Stanmore stage unbelievable comeback as Wanderers blow 2-0 lead

As a result of finishing higher on the competition ladder, Stanmore forfeited the opportunity to play the game at their home ground, Arlington Oval, on the hope that the flatter surface at Hajduk would better suit their style of fluent football.
Stanmore lined up with the league?s equal top marksman, Juan Chavez, hoping to continue his great run of goals this season, as well as ex-Queensland A League star, Chad Gibson, pulling the strings in the midfield.
Sydney Wanderers also had their top scorer, Soane, ready to strike and in their starting lineup, with a relatively young squad?s average age pushed up by the evergreen veteran, 42 year old tough nut, Martin Bourke.
The tension of the two teams only heightened because of the fact that the reserve grade game had gone to a penalty shoot out, meaning the players had to wait just that little bit longer to get out onto the ground and relieve the nerves.
The first opportunity of the match came as early as the 4th  minute, when Wanderers midfielder Pannowicz picked up a cross field pass on the edge of the box, snapping a volley wide of the posts at the second attempt.
We lost count of the amount of times the players hit the deck during the opening 15 minutes as they came to terms with the extremely slippery surface, giving defenders from both sides some heart stopping moments as they tried to effect rudimentary clearances.
Stanmore skipper Theodorakopoulos then had a great chance on 11 minutes, slipping in the box and miscuing a shot as tried to get on the end of a long free kick by Gibson.
Sydney Wanderers continued their good form of late by taking the lead with a well constructed goal after a quarter of an hour.
A free kick from near the halfway touchline was flicked on by striker Soane, the ball dropping just behind the defensive line inside the box. Stanmore keeper Tolios was slow to react, and Pannowicz beat him to the bounce, clipping it diagonally over the advancing keeper towards the side edge of the six yard box.
Wanderers right wing back Ciampa had continued his support run into the box, and calmly pushed the ball into an unguarded net from an acute angle to give his side the lead.
A minute later and Wanderers had another opportunity, Gibson hitting a nice free kick over the wall from 25 yards, this time Tolios doing a lot better to grasp the ball confidently.
Stanmore responded in the 18th minute when central defender Stojicic stabbed at a James corner, Wanderers keeper Rizzo snatching at the ball at the second attempt after spilling the initial attempt.
With the play continuing to switch from end to end, Soane nearly made it two for the Wanderers on 20 minutes when he connected with a header to an Elrich free kick out wide, the ball bouncing just wide of the upright with Tolios beaten.
A few minutes later and young Hanly picked up a pass on the halfway line, and lobbed a through pass for Soane to run onto. The striker sped past Stanmore defender James and chipped the onrushing Tolios, the ball dragging agonizingly wide of the far post.
Sydney Wanderers coach, Stewart Porter, must be given credit for having no fear of promoting youth in his first grade team, with quite a few players in their late teens and early twenties. A special mention for young Hanly, who last month was strutting his stuff for the club?s U/18s, and was thrust into the first team against Hurstville City Minotaurs a week and a half ago. He repaid his coach?s faith with a remarkable hatrick on debut in that 3-1 victory, and on this day didn?t look out of place out wide for the Wanderers.
Seven minutes before the break, and the Wanderers should?ve increased their lead, Elrich blasting over from the edge of the box after yet another great run and cutback from the ever speedy Soane.
Referee Mr.A.Soliman, who was his usual consistently professional self in the middle, blew the half time whistle and both teams went into the sheds looking to recharge and come out all guns blazing, with the threat of their respective seasons being over in the next 45 minutes.
Stanmore coach, ex- NSL stalwart, Nick Orlic, must?ve read the riot act to his troops during the break because the Hawks emerged from the changerooms with renewed vigour, almost equalizing after just three minutes of the second period.
A swift passing movement saw the leather pushed from one sideline to the other, the ball making it?s way to Gibson who then released Ali into the box, but his cross shot flashed across the goalmouth and past the far post to safety.
Ali, the Hawks number 10, was having a great game down the left flank for Stanmore, showing great stamina to cover the defence and support the attack during the first half.
A minute later and Ciampa almost had his second for Sydney Wanderers, but he just couldn?t get over the ball as he headed over at the far post after some wonderfully tricky work on the left wing by Elrich, which included a nutmeg of a startled Stanmore defender before whipping over a great cross.
On 61 minutes, the Wanderers did in fact extend their lead with an effective piece of finishing. As Stanmore prodded forward in search of an opening, Wanderers midfielder Elrich stole possession inside his own half, and hurriedly sent a long ball over the retrieving defenders for Pannowicz to run onto. His first touch wasn?t a good one as it veered towards the corner flag, but Pannowicz retrieved  the ball, cut inside Stanmore defender James, before expertly curling his left foot shot from the edge of the box past Stanmore keeper Tolios and into the far bottom corner of the net.
Now there?s a saying in football, and that is that 2-0 is a dangerous scoreline, creating a sense of complacency and comfort knowing the game is almost as good as over ?and Stanmore knew that they had nothing to lose and started to have a real go at the retrieving Wanderers.
An absolute fantastic piece of individualism gave the Hawks the spark that lit the fuse, and commenced the mother of all comebacks.
The league?s equal top goalscorer, Stanmore striker Chavez, was subdued during the first hour of play, granted little room to move by the Wanderers defence. On this occasion, on 64 minutes, Chavez retrieved the ball on the halfway near the sideline, and beat his marker, the unfortunate Gibson, with a quick flick of the ankle, and away he went down the left wing. Nearing the edge of the penalty area, he slowed down enough for Gibson to catchup, then proceeded to swivel past him a second time as he entered the box, before unleashing a thunderous left footed drive into the net off the underside of the cross bar.
Two-one and it was game on, and with Gibson pulling the strings in the middle, Stanmore then kicked into gear and started to throw caution to the wind. Wanderers lost their way a little under the deluge, and the predictable substitution of skipper Vella didn?t help, who, despite being a fierce presence in their defence, was on a yellow card and in danger of an early shower a number of times.
On 75 minutes, Chavez dispossessed Wanderers defender Ciampa near the corner flag, cutting the ball back for Ali who cracked his low shot into side netting, the Stanmore fans gasping at the close effort.
The Hawks kept the foot on the pedal, with Gibson blasting a volley over on 78 minutes, whilst Chavez missed a great opportunity in the 85th when he slipped the ball past the onrushing Wanderers keeper, Rizzo, after a great threaded through ball into the box by James, and the ball whistled past the left upright.
Stanmore just absolutely refused to go down, and as the clock ticked over and hit 90 minutes, they gave it one last throw of the dice.
A through ball played between the edge of the box and the left touchline seemed too long, and headed for a goal kick, guided by a Wanderers defender. But ex- A League star Gibson never gave up, and in what can only be described as a tackle and pass all rolled into one, he lunged at the ball with a slide tackle, whilst simultaneously back heeling the ball towards a team mate.  
Chavez swooped on the ball, instanteously whipping a cross towards the back post for skipper, Theodorakopoulos, to stab home a remarkable equalizer.
Within a minute, and the game was turned on it?s head, as that man again, Gibson, found himself on the right wing, playing a dangerously early ball across the goalmouth which was inadvertently turned into the net by an unfortunate defender.
Mr Soliman blew his full time whistle, and Stanmore had completed an unlikely snatch and grab act at the death, whilst Sydney Wanderers were left lifeless and gasping at what might have been.
Stanmore coach Nick Orlic, was ecstatic with his team?s gutsy win.
?We settled down after the first 45 minutes of football, kept possession, played to the wings, and showed a lot of spirit to win,? said a thrilled Orlic.
He added, ?I thought we conceded two cheap goals, but we changed a few things, and our quality, collectively, saw us through.?
Sydney Wanderers coach, Stewart Porter, was philosophical in defeat.
?At 2-0 we probably thought we had won the game, but our inexperience and naivety may have cost us the game, and in the end we just ran out of steam.
?Our first round this year was dreadful, and we?ve had our fair share of injuries, with 8 or 9 players at training during the past few weeks, but we turned things around, so I am very pleased with our season overall,? said a proud Porter.
Best for Sydney Wanderers were ; skipper Vella was tough and uncompromising in defence, never taking a backward step ; right flanker Ciampa worked tirelessly all day, and was rewarded with one goal whilst almost scoring a second ; centre midfielder Elrich, who held his own in the centre of the park and often was the ball winning midfielder who started the attacks for the Wanderers.
Best on the day for the victors, Stanmore Hawks, were ; central midfielder Gibson, showing all his experience as he almost single handedly orchestrated his team?s never-say-die comeback, continually spreading passes all over the attacking third as he lay in support ; left wing back, Ali, who showed great stamina as he persevered up and down the park winning his one-on-one duels ; skipper Theodorakopoulos worked tirelessly in the midfield, strong on the ball, and always in support in the team?s attacking moves ; striker Chavez, who came alive in the final half hour, and once in receipt of quality service, was absolutely clinical in the attacking third with a breathtaking goal and quality assist.
Match Stats
DIVISION ONE
Elimination Final
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Hajduk Stadium, Edensor Road, St Johns Park
Referee ; Mr. A. Soliman
STANMORE HAWKS 3 (Chavez 64?, Theodorakopoulos 90? + 1,o.g. 90? + 2)
SYDNEY WANDERERS 2 (Ciampa 15?, Pannowicz 61?)
Stanmore Hawks ?1. Tolios, 5. Yildiz (19. Espejel 53?), 12. Scicluna, 14. Stojicic (2. Doney 70?), 45. James, 38. Gibson, 16. Katsoulas, 18. Theodorakopoulos ? , 10. Ali, 9. Chavez, 13. Theodosiou.
Subs not used ? 15. Phillips-Treby, 21. Karudu, 24. Templeton.
Sydney Wanderers ? 1. Rizzo, 3. J.P. Vella ? (9. Ramirez 72?), 2. Ciampa (13. Booke 94?), 4. Soane, 5. Miranda C., 6. Pannowicz, 12. Gibson, 14. Miranda R., 15. Bourke, 17. Elrich, 18. Hanly.
Subs not used ? 11. Dwyer, 16. Goodwin, RGK. Biega.
DIVISION ONE
Preliminary Semi Final
In the Preliminary Semi Final at Concord Oval on Sunday afternoon, Inter Lions prevailed in a close encounter with a thrilling, late 1-0 victory over Dulwich Hill.
Inter skipper Vizzari was the hero for the home side, sending the Lions? fans into raptures with an 83rd minute winner, just as everyone was preparing for extra time.
The win puts Inter into the eagerly awaited grand final qualifier against minor premiers, Spirit FC, next weekend, whilst Dulwich Hill will now take on fellow Arlington Oval tenants, Stanmore Hawks, in a do-or-die battle that will spell the end of the season for the losers.
-By Frank Speranza