Balmain SC Crowned 2008 Champions After Triple Comeback
Mona Park provided a flat, dry surface for the grand final, with Sunday afternoon producing blistery conditions and cool temperatures for the fans that had ventured out to the historic venue.
Camden Tigers were at full strength for the big game, but Balmain?s skipper, Trieste, had succumbed to an ankle injury, and started the match from the bench, with Tucker promoted to the starting lineup, and Buonavoglia taking over the familiar captain?s role.
Balmain played the first half with the breeze at their backs, and were on the front foot as early as the third minute. Merlino lobbed a great ball over the Camden defence towards the left corner for Buonavoglia to run onto, but the little striker?s left foot volley from the corner of the box lacked power, and bounced safely across the face of the goal.
A few minutes later and Camden?s Smutek pushed a pass through a gap for Judge to run onto, but his low cross cutback was cleared by Balmain defender Sowden in amongst a number of Tigers players.
On ten minutes Buonavoglia headed towards the edge of the box after a long clearance, but Andrews miscued his volley wide of the goal.
The windy conditions were favouring Balmain, and their keeper, Fujiwara, was hardly bothered as Camden struggled to make any forays into their opponents half within the first 30 minutes.
A couple of free kicks within a minute of the half hour mark brought danger to the goalmouth. First, Camden?s keeper, Johnston, spilled a high Buonavoglia lob under pressure from Andrews, collecting the ball at the second attempt. Then it was Buonavoglia again who hit a rasper of a set piece from 20 yards, the ball beating the wall, but was cleared by the retrieving sweeper, Bazdaric.
Thirty five minutes in and Balmain?s left sided flanker, Richardson, beat his man down the left, whipping over a far post cross that the Camden defence had trouble clearing. Buonavoglia was like a mouse onto cheese as he swept on the loose ball, swiveling on the penalty spot to hit a snapshot that was gathered by in the Camden goal.
The tackles were fierce as both teams worked hard to take control of the match, but referee Mr.D.Christie was himself having a great game, stamping out any dangerous play, without issuing any unnecessary yelloew cards, realising the players were pumped for a grand final and maybe a little too keen at times without being malicious.
Balmain?s right sided midfielder, Modena, then had two attempts at target within minutes of each other just before half time. The first was a cross shot from twenty yards that flew just wide and high after a corner was cleared towards him, and the second, an audacious attempt from halfway, when a clearance from Camden?s keeper, Johnston, landed in his lap, and he promptly returned serve, his shot sailing a few metres over the bar.
Balmain were desperate to convert their territorial domination into goals, and pressed forward before the half time, searching for that elusive breakthrough.
On 43 minutes, Buonavoglia weaved around York before sending in a dangerous swerving cross into the Camden box. Strike partner Merlino raced in to meet the cross, toe-poking his shot past the post under pressure from Bazdaric.
Right on half time Balmain had their best chance of the first period, when Richardson?s long cross to the far post wasn?t dealt with cleanly, and the loose ball fell to Balmain?s defender, Pettenon, who had stayed up following a corner. He didn?t expect the ball to drop to him in front of goal, and it bounced off his shins and was cleared by Camden?s Steck.
Mr Christie?s half time whistle blew, the match a typically tight grand final, with the intensity of both teams, together with the windy conditions, producing a scoreless first half.
The two defences were like two ends of the Great Wall of China during that first period. Despite Balmain?s superiority, the young enthusiastic Steck was fierce in the tackle, and complimented the experienced Bazdaric for the Tigers, who was winning everything in the air.
Similarly for Balmain, Pettenon was marshalling his backline extremely effectively, with both Grayson and Tucker doing a great job nullifying the Camden attack.
The second half started and Camden were intent to make up for lost ground, and they were starting to push the ball around, playing plenty of balls into the ?mixer? for the Balmain defence to contend with.
On 53 minutes, Camden?s Southall grabbed a pass out on the left touchline, cutting inside Modena before hitting a great looping shot that was parried by the Balmain keeper, Fujiwara.
Ten minutes later and Balmain squandered a great opportunity. Gothe-Snape, who was having a competitive duel with Camden?s D.MacKechnie in the centre of the park, made a telling foray into the Camden third, winning two block tackles before cutting the ball back towards the penalty spot. Buonavoglia reached it first, and, under pressure from Bazdaric, hit his snapshot agonizingly over the cross bar.
Buonavoglia started to come into his own during the next half hour, stepping up to take the game by the scruff of the neck. On 69 minutes he swiveled and blasted over after receiving Richardson?s cut back, and a few minutes later nutmegged a Camden defender before whipping over a cross that eluded everyone as it bounced out to safety.
On 82 minutes Merlino thought he had given Balmain the breakthrough. Buonavoglia raced past York and Bazdaric before unleashing a left foot drive that was only parried by Camden?s keeper, Johnston. Merlino followed up the rebound and smashed his shot high into the net, but alas, was stopped in his tracks by the referee?s assistant offside flag as he raced off to celebrate.
Just as the clock clicked over to reflect the 90th minute, and as everyone was preparing for extra time, Camden?s substitute, MacDonald, managed to get to a through ball before it crossed the goal-line, somehow sending over a cross towards the far post against the strength and might of the wind. The ball sailed over the outstretched hands of the Balmain keeper, Fujiwara, and Camden?s captain courageous, Judge, met the ball with a downward header at the far post, the ball bouncing into the net to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Judge raced off to celebrate with the
But big games produce big game players, and in Buonavoglia, Balmain had the ace up their sleeve, with someone who has seen it and done it all before.
In injury time, Buonavoglia picked up a loose ball in the middle of the Camden half. He nipped between two defenders, playing a short one-two with target man, Merlino. Buonavoglia picked up the rebound, and as he sped into the box, was rashly brought down by Camden defender, Bazdaric, committing his first error in an otherwise solid performance.
As soon as Mr Christie pointed to the spot, there was ever only going to be one outcome, and Buonavoglia picked himself up, dusted himself off, and sent Camden keeper Johnston the wrong way as he converted the penalty to send the grand final into extra time.
Extra time had barely started and Camden had hit the front once again. A corner kick sailed dangerously across the Balmain goal, and with Fujiwara mistiming his jump, Camden substitute Spain, who had made a real impact since coming on, got his head to the ball to send it into the roof of the net.
A couple of minutes later and it all square again with, remarkably, the game?s fourth goal in almost as many minutes. A seemingly harmless through ball down the left flank bounced towards the goal line with Buonavoglia chasing it. Camden goalkeeper Johnston started to venture out of his goal, and then froze in no man?s land when he realised he wasn?t going to reach it. Buonavoglia then hit a cross shot, trying to lob the advancing keeper from an acute angle. Johnston managed to finger tip the ball further across his goal, and Merlino, who had battled all day in a bruising encounter with the Camden defence, beat a number of players to the loose ball to thump his shot into the unguarded net.
The rest of extra time was riddled with tired passes, cramping players, and speculator shots, as the teams seemed content to settle for a 2-2 draw, given they had originally looked like settling for a scoreless draw before Judge had sparked the game into a goal frenzy.
So the whistle went, and the 2008 decider was off to the dreaded penalty shootout, with both keepers taking centre stage.
Camden went first, and Spain put his spot kick under Balmain keeper, Fujiwara, adding to his extra time goal to complete a telling contribution from the 84th minute substitute.
Buonavoglia was Balmain?s first penalty taker, surprisingly, and he did what he did earlier, scoring with aplomb and making it 1-1.
McDonald then left Fujiwara standing to score for Camden, whilst Gothe-Snape smacked his penalty against the cross bar and give the Tigers the ascendancy.
The MacKechnie brothers then scored both of their penalties for Camden, whilst Tucker and Pettenon did likewise for Balmain to cap off great personal performances.
So it was down to penalty number five for Camden, and all Bazdaric had to do was score to give the Tigers the victory. The Camden sweeper, who had a strong game in defence, took a long run up before hitting his shot near the post to the keeper?s left. But Balmain?s Fujiwara was equal to the task, and he flung himself towards the upright to brilliantly parry the shot.
Substitute McCormack then duly scored his penalty for Balmain to make it 4-4, and send the shootout into sudden death.
Camden?s captain, Judge, was first cab off the rank, and he unbearably slammed his penalty onto the cross bar.
Yet another substitute was next, this time Balmain?s Hardwick, and he calmly converted his spot kick, hitting it high to the keeper?s left, to send the Balmain contingent, players, fans, and officials alike, into an frenzy of euphoria.
Both teams must be congratulated on a wonderful grand final that had everything. Camden must?ve thought they had a hand on the trophy, but Balmain?s never say die attitude helped them come back three times to win the 2008 championship.
Camden?s player-coach, Ben Green, was understandably disappointed ?.
?It was always going to be a tight tussle, with few chances. We battled all day, but let them back into the game with a couple of lapses in concentration ? that?s football,? reflected Green.
?I would like to thank my boys for the effort they?ve put in, we?ve had a solid year and can hold our heads up high,? said a proud Green.
Balmain?s coach, Alex Kaltenegger, was ecstatic with the victory?.
?We had a game plan to put pressure on their midfield, and despite dominating, couldn?t put the ball in the net,? said Kaltenegger.
He added .. ?But Jockey got us going, and we rallied, and never gave up, and came back from the dead to win?we?ve worked so hard all year for this!?
Best for Camden Tigers in a strong, disciplined display ?
Central defender Steck was strong in the tackle, and followed his man around like a relentless bulldog, a very focused and tough performance ; Sweeper Bazdaric, who despite his penalty mishaps, was a tower of strength in the centre of defence, unbeatable in the air, and infuential in keeping the Balmain attack quiet for so long ; midfielder D.Mackechnie, who never stopped running and working, throwing his body on the line as he tried valiantly to win possession for his team.
Best for the champions, Balmain SC ? defenders Grayson and Tucker were exceptional in defence, winning tackles on the ground and in the air, and played like men possessed ; last man Pettenon, again showed his class, as he always remains calm and composed under pressure, and his distribution is always spot on ; tall striker Merlino, who had a real workmanlike performance, chasing every loose ball and never giving the Camden defence any time on the ball, fully deserving his goal ; striker and man-of-the-match, Buonavoglia, what else can be said about this man that hasn?t been said already? Today he was as usual always dangerous when in possession of the ball, he single-handedly got his team back into the match from the brink of defeat (twice!), and is arguably the best player in the competition.
Match Stats
CAMDEN TIGERS 2 (Judge 90?, Spain 92?)
BALMAIN 2 (Buonavoglia 90 + 1 pen, Merlino 94?)
Balmain win 5-4 in sudden-death penalty shootout)
Conference League
Grand Final
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Referee ? Mr.D.Christie
Referee?s Assistants ? Mr.D.Lockeridge & Mr.T.Kwan.
PENALTY SHOOTOUT SEQUENCE –
Camden Tigers Balmain SC
1.Spain (goal) 1.Buonavoglia (goal)
2.MacDonald (goal) 2.Gothe-Snape (hit crossbar)
3.MacKechnie G. (goal) 3.Tucker (goal)
4.MacKechnie D. (goal) 4.Pettenon (goal)
5.Bazdaric (saved) 5.McCormack (goal)
Sudden Death Penalties
6.Judge (hit crossbar) 6.Hardwick (goal)
Balmain SC win 5-4 on sudden death penalty shootout
CAMDEN TIGERS ? 1. Johnston, 6. Bazdaric, 4. Steck, 14. Norton, 7. Southall (2. Spain 84?), 5. Judge ?, 10. MacKechnie D., 8. Morgan (12. Green 78?), 9. York, 3. Smutek (13. MacDonald 78?), 11. MacKechnie G.
Subs not used : 15. Cook, RGK. Penman.
BALMAIN SC ?1. Fujiwara, 2. Grayson, 3. Sowden (15.Deasey 75?, 13.McCormack 116?), 4.Tucker,5. Pettenon, 6. Andrews, 7. Modena,8. Gothe-Snape, 9. Merlino, 10. Buonavoglia ?, 11. Richardson (14. Hardwick 86?).
Subs not used :12. Trieste, RGK. Delaney.
-By Frank Speranza
