Glavas inspires Sydney United to perfect start with victory over the Blacktown City Demons
Former A-League striker Luka Glavas scored an impressive double on either side of Damon Collina?s headed goal, as the home side were outclassed in-front of 500 fans at Gabbie Stadium.
It was the visitors who started sharply, taking the lead after just twelve minutes of play after an incisive run by Luka Glavas.
The striker tormented the Demons in the TeleChoice Premier League Grand-Final three years ago, scoring all of United?s goals as they romped to a 4-0 victory; and it was his familiar gangly figure that won and then coolly converted a penalty, getting goal-side of Danny Wilkinson before being dragged down by the defender inside the penalty area.
Despite the experienced Luke Casserly attempting to bring an element of calm to his side?s play in central midfield, Blacktown largely struggled during a first-half where the gulf in quality between the two sides was conspicuous.
Moving the ball confidently, United should have doubled their lead on 23? minutes after a simple but effective passing move.
Club legend and former Socceroo Ante Milicic ? who has taken up a player/coach role with the former National Soccer League giants this season ? slipped Mitchell Thompson down the left side, from where the wing-back produced a superb low cross into the box for the unmarked Glavas, who only managed to side-foot the ball past the far post.
The striker then missed another wonderful opportunity to grab his second goal, timing his run intelligently before being played through the Blacktown defence by his manager.
Having entered the penalty-area on his own, the former Perth Glory player seemed set to score but allowed a poor touch to lose control of the ball, before the back-tracking Tyler Simpson produced a wonderful last-ditch challenge to prevent a goal.
The effervescent Milicic lead superbly with a mature performance during the first-half, consistently dropping deep to help out his team in possession and winning the free-kick from which United scored their second.
Fouled in a dangerous position outside the box by Ben Ellis, it allowed Glen Trifiro to curl the ball into the area for Damon Collina to rise and head into the far corner on the stroke of half-time.
Ken Schembri?s outfit pressed their opponents early during the second-half, forcing them to defend deeply and for the first time in the match looking comfortable with the ball at their feet.
However, they were unable to break down a Sydney United defence marshalled superbly by Damon Collina and Joe Vrkic, eventually seeming to tire as the visitors began to create chances for themselves.
The first fell to the effervescent Glavas, whose initial effort from a Roger Galayini cross was blocked before his follow-up effort at the near post was deflected out for a corner.
He would eventually have his second goal despite his wastefulness, latching onto a long-ball up field before turning Tyler Simpson in the box and curling a sublime effort beyond Michael Herbert in the Blacktown goal.
With a 3-0 lead and seemingly in no danger of losing, Glavas then wasted the opportunity to complete his hat-trick by half-volleying an early ball into the box over the crossbar, after some more superb work by Mitchell Thompson down the left-flank.
The United man should have scored a deserved goal of his own on 75? minutes, his first-time half-volley from long-range flashing past the left post.
The home side almost pulled a goal back four minutes later when Joel Chianese?s turn and shot in the area produced an excellent reaction save from Vedran Janjetovic, before United countered and hit the upright through Glavas at the other end of the pitch.
Blacktown City Demons manager Ken Schembri accepted the defeat and stated Sydney United were certainly the better side on the day.
?At the end of the day we weren?t good enough. We were very na?ve, conceding from a penalty and a dead-ball situation.
?The three-nil was fairly reflective of the way the game went. We were outclassed but there?s no excuse.?
On the injuries suffered by his side ahead of the match:
?These things happen in football. Sometimes all of your preparations come undone because of unfortunate circumstances.?
Sydney United player/coach Ante Milicic was full of praise of his team post match.
?We scored a goal at the right time, just before half-time and that helped a lot.
?But I want to teach the boys a little bit more; how to keep possession, how to slow the ball down and kill the play and to be more ruthless.
?If teams are there to be beaten four or five-nil I want to see it happen ? never give anyone a break in football, I?ve seen too many games where good teams have come back from 3-0.
?I?m happy with the win, happy with the clean sheet but it?s only the start and we?ve got a long way to go.?
Match Stats
Blacktown City Demons 0
Sydney United 3 (Glavas 12?, 70?, Collina 45+2?)
Sunday, 1st March, 2009
Gabbie Stadium, Seven Hills
Referee: Matthew Gillett
Referee: Atila Stibinger
Assistants: Daniel Dewhurst, Miles Allen-Scott
Fourth Official: Kevin Peddie
Crowd: 500 Approx.
Blacktown City Demons: 1.Michael HERBET; 2.Tyler Simpson, 3.Paul KARBON, 5.Daniel WILKINSON, 6.Luke CASSERLY, 11.Nick SAMA (8.Chris BEDZO 57?), 13.Ben ELLIS (18.Akwasi Agiyei 57?), 14.Gavin FORBES (12.Adam WOODBINE 84?), 15.Ray MILLER, 16.Ante DEUR, 17.Joel CHIANESE
Yellow Cards: Daniel Wilkinson 2?
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney United: 1.Vedran JANJETOVIC; 2.Ricky PERINICH (9.David ZDRILLIC 46?), 6.Joe VRKIC, 5.Damon COLLINA, 19.Mitchell THOMPSON, 4.Milan BOSNAR, 3.Roger GALAYINI, 18.Glen TRIFIRO (16.Elsid BARKOUSIR 67?), 45.Sam MUNRO, 10.Ante MILICIC (Davor BAJSIC 59?), 11.Luke GLAVAS
Yellow Cards: Ricky Perinich 32?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Luka Glavas (SU)
2 ? Matthew THOMPON (SU)
1 ? Damon COLLINA (SU)
-By Chris Paraskevas
