Panorama Football Club face old friends TS Galaxy in tight GDL fixture
TS Galaxy among the early pace setters while Panorama just beginning to find consistency.
Panorama Football Club travelled a few kilometres across Honeydew for a Gauteng Development League fixture against familiar faces, on April 15.
TS Galaxy has found a home at nearby Education Through Soccer (ETS) adding local spice to the tie between former partners. Taking on a Premier Soccer League team in their adopted backyard is no easy task but the Panorama boys gave a decent account of themselves, winning one, losing one, and leaving with two draws that they feel could have been converted to three points.
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As well as the four age group-specific logs, a combined log that grades the clubs as a whole and emphasises the task of the visitors, TS Galaxy sat third on the aggregate standing going into the fixture. The U13s began the Saturday action with Panorama looking for their fourth win of the season, the only blemishes on their record being defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs. Panorama brushed aside a previously undefeated TS Galaxy 3-1 but this came as no surprise to Panorama’s Technical Director, Roman Schroder.
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“The U13s have got a really good ball-playing team, some really intelligent players, and good characters. They are just a dream to coach. It is lovely to watch that age group because they do move the ball around nicely and on Saturday they showed some real fight, some physicality, and intensity which is nice to see at that age. It shows the character of a young team. They were deserved winners with some great goals and it could have been more,” praised Roman
Panorama’s U15s sat above their opponents going into the fixture so will be disappointed to have been beaten 3-1.
“They just didn’t show up, the body language was off, the rhythm was off. We lost to a side that we are better than. I think the U15s can compete with anybody and beat anybody on their day but Saturday just wasn’t that day,” said Roman.
Honest in his assessment, he stated, “They deserved to lose and it was a lesson learned. I don’t know if it was arrogance but from a body language point of view we threw it away in the first half.”
TS Galaxy’s U17s had also gone undefeated this season and despite their Panorama counterparts being winless, the game ended in a 2-2 draw. The visitors had a 2-0 lead early on but the hosts fought back to snatch a draw at the death. The U17s may be struggling but Roman describes them as having good energy, togetherness, and character.
“We didn’t create too much in the second half and I feel if we had that outlet things would have ended differently. We’ll be happy with the draw though,” Roman admitted.
Panorama’s U19s came within five minutes of registering their first win since the opening weekend. Having plugged what had been an otherwise porous defense this season, Panorama kept TS Galaxy at bay for 85 minutes, the late equaliser taking the shine off what would have been a decent away day. Disappointed but ever pragmatic, Roman said ‘ultimately, we deserved to win the game but in the end, it is a good side to draw against’.
“We have had a slow start but I feel momentum is building. Seven points would have been great but we will settle for five and keep pushing,” concluded Roman.
Next on the fixture list is the visit of Siluma 7 from the south of Johannesburg before a Freedom Day trip to Tshwane University of Technology to play Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School. The month ends with derby day as old foes Randburg Football Club arrive in Radiokop on April 29.
