The Boys Youth Team managed to secure a 4-3 victory over Macarthur Rams, with Christian Bracco scoring two screamers to help with the result.
The Rams opened the scoring for the fixture in the 7th minute. A ball was delivered into the box from the wing. Oscar Archbold got a hand to it, but it dropped into the box where the ball was eventually poked over the line by the Macarthur forward.
Macarthur lead until the 40th minute, when Christian Bracco was able to equalise. Luca West chipped a ball in behind for Jake Goodwin to chase down. Goodwin cut the ball back to the edge of the box, where it appeared that everyone had overrun the ball. Enter Christian Bracco, who stormed onto the ball from deep, lashing it first time towards goal. The Macarthur keeper got a hand to the ball, but wasn’t able to keep the ball from crashing into the back of the net.
Halftime soon followed. During the break, Ethan Debono, Angus Muddle and Xavier Bertoncello were brought on for Roman Canosa, Will Dobson and Alex Nunes. Janni Rafty was also brought on for Jake Goodwin in the 60th minute.
The scores remained locked at 1-1 right up until the 65th minute, when the Jets were awarded a penalty. Bracco beat his man before finding Xavier Bertoncello, who beat three players before he was chopped down. Jake Goodwin smashed home the loose ball, but the referee had already awarded the penalty. Xavier stepped up and belted the ball straight down the middle into the roof of the net, putting the Youth team up 2-1.
The Youth boys would create a two-goal advantage just moments later, with Christian Bracco again stepping up to the plate. Luca West lobbed the ball to the edge of the box where it found Bracco. He touched it past one, before cutting back inside past another defender and smashing the ball into the top right corner to make the score 3-1.
Macarthur pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute, when a cross from out wide managed to find its way into the back of the net, handing Macarthur a lifeline. In the 79th minute, super-sub Janni Rafty managed to restore the two-goal lead. Luca West got onto a loose ball before playing Rafty. He drove with the ball before playing Ethan Debono on the edge of the box. Debono took a touch inside before sliding in Rafty, who poked the ball past the onrushing keeper into the back of the net.
After the goal, 24/25 Emerging Jet award winner Oliver Cockle was withdrawn from the game, being replaced by 16 year old Kai Thompson, making his 1st grade academy debut. Kai has been a force in our younger academy teams, having scored 14 goals across the U16s and U18s FNSW Boy’s Youth League One competitions.
Macarthur bought themselves a lifeline in the 83rd minute, when they struck again, scoring from distance to bring the score to 4-3. However, it was too little too late as the Youth squad held on for the 4-3 win. The U20s played in the match after, drawing 0-0.
