Manly United return to winning ways against sorry Bankstown City Lions
Second-half goals to Brad Groves and Michael Lloyd-Green ensured the peninsula outfit head into next Friday?s top of the table encounter at Edensor Park with renewed confidence after some stuttering performances of late.
Early warning shots from Hussein Akil and Hussein Salameh showed the Lions were up for the contest, but it was the home-side who should have taken the lead on 18? minutes.
Robbie Cattanach tormented Matthew Pressello with a determined run down the left-flank before whipping into a cross that Lloyd-Green should have buried.
Akil again went close for Peter Tsekenis? men 4? minutes later and then Cattanach was denied by Lions goalkeeper Zlatko Joseski following a well weighted through ball from Josh Sama on 25? minutes.
A Joey Schirripa free-kick was well saved by Joseski on the half hour mark before Brett Studman provided a major talking point after he was given his marching orders for raising his studs in a challenge on Schirripa after 33? minutes.
With their numerical advantage, Manly began to find holes in the Bankstown defence at will, but Sama was guilty of missing two simple chances leading into the break.
Faced with an open goal, he somehow poked wide from six-yards and then missed a penalty after Ash Ryan was clattered inside the area by the Lions custodian, Joseski.
Phil Moss? men finally opened the scoring on 55? minutes thanks to a rocket from Brad Groves.
Joe Gibbs released Lloyd-Green down the right and the energetic winger set a ball across to Groves, who unleashed a first time shot that had steam coming off it.
On 75? minutes the Lions should have been awarded a penalty following a foul by Joel Grenell but referee Kurt Ams ruled that the Manly defender was fouled inside his own area, much to the dismay of the vocal away supporters.
Manly killed the game as a contest 9? minutes later when Lloyd-Green side footed home after some great movement from Sama and Scott Thomas.
In a final twist, the Lions were reduced to nine men after Shane Webb was given an early shower after being reported for dissent.
A livid Peter Tsekenis felt the result was unjust:
?If we are given the penalty late in the second-half it is a different game,? he fumed.
?If it goes in, we are back in the game, even if we had ten men.
?I have plenty of guys coming back from injury the next few weeks which is handy given we will now have a few suspensions to deal with.
?I can?t fault the effort of the players, when close calls continually go against you, not much you can do.?
Manly United coach Phil Moss described the 90 minutes as ?strange?:
?We played some good football at times but still have plenty of work to do,? he said.
?When I saw the full moon I thought it might be a strange game and that turned out to be the case.
?Our defensive shape was great and we did enough to win.?
Match Stats
Manly United 2 (Brad Groves 55? Michael Lloyd-Green 84?)
Bankstown City Lions 0
Saturday 9th May, 2009
Cromer Park, Dee Why
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistant Referees: Scott Edeling and David Lockeridge
Fourth Official: Mark Mitchell
Crowd: 400 Approx.
Manly United FC: 1.Brad SWANCOTT; 3.Andrew MAILER, 5.Joel GRENELL, 6.Scott THOMAS, 7.Ashley RYAN, (14.Joey GIBBS 46?) 8.Michael LLOYD-GREEN, (23.Fabio PENA 84?) 9.Robbie CATTANACH (24.Brad GROVES 46?), 10.Josh SAMA, 15.Keith SHEVLIN, 16.Joey SCHIRRIPA, 20.Matt BINGLEY
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Rhyss KEANE, (RGK) 17. Scott WRIGHT
Yellow Cards: Joey Schirripa 25?, Scott Thomas 54?
Red Cards: Nil
Bankstown City Lions: 1.Zlatko JOSESKI; 2.Ibraham HAYDAR, 3.Shane WEBB, 4.Brett STUDMAN, 5.Richard LUKSIC, 7.Steve LIAVAS, 13.Matthew PRESSELO, 14.Suad AMETI, (9.James MONIE 79?) 15.Nussein SALAMAH, 32.Shannon BURGIN, 39.Hussein AKIL (99.Chris GODOY-BASCUR 74?)
Substitutes Not Used: 12.Stefce SOLESKI, 20.Cameron WHITE, 21.Andrew BAZI (RGK)
Yellow Cards: 1.Zlatko Joseski 45?, 14.Suad Ameti 68′, 7.Steve Liavas 71?
Red Cards: 4.Brett Studman 33?, 3.Shane Webb 90?
Player Ratings:
3 – Joel Grenell (MUFC)
2 – Matt Bingley (MUFC)
1 – Shannon Burgin (BC)
-By Andrew Prentice
