BATHURST CUP REVIEW | 2022

The South Coast Flame Boys’ sides travelled to Bathurst to compete in the Bathurst Cup ahead of the start of the competitive season for 2022. The competition consisted of a group stage with the top sides heading into a finals series. The Flame again performed superbly with all the sides making it to the finals stage. 

U13 Boys: Quarterfinalists

It was an early start for the under-13s on Saturday morning facing Griffith FC with the side picking up a 2-0. The side then drew 1-1 with Mid North Coast despite playing some great football in the match. The boys got back to winning ways in their final match with a very entertaining 7-0 win against Linfield FC. This saw the team through to the quarterfinals. 

The under-13s went down 2-0 to Hills United in the quarterfinals in a hard-fought match. Flame had a strong first-half showing creating numerous opportunities, especially during transitional moments. A slower second period allowed saw United run out winners. However, there were promising signs to be seen from the Flame boys in this early outing. Harley Bermudez had an impressive game on the left wing causing his opponent problems and mustering up some great opportunities throughout the match. It was a really good showing from the team as the squad are slowly coming together as a team while adjusting to the full-size pitch. 

U14 Boys – Finish: Quarterfinalists

A strong 2-0 win against Griffith FA got the under-14s competition underway before producing another impressive result with a 3-0 win over Western NSW. Flame continued their blistering start swatting aside Lindfield FC 6-0. The side was not done yet rounding off the group stage 4-0 winners against Lane Cove West. The boys eventually went down in the quarterfinals against Hills United, but it was still an incredible tournament from the squad boasting high quality attacking play and a solid defence. Arwyn Newton had a fantastic tournament. He showed a lot of calmness with the ball when under pressure when building play, and was a key figure in our backline which helped us have one of the best defences in the whole tournament. 

U15 Boys – Finished: Finalists

The under-15s started the weekend with an early kick-off against Sutherland Shire FA with two second-half goals seeing the boys over the line for a 2-0 win. The second match against Lindfield saw the spoils shared in a 2-2 draw. Flame finished Saturday unbeaten with a 0-0 stalemate against Western NSW. 

On the Sunday, Flame finished off the group stage with another 0-0 draw this time against Manly FA, however, this ensured the side a place in the finals. The boys cruised into the semifinals with a commanding 4-0 win in the quarterfinals against West Pymble before edging past Nepean 1-0 to see Flame into the grand final. A 1-1 draw after regular time saw the game head to penalties where Manly prevailed. Despite a defeat in the final, it was an impressive set of results ahead of next week’s season opener. 

U16 Boys – Finish: Quarterfinalists

A 0-0 draw began the under-16s tournament despite creating a number of chances throughout the match. The boys came to life in the second match with a 4-0 victory and backed that win up with another; a 1-0 result seeing the side through to the quarterfinals. Despite the Flame fighting back from behind twice in their quarterfinal clash against Hills United, a last-minute goal from United ended the boys’ tournament with a 3-2 defeat. 

Another promising showing from the Flame. A standout for the team was Nick Cadorin whose commitment and work rate throughout the tournament was excellent. He also contributed to a number of the goals by his team over the weekend. 

U18 Boys – Finish: Semifinalists

The squad were keen to put another strong showing in the competition after winning the tournament last year. Flame faced up to West Pymble in the opening round picking up a 2-1 victory in a tough match before a 0-0 draw with Nepean in the game after. In the final game of Saturday, the side picked up a convincing 2-0 win to see the boys qualify for the quarterfinals. Another 2-0 win; this time against Macarthur Rams would move the Flame into the semifinals. However, South Coast could not overcome a strong Grays Point side losing out 1-0. 

All in all, it was a very successful tournament for the boys with a lot of positive to take away for the upcoming season. Mason Videla was the standout for the side upholding all the club values that we expect from our players and was the most consistent player over the weekend.