only to be thwarted time and time again by the impressive Martin. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, he is the best goalkeeper in this league and today was another demonstration of his undoubted ability. The defensive trio of Grice, Balmforth and Harry Tod-Smith all made valuable contributions with several crucial interceptions, blocks and well timed tackles. They were all fine examples of the fight the entire team was showing.As the half drew to a close Island Bay finally made one of their chances count after a shot smashed the underside of the crossbar and the Island Bay striker had followed to bundle the ball over the line. 2-2 after what had been a most entertaining first half.We re-confirmed a couple of technical aspects at the break, but we were largely happy with how the game plan was being executed. We felt we would get more chances, it was up to us to force the result.Island Bay started the second half just as they did the first, only this time they got instant reward. We had prevented their danger man Ian Paterson from having too many clear opportunities during the first half, only for him to skip inside two Brooklyn players and produce a nice finish with the outside of his right foot into the bottom corner. 3-2 Island Bay and we had work to do.We again set out about responding to the challenge. O’Donnell and Cochrane were immense in the middle of the park, complimenting each other’s styles well. Macandrew continued to wreak havoc on the left hand side and Clune was starting to come into his own. It was that man Clune who drew us level in the 64th minute after a Frost corner was partially cleared, Frost again delivered the ball into the area, Island Bay’s keeper came to collect, only to drop the ball under pressure from Grice and Clune was on hand for a tap in. 3-3 and momentum was with us.We immediately introduced attacking players Hamish Parker and Angus Rooney into the game in search of a winning goal. Rooney was full of running, despite having already played 90 minutes for the reserves earlier that afternoon and Parker’s passing range and energy were proving beneficial against a tiring Island Bay side. With time running out, both sides had chances, Graham had a chance well saved by the Island Bay keeper and Macandrew drew another decent save minutes later.We weren’t to be denied, today would be our day. Hamish Parker found himself with a clear shooting opportunity on the edge of the area in the 86th minute. His side footed shot made it’s way through a crowded penalty area, only for Clune to flick the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. 4-3 Brooklyn. One bench ecstatic, the other dejected.We endured the remainder of the 90 minutes, making one final substitution with Joe Cruden coming on for the superb Clune, plus four agonising minutes of added time before hearing the sound of the final whistle. We had secured our first victory over Island Bay’s 1st team since 2005, and more importantly, secured three very valuable points.It’s days like this that make it all worthwhile. The performance levels from every player were absolutely superb. Scott Macandrew was brilliant at left back, Terry O’Donnell and Andy Cochrane dominated midfield and were the focal points of so many promising attacks. Nick Grice and Elliot Riley both had season best performances and man of the match Sam Martin was the best player on the pitch.We enjoyed the result and celebrated accordingly. It wouldn’t be a Brooklyn victory without us belting out Sweet Moly Malone and indulging in a few too many beers.Now it’s time to turn our attention to University next weekend. We have given ourselves a chance to kick on and get out of the danger positions. It’s up to us to maintain the intensity and desire that was on show last night. If we can do that, anything is possible.Special thanks to those who braved the cold to support us last night, in particular Phil Clayton who is such a wonderful supporter of our football club. Thanks for your continued support Phil. It is genuinely appreciated. The lads' girlfriends who support us week in, week out deserve a special mention. Their vocal support was rewarded with last night’s entertaining performance.Bring on University!

    • MATCH REPORT: Men’s 1st team vs Waterside Karori
      • We travelled to Karori Park to face the runaway league leaders, in a game where we had nothing to lose and everything to gain. We had formulated a game plan we believed would stifle their attacking threats while enabling our own flair players the freedom to cause Karori’s back four plenty of headaches.The game quickly settled into a pattern, Karori comfortable in possession, without causing us too many problems and us counter attacking with promise and intent.Karori opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a piece of genuine quality as the Karori player drove into the box, beating two defenders before executing a fine finish into the bottom corner. 1-0 Karori.John O’Driscoll was a constant threat throughout the contest as he broke forward with speed and trickery. Both he and George Frost were starting to create opportunities, all we needed to do was capitalise.Tom Graham had a fantastic opportunity to draw us level after we turned the ball over on halfway, George Frost sped away from two defenders and played an inch perfect cross onto the left foot of Graham who was well placed but could only side foot his shot into the side netting. Tim Hall, playing his final game for the season, before he heads back to Christchurch to finish his studies, fashioned a wonderful opportunity for himself as he swivelled and shot. The shot flying just over the crossbar. We were certainly creating enough clear cut opportunities to remain in the contest.Karori’s 1st goal was of real quality, their 2nd goal was the complete opposite after we failed to clear our own lines and the ball was bundled over the goal line. 2-0 Karori after 25 minutes and again we were chasing the game.The 2nd goal really sparked us into life. We pressed higher up the pitch, there was greater energy in the middle of the park as Matt Balmforth took control and squeezed every Karori touch. We were shifting momentum in the last 15 minutes and enjoyed a lengthy, quality spell of possession. Graham again finding space in behind Karori’s back four, only for his right footed shot flying agonisingly wide.As we approached halftime we earned a succession of corners. The first saw Balmforth head just over, while only seconds later, the ball broke for Terry O’Donnell on the edge of the area, only for his shot to swerve away from goal. 2-0 down at halftime and we had fashioned more opportunities in one half of football than we had in our previous two fixtures combined. The problem was we were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline and would need to demonstrate the energy, desire and attacking intent that we had before the break.We introduced Andy Cochrane, who was making his first 1st team appearance of the season, after a lengthy injury break, for Ben Purser who succumbed to a lower back complaint.Cochrane quickly forged a formidable partnership with Balmforth in the middle of the park and it was both players who were at the heart of all things positive we produced during the 2nd half. The ball was getting wider earlier, giving Frost and O’Driscoll the time and space to engage Karori’s fullbacks. We were getting into dangerous areas, but still couldn’t find the goal we needed to get back in the contest.Heartbreakingly, it was Karori who scored next after 49 minutes, another goal where we didn’t clear our lines, bouncing off the head of two Brooklyn defenders before eventually falling at the feet of the Karori player, who made no mistake with a well-placed finish. We weren’t going to lie down and introduced the pacey Tom McCann and creative Elliot Riley as we continued to push for a way back into the game.Balmforth found himself with the ball at his feet inside Karori’s six yard box, only to blaze over the crossbar. We were doing all we could, apart from putting the ball in the back of the net.Tom McCann had an opportunity from the edge of the area, only to drag his shot wide of the left hand upright.With the clock running down, Cochrane, O’Driscoll and Frost all came into their own with some wonderful combination play on both sides of the pitch. For all of our effort and fight, we just couldn’t find the back of the net.The fulltime whistle sounded and we were left to reflect on a game where we had been outplayed by the league leaders, but we gave so much to the contest, and I think we can take many positives from our performance.Strong performances from Matt Balmforth, Andy Cochrane, George Frost and man of the match John O’Driscoll who was a constant menace to Karori’s fullbacks all afternoon.With Miramar upsetting Olympic, our job of staying in this league got a bit tougher, we are now six points from safety with five games remaining. We can’t hide from our current position but we are lucky at Brooklyn to have players who have the fight, desire and quality who will do all they can to remain in the premier division.Brooklyn has been a huge part of Annie and my lives for the past five years and we aren’t ready to say goodbye to Premier football, we have come too far to only come this far. We will be doing all we possibly can to take this team forward.Bring on Island Bay next week.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men’s 1st team vs Waterside Karori
      • We travelled to Karori Park to face the runaway league leaders, in a game where we had nothing to lose and everything to gain. We had formulated a game plan we believed would stifle their attacking threats while enabling our own flair players the freedom to cause Karori’s back four plenty of headaches.The game quickly settled into a pattern, Karori comfortable in possession, without causing us too many problems and us counter attacking with promise and intent.Karori opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a piece of genuine quality as the Karori player drove into the box, beating two defenders before executing a fine finish into the bottom corner. 1-0 Karori.John O’Driscoll was a constant threat throughout the contest as he broke forward with speed and trickery. Both he and George Frost were starting to create opportunities, all we needed to do was capitalise.Tom Graham had a fantastic opportunity to draw us level after we turned the ball over on halfway, George Frost sped away from two defenders and played an inch perfect cross onto the left foot of Graham who was well placed but could only side foot his shot into the side netting. Tim Hall, playing his final game for the season, before he heads back to Christchurch to finish his studies, fashioned a wonderful opportunity for himself as he swivelled and shot. The shot flying just over the crossbar. We were certainly creating enough clear cut opportunities to remain in the contest.Karori’s 1st goal was of real quality, their 2nd goal was the complete opposite after we failed to clear our own lines and the ball was bundled over the goal line. 2-0 Karori after 25 minutes and again we were chasing the game.The 2nd goal really sparked us into life. We pressed higher up the pitch, there was greater energy in the middle of the park as Matt Balmforth took control and squeezed every Karori touch. We were shifting momentum in the last 15 minutes and enjoyed a lengthy, quality spell of possession. Graham again finding space in behind Karori’s back four, only for his right footed shot flying agonisingly wide.As we approached halftime we earned a succession of corners. The first saw Balmforth head just over, while only seconds later, the ball broke for Terry O’Donnell on the edge of the area, only for his shot to swerve away from goal. 2-0 down at halftime and we had fashioned more opportunities in one half of football than we had in our previous two fixtures combined. The problem was we were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline and would need to demonstrate the energy, desire and attacking intent that we had before the break.We introduced Andy Cochrane, who was making his first 1st team appearance of the season, after a lengthy injury break, for Ben Purser who succumbed to a lower back complaint.Cochrane quickly forged a formidable partnership with Balmforth in the middle of the park and it was both players who were at the heart of all things positive we produced during the 2nd half. The ball was getting wider earlier, giving Frost and O’Driscoll the time and space to engage Karori’s fullbacks. We were getting into dangerous areas, but still couldn’t find the goal we needed to get back in the contest.Heartbreakingly, it was Karori who scored next after 49 minutes, another goal where we didn’t clear our lines, bouncing off the head of two Brooklyn defenders before eventually falling at the feet of the Karori player, who made no mistake with a well-placed finish. We weren’t going to lie down and introduced the pacey Tom McCann and creative Elliot Riley as we continued to push for a way back into the game.Balmforth found himself with the ball at his feet inside Karori’s six yard box, only to blaze over the crossbar. We were doing all we could, apart from putting the ball in the back of the net.Tom McCann had an opportunity from the edge of the area, only to drag his shot wide of the left hand upright.With the clock running down, Cochrane, O’Driscoll and Frost all came into their own with some wonderful combination play on both sides of the pitch. For all of our effort and fight, we just couldn’t find the back of the net.The fulltime whistle sounded and we were left to reflect on a game where we had been outplayed by the league leaders, but we gave so much to the contest, and I think we can take many positives from our performance.Strong performances from Matt Balmforth, Andy Cochrane, George Frost and man of the match John O’Driscoll who was a constant menace to Karori’s fullbacks all afternoon.With Miramar upsetting Olympic, our job of staying in this league got a bit tougher, we are now six points from safety with five games remaining. We can’t hide from our current position but we are lucky at Brooklyn to have players who have the fight, desire and quality who will do all they can to remain in the premier division.Brooklyn has been a huge part of Annie and my lives for the past five years and we aren’t ready to say goodbye to Premier football, we have come too far to only come this far. We will be doing all we possibly can to take this team forward.Bring on Island Bay next week.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st team vs Miramar Rangers
      • We welcomed Miramar to Wakefield Park in what was a genuine six pointer. A win would lift us above Miramar, a loss and we risked being cut adrift in the relegation fight.The game started at a frantic speed, both teams desperate to establish the early momentum. Miramar took the lead in the sixth minute, capitalising on a defensive error.The Miramar player slamming the ball past goalkeeper Sam Martin.The early setback seemed to spark the lads into life. We pressed with energy and purpose, making it difficult for Miramar to create any sustained periods of pressure. The pace of the game remained full throttle, resulting in an open, end to end half of football.Miramar had a genuine chance to extend their advantage with a vicious, curling effort that rattled the crossbar. While we were executing our off the ball game plan, we were too loose in possession and took too long to get into the game.As the half wore on, we managed to find our rhythm and started to get in behind Miramar's back four. John O'Driscoll was enjoying a fine game as he bet defenders with ease. He was a constant threat throughout the 90 minutes.We were starting to dominate proceedings and were rewarded for our efforts, as O'Driscoll's corner was met by the run of Paul Clune, whose bullet header flew into the back of the net. 1-1 at the break.Halftime arrived and we talked about the need to show greater desire to get forward and put Miramar under pressure right from the first whistle. We took too long to grow into the 1st half, something we couldn't afford to do again if we were to go on and get the result we so badly wanted,Both sides came out firing at the start of the second half. The game was halted for the best part of 10 minutes after Sam Martin made a fine save with his face, leaving him bloodied and needing to put his nose back together. The big man showed great courage to play on and continued to make some wonderful contributions in what was another fine display.Both sides pushed and pressed as the game continued to be played at a cracking speed. We introduced attacking players Tim Hall and Hamish Parker as we threw everything at Miramar.O'Driscoll and Scott Macandrew gave us great width in attacking areas and it was O'Driscoll who had the best chances of the second half. He had one chance blocked on the line and a wonderful curling, right footed effort which was deflected agonisingly wide.As time ticked away, both sides continued in their search for a winner, but as the full-time whistle sounded, we had to settle for what was a hard fought, well earned point.The game had been played in great spirit, both sides trying to play football the way it's meant to be played. I genuinely hope there is a way both sides remain in this league.Strong performances from goalkeeper Sam Martin who made several telling saves throughout the 90 minutes and right fullback Scott Macandrew, whose consistency at this level is turning into a real asset.Man of the match was awarded to John O'Driscoll whose work rate, quality in possession and delivery from wide areas meant he was a threat with every touch of the football.While a draw didn't do much for either side, it does move us further away from Kapiti. Each of our remaining six games now becomes a cup final. I believe we have the hunger, desire and quality within the group to get the job done.Thanks to all those who supported us yesterday. You were treated to a pretty decent game of football.Look forward to seeing you all around the club.CheersDene

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st team vs Miramar Rangers
      • We welcomed Miramar to Wakefield Park in what was a genuine six pointer. A win would lift us above Miramar, a loss and we risked being cut adrift in the relegation fight.The game started at a frantic speed, both teams desperate to establish the early momentum. Miramar took the lead in the sixth minute, capitalising on a defensive error.The Miramar player slamming the ball past goalkeeper Sam Martin.The early setback seemed to spark the lads into life. We pressed with energy and purpose, making it difficult for Miramar to create any sustained periods of pressure. The pace of the game remained full throttle, resulting in an open, end to end half of football.Miramar had a genuine chance to extend their advantage with a vicious, curling effort that rattled the crossbar. While we were executing our off the ball game plan, we were too loose in possession and took too long to get into the game.As the half wore on, we managed to find our rhythm and started to get in behind Miramar's back four. John O'Driscoll was enjoying a fine game as he bet defenders with ease. He was a constant threat throughout the 90 minutes.We were starting to dominate proceedings and were rewarded for our efforts, as O'Driscoll's corner was met by the run of Paul Clune, whose bullet header flew into the back of the net. 1-1 at the break.Halftime arrived and we talked about the need to show greater desire to get forward and put Miramar under pressure right from the first whistle. We took too long to grow into the 1st half, something we couldn't afford to do again if we were to go on and get the result we so badly wanted,Both sides came out firing at the start of the second half. The game was halted for the best part of 10 minutes after Sam Martin made a fine save with his face, leaving him bloodied and needing to put his nose back together. The big man showed great courage to play on and continued to make some wonderful contributions in what was another fine display.Both sides pushed and pressed as the game continued to be played at a cracking speed. We introduced attacking players Tim Hall and Hamish Parker as we threw everything at Miramar.O'Driscoll and Scott Macandrew gave us great width in attacking areas and it was O'Driscoll who had the best chances of the second half. He had one chance blocked on the line and a wonderful curling, right footed effort which was deflected agonisingly wide.As time ticked away, both sides continued in their search for a winner, but as the full-time whistle sounded, we had to settle for what was a hard fought, well earned point.The game had been played in great spirit, both sides trying to play football the way it's meant to be played. I genuinely hope there is a way both sides remain in this league.Strong performances from goalkeeper Sam Martin who made several telling saves throughout the 90 minutes and right fullback Scott Macandrew, whose consistency at this level is turning into a real asset.Man of the match was awarded to John O'Driscoll whose work rate, quality in possession and delivery from wide areas meant he was a threat with every touch of the football.While a draw didn't do much for either side, it does move us further away from Kapiti. Each of our remaining six games now becomes a cup final. I believe we have the hunger, desire and quality within the group to get the job done.Thanks to all those who supported us yesterday. You were treated to a pretty decent game of football.Look forward to seeing you all around the club.CheersDene

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st team vs Olympic
      • After the poor weather and waterlogged pitch of last week, we were happy to be back at Wakefield Park to take on neighbours Olympic. Olympic have been in impressive goal scoring form of late and we knew it was going to be a tough battle. Both sides started relatively well, pressing high, trying to force turnovers in the attacking third.Tom Graham was full of energy and caused Olympic's central defenders several moments of concern with intelligent pressing, ably supported by Paul Clune and captain Terry O'Donnell. Graham's energy and willingness was something we had been missing in recent weeks.A strong wind whipping across Wakefield Park gave both sides challenges bringing the ball under control and establishing any sort of tempo. Olympic almost opened the scoring with a wind assisted effort, which looked wide the whole way, only for it to dip at the last minute and clip the crossbar.Olympic did open the scoring in the 33rd minute. We had committed numbers forward for a corner, only to get caught on the break. Olympic broke at speed and while the Olympic players shot was well saved by Sam Martin, the referee adjudged George Frost to have clipped the player after he had got the shot away and pointed to the spot.Olympic duly obliged to give them a slender advantage heading into half-time.The lads remained confident a result was on the cards. We had dominated periods of the first half, without creating too many opportunities. We made a couple of minor changes to our structure and headed out for the second half, determined to turn the game in our favour.Steve Lyons, Harry Tod-Smith and Scott Macandrew were outstanding in their defensive efforts, Terry O'Donnell was dominating midfield and Tom Graham was again showing his value in what was his most accomplished performance in a Brooklyn shirt.The lads came out firing for the second half and dominated right from the first whistle. We pressed aggressively, and were forcing errors in our attacking third. Graham fashioned an opportunity for himself which was deflected over the crossbar, John O'Driscoll was causing plenty of problems for the Olympic fullback down the left hand side and we introduced Tom McCann, in an attempt to use his pace and trickery down the right hand side.As time ticked by and we continued to search for an equaliser, the lads grew in confidence and you could sense a goal was coming. To Olympics credit they were defending well and started to slow the game down.Tempers started to fray and one particular Olympic challenge saw a heated exchange between the players. Things were heating up as we approached the last fifteen minutes. We introduced Hamish Parker and Rohan Boyle, giving us fresh legs and composed heads as we continued to press for the equaliser. While we had dominated the second half, our final ball was letting us down and as a result we weren't creating enough genuine opportunities.As the final whistle blew we were left with the reality of a 1-0 loss, despite putting in one of our best performances of the season. We had beaten Tawa two weeks ago and hadn't played anywhere near as well as we did yesterday.The attitude of the players was immense, they backed each other up all afternoon, their work rate was excellent and there was a real sense of togetherness among the entire group.As long as we replicate that effort, desire and willingness for the next two months we can only climb the ladder into a more respectable position.Credit must go to Olympic for what was a gutsy three points. They are a passionate, tight knit group and from a personal perspective I enjoy playing sides who give it everything for 90 minutes and then get together for a beer and some food after the final whistle. It's the way football should be played.Strong performances from Tom Graham, Steve Lyons and man of the match Terry O'Donnell who was involved in everything good about our performance. We have next week off due to Chatham Cup fixtures, before we play Miramar at Wakefield Park on 2 July, in what will be a massive fixture for both sides.Thanks to all who supported us yesterday, your support of the lads and comments after the game are much appreciated.Congratulations to the Reserves who are enjoying another fine season. They earned a well deserved 3-0 victory over Petone yesterday. Well done lads.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st team vs Olympic
      • After the poor weather and waterlogged pitch of last week, we were happy to be back at Wakefield Park to take on neighbours Olympic. Olympic have been in impressive goal scoring form of late and we knew it was going to be a tough battle. Both sides started relatively well, pressing high, trying to force turnovers in the attacking third.Tom Graham was full of energy and caused Olympic's central defenders several moments of concern with intelligent pressing, ably supported by Paul Clune and captain Terry O'Donnell. Graham's energy and willingness was something we had been missing in recent weeks.A strong wind whipping across Wakefield Park gave both sides challenges bringing the ball under control and establishing any sort of tempo. Olympic almost opened the scoring with a wind assisted effort, which looked wide the whole way, only for it to dip at the last minute and clip the crossbar.Olympic did open the scoring in the 33rd minute. We had committed numbers forward for a corner, only to get caught on the break. Olympic broke at speed and while the Olympic players shot was well saved by Sam Martin, the referee adjudged George Frost to have clipped the player after he had got the shot away and pointed to the spot.Olympic duly obliged to give them a slender advantage heading into half-time.The lads remained confident a result was on the cards. We had dominated periods of the first half, without creating too many opportunities. We made a couple of minor changes to our structure and headed out for the second half, determined to turn the game in our favour.Steve Lyons, Harry Tod-Smith and Scott Macandrew were outstanding in their defensive efforts, Terry O'Donnell was dominating midfield and Tom Graham was again showing his value in what was his most accomplished performance in a Brooklyn shirt.The lads came out firing for the second half and dominated right from the first whistle. We pressed aggressively, and were forcing errors in our attacking third. Graham fashioned an opportunity for himself which was deflected over the crossbar, John O'Driscoll was causing plenty of problems for the Olympic fullback down the left hand side and we introduced Tom McCann, in an attempt to use his pace and trickery down the right hand side.As time ticked by and we continued to search for an equaliser, the lads grew in confidence and you could sense a goal was coming. To Olympics credit they were defending well and started to slow the game down.Tempers started to fray and one particular Olympic challenge saw a heated exchange between the players. Things were heating up as we approached the last fifteen minutes. We introduced Hamish Parker and Rohan Boyle, giving us fresh legs and composed heads as we continued to press for the equaliser. While we had dominated the second half, our final ball was letting us down and as a result we weren't creating enough genuine opportunities.As the final whistle blew we were left with the reality of a 1-0 loss, despite putting in one of our best performances of the season. We had beaten Tawa two weeks ago and hadn't played anywhere near as well as we did yesterday.The attitude of the players was immense, they backed each other up all afternoon, their work rate was excellent and there was a real sense of togetherness among the entire group.As long as we replicate that effort, desire and willingness for the next two months we can only climb the ladder into a more respectable position.Credit must go to Olympic for what was a gutsy three points. They are a passionate, tight knit group and from a personal perspective I enjoy playing sides who give it everything for 90 minutes and then get together for a beer and some food after the final whistle. It's the way football should be played.Strong performances from Tom Graham, Steve Lyons and man of the match Terry O'Donnell who was involved in everything good about our performance. We have next week off due to Chatham Cup fixtures, before we play Miramar at Wakefield Park on 2 July, in what will be a massive fixture for both sides.Thanks to all who supported us yesterday, your support of the lads and comments after the game are much appreciated.Congratulations to the Reserves who are enjoying another fine season. They earned a well deserved 3-0 victory over Petone yesterday. Well done lads.

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st's vs Tawa
      • We welcomed Tawa to Wakefield Park this week as we looked to turn around our recent run of results and get back to winning ways. Despite our mounting injury list, we tweaked our shape and selected a side we believed was capable of earning a result.We started well, moving the ball at speed, defending with desire and dominating midfield.Tawa are a good side, they too work hard for each other and were proving difficult to break down. A good game of football was developing and you sensed the 1st goal could prove decisive.There were few chances created by either team until centre back Harry Tod-Smith stepped into midfield and provided a defense splitting ball into the run of Paul Clune.Clune was left one-on-one with the Tawa goalkeeper and made no mistake with the finish. 1-0 Brooklyn and the lads had reward for their excellent start.Tawa responded with a dominant spell, but managed only a couple of half chances. Defenders Nick Grice, captain Joe Cruden and the impressive Tod-Smith were dominant and were proving to be a most effective rearguard.The midfield trio of Terry O'Donnell, Elliot Riley and Ben Purser all stuck to their individual and collective tasks and were proving a handful for the Tawa defense. Purser and Riley's passing from deep areas was pinpoint and O'Donnell was making the most of the space created for him by Clune and Luciano Colucci.Wide men George Frost and Tom Graham were getting through a mountain of work and both demonstrated fantastic composure on the ball. Frost has maintained his high level of performance over the first half of the season and Graham, making his first start of the campaign was making the most of his opportunity.Tawa continued to grow into the half and earned an equaliser in the 39th minute with a clinical finish into the bottom right corner.1-1 at half-time and we were quietly confident we would earn a result if everyone stuck to their jobs and we took our chances in front of goal. The lads had really bought into the game plan and the performance level matched the way we had prepared during the week.The second half was again an even encounter, with Tawa arguably having the better chances. They hit the outside of the post and had a couple of other chances which they blazed high over the crossbar.We introduced striker Tim Hall and the diminutive Angus Rooney (who had already played 90 mins for the Reserves) as we searched for a winner. Purser was starting to take control of the game. His option taking in possession was near faultless and you could see his confidence grow with every successful pass. He is one player who is starting to fulfill his undoubted potential.With time starting to run out, O'Donnell and Colucci started to find pockets of space to exploit and we certainly were dominating possession.The defensive unit had won the battle, now it was time for the attacking players to fashion one final chance.It was Colucci who made another promising break down the right hand side. He shimmied, jinked and dribbled past several Tawa defenders and just when it looked like three Tawa defenders had crowded him out, he squared a wonderful ball to Tim Hall who was left unmarked inside the area. Hall smashed the ball toward goal and wheeled away in celebration, before the ball had hit the back of the net. 2-1 Brooklyn after 87 minutes and recent results were all but forgotten with one clinical strike.For a team who hadn't found themselves in a winning position for some weeks, the lads showed wonderful composure to see out the remainder of the game without incident. 2-1 Brooklyn as the final whistle sounded and the relief was palpable.The lads had put together a wonderful performance, beating a good Tawa side. Sweet Molly Malone was sung with vigour, smiles were back on faces and the lads were left to enjoy a well deserved victory.It's difficult to single out players for what was such an impressive team performance. Every player stuck to their tasks and showed the want and desire needed to win at this level. We need to take that attitude and work rate into each game for the second half of the season.Harry Tod-Smith earned man of the match honours this week with a faultless match and his best performance in a Brooklyn shirt.Special mention also to George Frost and Tom Graham whose work rate was outstanding, the passing excellence of Ben Purser and the defensive discipline of Nick Grice and Joe Cruden.Well done lads, enjoy the rest of the long weekend as our attention now turns to Wests next Sunday. Onwards and upwards from here.Congratulations to the Reserves who also came back from a couple of tough results, smashing Victoria University 6-2. Well done lads.On a personal note, Annie and I couldn't be prouder of the lads. After a tough run of results many teams would have crumbled. Brooklyn is known for it's togetherness and camaraderie and the 1st team have that in bucket loads. The lads never give in and got their rewards yesterday afternoon.We are lucky enough to have people like Sandy and Anna Aitchison around the club who bleed Brooklyn and serve as a wonderful example of what this club is all about.Thanks for all those who came out to support us yesterday. You certainly enjoyed a high tempo, exciting game.CheersDene

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st's vs Tawa
      • We welcomed Tawa to Wakefield Park this week as we looked to turn around our recent run of results and get back to winning ways. Despite our mounting injury list, we tweaked our shape and selected a side we believed was capable of earning a result.We started well, moving the ball at speed, defending with desire and dominating midfield.Tawa are a good side, they too work hard for each other and were proving difficult to break down. A good game of football was developing and you sensed the 1st goal could prove decisive.There were few chances created by either team until centre back Harry Tod-Smith stepped into midfield and provided a defense splitting ball into the run of Paul Clune.Clune was left one-on-one with the Tawa goalkeeper and made no mistake with the finish. 1-0 Brooklyn and the lads had reward for their excellent start.Tawa responded with a dominant spell, but managed only a couple of half chances. Defenders Nick Grice, captain Joe Cruden and the impressive Tod-Smith were dominant and were proving to be a most effective rearguard.The midfield trio of Terry O'Donnell, Elliot Riley and Ben Purser all stuck to their individual and collective tasks and were proving a handful for the Tawa defense. Purser and Riley's passing from deep areas was pinpoint and O'Donnell was making the most of the space created for him by Clune and Luciano Colucci.Wide men George Frost and Tom Graham were getting through a mountain of work and both demonstrated fantastic composure on the ball. Frost has maintained his high level of performance over the first half of the season and Graham, making his first start of the campaign was making the most of his opportunity.Tawa continued to grow into the half and earned an equaliser in the 39th minute with a clinical finish into the bottom right corner.1-1 at half-time and we were quietly confident we would earn a result if everyone stuck to their jobs and we took our chances in front of goal. The lads had really bought into the game plan and the performance level matched the way we had prepared during the week.The second half was again an even encounter, with Tawa arguably having the better chances. They hit the outside of the post and had a couple of other chances which they blazed high over the crossbar.We introduced striker Tim Hall and the diminutive Angus Rooney (who had already played 90 mins for the Reserves) as we searched for a winner. Purser was starting to take control of the game. His option taking in possession was near faultless and you could see his confidence grow with every successful pass. He is one player who is starting to fulfill his undoubted potential.With time starting to run out, O'Donnell and Colucci started to find pockets of space to exploit and we certainly were dominating possession.The defensive unit had won the battle, now it was time for the attacking players to fashion one final chance.It was Colucci who made another promising break down the right hand side. He shimmied, jinked and dribbled past several Tawa defenders and just when it looked like three Tawa defenders had crowded him out, he squared a wonderful ball to Tim Hall who was left unmarked inside the area. Hall smashed the ball toward goal and wheeled away in celebration, before the ball had hit the back of the net. 2-1 Brooklyn after 87 minutes and recent results were all but forgotten with one clinical strike.For a team who hadn't found themselves in a winning position for some weeks, the lads showed wonderful composure to see out the remainder of the game without incident. 2-1 Brooklyn as the final whistle sounded and the relief was palpable.The lads had put together a wonderful performance, beating a good Tawa side. Sweet Molly Malone was sung with vigour, smiles were back on faces and the lads were left to enjoy a well deserved victory.It's difficult to single out players for what was such an impressive team performance. Every player stuck to their tasks and showed the want and desire needed to win at this level. We need to take that attitude and work rate into each game for the second half of the season.Harry Tod-Smith earned man of the match honours this week with a faultless match and his best performance in a Brooklyn shirt.Special mention also to George Frost and Tom Graham whose work rate was outstanding, the passing excellence of Ben Purser and the defensive discipline of Nick Grice and Joe Cruden.Well done lads, enjoy the rest of the long weekend as our attention now turns to Wests next Sunday. Onwards and upwards from here.Congratulations to the Reserves who also came back from a couple of tough results, smashing Victoria University 6-2. Well done lads.On a personal note, Annie and I couldn't be prouder of the lads. After a tough run of results many teams would have crumbled. Brooklyn is known for it's togetherness and camaraderie and the 1st team have that in bucket loads. The lads never give in and got their rewards yesterday afternoon.We are lucky enough to have people like Sandy and Anna Aitchison around the club who bleed Brooklyn and serve as a wonderful example of what this club is all about.Thanks for all those who came out to support us yesterday. You certainly enjoyed a high tempo, exciting game.CheersDene

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st team vs North Wellington
      • We traveled to Alex Moore Park to take on Cap Prem newcomers North Wellington who have enjoyed a good start to the season.Despite recent results, the lads had prepared really well and were definitely up for the game.We started well, our defensive structure was holding firm and we were keeping the ball for lengthy spells. You could sense the confidence and belief beginning to return.Returning captain, Joe Cruden was taking charge on the pitch and was supported excellently by Terry O'Donnell who was busy in midfield, shutting down several North Wellington attacks.North Wellington created a couple of half chances but goalkeeper Sam Martin was in fine form, both in terms of his shot stopping and decision making when coming off his line.In what was turning into an even, hard fought contest, it was disappointing to fall behind, albeit to a well taken goal in the 33rd minute. To the lads credit, heads didn't drop and they settled back into a decent tempo.1-0 North Wellington at the break and the lads were confident of finding a way back into the game. Possession had been even and North Wellington had made the most of limited opportunities. We needed to create more opportunities of our own and re-discover our attacking edge in the second half.North Wellington came out strong in the second half and doubled their advantage with what was a scrappy, but all important second goal. Again, the lads got straight back into their work, determined to find a way back into the match.We started to find our feet, with O'Donnell, Elliot Riley and Paul Clune involved in a nice one touch passing move on the left edge. Unfortunately the final ball was too strong and we failed to make the most of this opportunity.The game took a turn for the worse when Matt Balmforth was shown a red card with more than 30 minutes still to play. I won't go into detail about the reason the referee gave for the red card, but in a great show of sportsmanship (after the game), the North Wellington captain made several comments to us and the referee about the incident in support of Matt. Hopefully common sense prevails.We introduced the speed and energy of Tom McCann and the dynamic Ben Purser into the game. Both players made a positive impact against their former club.We conceded a third goal in the 65th minute, effectively killing the game. The remaining 25 minutes were our best of the second half. We moved the ball well and worked incredibly hard in defensive transition. Clune, Purser and McCann created a great opportunity on the right hand side, all that was missing was the finish.North Wellington had chances of their own but continued to be thwarted by the impressive Martin in goal, who made a top class save, low to his right. The North Wellington player had already started to wheel away to celebrate.With three minutes left on the clock, North Wellington got a fourth, and then a fifth goal. It was a cruel and inflated scoreline for a team that had worked so incredibly hard for one another.While we were left to reflect another defeat, there were positives, but we failed to create sustained periods of pressure during what was an even first half. The lads should be proud of the way they managed playing with 10 men for most of the second half.Our injury list continues to grow, with Steven Cromb suffering a collapsed lung late in the match. We wish him a speedy recovery.Thanks to the reserves lads who stayed to support us after their match. Strong performances from Clune, O'Donnell and man of the match Sam Martin.I still believe we aren't far away from moving past this rough patch. We will stick together in true Brooklyn fashion and hopefully will look back on this time with great pride about how we dealt with the situation and climbed back up the table.Many thanks to the club for what was a great night celebrating the clubs centenary - a fantastic night was had by all. Credit to all involved. It's nights like that you realise how much this club means to people and the special people that make it tick.CheersDeno

    • MATCH REPORT: Men's 1st team vs North Wellington
      • We traveled to Alex Moore Park to take on Cap Prem newcomers North Wellington who have enjoyed a good start to the season.Despite recent results, the lads had prepared really well and were definitely up for the game.We started well, our defensive structure was holding firm and we were keeping the ball for lengthy spells. You could sense the confidence and belief beginning to return.Returning captain, Joe Cruden was taking charge on the pitch and was supported excellently by Terry O'Donnell who was busy in midfield, shutting down several North Wellington attacks.North Wellington created a couple of half chances but goalkeeper Sam Martin was in fine form, both in terms of his shot stopping and decision making when coming off his line.In what was turning into an even, hard fought contest, it was disappointing to fall behind, albeit to a well taken goal in the 33rd minute. To the lads credit, heads didn't drop and they settled back into a decent tempo.1-0 North Wellington at the break and the lads were confident of finding a way back into the game. Possession had been even and North Wellington had made the most of limited opportunities. We needed to create more opportunities of our own and re-discover our attacking edge in the second half.North Wellington came out strong in the second half and doubled their advantage with what was a scrappy, but all important second goal. Again, the lads got straight back into their work, determined to find a way back into the match.We started to find our feet, with O'Donnell, Elliot Riley and Paul Clune involved in a nice one touch passing move on the left edge. Unfortunately the final ball was too strong and we failed to make the most of this opportunity.The game took a turn for the worse when Matt Balmforth was shown a red card with more than 30 minutes still to play. I won't go into detail about the reason the referee gave for the red card, but in a great show of sportsmanship (after the game), the North Wellington captain made several comments to us and the referee about the incident in support of Matt. Hopefully common sense prevails.We introduced the speed and energy of Tom McCann and the dynamic Ben Purser into the game. Both players made a positive impact against their former club.We conceded a third goal in the 65th minute, effectively killing the game. The remaining 25 minutes were our best of the second half. We moved the ball well and worked incredibly hard in defensive transition. Clune, Purser and McCann created a great opportunity on the right hand side, all that was missing was the finish.North Wellington had chances of their own but continued to be thwarted by the impressive Martin in goal, who made a top class save, low to his right. The North Wellington player had already started to wheel away to celebrate.With three minutes left on the clock, North Wellington got a fourth, and then a fifth goal. It was a cruel and inflated scoreline for a team that had worked so incredibly hard for one another.While we were left to reflect another defeat, there were positives, but we failed to create sustained periods of pressure during what was an even first half. The lads should be proud of the way they managed playing with 10 men for most of the second half.Our injury list continues to grow, with Steven Cromb suffering a collapsed lung late in the match. We wish him a speedy recovery.Thanks to the reserves lads who stayed to support us after their match. Strong performances from Clune, O'Donnell and man of the match Sam Martin.I still believe we aren't far away from moving past this rough patch. We will stick together in true Brooklyn fashion and hopefully will look back on this time with great pride about how we dealt with the situation and climbed back up the table.Many thanks to the club for what was a great night celebrating the clubs centenary - a fantastic night was had by all. Credit to all involved. It's nights like that you realise how much this club means to people and the special people that make it tick.CheersDeno

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