Division One Finals Series Reveiw
With Valentine Sports Park?s grounds under water due to the heavy rain on Sunday, 31st August, Football NSW scheduled the matches for midweek to allow the finals series to remain on track for a Grand Final day on Sunday, 21st September.
However, that was thrown into disarray on Sunday when further heavy rain caused the Major and Minor Semi Finals matches scheduled for last Sunday at VSP to be postponed. No doubt the Competitions Department at FNSW will have their thinking caps on to find yet another solution as the pitches at VSP have been closed for urgent refurbishment and so an announcement will be made shortly.
So, let?s have a look at what happened with the Preliminary and Elimination Semi Finals played last Wednesday and Thursday.
Grade 13 Preliminary Semi Final
Camden Tigers v Sydney University
When they met earlier in the season second placed Camden Tigers were 1-0 winners in the first round while third placed Sydney University had won the second encounter 3-1.
With a place in the Major Semi Final at stake both teams showed that they were keen to take the result. However, there were no goals scored in the first half and it looked like being more of the same in the second stanza and so extra time looked certain.
Although it came very late in normal time, a goal from Uni was enough to settle the issue and put them through to the Major Semi Final while the Tigers will play in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 13 Elimination Semi Final
Blacktown Spartans v Fraser Park
In the home-and-away matches fourth placed Blacktown Spartans had taken all the points from fifth placed Fraser Park with 5-0 and 3-0 results.
The sudden death nature of this clash undoubtedly increased the tension and the drama of the occasion as both teams were desperate for a result.
Fraser Park got their noses in front in the 19th minute thanks to a goal from James Andrew and they maintained that lead through to the break.
The second half produced chances for both teams but, try as they might, the Spartans were not able to find the vital equaliser and so they have been eliminated from the finals series while Fraser Park will meet Camden Tigers in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 14 Preliminary Semi Final
Hurstville City Minotaurs v Fraser Park
The in-season clashes between second placed Hurstville City Minotaurs and third placed Fraser Park had both resulted in wins to Fraser Park, 3-0 and 1-0.
Second placed Hurstville were eager to make a good start to the finals series but so were third placed Fraser Park so they settled into titanic struggle for supremacy.
Fraser Park drew first blood with a goal from Justin Aramburu just before the interval and that clearly gave them the confidence to go on with the job. When Dean Papoutsis made it 2-0 just two minutes into the second half the Dragons looked even more assured. While the Minotaurs were not about to give up, they simply could not find a way to get back into the game.
Max Queenan made it 3-0 in the 41st minute and that was sufficient to give Fraser Park a place in the Major Semi Final while Hurstville will play in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 14 Elimination Semi Final
Mt Druitt Town Rangers v Camden Tigers
When they met during the competition the first round match was a 1-1 draw and then fourth placed Mt Druitt Town Rangers defeated fifth placed Camden Tigers 2-1 in the second round.
The fourth placed Rangers faced the fifth placed Tigers in the must-win match on the night and each of them went into the game knowing that the stakes were high.
After a nervous start from both teams, Camden were the first to settle into their stride and they were rewarded when Rebha Al-Nakeeb found the net in the 18th minute and they extended that lead to two goals ten minutes later with a strike from Jesse Kennedy.
The Rangers gave their best to get back into the game but their hopes of doing so were dashed in the 39th minute when Justin Davies made it 3-0 before Al-Nakeeb bobbed up again five minutes later to give his team a 4-0 lead.
That has taken Camden into the Major Semi Final where they will meet Hurstville City Minotaurs while Mt Druitt will take no further part in the finals series.
Grade 15 Preliminary Semi Final
Hurstville City Minotaurs v Fraser Park
In their competition encounters third placed Hurstville City Minotaurs had beaten second placed Fraser Park 1-0 in the first round and then the second match was a 1-1 draw.
There was no messing about for either of these teams as they got stuck into each other from the very first whistle and there was no let up until the referee blew for the last time on the night.
Fraser Park took the lead with a goal in the 18th minute from D. Pious but Hurstville were back on level terms just one minute later thanks to a strike from L. Evans. However, the Dragons bounced back almost immediately with a second goal to Pious in the 21st minute.
That?s the way it stayed through to the interval but just five minutes into the second half Fraser Park made it 3-1 with a goal from J. Petrou. The Minotaurs struck back straight away when J. Messinis found the net in the 43rd minute but that was to be the end of the scoring.
The result has taken Fraser Park into the Major Semi Final and Hurstville will play in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 15 Elimination Semi Final
Mt Druitt Town Rangers v Camden Tigers
Fourth placed Mt Druitt Town Rangers were 2-0 winners over fifth placed Camden Tigers when they met in the for the first time in the competition and then the second round clash ended at 1-1.
Camden got off to the best possible start when J. De Gouveia gave them the lead as early as the 3rd minute but Mt Druitt did not allow that setback to upset them at all as they produced an equaliser from B. Yavas in the minute leading up to the interval.
Just when the action-packed second half was drawing to a close and extra time seemed to be a foregone conclusion, the Rangers came up with a goal from J. Francis that gave them the result.
Mt Druitt have moved into the Minor Semi Final where they will meet Hurstville City Minotaurs while Camden have been eliminated.
Grade 16 Preliminary Semi Final
Mt Druitt Town Rangers v Fraser Park
Second placed Mt Druitt Town Rangers rolled third placed Fraser Park 4-1 when they met in the first round of the competition but the score went 3-0 the other way the second time around.
It was immediately clear that this game would be a thriller as the teams went at each other as if there would be no tomorrow and the result was a thoroughly entertaining clash.
Fraser Park opened the scoring in the 26th minute when P. Arenas found the back of the net and the Dragons were able to hang onto that lead to the interval.
Mt Druitt came out firing in the second half and they were rewarded with a 45th minute goal from H. Cakal but Fraser Park showed that they were gar from a spent force when T. Biggins restored their lead in the 52nd minute.
Although there were chances created at both ends of the ground, neither team could add to the scoresheet and so Fraser Park have moved into the Major Semi Final while Mt Druitt will play in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 16 Elimination Semi Final
Hurstville City Minotaurs v Rockdale City Suns
When they met in the competition matches fifth placed Rockdale City Suns had beaten fourth placed Hurstville City Minotaurs 1-0 and then the second round match was a scoreless draw.
This winner-take-all match kept every spectator on the edge of their seats for the full duration of the match as everyone held their breath waiting for a final result.
The defences of both teams were uncompromising and so genuine scoring opportunities were few and far between and that meant that the first half was scoreless. Nothing changed in the second half as, try as they might, neither team was able to break the deadlock in normal match time.
After the first period of extra time was goal-less, Hurstville stepped up a gear in the second period and they manufactured two very fine goals, the first of which came from A. Vatiliotis and then the second was scored by A. Comitogianni.
That was sufficient to put the Minotaurs into the Minor Semi Final against Mt Druitt Town Rangers while Rockdale have bowed out of the finals series.
Grade 18 Preliminary Semi Final
Mt Druitt Town Rangers v Blacktown Spartans
In competition clashes the first encounter between second placed Mt Druitt Town Rangers and third placed Blacktown Spartans was a 1-1 draw and in the second match the Rangers were 3-2 winners.
This top quality match provided first class entertainment as the teams went at each other with the skill and determination expected of Youth League players.
While the action came thick and fast with plenty of goalmouth skirmishes at both ends of the ground, neither team was able to turn their many chances into goals in the first half.
The Rangers had enjoyed slightly the better of the play before the interval but the Spartans came out with all guns blazing in the second half, no doubt reaping the benefit of some well chosen words from the coaching staff.
Blacktown drew first blood in the 70th minute when a free kick from T. Chandramun found the net at the far post and then they extended that lead five minutes later with a deadly header from N. Haramis.
Mt Druitt gave their all as they attempted to claw their way back into the match and their reward came in the form of a goal from M. Steel in the 87th minute but they could not find another goal that would force extra time to be played.
The Spartans have moved into the Major Semi Final and the Rangers have lived to fight another day as they will play in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 18 Minor Semi Final
Camden Tigers v Sydney University
When they met earlier in the season fourth placed Camden Tigers had beaten fifth placed Sydney University 3-0 but Uni had claimed the second round points with a 1-0 result.
On a night of fantastic games, this was yet another good one as the teams showed just what they were made of from go to whoa.
While Camden had slightly the better of the ball possession in the early stages they found it difficult to break down the rock solid defence of University who were relying heavily on a counter attacking style.
In what looked like a potentially fatal blow, Uni lost a player to a red card after half-an-hour but they simply shrugged that setback off by reorganising and working harder with the result being that they were able to keep the scoreline to 0-0 at the break.
Uni started afresh in the second half and their efforts reaped a reward with a 63rd minute goal from T. Ruthnew and then they doubled that lead when the same player scored an 80th minute penalty kick.
Three minutes later Camden finally put the ball in the back of net but while they threw everything they had at their opponents, they could not add another goal and so they have bowed out of the finals, leaving Uni to contest the Minor Semi Final with Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
-By Barry Davis
