Congratulations to Louie Apostolovski who took out the competition and won the major prize of a $300 gift voucher to be spent at Football NSW?s Soccer Wearhouse.
Adam Scimone, Peter Rowney and Omer Aslan all picked up runners up prizes for finishing equal on points and picked up $100 gift vouchers each to be spent also at Football NSW?s Soccer Wearhouse.
All winners will receive vouchers from the FNSW Soccer Wearhouse and need to collect their prizes by the 1st of December 2012.
2012 heralded a very successful tipping competition with hundreds of users signing up to the tipping competition, a big thank you to all who were involved, the competition will return bigger and better in 2013.
Special Feature: Mark Rudan hungry to remain a first grade coach
Rudan was thrown into the role only a few weeks into the season after the departure of Wally Savor.
A late season slump only halted Rudan?s Rockdale side who claimed the scalp of NSW Premier League Premiers Bonnyrigg White Eagles through a purple patch of form.
After having his first taste of coaching Rudan told Football NSW he was eager to continue.
“I thoroughly enjoyed myself,?? Rudan said.
“Rockdale is a fantastic club with fantastic people attached to it as well. In that respect I couldn?t have asked for more.
“I guess I am fortunate enough to do it as a full time role and anything I do I put everything into it.
“I think there are a lot of positives (to come out of this season), there?s also a couple of things that transpired that you learn from.
“But those things can only make you a better person and a better coach.
“All in all it was a fantastic experience.??
“There were a lot of positives to come out of (the season) including giving a lot of youngsters the opportunity to play week in week out.??
Rudan?s future has been the centre of speculation in the NSW Premier League of late with rumours persisting he will re-join former club Sydney United as a coach from next season.
The former defender admitted he had heard from Sydney United but no decision had been made yet.
“I?ll be making a decision sooner rather than later. Whether they come back to me it is totally up to them.”
-By Chris Georges
APIA Leichhardt end season with a bang
The game itself between APIA-Leichhardt and Blacktown Spartans may not have meant much in terms of the finals series but for both teams pride was at stake.
The Tigers too were out to continue their winning run given that under coach Billy McColl they had won four games from four attempts. And they didn?t disappoint, sending McColl out with the perfect record of five wins from all five games that he was in charge.
After the game an elated McColl spoke about the difficult game against the Spartans and with pride and passion about APIA Leichhardt in general.
?It was a battle out there today,? he said. ?We wanted to win because it was the last game at home at Lambert Park and we wanted to send Danial Cummins off [retirement] on a high note.
?I am always happy to come back to the club but I feel a bit like an Italian boomerang.
?This club will go from strength to strength next year and once we get our new surface and we appoint our new coach, you will see the kids develop. They will finish in the top half of the competition and be one of the best teams over the next ten years.?
The first real opportunity of a rather dull first-half fell to Jacob Ott who in the 20? minute blasted a dangerous shot just over the crossbar from outside the box.
APIA-Leichhardt did indeed finish the first-half with a late flurry of opportunities. Michael West in the 41? minute found that he couldn?t penetrate the wall-like orange and black defence with his shot from fairly close range.
In the 44? minute the best opportunity of the half fell to the Tigers; Brad Bartels sent in a delightful cross from the right into the middle for Ethan Galbraith, but the tall marksman couldn?t find the target thanks to the handy work of Carlos Saliadarre between the posts.
In the second-half, on 62? minutes Bartels was brought down in the penalty-area by Djordje Degenek, who actually injured himself in the process, and referee Michael Weiner had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick. Up stepped the retiring Danial Cummins but his rather weak attempt was saved, but not held, by Saliadarre and Mun Soo Gil, charging into the box, managed to force the ball home for the Tigers.
In the 72? minute APIA-Leichhardt almost doubled their lead when Bartels, with a powerful shot, sent the ball just wide of Saliadarre?s net.
Chris Bedzo replied for the visitors shortly afterwards with a powerful drive from outside the box but his attempt ended up just wide. It was the best the Spartans could offer in the second-half.
APIA-Leichhardt?s second goal came in the 82? minute when a cross from the right was met by Mark Byrnes and the former captain of the Australian under-17 team had no hesitation in heading home.
From this point onwards the Spartans were shut out of the game and APIA had secured another courageous victory.
After the game Spartans player Luke Boyd expressed his frustration about the ground but with the new surface due over the summer, then that is well and truly a moot point. However, he also expressed satisfaction about the season as whole given that the Blacktown Spartans had just finished their first season in the NSW Premier League after securing promotion from the NSW Super League.
?You can?t do much on a ground a like this,? he said. ?We did run out there and tried to win but coming here you almost need a completely different team to compete on a field like this.
?A lot of young guys in our squad hadn?t played in this league before so we did alright this year, but maybe we could have done a little better in those close games where we only lost by a goal.
?It?s a good first season anyway and Ben (DeHaan) will build this team up for next year because he?s a good coach and we should do well.?
Match Stats
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 2 (Mun Soo Gil 63?, Mark Byrnes 82?)
Blacktown Spartans 0
Sunday 2nd September, 2012
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Michael Weiner
Assistant Referees: Sebastian Brennan and Wayne Crabb
Fourth Official: Sam Grasso
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Anthony Costa; 2.Mark Byrnes, 4.Mun Soo Gil, 5.Michael West, 6.Danial Cummins (13.Paul Galimi 89?), 7.Stephen Kayes, 9.Ethan Galbraith (14.Nick Taneski 89?), 12.Brian Griffin-Colls, 15.Bradley Bartels (11.Adam Raciti 87?), 18.Brendan Reilly, 20.Gyu Re Lee.
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Stefan Giglio, 17.Sam Salameh,
Yellow Cards: Galbraith 86?
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown Spartans: 1.Carlos Saliadarre; 2.Michael Khoury, 5.Luke Boyd, 8.Djordje Degenek (15.Louis Bozanic 71?), 9.Chris Bedzo, 10.Chris Gomez, 14.Jonathan Castano-Acero, 22.Andre Carle (11.Steven Veleski 79?), 23.Chris Bush, 27.Jacob Ott (7.Chris Gaitatzis 59?), 36.Tomislav Herceg.
Substitutes Not Used: 17.Peter Hubbard, 40.Daniel Sadaka
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joe Russo
Rockdale send captain Pece Apolevski off a winner
Apolevski?s teammates hoisted their captain onto their shoulders after the win which also gave the dreaded wooden spoon to Parramatta FC.
Parramatta looked like picking up the three-points after Aaron Peterson opened the scoring in the 7? minute. But Rockdale did not die wondering with Sash Tirovski and Alan Kovacevic hitting back in the second-half for the win.
The match started at a slow pace with both sides testing each other in the middle of the park.
Rockdale had the first chance of the match in the 5? minute. Giorgio Speranza took the open space in front of him before unleashing a fantastic shot from 25-yards which rattled the crossbar.
Despite the early chance Parramatta would open the scoring in the 7? minute via Peterson. After Suns defender Askin Oygur headed the ball out Daniel Rezo stepped up and delivered a pin-point corner to the head of Peterson to give his side the lead.
The goal spurred Parramatta on as they kept the pressure on Rockdale with Rezo pulling the strings in the middle of the park.
Suns? goalkeeper Ryan Norval saved his side from another great Rezo free kick in the 19? minute, punching the cross away before the oncoming Akiyoshi Saito.
As the game wore on Rockdale got back into the game and almost equalised in the 25? minute. Striker Sash Tirovski?s shot bounced off the chest of goalkeeper Matthew Nash but he was lucky enough to save Jason Naidovski?s follow up shot before Huseyin Jasli struck the ball well over the crossbar.
4? minutes later, Rockdale had a second chance to equalise as Jasli?s corner was met well by the head of Oygur only for the ball to again sail over the target.
Parramatta continued to fight hard with Rezo again troubling the Rockdale goal with a free-kick in the 38? minute.
On the stroke of half-time, Peterson had the chance to double his and his team?s lead but couldn?t control his shot as it went wide of the mark.
Rockdale came out of the sheds hungry in the second-half passing the ball around at a frantic pace but unable to get a strike on goal.
Parramatta quickly took control of the match again and in the 58? minute Rezo almost made it 2-0 when a beautifully curled corner was headed off the line by Paul Kohler.
A minute later, Rezo crossed the ball in with Wandi Jajaw getting over his defender and heading the ball just wide of the right hand upright.
Despite the chances Rockdale struck back against the run of play in the 66? minute. After a great run by Jasli the winger curt the ball back to Sash Tirovski who stepped past his defender before striking the ball just over Nash and into the net.
The goal opened the game up with both sides finding space all over the park working hard to take the lead.
In the 74? minute Suns captain Pece Apolevski almost ended his career in spectacular fashion. After being put through on goal Apolevski?s shot was well saved by the oncoming Nash.
The goalkeeper would be picking the ball out of the back of the net from the resulting corner however as Alan Kovecevic?s strong header gave the visitors the 2-1 lead.
4? minutes later, Parramatta FC had the Suns defence on the back foot as Peterson had another headed corner cleared off the goal line.
With minutes remaining, the home side through numbers forward in the hope of scoring an equaliser but it wasn?t to be as Rockdale held on for the 2-1 win.
Following the match Suns coach Mark Rudan said he was pleased his team fought hard to give their captain a winning end to his career:
?In the last four weeks we?ve played teams who have been struggling in the club championship and this one was the same for Parramatta,?? he said.
?It was good to see the boys character come through. Big Alan who came on did well scoring the goal.
?The boys came out for Pece?s last game and it is a very emotional dressing room.
?It is a great way to finish off the season to come together for a win for Pece.??
In the home dressing room, Parramatta FC coach Lee Sterrey said he was disappointed for his team who controlled most of the match:
?We controlled it for 60? minutes really,?? he said.
?We looked the more intense but all credit to Rockdale once they got that goal they lifted.
?It would have been better to finish the year off with a good three pointer at home.
?I?m feeling sorry for the boys because they have fought hard.??
Match Stats
Parramatta FC 1 (Aaron Peterson 7?)
Rockdale City Suns 2 (Sash Tirovski 66?, Alan Kovacevic 74?)
Sunday, September 2nd, 2012
Melita Stadium, Granville
Parramatta FC: 1.Matthew Nash (C); 3.Andy Matloub (6.Graziano Trimboli 85?), 4.Domenic Trimboli, 5.Mark O?Reilly, 7.Patrick Dixon, 10.Akiyoshi Saito , 14.Wandi Jajaw, 19.Daniel Rezo, 15.Masaki Nomoto, 8.Bryan Soane (17.Luke Grima 81?), 9.Aaron Peterson
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Michael Sakowicz, 2.David Han, 12.Nick Petrillo
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ryan Norval; 2.Takuya Muruyama, 3.Giorgio Speranza, 8.Paul Kohler, 23.Askin Oygur, 7.Pece Apolevski (C), 5.Pece Cvetanovski, 16.Anthony Perri, 12.Huseyin Jasli, 17.Sash Tirovski, 9.Jason Naidovski (6.Alan Kovacevic 60?)
Substitutes Not Used: 15.Sean Thomas, 10.Alec Urosevski, 4.Idris Elhafiane, 22.Aaron Liddell
Yellow Cards: Jasli 53?, Apolevski 75?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Chris Georges
Sydney FC regretfully cancels midweek friendly with APIA Leichhardt Tigers
The Sky Blues required the assistance of the Australian Institute of Sport to field a team against Adelaide United on Saturday evening, as seven uncontracted teenagers took to the field in the 4-2 loss.
?Unfortunately don?t have enough players to be able to put together a team to play matches twice a week at present,? Sydney FC Coach Ian Crook said. ?We still have players in the final stages of rehabilitation from off season surgery and we also have a few niggly injuries.
?We?ve also got three boys away with the Australian U20s and it?s not right to be pushing the fit players in the squad to play twice a week at this stage of the pre season. That?s fine if you have 22 players to rotate but we?re not in a position to do that.
?It is unfortunate that we won?t be able to play APIA Leichhardt but we need to ensure we are ready to go when the competition starts on 6 October, which is only five weeks away. That is our primary focus and we?re on target for that.?
Sydney FC Chief Executive Officer Tony Pignata also apologised to APIA Leichhardt for the cancellation: ?We?re sorry to have to cancel the game but we?re not in a position to be able to play and unfortunately we can?t jeopardise the fitness of the players at this delicate stage of pre season.
?APIA Leichhardt has been very good about it and we will work with them to make sure their fans and junior players receive something special from Sydney FC.?
Sydney FC fans in the inner west will be able to watch the Sky Blues take on Newcastle Jets at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday (9 September). Kick off for the game is 2.00pm.
-Sydney FC press release