Blacktown no match for Marconi in exciting encounter
Marconi?s was a place of celebration and locker thumping, while Blacktown?s was a place of quiet reflection ? almost solemn such was the silence.
Lee Sterrey, Marconi?s coach, was obviously pleased with his side and the effort they put into the game:
?These situations where you are coming off two washouts are never going to be easy,? he said.
?You never know if you are going to be up or not going to be up. You just hope that you have everything right in terms of what the preparation can be, but it seemed to be the case tonight that the longer we went, the better we got and the worse they got.
?I am very happy with our performance ? a first class performance ? and in the first twenty minutes of the second half is where we really won the game.
?When we play with the ball on the floor and play with our movement, we are very hard to stop and I think our pace really hurt them in some areas.?
After sizing each other up in the opening minutes, it was actually Blacktown City that broke the deadlock in the 9? minute when a powerful drive from Chris Bedzo from just outside the box had too much power on it for goalkeeper James Chronopoulos.
He spilled the ball and then desperately dived back to steer it away from goal, but it was all too late.
After some hesitation the referee, with the help from his assistant on the far line, decided that the ball had indeed crossed the line for a goal.
It was a close call, but who could argue with the officials who were in an excellent position to make such a crucial call.
Shortly afterwards a pinpoint cross from the right by Bedzo reached Ante Deur who tried his luck with a nice shot that, unfortunately for the visitors, took a deflection and ended up for a corner.
In the 19? minute Marconi had a golden chance to equalise when Alexander Canak very nicely played a through ball to Matthew Gordon who charged menacingly towards goal, beating the offside trap, but in the end – when face-to-face with Michael Herbert – he could only manage a shot that was beautifully saved by the Blacktown custodian diving low to his right.
A few minutes later Gordon whipped in a cross from the right to Ali Al-Hilfi who thought that he would try his luck with a long-range effort; in reality it was well worth the effort because the ball only narrowly sailed over the crossbar.
Marconi then thought that they had a semi-legitimate claim for a penalty when Vamara Diarra went down in the box, but the referee ? only metres away from the action ? decided to issue the young player from the Cote d?Ivoire with a yellow card for simulation in the box in what was probably a very good decision.
Marconi, however, did manage to draw level on the stroke of half-time when a corner kick found Canak in the box and he played a diagonal ball back to Abbas Al-Hilfi who brilliantly curled it into the back of the net for the Stallions past an outstretched Herbert.
The second-half got underway at a hectic pace and it was obvious that both sides were immediately intent on scoring.
In the 49? a long cross from the left by Matt Lewis found Adam Kwasnik lurking dangerously near goal, but the former Central Coast Mariners striker could only watch as his header was brilliantly parried one-handed by a diving Chronopoulos.
However, Marconi replied immediately with Canak?s first goal. A nice cross from the left by Vuko Tomasevic reached Canak who, as he was sliding, brilliantly managed to divert the ball into the goal.
It was too easy for the Stallions who were given far too much space by the Blacktown defence.
Only 3? minutes later Canak had his second and his team?s third in what was almost an action replay of the earlier goal.
The hard work was done by Nahuel Arrarte on the left charging towards goal and, when he almost reached the by-line, he threaded the ball back for Canak standing unmarked in front of an open goal and all he had to do was really just tap it in.
In the 58? minute Canak could well have scored his third, but after once again being left unattended by the Blacktown defence he fired in a rocket from outside the box that only just went wide of the mark.
Late in the game the action began to flow end-to-end once again, but it was really all too late for Blacktown City.
Marconi had a firm grip on the three points and nothing was going to take them away from their grasp.
Kwasnik headed the ball just wide in the 82? minute after a Lewis cross and Marconi replied shortly afterwards when Abbas Al-Hilfi set up Canak whose powerful drive hit the side netting.
In the 89? minute Al-Hilfi was at it again finding Umut Tokdogan who in turn flicked the ball back for Tomasevic, but the defender?s powerful drive only just sailed over the goal.
Blacktown City coach Ken Schembri was very disappointed afterwards and he gave full credit to Marconi:
?I thought Marconi deserved to win and they played very well,? he said.
?We were in the game up until half-time, but they equalised just before the break with a well-worked set piece.
?If we had come away at the break 1-0 up, it might have been a little bit different. Our heads were down a bit after that and then they scored two goals in five minutes and that was the game.
?We were disappointing today, they deserved to win and I have absolutely no complaints with that.?
Meanwhile, in the Grade-20s Blacktown City defeated the Marconi Stallions 5-3.
Match Stats
Marconi Stallions 3 (Abbas Al-Hilfi 44?, Alexander Canak 50?, 53?)
Blacktown City Demons 1 (Chris Bedzo 9?)
Saturday, 6th of June, 2009
Marconi Stadium, Bossley Park
Referee: Gerard Parsons
Assistant Referees: Allyson Flynn and Cameron Bruce
Fourth Official: Brendan Johansen
Marconi Stallions: 22.James Chronopoulos; 2.Wade Oostendorp, 30.Andrea Merenda, 6.Vuko Tomasevic, 8.Alexander Canak, 10.Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi, 7.Kader Toure (13.Ben Vidaic 76?), 11.Matt Gordon (15.Tim McGowan 46?), 17.Vamara Diarra (4.Umut Tokdogan 86?), 23.Christopher Nunes, 26.Nahuel Arrarte.
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Daniel Ott, 20.Cem Akili
Yellow Cards: Diarra 28?
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown City Demons: 1.Michael Herbert; 2.Tyler Simpson (10.Luke Austin 46?), 3.Paul Karbon, 5.David Wilkinson, 6.Luke Casserly, 8.Chris Bedzo, 9.Kain Rastall (15.Ray Miller 76?), 16.Ante Deur (18.Akwasi Agyei 63?), 17.Joel Chianese, 19.Adam Kwasnik, 29.Matt Lewis
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Gavin Forbes, 40.Brody Crane
Yellow Cards: Wilkinson 38?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joe Russo
