Derby draw for Demons
It was certainly a game of two halves without a goal being scored in the first stanza and four being scored in the second.
Both teams had to fight back at various points of the match and it was a sign of the level of competitiveness in the match that both sides were disappointed with the result.
The opening fifteen minutes of the game did not really reflect what was to come with the only real action coming in the first twenty seconds of the game when the Demons had the ball in the back of Penrith?s net but from an offside position.
One minute later, Bruno Salas forced a save out of Daniel Schwarzer and two minutes later a flick on at the near post from Salas just went over the crossbar.
In the 23? minute Eric Anabalon indicated what was to come by forcing Ivan Necevski into a good save before Salas once more came close to successfully converting good lead up work from Brian Vanega.
On the half-hour a ball from Tayfun Buyukkopru – after great lead up work down the left from him – moved across the face of goal, past Necevski but there were no Penrith players to convert.
It was cleared by Blacktown and the resultant corner was cleared off the line by the Blacktown defence.
Penrith had a couple more chances before the end of the half thanks to good lead up work from Anabalon and Tsattalios but Carl McNaughton shot just wide and Buyukkopru was forced off the ball in the area.
Then Ben Ellis had a chance to give his Blacktown City side the lead just before the break but his shot was soft and was easily saved by Schwarzer.
The break was bad news for the visitors as they came out slowly in the second-half and paid the ultimate price.
In the 48? minute Carl McNaughton fired a strong shot at Necevski who blocked it well but it fell into the path of Anabalon who slotted the ball past the stranded Necevski and into the back of the net.
A minute later Buyukkopru was just adjudged offside after being played through by Anabalon as he headed goal-wards. Penrith looked very confident they would gain a great result but the comeback they were about to feel the full force of almost sent them home with nothing.
In the 53? minute Blacktown City were back in the match as Daniel Wilkinson took a free-kick from the left and 35-metres away.
To most it would seem to be not a very dangerous position for a free-kick but the ball looped over the defence and Schwarzer and fell into the back of the net giving the Demons an equaliser.
Then in the 63? minute Salas played it across the goalmouth, between two Penrith defenders and Ellis at the far post smashed the ball home to give the visitors the lead. Penrith continued to hand Blacktown possession as they gave away silly free-kicks on the edge of the area.
In the 70? minute Salas headed the ball onto the cross bar in his attempt to convert one of the free-kicks.
Then in the 71st minute Schwarzer got some redemption for the first goal with a world class save, diving full stretch to deny Brian Vanega?s wonder strike.
At this stage it was all Blacktown City, but their failure to convert their chances would cost them.
In the 75? minute Michael Cromar advanced down the left and played it low into Javier Mancino at the near post. He picked the ball up, and demonstrating great vision, laid it back to Anabalon who had time to fire the ball home through traffic from 16-metres.
The closing fifteen minutes did not reach any great heights as both sides were too nervous to rush forward and chase a win and instead held on for a point. The opportunities were half-chances at best and no one took them thus the game finished all locked up.
After the game both coaches were disappointed to come away with only a point.
Blacktown City?s Ken Schembri said:
?This dressing room was full of disappointment after the match. Normally a point away from home is a great result but after all we have been through this season we should have held on. We had fought back after coming out and conceding yet another goal just after the break, and could have scored two more after that, so to concede after being up was extremely disappointing for us all.?
Abbas Saad felt the result was two points thrown away:
?We look to win all our home matches and we conceded two soft goals tonight which made it hard for ourselves. We missed Nathan Ralph out there tonight and whilst we did fight back to get a point we are disappointed not to have got more.?
Match Stats
Penrith-Nepean United 2 (Eric Anabalon 48?, 75?)
Blacktown City Demons 2 (Daniel Wilkinson 53?, Ben Ellis 63?)
Venue: CUA Stadium, Penrith
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Crowd: 1,100
Penrith-Nepean United: 42. Daniel Schwarzer, 11. Eric Anabalon (4. Ryan O?Shea 86?) 5. Luke Boyd, 16. Michael Cromar, 3. Nick Tsattalios, 17. Ozgur Kanyilmaz, 2. William Stuart, 28. Ante Juric, 9. Carl McNaughton (23. Devrim Huseyin 69?), 7. Javier Mancino (15. Angelo Martino 81?), 10. Tayfun Buyukkopru
Substitutes not used: 1. Chad Taylor, 8. Stewart Van Bentum
Yellow Cards: Ozgur Kanyilmaz 65?
Blacktown City Demons: 1. Ivan Necevski, 2. Matthew Presello, 3. Paul Karbon, 4. Daniel Wilkinson, 5. Ryan Walsh, 9. Bruno Salas (6. Gavin Forbes 85?), 10. Leo Carle (8. Chris Bedzo 70?), 13. Ben Ellis, 16. Adam Biddle (11. Nick Ruoco 80?), 19. Brian Vanega, 25. Jordan Simpson
Substitutes not used: 14. Tim Rassmussen, 20. Matthew Nemes
Player Ratings:
3 – Eric Anabalon (PNU)
2 – Bruno Salas (BC)
1 – Tayfun Buyukkopru (PNU)
-By Stuart Jones
