PCYC Parramatta Eagles stun Bonnyrigg to reach Super League Grand Final

Played on a warm spring evening in-front of a healthy supported Bonnyrigg crowd, the visiting PCYC stunned their opponents with a first-half penalty converted by Matthew Clowes sealing the win.
These two sides finished first and second respectively on the League table with Bonnyrigg pipping their rivals by two-points to take out the Premiership.
Having had two weeks off ? due to the wet weather last weekend ? Bonnyrigg struggled throughout the evening to find their constant, fluid, attacking motion.
PCYC Parramatta Eagles had one week off due to the wash-out last weekend though had a ?game hardening? win against FC Bossy Liverpool one week earlier, ensuring the side would play-off against Bonnyrigg for a spot in the Grand Final.
An even opening to the encounter, living up to the ?norm? in these finals matches where both sides attempt to ?feel? their way into the contest, was brought to life in the 5? minute when a fantastic one-two between Bonnyrigg?s Daniel Willoughby and Ilkay Gurbuz saw the latter drive a cross from the by-line into the path of Goran Subara at the near post; the striker?s first-time effort finished just wide.
PCYC captain Ben Delicata was in exceptional form throughout the evening, though was still getting into the match when he hit a long-range snapshot wide of goal following a weak Bonnyrigg clearance out of defence.
White Eagles? captain David Petrovic almost caught the opposing defence out with a long searching ball on 13? minutes. His effort very nearly picked out striker Subara, though PCYC goalkeeper Stacy Alogdellis was brave to leave his line and anticipate the danger.
On 19? minutes, a free-kick to the home side from a promising position was wasted, and PCYC picked up the ball and hit their opponent with a swift counter-attack.
Fine ball movement by the side saw Delicata weave his magic in the penalty-area before being brought down with a poorly timed tackle by Gary De Broi. The referee had no hesitation to award the spot-kick; Matthew Clowes calmly slotted the ball to Ali Akbal?s right to put his side ahead.
Bonnyrigg?s evening started to show signs of frustration as the normally reliable touches on the ball going forward started to fail the creative men in attack.
Prior to the 26? minute, Bonnyrigg had two golden chances amount to nothing as both Ilkay Gurbuz and Daniel Willoughby failed to execute the ?killer? pass once the PCYC defence was stretched.
On 26? minutes, Bonnyrigg did manage to get behind the PCYC defence, though Gurbuz?s cross from the right was perfectly anticipated by a confident Alogdellis in the PCYC goal.
Youngster Ray Miller very nearly doubled PCYC?s advantage moments later as he attempted an audacious chip from the edge of the penalty-area. A fluid motion counter-attack, started by arguably the man of the match Ben Delicata, provided the youngster the space he needed to beat his marker before attempting his effort; the ball only just finishing over the crossbar.
Bonnyrigg?s shot-stopper Akbal kept his side in the match with a brave save at the feet of striker Frederick Graham. Graham?s speed, and confidence, on the ball saw him round two defenders with only the goalkeeper to beat, though Akbal was quick off his line to thwart the effort.
Graham again caused grief in the Bonnyrigg defence when he and strike partner Mario Ghobrial exchanged a quick one-two to get behind the White Eagles? defence. Graham?s speed was the telling factor as he got to the by-line, only to be denied by a retrieving Gary De Broi who diverted the ball for a corner.
The White Eagles? disappointing first-half was summed up by Steven Bozinovski?s long-range effort in the final moments of the half. A promising forward foray by Gurbuz picked out Bozinovksi, though his rushed effort from the edge of the penalty-area finished well wide of the intended target.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles? coach Blagoja Kulevski made two changes at the start of the second-half with De Broi and Gurbuz making way for Domenic Cutri and Leo Carle respectively, though it was the visitors that made all the early running.
Ali Akbal kept his side only one-goal down as a swift PCYC move down the left-flank saw Mario Ghobrial played ?one-on-one? with the shot-stopper before unleashing a venomous snap-shot down to the goalkeeper?s left; Akdal parrying brilliantly.
Akbal was called into action again moments later as a long-range Patrick Cappuccio effort caught the shot-stopper pedalling back onto his goal-line. Akbal managed to calculate the trajectory of the ball, after it took a wicked bounce in-front of him, and parried the effort around his left-hand post.
PCYC youngster Ray Miller again went close to doubling his side?s lead following another clever move out of midfield. Miller picked up the ball on the left wing, and cut inside onto his right foot before hitting a dipping effort just over a beaten Ali Akbal?s crossbar.
On what was a disappointing evening in-front of goal for the home-side, their best effort arrived on 82? minutes as substitute Giovanni Leuzzi was played behind the PCYC defence. The right-sided midfielder had only the goalkeeper to beat, though one-touch too many on the ball saw a last ditch effort by a retrieving PCYC defender thwart the effort.
PCYC striker Mario Ghobrial wasted a golden chance to put the result beyond doubt with only 5? minutes of injury-time remaining. The striker did all the hard work as he created the chance for himself after beating two defenders and weaving his way into the penalty-area. With only the goalkeeper to beat Ghobrial blasted his left-footed effort over the crossbar, leaving his side to desperately defend the forward forays of the White Eagles in injury-time, in desperate search of an equaliser.
As was the case recently in the TeleChoice Premier League though, the Minor Premiers would not be the first side to clinch a Grand Final spot. PCYC Parramatta Eagles were more than worth the win as Jason Falzon?s men patiently wore down the poor efforts of a subdued Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
PCYC Parramatta Eagles will have a week off in anticipation of the Grand Final, meanwhile Bonnyrigg White Eagles will need to overcome a Preliminary Final to ensure another shot at PCYC.
Match Stats 
Venue: Bonnyrigg Sports Club.
Referee: K. Ams
Assistant Referees: S. Duckworth and D. Fuda
Fourth Official: K. Yaghi
Crowd: 3,000 Approx.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 23. Ali Akbal; 4. David Petrovic (C), 5. Mark D?Alessandro, 6. Ilkay Gurbuz (19. Leo Carle 46?), 7. Nikola Zonjic, 8. Daniel Willoughby (14. Giovanni Leuzzi 69?), 10. Lenox Tweneboa, 11. Gary De Broi (12. Domenic Cutri 46?), 15. Steven Bozinovski, 17. Goran Subara, 20. Milan Zoric
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Daniel Holmes (gk), 3. Damir Prodanovic
Coach: Blagoja Kulevski
Yellow Cards:  Gary De Broi 20?, Ali Akbal 20?, Milan Zoric 32?, Goran Subara 67?
Red Cards: Nil
PCYC Parramatta Eagles: 1. Stacy Alogdellis; 8. Matthew Clowes, 2. Achilleas Markopoulos, 6. Nicholas Tantalos, 13. Nathan Rivera, 15. Ben Delicata (C), 7. George Lagoudakis (11. Gustavo Orajo 87?), 35. Ray Miller (5. Patrick Gatt 79?), 19. Mario Ghobrial, 18. Frederick Graham (14. Michael Fallah 90?)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Carlos Saliadarre (gk), 17. Tom Wilson
Coach: Jason Falzon
Yellow Cards: George Lagoudakis 29?, Mario Ghobrial 34?, Ben Delicata 44?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Ben Delicata (PCYC)
2 ? Frederick Graham (PCYC)
1 ? Ali Akbal (BWE)
-By Joseph Carlucci