State League Division 1 Round 3 Review
Match of the Round
Spartans sting Scorpions with late win
Arriving at the compact Francis Park on a crisp Saturday evening, you could just feel the tension in the air, the scheduled match between Blacktown Spartans and the visiting Schofield Scorpions promising to be a highly charged affair.
The fiery encounter delivered everything for the brave spectators that rugged up on the hill with their blankets, with venomous tackles, plenty of goals, and even a last gasp injury time winner that kept referee, Mr. Michael Collins, very busy indeed.
The Spartans came into the match on the back of four points in their opening two games, and were hoping to put in a more intense effort than last week?s lackluster scoreless draw against Balmain SC.
Schofields were boasting a host of ex-Spartans in their lineup, who had no doubt come to Blacktown to ?settle some old scores?, and following a perfect 2-from-2 start to 2009, were hoping to win once more and cement their spot atop the ladder.
As early as the 2nd minute, Schofields went close when McColl whipped over a high free kick from out on the left touchline, and Harrington rose high to head wide under pressure from a couple of Blacktown defenders.
The Spartans responded within a couple of minutes, and should?ve scored, with a long clearance up-field being flicked on by Cornett for strike partner Jajaw to race onto.
Jajaw ran away from the defence, and rounded Schofield keeper Akers, but hesitated in pulling the trigger, and the ball was cleared by McMahon as Jajaw opted to square the ball to a team mate instead.
The Spartans then broke the deadlock on 9 minutes with a clinical piece of opportunism.
A corner kick was half cleared by the Scorpions, and Blacktown?s midfielder, Todd, loitering on the edge of the penalty area, hooked the ball back over his head and ?into the mix?.
Amongst an array of bodies, the ball fell kindly to Jajaw on the edge of the six yard box, and he simply volleyed the ball high into the roof of the net to put Blacktown in front.
The tackles were fierce, and were flying in from both sets of players, with tensions boiling over in just the 12th minute. Schofield?s Delaney hit Blacktown?s stalwart defender Awola in a late tackle, and in the ensuing tussle, referee Mr Collins issued the first of many yellow cards on the night, to Scorpions Hubbard and Blacktown?s keeper Saliadarre.
Schofields responded minutes later when P.Hubbard collected a short corner, waltzing past two would be defenders before hitting his shot too cleanly, straight down the throat of Blacktown?s keeper, Saliadarre.
On 26 minutes, Saliadarre was at it again, saving to his right after Delaney had curled a brilliant free kick over the Spartans wall that was heading for the top corner.
During this period of domination, Schofields continued the pressure, this time Delaney putting McPherson through a gap, but the competition?s top goalscorer took his shot early and his chipped effort from outside the box sailed harmlessly into Saliadarre?s arms.
The match continued with its high tempo, and tempers flared once again on the half hour, with Jajaw and Southern involved in an altercation that produced cautions for both players as team mates came racing in.
From the ensuing play, Mr Collins was busy reaching for his book again as he cautioned Blacktown defender Stevenson for a high challenge on McPherson just outside the box.
McPherson dusted himself off, but got under his free kick and it whizzed over the cross bar.
Blacktown then responded with two quick fire opportunities, just before the break.
Firstly a sweeping movement that involved Wilson and Cornett down the right flank resulted in an overhead kick by Machado, the ball being hit too well and going straight into the arms of Schofield?s keeper, Akers.
On 39 minutes, Spartans hard working midfielder Brown latched onto a loose ball in the middle of the half, letting fly with a crisp 25 yarder that flew past the goalposts.
The tackles kept flying in from both sets of players, with neither taking a backward step, including those that were already in the referee?s notebook and in danger of an early shower.
It was from one of these fouls that Schofields managed to grab an equalizer, seconds before the half time whistle.
Schofields were awarded a free kick right in the centre of the Blacktown half, and hurriedly set up a wall of numerous players in defence.
Midfielder McColl lined up the set piece, and hit an absolute peach of a shot, his left foot missile flying into the top corner of net from fully 30 yards, beating Saliadarre all ends up and sending the travelling fans into a frenzy.
Mr Collins blew his half time whistle on an entertaining first half, and must be commended on keeping a tight lid on the match, not allowing a potentially volatile match to get out of hand with his constant policing of any foul play.
Settling in on the commencement of the second half, most spectators were wondering whether to expect more of the same in the next 45 minutes.
Well, the second half wasn?t even 30 seconds old when Schofield?s Harrington ruthlessly brought down Blacktown?s Semenikow, and the referee was once again reaching for his notebook.
Both coaches must?ve given their respective teams instructions to keep up and increase the tempo, because the players lifted another gear in search of an elusive win.
On 50 minutes, Semenikow hit a snapshot for Blacktown from the edge of the box that just went over, and Schofields responded with a volley by M.Hubbard that also missed the mark in the 55th.
The deadlock was broken on 64 minutes when Blacktown?s lively striker, Jajaw, produced a clinical piece of dribbling, pace and finishing.
Jajaw collected a short pass near the right flank from Cornett, sped around Schofield?s central defender Southern with a lightning two touch dribble, and then raced into the box to crack the ball past Akers and give the Spartans the lead.
Southern made amends in the 76th minute in the best possible way. He picked up the ball in the middle of the Blacktown half, and the defender let fly with a rocket from 30 yards that flew past Saliadarre and into the far side of the net for the equaliser.
The match continued along its frenzied path in the final minutes, with more tackles, more yellows, and more chances as both teams tried to steal more than just the solitary point.
Injury time had its own story to write, however, and unbelievably, either team had the opportunity to snatch the three points in the final seconds.
Firstly, Schofields had a corner that McPherson slammed low and hard towards the near post. The ball ricocheted off the upright, and in a mad scramble of legs and bodies near the penalty spot, P.Hubbard cracked shot that hit the bottom of the cross bar, bounced down and into the arms of the relieved Saliadarre.
Amongst protests from the Scorpions that the ball crossed the line, the Blacktown keeper rid the ball downfield towards the corner of the Scorpions half.
Blacktown?s Cornett chased down a defender near the sideline, stole the ball, and promptly cut inside towards goal before placing the ball under the advancing Akers and into the net for a sensational winning goal.
Mr Collins finally brought an end to a truly pulsating game, a match that was real value for money for all spectators, and a testament to what sort of entertainment Division One football can produce.
Blacktown Spartans coach Ben de Haan was ecstatic with his team?s victory.
?Even though we showed a lack of discipline at times, we attacked well tonight, and Jajaw was outstanding,? beamed de Haan, as he raced off to join in his team?s boisterous victory song which could be heard for miles away!
Schofields hard working midfielder Troy McColl was disappointed to end up with no points.
?We were solid, but the bounce of the ball just didn?t go our way tonight,? said McColl.
?I thought we were great to comeback twice, and then at the end we hit the post in injury time and they score from the breakaway-we could?ve won it, and ended up with nothing!?
For Schofields, McMahon was solid at right back, both with his defending and support play down the flank.
Delaney had an effective game out wide in attack, chasing down every loose ball and giving every Blacktown defender a head ache with his constant presence.
McCaffery and McColl worked tirelessly in the midfield, and Daglis made some telling contributions from the left side with some great deliveries.
For the victors, Blacktown Spartans, I hate to say ?I told you so,? but I stated in last week?s report that with better service, Jajaw will prove a menace for many a defence this season. That he was against the Scorpions, as he produced an effective performance with two clinical strikes and was a constant danger whenever the home side were in attack.
His twin strike partner, Cornett, was just as effective, and his constant work in support, and down the wing, was rewarded with the injury time winner.
Semenikow and Brown worked hard in midfield, the former being very effective down the left with his defending as well as his support in attack.
A special mention to the central defensive pairing of Stevenson and Awola, who were absolute powers of strength in their tackles, and especially in their timing of their tackles. They did their best to snuff out the feared Schofield attack, and the fact that both goals the Spartans conceded came from distance was a testament to this.
Match Stats
BLACKTOWN SPARTANS 3 (Jajaw 9?/ 63?, Cornett 92?)
SCHOFIELD SCORPION 2 (McColl 45?, Southern 77?)
Saturday, March 26, at Francis Park, Blacktown
Referee ? Mr. Michael Collins
Referee?s Assistants ? Mr.Thomas Diakos & Mr.Ken Sharp
BLACKTOWN SPARTANS: 1. C. Saliadarre (capt), 3. J. Awola, 4. R. Wilson, 5. A. Stevenson, 6. T.J. Seo (8.Matafonov 85?), 7. M. Todd, 9. J. Brown, 11. W. Jajaw, 14. D. Cornett,15. A. Machado, 16. B. Semenikow.
Subs not used ?2. C.Townley-Jones, 10.G. Kamara, 17. M.Malouf, 20. N.Cordina
SCHOFIELD SCORPIONS ;1. P. Akers, 17. P. Hubbard, 3. D. McMahon, 4. D. Southern, 12. T. Harrington (11. Infanti 67?), 5. T McColl (19. Aitken 74?), 8. F. Daglis, 9. L. Delaney, 10. M. McCaffery (capt), 7. M. Hubbard, 14. G. McPherson.
Subs not used ? 2.J.McCrea, 15.J.Schumann, RGK. R. Greenway..
DIVISION ONE REVIEW ? Round Three
There were three other games on Saturday evening, with the pick of them at Cook Park, the Mounties FC making a statement by grabbing a late 1-0 victory over Inter Lions.
Mounties FC came out enthusiastically in the first period, twice hitting the woodwork and unlucky not to be in front at the break.
Inter made a match of it in the second half, but with the Lions pushing men forward in search of a winner, Mounties made them pay with a counter punch as Tresoglavic scored a 90th minute winner.
Mounties FC are now the only side in the competition with a 100% record, with two wins from two matches, and have a game in hand against UNSW (to be played on April 2).
A win in this catch up game from the Mounties will catapult them to the top of the ladder!
Dulwich Hill accounted for Hills Brumbies at Arlington Oval by 3-0 in a polished display, with some familiar names getting on the scoresheet.
Young Paradisis put the home side in front on 27 minutes, and James made it two at the beginning of the second half. Krstevski made it three for Dully on 78 minutes, a win that puts them atop of the Division ladder on goal difference.
At Hajduk Stadium, Sydney Wanderers went to town on a hapless Hurstville ZSC, thrashing the visitors 6-1 in a dominating display.
Adam scored the first of his three goals in just the second minute, converting a cross by Borg.
But Kostanic ? who else ? equalized for Hurstville on 37 minutes to give his team a glimmer of hope.
Mitchell then restored the lead for the home side just before half time, heading in a cross by Pannowitz and laying the foundations for the floodgates to open in the second half.
After a little resistance from the visitors, the Wanderers ran riot with four goals in the final twelve minutes to send the home fans into raptures.
Adam grabbed his second on 78 minutes, before securing his third in the 89th. Sandwiched in between was a brace from Borg, who netted in the 84th and 88th minutes, rounding off a comprehensive performance for the Wanderers.
On Sunday afternoon, Fairfield City Lions grabbed their first win of 2009 with a slender victory over the visiting Balmain SC.
Sozer scored the all important goal for the home side on 56 minutes, with the welcome three points putting the Lions off the bottom of the ladder and up into 9th spot.
Balmain?s start has been steady, only leaking two goals in three games, but they are still waiting for their first victory, and it doesn?t get any easier next week when they host competition leaders, Dulwich Hill, at Lambert Park.
Another club who scored their first win of the season was Stanmore Hawks, accounting for UNSW by the solitary goal at David Phillips Field.
But they did leave it late, with Hijazi getting the all important goal on 82 minutes to finally kick start the Hawks season.
-By Frank Speranza
