Bonnyrigg came to Seymour Shaw Park sporting several old boys in Brad Boardman, Michael Robinson and Blake Powell, not forgetting former Sharks coach Brian Brown, with Ben Spruce (broken toe) in attendance along with Phil Zabaks who came along to support the side after his horrific injury two-weeks ago – in which we wish him a speedy recovery – as they took on the Sutherland Sharks on a mild evening in the Shire.
Sutherland opened the scoring after 9? minutes when Michael Katz crossed and Matt Bailey fired in on the volley as both teams were feeling each other out in the early exchanges in a hard but fair contest which was always on the cards in this table topping encounter.
The Sharks could have been two up on 18? minutes when Katz again crossed from the right for Sam Awad to head on goal, though Andrew Bazi was pleased to gather at the first attempt.
The service into Bonnyrigg striker Boardman was patchy as the visitors pushed on, although Jamie McMaster, in a Man of the Match performance, got into positions to cross on a couple of occasions and put the ball to the back stick yet there was no-one able to convert.
Sutherland settled the quickest and began to create opportunities at the other end that had the White Eagles defence stretched but they managed to hang on with a combination of stout defending and resilience with Niko Tsattalios next to show, though he scuffed his effort somewhat to make the save easy for Bazi.
Blake Powell had his shot blocked in a goalmouth scramble as Bonnyrigg hit on the break as they began to arrest the pressure they were under, and a deflected shot off Paul Kohler from Nathan Elasi wrong footed Nathan Denham in the Sharks goal as parity was restored with 39? minutes on the clock.
Jared Lum came close to giving his side the lead from 30-yards out only to see his shot flash wide of the post as the White Eagles finished the first-half the stronger.
It was a tough first 45? minutes with plenty of meaningful tackles, only to be expected, with plenty at stake and the make-up of the sides on the table as Sutherland were left to rue missed opportunities, but a second period that suggested plenty of action to come.
On the resumption Boardman slipped a delightful ball to Elasi who agonised as his shot slipped beyond the far post and out of the reach of Denham that would have been the perfect start for Bonnyrigg as they upped their first-half tempo.
Having started with a 4-3-3 formation Bonnyrigg coach Brian Brown changed the system to great effect when adopting the traditional 4-4-2, and when Boardman was adjudged to have been fouled by Chris Price inside the box after the Bonnyrigg striker appeared to have handled the ball, referee Kevin Peddie pointed the spot on 50? minutes, which Lum duly despatched in the 2? minutes later following some treatment that was given to Boardman inside the penalty-area.
Bonnyrigg went further ahead when Powell pounced on a ball that came back off the crossbar to make it 3-1 on the night to the visitors in a turnaround even they would not have predicted after containing the early onslaught.
Open they did as Boardman went striding through to plant a right-footed shot past Denham to make it 4-1 with more than half an hour left to play in a scintillating 15? minute display although McMaster could have added to the Sharks woes had his shot not taken a coat of paint off the upright moments later.
Sharks coach Robbie Stanton rang the changes and replaced Awad with Lachlan Cahill making way for Panni Nikas to take a more offensive position, in his last game for the club before heading off to China for trial this coming Tuesday, as they chased the game in what would ultimately prove beyond them on the night.
Daniel Severino replaced the injured Shane Webb in the 70? minute for Bonnyrigg, a change that almost produced an immediate response from the Sharks when Tsattalios forced Bazi into a save onto the crossbar and a follow up shot that was blocked in a crowded penalty area as the home side went for broke.
Another fortuitous strike that was either an exquisite chip over the stranded Bazi, or a cross, from Lachlan Cahill reduced the deficit to two, sparking the home side into a final flurry to salvage the match.
Nikas slid the ball to Chris Price who volleyed over from the edge of the box when Sutherland had a sniff of maybe producing the comeback of the NSW Premier League season but it would be a tough assignment and the same player put Bailey through and again the effort went narrowly wide of the mark.
It proved a mountain too high to climb in the final wash-up although take nothing away from Bonnyrigg who thoroughly deserved the three points on the night.
Robbie Stanton was disappointed not so much in the loss but the manner of it afterwards when saying:
?We had enough chances to win the game and in the first-half they didn?t have a true one yet we basically give away an own goal to level it up.
?It probably was a penalty but we didn?t honestly turn up for the game, got a bit soft and had too many players who only started to give it 100% after we were 4-1 down instead of stepping up at the crucial periods of the match and that is what disappoints me most, not the loss as that has been coming for the last few weeks.
?We fell down in the areas I suspected we would and I mentioned it to the players and said that it?s easy to lift your game when you?re down by three because there?s nothing to lose but they should have done that long before then.
?It?s given me the chance to now look at some of the guys and wield the axe and if that means playing with a few young kids then I will as you can disregard where we are on the table because this was a game where we needed to show some bottle and we didn?t do that and dropped our bundle and didn?t stand tall so I am bitterly disappointed by that.
?We?ve got a lot to do as far as I?m concerned and regardless of what the table says we will be working harder,? Stanton ended.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles coach Brian Brown has made a habit of coming back to Seymour Shaw Park and getting a result and added:
?I still have a fondness for the club and didn?t want to leave here at the time but it?s the third time I?ve been back and won all of the visits so far so I still like the pitch and makes playing a pleasure.
?The first-half was a bit of a non-event really for both teams and we gave them the softest goal and we came out as a 4-4-2 but our wide players didn?t get high or wide enough when we had possession so we spoke about that at the break and sorted it out and came out strong for the second period and as you say we came out and blew them away in a 20? minute spell.
?This is about the first week we?ve had a nearly full squad to select from with a strong bench and for me it was just a matter of getting three points and nothing to do with being back here or ending their unbeaten start to the season and although we?ve still got a few players out, when you look at our previous games we were scrimping and saving to field a side such were our injuries so it shows what we are capable of if.?
A minutes silence was impeccably observed for the tragic loss of Tyler Simpson during the week. We wish his family and friends our condolences at this sad time. R.I.P Tyler
In the Grade-20 division, Sutherland Sharks and Bonnyrigg White Eagles finished with a 2-1 win to the Sharks.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Bailey 9?, Cahill 74?)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4 (Elasi 39?, Lum 52? (pen), Powell 54?, Boardman 59?)
Saturday 28th May, 2011
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Kevin Peddie
Assistant Referees: Nathan Wotton and Scott Edeling
Fourth Official: Matthew Cropper
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.George Souris (C), 6.Sam Awad (6.Lachlan Cahill 65?), 7.Jimmy Bakis (19.Huseyin Jasli 83?), 8.Chris Price, 10.Matt Bailey, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 15.Michael Katz (4.Yianni Fragogianis 69?), 20.Paul Kohler, 23.Panni Nikas, 33.Nico Tsattalios
Substitutes Not Used: 12.Hayden Morton, 22.Jack Duncan
Yellow Cards: Price 24, Stavroulakis 66
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Andrew Bazi; 16.David Vrankovic, 5.Chris Tadrosse, 11.Shane Webb (10.Daniel Severino 70?), 9.Brad Boardman (23.Tynan Diaz 80?), 17.Michael Robinson, 7.Nathan Elasi, 14.Blake Powell, 22.Jared Lum, 19.Jamie McMaster, (8.Alex Canak 89), 12.Takuya Murayama
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Tommy Hamilton, 4.Wade Oostendorp
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Jamie McMaster (BWE)
2 ? Nick Stavroulakis (SS)
1 ? Brad Boardman (BWE)
-By Micky Brock
Archives for May 2011
Sydney Olympic extend lead with Rockdale City win
The Blues were ruthless in their assault on Ilinden Sports Centre, securing a 2-0 win over Rockdale City Suns with Phil Makrys and David Gullo sealing the win with first-half goals.
All present at the venue paid their respects during a one minute of silence following the tragic passing of Blacktown City FC defender Tyler Simpson late last week. The family, friends and teammates of Tyler remain in the prayers of all the football community.
Dominic Hudap opened proceedings in the opening minutes of play with a rather ambitious attempt from distance. The Suns central midfielder sent his looping effort wide of the mark, though 3? minutes later, Hudap did force Paul Henderson into an uncomfortable save, again with an effort from long-range.
Sydney Olympic found their first opening in the 8? minute as Mirko Jurlj?s attempted clearance from the backline ricocheted off David Gullo. The power behind Jurlj?s clearance ensured Gullo?s deflection would carry over the goal line, much to the relief of the veteran Suns defender.
Adem Kir sprung into action in the 15? minute as he cleverly created space on the edge of the penalty-area to rifle in an effort with his left peg. The midfielder?s shot hit the target, though lacked any real power to trouble Henderson.
Kir was at his best again moments later as he cleverly turned his marker on the halfway line before sending James Monie free down the right. The burly striker did well to maintain possession, under the watchful eye of Richard Luksic, though the Blues defender closed off any real angle for the Suns striker as the chance amounted to nothing.
Sydney Olympic?s best moments in the attacking third arrived via the feet of Robbie Milseki, though the Blues failed to carve out any real threat on Ben McNamara?s goal as the Reds defensive line stood very strong early on.
The Blues continued to play their way into the match and leading goalscorer Alex Smith got his first look in on goal in the 25? minute as Phil Makrys sent him clear down the left-flank. Smith took a neat touch to position himself, though from a difficult angle could only fire directly at Ben McNamara.
The Blues found their breakthrough in the 28? minute as Phil Makrys? free-kick from the right-flank was floated into the penalty-area. Richard Luksic was the target, though the strong defender was clearly pushed in the back by Askin Oygur, leaving the referee with no choice but to award the spot-kick. The experienced Makrys, as calm as always, sent the Blues into the lead with a cool finish to the left of the goalkeeper.
Suns youngster Giorgio Speranza showed his class in the 35? minute with a beautiful piece of skill to win his side a free-kick down the left-flank. With three players surrounding him, and no teammate in sight, Speranza did well to win his side some metres down the flank and a set-piece.
Sydney Olympic easily dealt with the free-kick and quickly went on the counterattack. A poor bounce for Suns goalkeeper Ben McNamara saw the shot-stopper air-swing his clearance, allowing Smith to pick up possession of the ball. The Blues striker played a square pass into the path of Gullo who saw his first time effort parried by an outstretched McNamara, making amends for his earlier mishap.
The Blues did find their second in the 38? minute, again following a comedy of errors in the Suns penalty-area. With McNamara failing to hold onto a delivery, and the defenders failing to clear the ball away to safety, Gullo drove his effort into the top left-hand corner, out of the goalkeeper?s reach to double his side?s lead.
On the stroke of half-time, Smith nearly added further misery to the Suns side as he rose highest to head Makrys? free-kick delivery from the right inches over the crossbar.
Rockdale City came out of the gates quickly following the re-start with Adem Kir?s free-kick nearly picking out Monie. The striker used all his muscle to gain an advantage, though Luksic & Co. won the battle by clearing the ball away to safety.
The Suns continued to press for a goal to re-open the contest as Hudap and Speranza combined well on the edge of the penalty-area in the 48? minute. Speranza played a neat pass into the path of Adrian Karakolevski though the Blues got defenders behind the ball to thwart any danger.
Despite the Suns dominance of possession in the early second-half exchanges it was Sydney Olympic to produce the first clear chance of the half. Robbie Mileski and Phil Makrys played a tantalising one-two on the edge of the penalty-area as the latter was played through on goal. With the close attention of two Suns defenders and an oncoming Ben McNamara, Makrys failed to beat the Suns shot-stopper with his attempted chip.
At the other end, Suns captain Peter Apolevski picked up the scraps at the back post following a Suns free-kick, though his first-time effort cleared the crossbar.
Sydney Olympic continued to hit the Suns on the counterattack and nearly added a third just after the hour. Some fine play by Peter Triantis in midfield ? another star performer for the League leaders ? made space for Alex Smith on the edge of the penalty-area. With time to shoot, Smith sent his diagonal effort inches wide of McNamara?s right-hand post.
The visitors put on a show for their travelling supporters in the 67? minute as Emmanuel Giannaros played an exceptional one-two with Smith. The neat touches between the two sent Giannaros clear on goal. The Blues defender rounded McNamara with a fine touch though ran out of room on the right byline as the ball finished over the goal line.
The Blues went close again moments later as Smith played a pin-point cross from the left into the path of Mileski. The Sydney Olympic playmaker was at full stretch though could only send his glancing header wide of the target.
Smith was at the centre of attention again in the 74? minute as he, this time from the right, played a tremendous cross behind the Suns defenders and into the path of Hussein Akil who blasted his effort over the crossbar.
Rockdale City got a look in on 75? minutes via Hudap, though the midfielder?s attempt was from distance and lacked precision.
James Naidovski followed up for the Suns with a venomous drive from an acute angle, calling the Suns supporters onto their feet as the net was ruffled. Unfortunately for the Suns faithful, the ball finished in the side netting.
Naidovski should have pulled a goal back for the Suns in the 88? minute when played through on goal. From a slightly decentralised position, Naidovski?s diagonal effort across Paul Henderson was parried with a strong palm by the shot-stopper.
The Suns striker was culprit of another missed opportunity in the final minute of normal time as Monie played a header across goal and into the path of Naidovski. With only a split-second to readjust, Naidovski sent his first-time volley wide of goal.
Following the match, Rockdale City Suns coach Lee Sterrey expressed his disappointment at the result:
?Very disappointed with the result today, definitely.
?The competition is a very tight competition already, you can?t turn up and give away two soft goals like we did today, you just can?t do that.
?The penalty was very disappointing as we were penalised for a soft shove in the area, and that is something that we never get in our favour. The second goal was a mistake by the goalkeeper, he (Ben McNamara) doesn?t make too many mistakes though today he made a few, and in the end the overall inexperience of the side proved the difference.
?At the time of the penalty, we weren?t playing as well as last week, though we were in the game, comfortable and we matched the League leaders. Had the soft penalty not been given, the match would have taken a different turn.
?We?ve started to tough out results and the competition is so close that with one win you can move into fourth spot. We?ll drop back to about ninth this weekend, though we need to look at our next match and look for a result.
?We play Parramatta FC and that is a must win match for us next week,? Sterrey ended.
Winning coach Peter Tsekenis expressed his disappointment at the condition of the playing surface, though praised his players for their efforts in adjusting to secure a great win.
?It is a point we often discuss about the quality of the surface, and that of today was horrible.
?We want spectators to come out and watch matches in this competition, though how can we keep getting them back when the playing surfaces across the competition are so bad? We have yet to play on a good surface this season.
?Our team loves to play a quick passing game, though on this surface it was impossible. I am very pleased that we were able to adjust to the surface and still dominate. In the end, I think we could have scored six with the chances we created, and defensively, I don?t think we were pressured at all until the 88? minute, so we are all very pleased with the results this weekend.
?We do have a busy week with a cup match coming up, though we will continue to take it one match at a time and not look further than the next match,? concluded Tsekenis.
In the Grade-20 division, Rockdale City Suns twice came from behind to draw 2-2 against Sydney Olympic.
Rockdale City Suns 0
Sydney Olympic 2 (Phil Makrys (pen) 29?, David Gullo 38?)
Sunday 29th May, 2011
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistant Referees: Sarah Ho and Bachar Allam
Fourth Official: Tom Klein
Crowd: 892
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ben McNamara; 2.Paul Dee, 3.Shay Spitz, 6.Joshua Lawson, 7.Peter Apolevski (C), 23.Askin Oygur (15.Adrian Karakolevski 40?), 21.Mirko Jurilj, 13.Giorgio Speranza, 11.Adem Kir (9.Jason Naidovski 54?), 8.Dominic Hudap, 12.James Monie
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Itsuki Hasegawa, 19.Marino Musumeci, 22.Dion Shaw
Yellow Cards: Shay Spitz 65?
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic: 1.Paul Henderson; 2.Emmanuel Giannaros, 3.Brett Studman, 5.Richard Luksic (C), 7.Phil Makrys, 6.Alex Smith, 14.William Angel (9.Hussein Akil 65?), 11.Robert Mileski (23.Takayami Omi 76?), 16.Peter Triantis, 18.Jerry Kalouris, 19.David Gullo (15.Tod Bamber 87?)
Substitutes Not Used: 4.Ibrahim Haydar, 21.Nenad Vekic
Yellow Cards: Peter Triantis 46?, Emmanuel Giannaros 57?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Phil Makrys (SO)
2 ? Peter Triantis (SO)
1 ? Giorgio Speranza (RCS)
-By Joseph Carlucci
Gloss lost from Bonnyrigg win over Wolves following Zabaks injury
Zabaks fell awkwardly to the ground after claiming a cross from the right-flank, hitting his head and suffering a neck injury in the process. The concern follows the serious head injury Zabaks sustained at the same venue, same goalmouth, against Manly United FC last season. A CT scan revealed that Zabaks was clear to go home which eased fears of anything serious, Football NSW wishes Phil the best of luck with his recovery.
A double to Daniel Severino and a goal to young gun defender David Vrankovic outweighed Mark Picciolini?s strike to secure the White Eagles the points, even though the Wolves did have their own moments of possessional dominance.
Sasho Petrovski showed all his class and experience in the early exchanges, constantly dropping deep to receive the ball and get his wide men forward. Petrovski had three men surrounding him in the 2? minute as he slalomed his way towards the penalty-area before winning his side a free-kick. The resulting effort was easily dealt with by the home side.
In the 6? minute, the Wolves carved out the first real opening of the evening. John Martinoski?s floated cross from the right picked out Mark Picciolini who sent his glancing header inches wide of the up-right. Picciolini?s effort was nice, though the striker had snuck into an offside position.
South Coast continued to press in the attacking third and again it was Martinoski getting forward. The wide-man cleverly beat his marker before going to ground under a heavy challenge to win his side a free-kick. Stjepan Paric?s delivery in the 9? minute carried some pace, though Phil Zabaks was quick off his line to comfortably claim.
The White Eagles responded immediately with a fine forward foray by Nathan Elasi in the 10? minute. Elasi used his pace to beat two defenders and create some space on his right foot before turning his effort wide of Brody Crane?s left-hand post.
South Coast continued to hold their own in midfield and Andres Gomez tried his luck from distance in the 12? minute, sending his effort wide of goal.
Bonnyrigg carved out a fine sequence of passes in the 18? minute out of defence as Elasi was sent through. The speedster created the space before laying off to McMaster to his right. The attacking midfielder took a touch before hitting a thunderous effort into the lunging body of a Wolves defender.
The home side fell into their stride and had the visitors on the back foot at the 25? minute stage. A corner from Daniel Severino ? his third in the space of 2? minutes ? had the Wolves scrambling as the defensive line somehow managed to clear the loose ball inside the penalty-area.
New Bonnyrigg signing Jared Lum nearly found the opener in the 28? minute as he latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the penalty-area. Lum hit his effort first time, though dragged the shot wide of goal.
Bonnyrigg found the lead via the penalty-spot courtesy of Severino. The White Eagles number 10 cleverly turned defence into attack with an exceptional through ball into the path of McMaster in the 31? minute. McMaster held the ball up nicely and forced David Abel into a tackle inside the penalty-area, leaving the referee without a choice but to award Bonnyrigg the spot-kick.
South Coast responded with a swift counter-attack moments later, though Martinoski?s run down the left-flank failed to reap reward.
On 39? minutes, the Wolves had an appeal for a penalty waved away by the referee. Lawrence Drake?s vicious drive on goal ricocheted off David Vrankovic, though the referee waved play on as the young defender cleared the line for Bonnyrigg.
South Coast closed the half on the front foot with some good possession in the attacking third. Martinoski continued to show his speed and flashy touch, running at his marker and centering for the front two strikers on two occasions, though Zabaks & Co. ensured the White Eagles held onto the goal lead going into the break.
The Wolves continued to pressure Bonnyrigg after the re-start as Petrovski had Zabaks scrambling with a low-driven free-kick in the 47? minute. Petrovski?s effort packed some real power, though the ball swerved inches wide of goal.
At the other end, Bonnyrigg doubled their advantage in the 49? minute. Severino?s free-kick from the right picked out David Vrankovic at the back post. The young defender rose highest to head home his first goal of the season.
Despite the set-back, the Wolves continued to press forward and Mark Picciolini capitalised on a poorly cleared Bonnyrigg attempt. Picciolini was on hand to slot home from close-range, making for a very interesting second-half.
Bonnyrigg responded immediately and restored their two goal lead as Severino was sent through on goal before sending an audacious chip over a stranded Brody Crane, much to the delight, and relief, of the White Eagles supporters.
Concern surfaced around Bonnyrigg Sports Ground on 58? minutes as Phil Zabaks remained on the floor after a collision with a Wolves player after going up to claim a cross. The heavy fall saw Zabaks appear to injure his neck, and the paramedics were not taking any risks with moving the goalkeeper.
Play resumed almost 20? minutes later as Andrew Bazi took his place between the sticks, in place of Zabaks.
Bazi was immediately forced into action, parrying at point-blank range a David Abel header in the 80? minute. The reflex save is certainly a contender for save of the season, especially coming only moments after entering the fray on a very cold evening.
Bonnyrigg nearly found their fourth in the 83? minute as Severino?s pin-point set-piece from the left-flank picked out Brad Boardman at the back post. Rushing to close in on the ball, Boardman could only send his header wide of the up-right.
New signing Blake Powell also had the crowd on their feet when he hit a tremendous volley against the crossbar. The attacking midfielder?s attempt had the goalkeeper beaten, though the crossbar came to the Wolves rescue.
2? minutes later, it was Severino to test the Wolves rearguard. The Bonnyrigg playmaker picked up a loose ball on the edge of the penalty-area and unleashed a powerful effort on goal, denied only by the scrambling Jacob Timpano who got his body behind the ball.
Mark Picciolini kept searching for a way back into the match though his effort in the 107? minute of play ? following the 20? minute delay – was easily parried by Bazi down to his right.
Lawrence Drake then tried his luck for South Coast in the closing stages following a one-two with Petrovski, though the midfielder?s effort finished wide.
After the match, the Bonnyrigg faithful were ecstatic about the result, though very concerned about their goalkeeper, Phil Zabaks. Football Manager George Mandic commented:
?We are concerned for Phil, especially following the horrific injury sustained last year. ?We?ll see what the news is from the hospital, though we are hoping he will get through this.?
In the opposite change room, South Coast Wolves boss Trevor Morgan was not impressed with the way the match unfolded:
?I thought we started well, we came here with a plan to take the match to Bonnyrigg and really did that well early on.
?The penalty given against us was harsh I felt, and that unsettled us a little, though we did still create chances, even after we went a second goal behind.
?The second and third goals arrived via two poor errors by our guys, and then we didn?t implement our style of play following the injury to Phil Zabaks.
?We let ourselves down a little there, and obviously we still have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks,? Morgan ended.
In the Grade-20 division, Bonnyrigg White Eagles came from behind to secure a point against South Coast Wolves. The 90? minutes ended with the scores locked at 1-1.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 3 (Daniel Severino 32?, 55?, David Vrankovic 49?)
South Coast Wolves 1 (Mark Picciolini 52?)
Saturday 14th May, 2011
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, Bonnyrigg
Referee: James Lewis
Assistant Referees: Scott Edeling and Steven Nguyen
Fourth Official: Leigh Pigram
Crowd: 800 Approx.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 99.Phil Zabaks (1.Andrew Bazi 75?); 5.Chris Tadrosse (C), 23.Tynan Diaz, 16.David Vrankovic, 19.Jamie McMaster, 9.Brad Boardman, 7.Nathan Elasi (12.T. Murayama 90?+13?), 11.Shane Webb, 14.Blake Powell (2.N.Stanojevic 90?+19?), 22.Jared Lum, 10.Daniel Severino
Substitutes Not Used: 6.J.Delia, 3.A.Bakovic
Yellow Cards: Nathan Elasi 35?
Red Cards: Nil
South Coast Wolves: 1.Brody Crane (C); 2.Alex Mansueto (7.Samet Kaynak 90?), 3.David Abel, 4.Jacob Timpano, 5.Nick Littler, 6.Lawrence Drake, 13.Stjepan Paric, 8.Andres Gomez (11.Chris Nathaniel 90?), 9.Mark Picciolini, 10.Sasho Petrovski, 17.John Martinoski (14.Cam Littler 90?+13?)
Substitutes Not Used: 16.Jake Duczynski, 20.Hayden Durose
Yellow Cards: David Abel 32?, Cam Littler 90?+15?)
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Daniel Severino (BWE)
2 ? Andres Gomez (SCW)
1 ? Blake Powell (BWE)
-By Joseph Carlucci
Rockdale City Suns stun Blacktown in tight encounter
Missing influential players Kosta Lagoudakis, Sash Tirovski, Josh Lawson and Paul Dee, the Suns fought hard with substitute Shay Spitz scoring the winning goal in the 67? minute.
It was Blacktown City however who showed they were eager to get back into the top-five with a flurry of attacks from the first whistle. In the 3? minute a quick free-kick provided their first sight on goal as Matt Lewis half-volleyed the ball straight to the chest of Ben McNamara in goal for Rockdale City.
The Suns had their first opportunity 4? minutes later after Tyler Simpson miss-kicked a Steven Veleski cross leaving Jason Naidovski with a world of time to beat the goalkeeper. Unfortunately for Naidovski, Blacktown City goalkeeper Symon Jaeger came off his line to save what should have been the opening goal.
Blacktown City almost took the lead in bizarre circumstances in the 14? minute as Mirko Jurilj almost put the ball into his own net. Mitchell Duke sent a fierce cross into the box which came off Jurilj?s leg and moved goalwards, only to be saved by a diving McNamara.
Rockdale City fans had their hearts in their mouths in the 22? minute as a counterattack led by captain Peter Apolevski sent Veleski straight through the Blacktown defensive line. After beating three defenders, last year?s under-20s golden boot winner could not put the ball past Jaeger who came out well and saved with his legs.
Unfortunately for Veleski that was the last he saw of the match as he was assisted form the field from what looked to be an ankle injury sustained while missing the chance with Adrian Karakolevski replacing him.
The even contest continued as Blacktown City responded, peppering the Rockdale defence with two dangerous raids in the 31? minute.
Blacktown had a great chance to score on the stroke of half-time as Mitchell Duke broke down the left hand touchline but his cross was intercepted by McNamara with two free Blacktown players coming through.
Both sides came out of the break hungry to break the deadlock as the game moved at a rapid pace.
As the teams settled, Rockdale had another chance go begging in the 52? minute. Askin Oygur won the ball in defence for the visitors before feeding Hasegawa who thread a nice ball through to Naidokski on the right. The former Newcastle Jets striker got a shot off early but hit the ball directly at Jaeger.
3? minutes later Mitch Long won the ball off the Rockdale defence before passing to Major whose imposing shot went inches away from the right hand upright.
In the 60? minute Lee Sterrey turned to his bench and replaced Hasegawa with Shay Spitz who made an immediate impact winning a free-kick out wide. Adem Kir whipped the free-kick into the box with Blacktown clearing the opportunity.
The home side had the best chance of the match in the 64? minute as Major threaded a ball through to Roodenburg whose soft shot beat the goalkeeper but hit the post before Rockdale cleared.
Rockdale City finally broke the deadlock in the 67? minute as a poor clearance by Blacktown let Spitz blast the ball into the back of the net for the lead.
Mark Crittenden turned to his bench straight after the goal and substitute Bruno Pivato almost became an instant hero as a half-volley was tipped onto the crossbar and over for a corner.
The goal seemed to switch on the home side as they took control of possession, pinning the Suns in their own half.
In the 79? minute Tyler Simpson went close with his header going wide of the mark.
With 5? minutes remaining, Rockdale set five players in defence to secure three vital points to take back to the Illinden Sports Centre.
The plan worked a treat as a late chance to Simpson was sprayed, ending the game 1-0 to the visitors.
Following the match Rockdale City Suns coach Lee Sterrey said he was happy luck finally turned towards his team:
?We should?ve scored early with Jason Naidovski and the other chance with Steve Veleski, so considering we had those chances I was disappointed with the 0-0 score line at half-time,?? he said.
?Something finally fell our way seeing that we haven?t had that much luck this year. ?We are still looking to find our feet.??
The mood was quite sombre from the Blacktown sheds with coach Mark Crittenden thoroughly disappointed with his side?s performance:
?We gifted them two chances early and luckily for us our keeper made two great saves to keep us in the match,?? Crittenden said.
?We were just not good enough in the last third again and I am extremely disappointed.??
In the Grade-20 fixture, Blacktown City missed two golden opportunities in the final stages ending the match a 1-1 draw against Rockdale City Suns.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 0
Rockdale City Suns 1 (Shay Spitz 67?)
Sunday 15th May, 2011
Lily Homes Stadium, Seven Hills
Referee: Jason Blackwood
Assistant Referee: Sarah Ho and Nick Backo
Fourth Official: Matthew Cooper
Crowd: 400 Approx.
Blacktown City FC: 1.Simon Jaeger; 2.Tyler Simpson, 3.Mitchell Duke (8.Chris Bedzo 85?), 4.Travis Major, 5.Patrick Gatt, 7.Luke Roodenburg (C) (18.Bruno Pivato 67?), 9.Kain Rastall, 10.Mitch Long, 11.Milorad Simonovic, 13.Matt Lewis, 17.Adam Jenner (16. Luke Austin 69?)
Substitutes Not Used: 40. Daniel Bradasevic
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ben McNamara; 13.Giorgio Speranza, 21.Mirko Jurilj, 23.Askin Oygur, 7.Pece Apolevski (C), 11.Adem Kir, 10.Sash Trajcevski, 14.Hsuki Hasegawa (3.Shay Spitz 60?), 8.Dominic Hudap, 9.Jason Naidovski, 18.Steven Veleski (15.Adrian Karakolevski 26?) (16.James Monie 74?)
Substitutes Not Used: 25.Roberto Speranza, 22.Dion Shaw
Yellow Cards: Hsuki Hasegawa 49?, Adem Kir 63?, Shay Spitz 75?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Askin Oygur (RCS)
2 – Simon Jaeger (BCFC)
1 – Shay Spitz (RCS)
-By Chris Georges
Manly United stun Bonnyrigg for first win of the season
Heading into the round seven NSW Premier League clash, Manly were chasing their first win of 2011.
Things didn’t start well after the away team took the lead after 8′ minutes. Daniel Severino thumped a free-kick from 35-yards which United goalkeeper Kang Ho Lee parried into the path of Nathan Elasi who couldn’t believe his luck.
10′ minutes later, Manly’s David Dodd played in Scott Balderson who snatched at his chance, firing wide of the target.
Next it was Michael Daly who had the home fans up in arms. The one-time Manchester City player went down in the box after minimal contact. Referee Khodr Yaghi wasn’t interested in his penalty claims, allowing play to continue.
Seconds later and former Bonnyrigg defender Graeme Forbes denied Severino with a great block, with his powerful shot destined for the back of the net on 22′ minutes.
Lee then somewhat made up for his earlier error with a wonder save after half an hour. Manly were unable to clear their lines, with the gloveman producing a point-blank save on the line from 6-yards.
It proved to be decisive when Balderson squared proceedings moments later.
Running onto a hopeful through ball from skipper Marc Richards, the energetic midfielder beat Michael Robinson for pace before slotting the ball past Zabaks.
He clearly enjoyed the moment, earning a yellow card for his celebration that saw his jersey flung in the air before he was mobbed by his team-mates.
2′ minutes later Balderson was at it again, heading home a pinpoint Daly cross to give the home team the lead.
After half-time Brian Brown’s men were clearly up for the challenge. They knocked the ball around with purpose, and at times Manly United appeared to be chasing shadows.
So it wasn’t a real surprise to see the White Eagles level on 55′ minutes.
A Chris Tadrosse cross from the left was met by Jamie McMaster, who didn’t need a second invitation.
To their credit United responded well, and almost took the lead on the hour mark.
Daly hit a neat ball from Foti into some scrambling defenders from the edge of the area before then setting up the winner.
Running onto a ball from Robbie Cattanach, Daly hit a ball to the far post. Zabaks should have dealt with it comfortably, but he spilt the ball and Foti couldn’t miss from 3-yards.
4′ minutes later Manly’s mood soured when David Dodd was sent off after picking up his second yellow card.
Manly then played to the corners, with the relief obvious once Yaghi blew for full-time.
Craig Midgley was elated with the performance:
“I couldn’t be happier with the lads, we played great,” he said.
“Bonnyrigg are one of the better teams in the competition and we matched them in all areas.
“It shows what we are capable of.”
Bonnyrigg?s Brian Brown was quick to heap praise on Manly:
“Credit to them, they didn’t sit back, they played their normal game,” he said.
“I knew what to expect and so did my boys, but we weren’t good enough.
“It has been the story of our season, conceding soft goals.
“I was happy with the effort though, the boys all had a go.”
In the Grade-20s, Manly United FC hammered Bonnyrigg 5-0 with four goals in the second-half.
Match Stats
Manly United FC 3 (Scott Balderson 34′, 36′, Adam Foti 71′)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Nathan Elasi 8′, Jamie McMaster 55′)
Sunday 8th May, 2011
Cromer Park, Dee Why
Referee: Khodr Yaghi
Assistant Referees: Justin Brady and Christian Mehl
Fourth Official: Thomas Diakos
Manly United FC: 1.Kang Ho Lee; 2.Jimmy Oates, 4.Graeme Forbes, 5.Marc Richards, 6.Michael Daly, 7.Scott Balderson, 8.David Dodd, 9.Robbie Cattanach, 10.Adam Foti, (21. Joey Gibbs 77′),17.Matt Sim, 18.Colin Iley
Substitutes Not Used: 12.Mitch Macedo, 14.Seung Soo Lee, 16,Jordan Edwards, 22.Tonu Liiband
Yellow Cards: Scott Balderson 34, David Dodd 51′
Red Cards: Dodd 75′
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 99.Phil Zabaks; 4.Wade Oostendorp, 17.Michael Robinson, 23.Tynan Diaz, 9.Brad Boardman, 7.Nathan Elasi, 19.Jamie McMaster, 16.David Vrankovic, 11.Shane Webb, (12.T.Murayama 81′) 10.Daniel Severino, 5.Chris Tadrosse
Substitutes Not Used: 1.A.Bazi, 8.A.Canak, 6.J.Delia, 14.J.Chine
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player ratings:
3 – Michael Daly (MUFC)
2 – Robbie Cattanach (MUFC)
1 – Daniel Severino (BWE)