Olympic out-run Marconi
Marconi coach Dave Barrett admitted after the match his side wasn’t match fit at this stage of the season and the final two-four score line would attest to the way Olympic applied themselves, even after dominating the opening exchanges but going a goal down after 17-minutes with the Stallions first real attack.
Nahuel Arrarte stepped up to place a 20-yard curling free-kick from just off centre of the box beyond Olympic ?keeper Herbert, with a delightful right-foot shot that left the custodian grasping thin air. It was a truly delightful effort taken with some aplomb.
Olympic again continued to dominate and almost equalised in the 27? minute when Cole came close with a 30-yard rasper, which James Chronopoulos managed to tip over the bar.
Even he was powerless less than sixty seconds later when Anthony Doumanis leveled the scores on the night.
Marconi were reeling but hanging in there with some resilient defending, but were again caught out when man of the match, Wither, headed home his first of the evening – just after the half-hour mark.
Marconi evened things up once again with Chris Gomez getting on the score sheet but for all their huff and puff they couldn?t blow the Olympic house down again this evening when heading into the break all square.
Wither made himself busy throughout and troubled the Marconi defence for much of the match and duly latched onto another cross to head his second and Olympic?s third when the ball hit the underside of the bar, bounced over the line and back into the field of play causing a little confusion. The correct decision was made, as referee Peter Vretovski relied heavily on his linesman for help.
Marconi still refused to lie down but in chasing the game they left gaps at the back and their lack of match fitness was becoming more evident as the minutes ticked by. Inevitably Olympic struck again just before the hour from yet another free-kick around the box.
Zac Cairns-Cross can consider he was very lucky not to have seen yellow after a crude tackle on Doumanis, although more likely tiredness than malicious.
Cole fired in a feeble looking shot but the Stallions ?keeper fumbled after the ball bobbled strangely just in front of him, up onto the bar and once again dropping down the wrong side of the line for the Fairfield faithful as Olympic extended their lead to two goals.
Marconi, in truth, battled away but this was the game that got away from them as coach Barrett said after: ?It is only our second 90-minute game after a six-month off season and the signs of ring rustiness were apparent.
“We are not match fit yet obviously and the result is probably a fair one but we battled away until the end and that was pleasing. We will improve with each match and now look forward to the next round.?
The mood was somewhat more joyous in the Olympic dressing room although Coach Milan Blagojevic wasn?t getting carried away: ?It was a pleasing game and a good result but after dominating the first third of the game, but going behind, it seemed as though it was going to be one of those nights,? he said.
?It?s always a good game between these teams and I was happy with the way our boys kept going and if we can keep improving like this I?m sure it will be a good season for us but it is early days yet and we are not getting carried away with it. We will approach every game with the right attitude and see what happened,? he concluded.
The result was without a fair one with the match played with spirit, passion and determination, albeit in a pre-season tournament, leaving the spectators saying: ?More of the same please.?
-By Micky Brock
Match Stats
Sydney Olympic 4 (A Doumanis 28, P Wither 31, 50, S Cole 57)
Marconi Stallions 2 (N Arrarte 17, C Gomez 34)
Wednesday, 30th January 2008
Seymour Shaw
Referee: Peter Vretovski
Crowd: 250
Sydney Olympic: 1 Michael Herbet, 16 Mirko Jurilj, 4 Michael Cindric, 15 Shannon Cole, 12 Emmanuel Giannaros, 18 Chris Triantis, 6 Roger Galayini, 19 Marino Musumeci, 11 Anthony Doumanis, 17 Iain Ramsay, 8 Paul Wither
Substitutions: 3 Siraj Al-Tall, 7 Milorad Simonovic, 9 Phillip Pyliotis, 5 James Raiti, 13 Daniel King
Marconi Stallions: 1 James Chronopoulos, 2 Wade Oostendorp, 3 Vuko Tomasevic, 4 Zac Cairn-Cross, 19 Chris Gomez, 6 Jason Trifiro, 7 Ben Gough, 8 Ante Deur, 9 Kain Rastall, 11 Matthew Gordon, 26 Nahuel Arrarte
Substitutions: 10 Tolgay Ozbey, 12 Stefan Donevski, 5 Nathau Moulas, 17 Sean Mitchell, 57 Cem Akilli
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
PLAYER RATINGS:
- 3 ? P Wither (Oly)
- 2 ? A Doumanis (Oly)
- 1 ? N Arrarte (Mar)
