Blacktown City continue Stallions? woeful 2008 season
Goals to Ben Ellis and Bruno Salas were enough for the Demons with Marconi only scoring one goal through fullback Wade Oostendorp.
The game started with both teams nervous and it was Marconi who slipped up first. In the fifth minute Bruno Salas was played down the right by Jordan Simpson and he laid the ball low across to the near post where Ben Ellis back heeled it onto the far post ? the ball spinning off the upright and into the back of the net.
For the next ten minutes the home side dominated with possession but could not capitalise. Marconi tried to catch them on the break but could not convert their chances either.
Then momentum swung to Marconi, but again they failed to make the most of it.
The deflections and final passes in the first-half hour did not go the way of Blacktown City.
This was evidenced in the 30? minute when Simpson put in a looping cross from the right and Ellis tried to volley the ball home from 12 yards but it sliced off his boot and went sideways instead of goal wards.
Two minutes later, Tallin Martin set up Tolgay Ozbey but Ozbey crabbed across the edge of the area looking for a gap in the defence, and unable to find one, his shot cannoned off the defence and away to safety.
Over the next few minutes Brian Vanega took the game by the throat with strong runs from midfield and effective corners.
In the 35? minute Vanega connected one of these corners with Paul Karbon?s head at the far post but Karbon?s header went wide.
Then two minutes later Vanega put in a corner that was flicked on at the near post by Salas but a foul at the far post meant that the Blacktown City attack came to nothing.
They would live to regret this as Marconi took away their lead in the 40? minute.
A great corner from Matthew Gordon was punched away by Ivan Necevski but landed at the feet of Nahuel Arrarte who played the ball back into the area, and after a goalmouth scramble Wade Oostendorp was able to put the ball in the back of the net for the equaliser.
Over the next five minutes Marconi clicked and played some of their best football of the season only to be halted by the half-time whistle.
It was the worst thing for the Stalloins as they did not return from the break playing at the same tempo.
In the 49? minute Daniel Wilkinson almost made it two goals from free-kicks in two matches but the ball went over the post.
Bruno Salas would not make the same mistake a minute later though.
Collecting the ball about 35 metres from goal he fired the ball back into the top corner of the net from that distance ?the spectacular goal gave Blacktown City the lead once more.
Chris Nunes tried to strike back immediately with a good run down the right but no-one was in the middle to meet his cut back.
Then Arrarte and Ozbey combined well but it came to nothing as the final ball laid back across was intercepted by the Blacktown City defence.
Blacktown City could have scored again as Wilkinson put the ball across from the left on the hour to Adam Biddle.
Biddle brought the ball down and stepped past the defence but his shot went over the bar – his first real contribution of the match should have been a goal.
Marconi continued to push for a point but no-one could finish off their chances.
In the 63? minute Arrarte shot from distance and needed to have someone run onto it at the far post and tap it home, but whilst there were players around they did not attack the opportunity and thus it was wasted.
Blacktown City was solid at the back with Paul Karbon leading the way. With eight minutes to go Tolgay Ozbey again ran onto a through ball but the defence shut down before he could put in a shot.
In the final minutes of the match there was not much to cheer about for either set of fans, except for the appearance of Matt Lewis as a substitute, coming on for his 200th appearance for Blacktown City.
Afterwards David Barrett was disappointed with another loss:
?We were beaten by a miracle goal but when your luck is down those things can happen. We are getting into great positions but not shooting. It is time the players stood up and took responsibility and put the opposing goal keepers under more pressure.?
Ken Schembri was delighted with the Blacktown City resurgence:
?All week we have been talking about digging in and working hard. This game felt like a Grand-Final as our season was on the line.
“I am delighted the team has a win as it really has been coming over recent weeks. It aids in relieving the pressure. Tonight we have seen the goal of the century and what a goal to win a match. We have some momentum to build on now moving forward.?
Match Stats
Blacktown City Demons 2 (Ben Ellis 5, Bruno Salas 50)
Marconi Stallions 1 (Wayne Oostendorp 40)
Venue: Gabbie Stadium
Referee: Ryan Shepheard
Crowd: 800
Blacktown City Demons: 1 Ivan Necevski; 2 Matt Presello, 3 Paul Karbon, 4 Daniel Wilkinson, 5 Ryan Walsh, 9 Bruno Salas, 10 Leo Carle (70? 6 Ken Chun), 13 Ben Ellis (65? 11 Nick Rouco), 16 Adam Biddle, 19 Brian Vanega, 25 Jordan Simpson (84? 15 Matt Lewis)
Substitutes not used: 20 Matt Nemes, 8 Chris Bedzo
Yellow Cards: Leo Carle 70
Marconi Stallions: 20 Cem Akilli; 9 Kain Rastall (84? 18 Jason Triffiro), 2 Wade Oostendorp, 3 Vuko Tomasevic, 5 Nathan Moulds, 10 Tolgay Ozbey, 11 Matthew Gordon (78? 12 Stefan Donevski), 13 Ante Deur, 8 Tallan Martin, 23 Chris Nunes, 26 Nahuel Arrarte
Substitutes not used: 19 Christopher Gomez, 24 Zachary Cairncross, 1 James Chronopoulos
Yellow Cards: Matthew Gordon 38, Vuko Tomasevic 86, Stefan Donevski 79
Player Ratings:
3 – Paul Karbon (BC)
2 – Matthew Gordon (MS)
1 – Brian Vanega (BC)
-By Stuart Jones
