White Eagles unable to overcome their Demons
With new coach in charge Brian ?Bomber? Brown looking on, the White Eagles knew that they had to impress in front of their new manager in charge.
Both teams went end to end in the opening exchanges, sorting each other out without any real threat of an attacking raid.
In attack, the home-side looked to use the long-ball to expose the Demons without too much success, but in defence they looked more composed and organised than anytime in the first five rounds.
It took 15? minutes for the first real opportunity of the match to unfold.
A long ball across goal from Bonnyrigg?s Milorad Simonovic found Paul Cotte at the far post, but his header lacked the direction, bobbing over the crossbar and on top of the net.
A corner to the Demons was the closest they came to scoring in the first 25? minutes, but White Eagles goalkeeper Ali Akbal was able to back track and fend the ball away from danger.
From the ensuing play, Bonnyrigg went on the counter attack down the flank courtesy of the speed of Fredrick Graham.
Graham?s pin-point accurate through-ball found Bozinovski with a one-on-one with Demons goalkeeper Michael Herbert, but Bozinovski was unable to direct his shot past the shot-stopper.
Ray Miller found a lot of space down the left hand side in the first-half and it almost cost the White Eagles when his cross found Chris Bedzo unmarked in the box.
Bedzo?s first attempt was deflected by an Eagles defender, but on the second attempt Bedzo let loose and was left to watch the ball fly past the post and into the crowd.
Almir Dizdaric controlled the ball well when Bonnyrigg went on the attack 15? minutes out from the half-time siren.
The striker laid off a ball to Simonovic who made a meal of his opportunity, thumping his shot out of the ground.
It was a case of d?j? vu just five minutes later as Dizdaric offered another opportunity to Simonovic, but this time he held on to the ball too long and allowed the Demons to close in and shut down the play.
Dizdaric decided to take things into his own hands when a cross from Cotte sailed in-front of goal, Dizdaric leaped forward but was unable to get head to ball.
Ilkay Gurbuz picked up where the White Eagles left off in the first half ? on the attack, almost capitalising on some impressive lead up work from his teammates, unfortunately his shot went narrowly wide of the right post.
Blacktown?s first chance of the second-half came 15? minutes in when a free-kick almost beat everyone into the back of the net, but Akbal was quick on his feet and dived low to his left to deny the visitors of their first goal.
That seemed to spark Bonnyrigg?s Graham into action as he went on an attacking blitz in the next three minutes.
His first opportunity saw him drill a low hard shot wide of the post, only to have a greater opportunity one minute later.
He linked up with Simonovic, who put a through ball in to allow Graham a one-on-one with Herbert, but he held on to the ball for too long as the Blacktown custodian advanced to snatch the ball from his feet.
Graham was again showing off his fancy footwork only to allow Dizdaric with a lay off to Simonovic whose shot went low and straight to Herbert.
From the counter Akwasi Agyei almost landed the ?sucker punch?, but Akbal showed his opposite number that he was as equally effective between the sticks.
Miller had another opportunity to draw first blood for the Demons but his curling shot went wide of the goal yet again.
Bonnyrigg was quick to regain the ascendancy when Dizdaric and Graham linked up, only to see Dizdaric?s header go out for a goal kick.
The White Eagles almost clinched the match winner 10? minutes from the end, though nobody was in the goal mouth to side foot the ball into the back of the net, despite strong protests from the Demons players accusing their opponents of a hand ball.
Blacktown continued the pattern of the night and was quick to hit back as Joel Chianese made a run down the left-flank, crossing a lovely ball to an unmarked Agyei who couldn?t beat the desperate Akbal in goal.
The Bonnyrigg faithful were anxious for a goal and were almost treated to a late special, but Nikola Zonjic?s shot went well wide of the intended target, much to the disappointed of almost 1000 home fans.
Bonnyrigg almost snatched a miracle from a corner in the 90? minute, as the ball scrambled around the box and did everything but go into the back of the net.
Both sides? tempers flared in the final minutes with a series of push and shove in the Bonnyrigg half.
Stand-in White Eagles? captain coach Tayfun Devrimol believed his side did enough to walk away with three points:
?I honestly think we deserved the win because we outplayed them, even though we missed a few opportunities that we should have put away,? Devrimol said.
?We need to work on our finishing a bit but our defence was solid and we didn?t concede a goal and that?s all you can ask from your defence.?
In the opposition dressing room, Demons coach Ken Schembri was pleased with the one point:
?I can?t argue too much with the result, our goalkeeper made two great saves and their keeper made two great saves,? Schembri said.
?Both teams will be saying we should have taken our one-on-ones because if you take them you go home winning 1-0.
?I thought Bonnyrigg played well, they are one of the better sides we have played and they will get better with their big men and quick men,? Schembri concluded.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 0
Blacktown City Demons 0
Saturday 5th of April, 2009
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, Bonnyrigg
Referee: Atila Stibinger.
Assistant Referees: Steven Nguyen and David Lockridge.
Fourth Official: Chris Young.
Crowd: 800 Approx.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 23.Ali Akbal; 2.Paul Cotte (3.Drazen Janjic 75?), 6.Ilkay Gurbuz, 4.David Petrovic (5.Mark D?Alessandro 53?), 7.Nikola Zonjic, 10.Fredrick Graham, 11.Almir Dizdaric, 15.Steven Bozinovski (19.Antonio Faria 65?), 17.Milorad Simonovic, 18.Tayfun Devrimol, 20.Milan Zoric
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Nikola Maricic; 13.Nathan Rivera,
Yellow Cards: Steven Bozinovski 38?, Nikola Zonjic 77?, Tayfun Devrimol 90?+3?
Red Cards: Nil.
Blacktown City Demons: 1.Michael Herbert; 2. Tyler Simpson, 3.Paul Karbon, 4.Damien Foxe, 6.Luke Casserley, 8.Chris Bedzo, 9.Kain Rastall, 13.Ben Ellis (18. Akwasi Agyei 62?), 15.Ray Miller (11.Nick Sama 80?), 16.Ante Deur (5.Daniel Wilkinson 70?), 17.Joel Chianese.
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Gavin Forbes, 40.Brody Crane.
Yellow Cards: Kain Rastall 89?, Tyler Simpson 90?+3?
Red Cards: Nil.
Player Ratings:
3- Milorad Simonovic (BWE)
2- Ray Miller (BCD)
1 – Fredrick Graham (BWE)
-By Michael Chammas
