May 26, 2026

Convincing win to Panthers men; Juniors show continued effort

SENIOR MEN

THE New Norfolk Soccer Club senior men came away with a convincing 5-1 victory over Huon Valley Soccer Club at the weekend but the scoreline didn’t reflect just how competitive the contest was throughout the afternoon. Huon Valley pushed hard across the park and made the Panthers work for every opportunity.

The breakthrough came in the first half thanks to the ever-dangerous Sam Plunkett-Smith, who found the back of the net to give the Panthers a narrow 1-0 lead heading into the break.

The second half opened with a bang when Jacob Maw unleashed a bullet strike into the back of the net to double the Panthers’ advantage.

Huon Valley responded soon after with a goal of their own to keep the pressure on and the game very much alive. From there, however, it was all about Sam Plunkett-Smith. Dominating the attacking third, he added another three goals to complete a four-goal haul and seal a strong result for the Panthers.

While the final score showed a comfortable win, Huon Valley proved tough opponents and made the Panthers earn every moment of the result.

JUNIORS

Under 5 v Holy Rosary: This was a home game against Holy Rosary (Mixed Blue) today. It was a cold and foggy morning but the team was very excited to be there. There has been such improvement in the teams dribbling the past few weeks. The MVP went to Kip, who had multiple kicks and was a joy to see on the field.

Under 6 Red v Holy Rosary: The team put in a terrific effort against very strong opposition, working hard in defence to push back repeated attacks and never giving up. They also showed great determination, running forward to sneak through a couple of goals, battling hard right to the final whistle.

Under 6 Black v Holy Rosary: We took on Holy Rosary School Mixed Blue in an enthusiastic match, with both teams eager to get onto the field. Holy Rosary started strongly, moving the ball quickly through passing play to score early after kick-off. New Norfolk responded well, showing excellent teamwork and passing from the restart. Amarli scored her second goal of the season, while Riley, Francis and Xavier showed strong defensive skills throughout the game and Ruby and Rosie worked hard in the packs to help win the ball back for their team. Most importantly, lots of fun was had by all players.

Under 7 v St Paul’s: No report this week.

Under 8 Red v DOSA: For this match, the Panthers had a full squad available. Clementine bravely took on the role of goalkeeper, while Lewis, Jonah, James, Liam, Isabelle, Austin, Edith, Mathias and Mila completed the team. Mila proudly wore the captain’s armband on this occasion, leading her teammates with enthusiasm and commitment. All performed well throughout the match, demonstrating great effort, teamwork and a positive attitude on and off the pitch. Mila was awarded the MVP for her bravery, ball control, positive attitude and commitment throughout the game. Her performance set a wonderful example of the values we strive to develop. We would also like to recognise Tom, Mila’s father, for his ongoing support and contribution to the team.

Under 8 Black v Brighton: The team played a fantastic team game against a strong team. New Norfolk did a great job spreading out, sharing the ball, and working together. Everyone showed great effort, teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the match. Most importantly, the team had lots of fun while continuing to improve. Great job everyone.

Under 9 Red v DOSA: We played a fantastic game against DOSA on our home field. The team put into practice some new positions and skills learned at training, showing great improvement throughout the game. Our MVP, Lukas, displayed excellent goalie skills, while captain for the day Mason led the team with an amazing performance. Great job, team.

Under 9 White v Brighton: New Norfolk played a fantastic team game against Brighton Storm, showing great teamwork, effort and sportsmanship throughout. The Panthers passed the ball well, which was a highlight after many training sessions that have focused on passing, crossing and shooting whilst on the move. Well done to both teams for a game played in good spirit.

Under 10 Red v Brighton: Reds took on a very strong Brighton Storm side on Saturday in a game full of effort, excitement and some terrific teamwork. Storm applied plenty of pressure throughout the match, and the Panthers defended bravely. Playing goalkeeper for the entire game, Sasha made countless saves and showed real courage and determination under pressure. Across the field, there were big efforts everywhere. Reuben blocked some big corners, Mia launched some huge clearing kicks and Tess never stopped calling for the ball no matter where she was on the field. The whole team contributed with strong defensive pressure, creating some good attacking opportunities of their own late in the game. Maccas MVP awards went to Sasha for a brilliant performance in goals and Lucy for her continued improvement this season. A fantastic team effort all round.

Under 10 Black v BGH Breakers: Elliot was our Player of the Week for his awesome effort, positive attitude and teamwork. He worked hard the whole match, encouraged his teammates and showed great sportsmanship, making him a very deserving winner this week. A big shout out also goes to the entire team for the way they handled the game against BGH. With only four BGH players turning up our players happily rotated onto the other team to help out and make sure everyone still got to enjoy the match. It was fantastic to see the kids sharing positions, supporting each other and just getting on with the game with such great attitudes. The sportsmanship shown by everyone was something to be really proud of and was a great example of what junior sport is all about.

Under 11 Red v Montagu Bay: Our team took on Montagu Bay on Saturday on a chilly morning at Tynwald Park. It was a very close and hard-fought game with exceptional skills and teamwork from both teams. Jordan and Paige were outstanding as goalies, stopping many attempted goals Paige was awarded the MVP this week in an excellent team effort from all. A special mention to Matilda, Theo and Chloe who filled in and all played well.

Under 11 Black v Bellerive: The Panthers has a close game against Bellerive Blue in a rare home match at Tynwald. The team was fired up to play as they were joined by new team member Miley Rowbottom and also Chloe Page who made her return after a wrist injury, and brought great attacking energy to the midfield and front line. MVP honors went to Jackson Stott who stepped into a new role at centre-back in the first half, never backing down from a challenge against Bellerive’s sizable strikers, and also scoring a beauty of a goal up front.

Under 12 Black v Bellerive: This was a really competitive game and some great efforts in defence were put in from Esther, Talia and Olive. A shout out to Winston and Naomi who did a great job on goals. We finished with a spectacular goal from Archie Paton who put in 100% for the whole game and was cool, calm and collected on defence and attack, and was named MVP. Three goals by different people showed how well we are working as a team. It was great to see Bellerive in the competition and we appreciated that they made the drive to New Norfolk.

Under 12 Red v Dodges Ferry.
NNP U12 red played Dodges Ferry on Saturday at Tynwald Park. New Norfolk started the game very strongly with 4 shots on goal that went wide, with Dodges Ferry then scoring twice in counter attack. Jack had a few great saves in the goal square and then Mason and Zach combined for a great goal up the middle of the ground. Dodges Ferry scored again just before half time. Coming back from half time the New Norfolk mids and attack all worked hard to score 3 quick goals to bring scores level, however although defence worked tirelessly, Dodges Ferry scored the last four goals of the game to finish victors, with the final score being 8 goals to 4. Player of the match was Xavier Vagg with his hard work in midfield and defence.