Last Sunday the Ridge under 11s and under 13s travelled to Dubbo to compete in the Small Towns Soccer Carnival. It was a very early start for players who drove down on the day but you wouldn't know it by the way they played. The under 11s team was made up of under 11s Brandon Morriss, Jake Single, Gyle Strasek, Dylan Maude, Geoffrey Lane and Bobbie Leicester, and under 8s Darcy Single and Amanda Morris. Their first game was against Tullamore which they lost 2-0. This first game was a good warm-up to the day's events with the players learning new rules and adapting to new players and conditions. The second game was a forfeit with the other team unable to play. Their third game was against Nyngan and was a very close game. The Ridge team had built some confidence and they won the game 4-3. Goals were scored by Geoffrey, Gyle and Dylan and the fourth was an own goal. After a short breather the team was back on the field for their final game, which was against Peak Hill. This team were a bit tougher and after a struggle to maintain control of the ball, the Ridge team went down 2-0. For the second time this year the under 13s Strikers made it into a semi-final. The team did this by coming first in their pool. The four other teams in pool A were from Narromine, Warren, Nyngan and Walgett. The Ridge team could not have played without two players making up the numbers from Dubbo. Thankyou to Matt and Luke Peterson who played with the team, and played exceptionally well. With the two extra players the Ridge team had seven players, and no reserves. Every other team they played on the day had two reserves. In the first game, against Narromine Rebels, Luke Peterson scored the first goal, giving inspiration to the team and, after Narromine scored two quick goals, Ridge player Luke McNeice put one in the net. The final score was two-all. The second game was a tough struggle against Warren but in the end the goals by Luke Peterson and Tasman Bowerman were enough for a 2-1 win. The third game was against a Walgett team of under 13s who don't play in the Walgett soccer club. They were a friendly, talented team who took the 7-0 defeat very well and should be commended on their team spirit. Matt Peterson had a goal feast with five goals and Tasman scored two beauties. The fourth game against Nyngan saw a lot of defence turn into attack. The backs Katherine Deisenbeger and Leanne Haywood became very good at stopping the opposition's attacks then passing the ball to midfielder Lachlan Leicester. This became an important part of the team's defence all day. The three goals from Luke Peterson gave them a 3-0 win. Making it to the semi-final was fantastic. Playing the Narromine Bandits was a lot tougher and the standard of soccer was on another level. Right from the kick-off and throughout the game the Ridge team really clicked and put together many strings of passes. They not only kept possession of the ball but stopped the Narromine Bandits from getting into a routine. The two Lukes shared the goals with a 3-1 win. Making it to the grand final was victory enough for the Ridge team. The opponent was Cobar and when the whistle blew it was all great soccer. The Ridge team scored a goal, then Cobar scored. The Ridge scored a second goal then Cobar matched it again. The Ridge then missed a chance, then Cobar missed a chance then with one minute left Luke Peterson collected his third goal. The end whistle blew and the Ridge team had won. Congratulations Strikers what a great end to a great season. Presentation is tonight 5pm, at the soccer fields, followed by a barbecue dinner.