Sutherland Sharks fire blanks at home to the Blacktown City Demons
The visitors could have had the earliest of leads in the 1? minute when Chris Bedzo was sent through but his first touch was too strong and rolled harmlessly to Sharks goalkeeper Nathan Denham. The chance almost proved costly not long after when Brad Boardman was fouled. Jimmy Bakis sent in a teasing cross from the free-kick to be met by the head of Ben Spruce who was unlucky to see his effort slide over the bar.
Bedzo was again to the fore on 16? minutes when the ball broke to him on the edge of the box and his spin on the turn and left foot first time shot whistled past the post in another wake up call for the Sharks as Blacktown took it to the home team, although neither side really settled as the game was played at a frenetic pace in very humid conditions.
Sutherland, having lost Brendan Gan, Pedj Bojic, Shane Lyons and David Huxley through the last season, and with the influential midfielder Nick Stavroulakis out for up to 7-weeks with a groin injury, a more direct approach was adopted which looked likely to open things up as the half wore on. The fluidity of movement so prominent last season was not in evidence for the home side, though, and you would think that it was going to come down to a dead-ball situation to break the deadlock.
It almost came in the 34? minute when a corner floated in from the right was met by the Demons? Paul Karbon but at an awkward height the effort was hit into the ground and bounced harmlessly away for a goal-kick as Blacktown again threatened on the counter-attack.
Sharks? front-man Brad Boardman must be wondering where he put his scoring boots after almost securing the Golden Boot last season as he looked like a man playing short of confidence when laying the ball off instead of making the surging runs he was noted for during the last campaign. And it showed very clearly in the 32? minute after ditching his marker and meeting a Bakis corner sweetly with a header inside the 6-yard box but sending it wide.
Still deadlocked at half-time, although the Sharks peppered the Demons goal in the final stages with Michael Katz sending in a cross that was met by Panny Nikas with a diving header finished wide of the post past the despairing dive of Herbet. Although goal-less at the break it was still an entertaining half of football which promised plenty of action in the second stanza, however it would be down to Sutherland to take it to the Demons and stretch them further, particularly on the right where they made plenty of headway early on via Katz.
Kain Rastall picked up a caution for a reckless looking tackle on Nathan Ralph in the 52? minute which many thought should have been red but that would have been harsh as both players went for a 50-50 ball and Herbet did well to save the resultant free-kick which was floated toward the back post.
Sutherland started to turn the screws and, but for scrambling defence, would have gone ahead even though the Demons really came out strongly at the start of the half and may well have taken the lead themselves on a couple of occasions but for poor quality finishing in-front of goal.
Each side took turns through the second-half to press and impose themselves on the game but the breakthrough proved elusive as chances came and went without an end product. On 70? minutes, Bakis had the time to turn on the edge of the penalty-area but sent his right foot effort a whisker wide of the upright.
Denham was forced into a magnificent save after Bedzo again let fly, and with the shot taking a deflection, made the save all the more difficult. With both sides cancelling each other out, it was becoming increasingly difficult to see where a goal from open play was going to come from.
A sweeping move by Sutherland might have been capped with the winning goal as Katz fed Bakis who played it on for Hall to run at the defence. He slipped it through the middle for Price to run onto but a scuffed shot saw the ball go across the penalty-area and out. With the home side on the attack, Herbet was forced to save twice – from Nikas and Price – as he spread himself to deny what surely should have been certain goals.
Price was again unlucky in stoppage time when fed by Hall after good work from Katz but it wasn?t to be though the signs are there that both sides have the ability to build on as the season progresses.
In the final wash-up the draw was probably the fairest result as Sharks? coach Robbie Stanton stated:
?Blacktown didn?t allow us play well early on as they were aggressive and pressed hard.
?We put in a battling performance but we need to show a little more composure in front of goal and work a little harder on getting our combinations working together.
?I would have been happier with the three points but we didn?t take them and credit to Blacktown, they played hard and well.
Blacktown City Demons boss Ken Schembri added:
?Yes it was a battling performance and I?m impressed with the high work rate of both sides on a very humid evening.
?I would have taken a point here before the game started and maybe we could, and should, have had all three but it gives us something to build on.?
Match Stats
Saturday, 7th March, 2009
Seymour Shaw Football Stadium, Miranda
Referee: Peter Vrtkovski
Assistant Referees: Daniel Dewhurst and Scott Edeling
Fourth Official: David Morris.
Crowd: 973
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham, 2.George Souris, 4.Michael Robinson, 6.Chris Price, 7.Jimmy Bakis (17.Matt Villazon 84?), 8.Nathan Ralph (10.Matt Hall 73?), 9.Brad Boardman, 11.Ben Spruce, 12.Neil Jablonski, 15.Michael Katz, 23.Panagiotis Nikas
Substitutes Not Used: 17.Jordan Nikolovski, 20.Blake Powell, 33.Ryan Emerton.
Yellow Cards: Michael Robinson 76?, Matt Hall 90?+1?
Red Cards:
Blacktown City Demons: 1.Michael Herbet, 2.Tyler Simpson, 3.Paul Karbon, 4.Damien Foxe, 6.Luke Casserly, 8.Chris Bedzo, 9.Kain Rastall, 14.Gavin Forbes (11.Nick Sama 63?), 15.Ray Miller, 16.Ante Deur (18.Akwasi Agyei 75?), 17.Joel Chianese
Substitutes Not Used: 13 Ben Ellis, 40 Brody Crane
Yellow Cards: Kain Rastall 52?, Gavin Forbes 62?
Red Cards:
Player Ratings:
3 ? Tyler Simpson (BCD)
2 ? Chris Price (SS)
1 ? Michael Herbet (BCD)
-By Micky Brock
