Conference League Southern Round 15 Review

A tight game was smashed open by the Tigers in an incredible three minute spell just before the break, Smutek scoring twice(36^th & 39^th) and G.Mackechnie grabbing another (38^th) to send the home side in at half time 3-0 up.
Gazy striker Burnic pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 50^th minute, but Steck restored Camden?s three goal buffer with a strike in the 53^rd minute.
Judge made it 5-1 in the 85^th , and G.Mackechnie scored his second, and his side?s sixth of the match, in the final minutes to round off proceedings.
At Valentine Sports Park, Hakoah and Lilli Pilli did each other?s semi-final aspirations no good whatsoever when they drew 2-2. Rather than a point gained, they would see it as two points lost as they fell further behind the top two sides, Camden and White City, to remain 3^rd and 4^th in the competition ladder respectively.
Karim continued his recent rich vein of scoring by making it 1-0 to Lilli Pilli in just the tenth minute. Rimmer equalized for Hakoah in the 22^nd minute, and Meltz made it 2-1 to Hakoah with a goal right on half time. A penalty in the 67^th minute, converted by Byrne, gave Lilli Pilli an equalizer, and a share of the spoils.
In the final match of the round, Sydney Cedars ran riot against Fairfield Bulls, winning 15-1 at Ninevah Club Soccer Field. Unfortunately we were not provided with any goalscorers for the match, but nevertheless, the win puts the Cedars on 19 points in 6^th position, with games in hand on the teams above them. They are surely looking forward to next week?s big match against the competition leaders, Camden Tigers, on Sunday at 3pm at Parry Park.
Greenisland SFC had the week?s rest courtesy of the bye.
Match of the Round

?WHITE CITY GRAB THE SPOILS

IN A GAME OF TWO HALVES?

In a contrasting game of two halves, White City grabbed all three points at Calabria Sports Ground by beating the visiting Colo Colo Wanderers 2-0 to stay second on the competition ladder.
The afternoon was splendid for a game of football, with an overcast sky providing a fresh setting for the players and spectators alike, both clubs well presented by a strong contingent of boisterous fans.
Colo Colo took the initiative early, and created enough opportunities in the first half to take a stranglehold on the match, but a combination of the woodwork, White City keeper Sawalaga, and misfortune, kept them at bay.
As early as the 4^th minute, the division?s top goalscorer, Navarrete hit a low shot across the face of the goal after being put through a gap by Aravena.
A minute later and Navarrete went even closer. He accepted a headed pass from Aravena in the middle of the White City half, skillfully beat two defenders, before unleashing a left footed drive from the edge of the box that cracked against the post. Tall Colo Colo striker Peti was first to the rebound, but White City?s keeper, Sawalaga, courageously blocked the shot from close range.
On 8 minutes Colo Colo continued their blistering start when Peti weaved past two defenders along the goal line, cutting it back to Fernandez who smashed his shot over the bar from the corner of the box.
White City were definitely on the back foot initially, but had a chance in the 9^th minute when A. Palumbo hit a grass cutter from 20 yards that spun just past the post.
Colo Colo were proving very effective with the ball at their feet, a very technical side with much creativity.
Navarrete controlled a long clearance expertly in the 15^th minute, easily beating White City defender Bencun before letting fly with a 25 yard shot that whistled past the post.
On 29 minutes, Colo Colo thought they had taken a deserved lead, when Peti rose high to power a header from a corner past Sawalaga. But alas, as the Wanderers took off in celebration, referee Mr. L. Foster called play back, awarding a free kick against Peti for an infringement.
Colo Colo just didn?t let up, and in the 36^th  minute, that man again, Navarrete, hit a rasping half volley from the edge of the box after Peti had chested down for his strike partner, the ball flying over the goal posts.
As often happens in football, one team will dominate and the other scores against the run of play, and four minutes before the break, White City took the lead with a determined goal.
Robust striker Landrelli shook off a challenge as he entered the side of the penalty area, cutting the ball back to J.Palumbo. He calmly cut inside a defender, and from 6 yards tried to clip the ball over the advancing Colo Colo keeper, Galiano.
The keeper responded brilliantly to parry the shot, but alas, A.Palumbo was following up and he smacked the ball into goal, deflecting off a defender on the line, to put White City in front.
Colo Colo responded almost immediately, a header by Fernandez bouncing just wide of the upright after a great far post cross by Dominguez.
Then just before the break, Colo Colo suffered their second setback within minutes. Defender  M.Abdal was involved in a war of words with White City striker Landrelli, and after a warning by the referee, continued with the dissent, leaving the man in black with no option but to dismiss him for an early shower.
So the half time whistle shrieked, and White City had weathered the early storm, taking the upper hand with a late goal, and hoping to come out in the second half with some renewed vigour. Colo Colo on the other hand, could consider themselves most unlucky not to have scored, and with ten men, the mountain was going to prove to be too big to climb in the second half.
A.Palumbo almost gave White City a dream start in the second period, when he raced onto a through ball to face Galiano, but the keeper was brave as he snatched the ball from his opponent.
Colo Colo substitute De La Cuapra thought he had equalized in the 54^th minute, his quickly taken free kick annulled when he had failed to wait for the referee?s whistle.
Navarrete should?ve equalized for the Wanderers in the 62^nd minute, but he missed the ball five yards from goal after a dangerous swerving low cross by substitute Troncoso.
Playing numbers were evened up in the 67^th minute, when White City midfielder Joey Youkhana was sent off, also for dissent.
So it was now ten versus ten, and the red card seemed to spark White City into gear , as they created opportunity after opportunity, but just couldn?t grab the all important second goal.
On 70 minutes, substitute Kabbara held up the ball long enough to play the overlapping Stivala into space, and his shot was parried by Colo Colo keeper, Galiano. The rebound fell to J.Palumbo, but again the keeper did miraculously well to spring up, and once again deflect the point blank shot to safety.
Two minutes later and Kabbara received a square pass from J.Palumbo on the edge of the box, curling his shot just past the right hand upright.
On 75 minutes, with Colo Colo pushing men forward in search of an equalizer, White City again counter attacked, that man again, Kabbara, cutting across the edge of the box as he beat two defenders, shooting low and straight at Galiano.
In the 77^th minute, Colo Colo almost drew level, De La Cuapra hitting a long shot from all of 30 yards, the ball being snatched at the second attempt by White City keeper Sawalaga after initially fumbling it.
Big White City striker, Kabbara, was at it again in the 79^th and 83^th minutes, taking advantage of the extra space by hitting two successive shots just wide of the mark, the first a fierce volley that flew past the right hand goal post.
Colo Colo to their credit kept at it, and in the 87^th minute, a corner was cleared to their skipper, Dominguez, in the middle of the half. He took a touch forward before unleashing a 25 yard screamer, which White City keeper, Sawalaga, tipped around the post at full stretch.
In the 88^th minute, Kabbara continued with his misfortune as he skewed his shot wide from a few yards, having done the hard work in a great dribbling run past a defender and into the box.
With a minute left on the clock, White City finally put the match beyond doubt with a swift, counter attacking goal.
Once again it was that big striker Kabbara that was in the thick of it, beating the offside trap, racing down the left flank before cutting the ball back across the goal mouth.
Hard working midfielder, A.Palumbo, made a late run into the box, before slamming a shot into the net to give his side an unassailable 2-0 lead.
White City coach, Sam D?Alessandro, was happy with the win.
?Our passion returned today, and we just had to win to stay in touch at the top?, said D?Alessandro.
?I thought our defence played well today, and with this win, I am confident we are back on track to try and win this competition?.
For the home side, White City, the best performers on the day were defender Richards, who was a rock in the middle at the back, assertive in the tackle and effective with his distribution, midfielder Stivala, who worked tirelessly up and down the pitch, central midfielder A.Palumbo, whose determination and efforts were rewarded with two match winning goals.
For the unlucky visitors, Colo Colo Wanderers, best players on the day were: goalkeeper, Galiano, who kept his side in the game at 0-1 with some brilliant saves, skipper, Dominguez, who was fierce in his combat, and provided many effective crosses for his strikers, central midfielder Aravena, a very skilful player with a wonderful touch, and a quick eye to set up his strikers with some defence splitting passes, little striker Navarrete, the league?s top marksman, who was incredibly unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, with an eye for goal and a deceptive dribbling style, proving a menace for the White City defence all day.
Match Stats
WHITE CITY 2 (Palumbo 37?/89?)
COLO COLO WANDERERS 0
WHITE CITY ; 1. Sawalaga, 18. Richards, 8. Alavanja ? (7. Robinson 60?),  5. Palumbo,A. , 4. Youkhana, Joey  2. Maric, 3. Alexander, 11. Landrelli (10. Kabbara 53?), 6. Stivala, 13. Palumbo, J. (17. Youkhana, J. 76?) , 14. Bencun.
Subs not used : 9. Filips, RGK. Sheta.
COLO COLO WANDERERS ; 1. Galiano, 2. Sanhveza (12. Troncoso 46?), 3. Olivares, 15. Abdal, M. , 7. Dominguez, 5. Abdal, A. ,  8. Aravena, 10. Fernandez, 4. Pena (17. De La Cuapra 46?), 13. Peti (14. Escalante 62?), 9. Navarrete.
Subs not used : RGK. Drevaco, 11. Aguilar.
-By Frank Speranza