Sydney United shows off its class to thump Sydney Tigers
The Reds scored five goals in a half of football that will go down as one of the most memorable at Edensor Park in recent history.
Both sides went from end to end in the early passages without any real threat of opening the account ? that was until David Zdrilic stepped up for the home-side.
The number nine drilled a flat shot to the top right corner from outside the box, only for Phillip Zabaks to fist the ball away from danger.
Damon Collina found some space down the right-flank soon after, but not as much space as Davor Bajsic had whilst waiting in the penalty-area.
Collina?s cross was pin-point accurate, allowing Bajsic to side foot the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage after 22? minutes.
A through ball to Ante Milicic in the 30? minute looked to be the one that supplied United with the opportunity to double their lead, however he was unable to weave his way around Zabaks who thwarted the danger by diving on the ball.
Just as it looked like the Tigers would hold out until the break, Milicic sparked United into a goal scoring frenzy.
The Reds? enforcer guided his shot from just outside the box and over Zabaks, who despite back-tracking was unable to stop the ball from hitting the crossbar and over the goal-line for a 2-0 lead.
The home fans were still celebrating the second goal when Luka Glavas showed off his speed to set up United?s next goal moments later.
Glavas? break down the wing attracted two Tigers defenders, allowing Zdrilic an open shot on goal after Glavas executed his cross perfectly into the box.
The Tigers needed to hit back quick and they almost did so, but unfortunately for the visitors Franco Parisi?s shot from a tight angle ricocheted off the post and away for a goal kick.
United were not going to let their opponents back into the match, and Glavas certainly took things into his own hands when he worked his way through the Tigers defence and past Zabaks for a 4-0 lead in the 43? minute.
The home fans who braved the miserable cold and wet conditions had already been rewarded for their dedication, but they wanted more.
United capped off a brilliant first half 2? minutes into injury-time when Glen Trifiro put his hand up to take a free-kick 25 metres out from goal.
Trifiro?s shot looked to be taken comfortably by the Tigers shot-stopper, but the number 99 fumbled the ball to further add to his side?s nightmare and allow United into the sheds with a thumping 5-0 advantage.
The Tigers came out from the break and wanted to join in on the goal scoring frenzy and looked destined to do so in the 47? minute.
Despite several shots on goal, the Reds defence proved why they were the best in the competition, holding their rivals out with some brilliant scrambling in the goal mouth.
The visitors looked like a whole new team in the opening minutes of the second period and Robbie Younis almost had the goal to prove it, only to be denied by the diving efforts of the advancing Vedran Janjetovic.
The five-man defensive line-up that United adopted in the second-half was able to withhold the Tigers attack on several occasions, allowing their front men with the opportunity to capitalise on the counter.
However there was very little United could do to maintain their clean sheet after Jamie McMaster latched on to a deflection to guide the ball past Janjetovic for the first time in the 74? minute.
United weren?t about to let the Tigers spoil their party, with substitute Steven Veleski doing his part to regain ascendancy for his side.
His cross found Andrija Petkovic unmarked down the left-hand side, enabling him to chip a cross to the head of Luka Glavas who made no mistake scoring his second goal of the evening.
United Captain Joe Vrkic believed his side?s first half performance was as good as it gets:
?The first-half was just sensational, everything we touched turned to gold,? the defender said.
?The last five or six games we have been just cruising along and getting the results we needed but for the first time this year we decided to turn it on and it worked.?
There would have been very little that Tigers coach Luke McGuire would have been impressed about in the first-half, however his troops certainly offered him some hope for the weeks ahead with the second-half showing:
?The second-half we did alright,? McGuire said.
?If we play like that for 90? minutes then we can compete but if we play the way we did in the first half we can?t compete.
?I think we made too many mistakes and tactically United out played us in the first half,? he said.
?We changed things around in the second-half which worked for us but all in all they were the better team on the day and thoroughly deserved their victory.?
Match Stats
Sydney United 6 (Davor Bajsic 22?, Ante Milicic 36?, David Zdrilic 40?, Luka Glavas 43? 80?, Glen Trifiro 45+2)
Sydney Tigers 1 (Jamie McMaster 74?)
Sunday 19th of April, 2009
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Crowd: 700 Approx.
Sydney United: 1.Vedran Janjetovic; 5.Damon Collina, 19.Mitchell Thompson, 6.Joe Vrkic, 21.Dominic Rossi (36.Mitchell Spears 8?), 9.David Zdrilic, 12.Davor Bajsic (24. Andrija Petkovic 51?), 4.Milan Bosnar, 18.Glen Trifiro, 10.Ante Milicic (42. Steven Veleski 77?), 11.Luka Glavas.
Substitutes Not Used: 25.Dennis Cutura, 20.Michael Frost.
Yellow Cards: Davor Bajsic 22?
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Tigers: 99.Phillip Zabaks; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3. John Kelso, 4. Daniel Clifford (Marino Musumeci 46?), 7.Stephen Kayes, 9.Robert Younis, 10. Franco Parisi (Adam Foti 72?), 11. Carlo Musumeci (19. Jamie McMaster 46?), 12. Michael West, 15. Daniel Cummins, 16. Michael Hawrysiuk.
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Giancarlo Papaianni, 5. Michael Galluzzo
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Glen Trifiro (SU)
2 ? Luka Glavas (SU)
1 ? Damon Collina (SU)
-By Michael Chammas
