Super Youth League Preliminary Finals Review

The Preliminary Finals
As usual ay t finals time Sydney Wanderers president Charles Abdilla and his crew had Hajduk Stadium looking picture perfect for the penultimate round of the finals series and that gave every player and every team the best possible opportunity to display the very best that they had to offer.
Grade 13          PCYC Parramatta Eagles v Sydney Wanderers
The stage was set for a fantastic game of football as Parramatta needed to overcome the disappointment of a loss in the Major Semi Final while the Wanderers were on a high after their healthy win in the Minor Semi Final.
Parramatta were out of the blocks early and they found the back of the net as early as the 3rd minute thanks to a strike from Bill Benton and then they made it 2-0 just six minutes later with that goal coming from Lewis Bumie.
The Wanderers gave their all as they tried their best to get back into the game. That increased effort reaped a reward in the form of a goal from H. Aydogdy in the 22nd minute but they were unable to find an equaliser before the break.
Only five minutes had elapsed in the second half when Parramatta restored their two goal lead thanks to a second goal from Bumie but ther was still a long way to go and they would have known that the wanderers would not throw the towel in.
Although both teams frequently threatened to do so, there was no addition to the scoreline and that has put Parramatta into the Grand Final while it was the end of the journey for the Wanderers.
Grade 14          Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Dulwich Hill
Dulwich Hill got going straight away and they gained an early advantage when J. White netted for them in the 8th minute but they were aware that they would need to do a lot more if they to truly overcome the resolute Bonnyrigg side.
The White Eagle worked hard and they were able to manufacture a 14th minute equaliser through M. Brito and that is the way the scoreboard stayed through to half-time.
When Bonnyrigg took the lead in the 42nd minute through a goal from J. Ingle then Brito made it 3-1 just a minute later, the result was considered to be a foregone conclusion by several folk at the ground.
However, that did not pay due respect to the tenacious qualities of Dulwich hill who took the scoreboard to 3-2 thanks to a strike from J. Harb in the 56th minute. It was a case of that goal coming just a little too late as Dully could not conjure another one that would have taken the game into extra time.
Bonnyrigg have earned their place in the Grand Final while it is the end of the road for Dulwich Hill.
Grade 15          Western NSW Panthers v Bonnyrigg White Eagles
The early Indicators were that this game would be a real cliff-hanger as the teams went blow for blow in a first half that provided excitement-plus and left everyone in the spectator areas wondering what would come next.
We had to wait until the 26th minute for the first goal and it came from Bonnyrigg?s J. Lazovic but that lead was short-lived as D. Clough produced a 30th minute equaliser.
The second half began just as the first one had ended with the action flowing smoothly from one end to the other, providing enough goalmouth skirmishes to please the sternest of critics.
Bonnyrigg?s lead was restored by D. Savic in the 40th minute and that seemed to inspire his team as N. Medina chimed in with a double, scoring in the 46th and 50th minutes, to break the hearts of the boys from the bush.
The final scoreline of 4-1 has give Bonnyrigg a place in the Grand Final while Western have bowed out of the finals series.
Grade 16          Spirit FC v PCYC Parramatta Eagles
This match was thoroughly entertaining from the first whistle to the last as both teams showcased all that is good about Youth League Football with an excellent display of skill, commitment and passion.
Despite the best attacking efforts of both teams, the opportunities to score goals were kept to a minimum by strong and well organised dfences at both ends of the ground and so it came as no surprise that the half-time score registered at 0-0.
That trend continued throughout the second half with the result that normal time finished without a single goal being scored and that meant that extra time would be needed.
However, the deadlock remained in place after the two added period, leaving the referee no choice but to move to the penalty spot for the decider.
After six kicks each Parramatta came up trumps when they won the shootout 5-4 and that has allowed them to progress to the Grand Final while Spirit have hung up their boots for the season.
Grade 18          Northern Tigers v PCYC Parramatta Eagles
Play throughout the first half was fairly even with both teams creating chances to score through some clever passing and high energy movement off the ball.
Slowly but surely the Tigers began to show that they had a slight edge on their opponents and they looked hungrier for a result so it was not surprising that they went to the break with a 2-1 lead.
Parramatta gave everything they h ad to get themselves back on level terms but the goals would not come for them against a team that looked to grow in strength and determination as the match progressed.
The Tigers added two goals to their tally in the second stanza to take the final scoreline to 4-1 and that has put them into the Grand Final while the Eagles will need to wait until next season.
For the record, S. Waruca, S. Donan, R. Williams and D. Lobb provided the goals for the Tigers while J. Surace was the scorer for the Eagles..
-By Barry Davis