It’s better to travel hopefully than to arrive?

Peninsula Pirates 3 - Woodbridge SC 0

Though the post-match hospitality laid on by the home side made up somewhat for a tiring five-hour round trip, on the long journey home Woodbridge were left to ponder whether it had all been worthwhile.

The match itself was a spirited affair in which, for long stretches, the away side gave a good account of themselves against opposition who have been improving with every game in their inaugural season. The Pirates have developed a promising blend of youth and experience and, in Tadd Mayhew, have possibly the division’s most potent striker. They were strong all over the pitch and outplayed their visitors in most departments but, in the end, it was Mayhew’s goals which separated the teams on the score sheet.

The generosity on display after the match was less evident during it and, for the second week running, the visitors came away feeling somewhat aggrieved by the performance of a home referee, of whom the best that can be said in this case was that he blew his whistle and the beginning and end of each half. Despite being forewarned by the home side of his disinclination to make use of yellow or red cards, Woodbridge were not prepared for the extent of his non-interventionist policy, which saw several shirtfront confrontations go entirely unpunished and bad tackles waved on with a marionette flutter. One such tackle led directly to the first goal, which was put away expertly by Mayhiew after 15 minutes, a lead that the Pirates took with them into the half-time break.

In the second half, the referee showed that his laissez-faire approach to the rules was not limited to not blowing for fouls. After 20 minutes, he extended his repertoire of non-interference to allow a second goal that should have been pulled up for offside long before Mayhiew put it in the net. From there on, Woodbridge had little chance of getting back into the game against opponents who allowed them little time or space to get forward with any great regularity or threat, and went further behind in the last few minutes.

Although being generally outplayed on the day, there was a sense within the Woodbridge camp that this was a game that could have been salvageable had not the loose interpretation of the rules been taken to the point of dangerous absurdity. Indeed, such was the lack of control that there was not one free kick awarded — to either side — during the entire game, a fact that even the Guinness Book of Records might have trouble believing. On another day and against other opponents this could have had serious repercussions, both for the home side and Football Federation Tasmania. In future, teams may well think twice about making the long trip out to Nubeena: balancing the pleasantries of a generous post-match barbecue against the hazards of playing in a game in which the normal rules are effectively suspended for the duration and in which, apparently, almost anything goes, they may well decide that it’s not worth the effort.

Clarence United Red 1 - Woodbridge Women 0

After a strong all-round performance in which they almost came away from Wentworth Park with a well-deserved point, for the second time this season Woodbridge Women lost to almost the last kick of the game.