Demons let more points slip as Berries continue hot form
Blacktown City threatened early as they got their passing game together in this latest TeleChoice Premier League fixture.
A neat counter-attack involving Dimitri Zakalis and Kosta Lagoudakis saw Liam Austin have the first real attempt on goal for the Berries after 11? minutes but his left foot effort skewed wide of the right-hand upright as the Demons were caught at the back. The visitors slowly clawed their way into the match, which was closely followed by a last ditch clearance from a header as the Berries really began to take it to the opposition.
Back came the Demons to open the scoring through Matthew Lewis 4? minutes later as Adam Kwasnik went for a lobbed centre from Lewis but missed the header and the unsighted Hamish McLean in the Berries goal only to see it too late to make any difference, and the visitors found themselves behind in what could be considered as unfortunate circumstances.
Half chances came thick and fast at both ends with no additional trouble to the scoreboard until Zakilas rose to head home the equaliser from a corner, and once again, it was all square and game on after 23? minutes in a very open and entertaining game of football.
Lewis was proving a handful for the Berries defence coming in through the left-side of midfield and the occasional foray down the left-flank as he turned both Johnny Fotiadis and Jack Sobczyk to put over some telling crosses. The Demons though couldn?t capitalise on these chances and once again on the break it was Ryan Jones, who this time sent over a cross to the back post for Austin, but the ball was just to high to head goal ward in a move that should have given the Berries the lead.
Sobczyk picked up a caution in the 40? minute and from the resulting free-kick the ball fell to Lewis who hit a first-time effort, denied by McLean on the ground, and the Demons? player followed in for the rebound though the Berries defence managed to clear it away to defuse the danger in what proved the last meaningful contribution of the opening.
Blacktown came out for the second period seemingly with a flea in the ear from coach Ken Schembri and created two decent opportunities that, not for a scrambling defence, should have seen them put the game to bed.
The Berries rallied, countered and got back into it although at this point it would have been unfair for either side to claim the points as the contest remained evenly poised and there for the taking.
Chris Gaitatzis played in Ryan Jones who danced past the Demons defence inside the box and laid the ball back for Austin who again miss-hit the shot and sent it over from 12-yards out as the Berries began to pour forward in numbers.
One could sense that in this battle of attrition something had to give and it was almost the case when the referee ruled on an offside decision without the linesman flagging in a controversial moment that ended with the ball in the Demons net. To the referee?s credit, it was a clear offside and justice was served.
The Berries continued their surge and were rewarded when Lagoudakis centred a free-kick for Zakilas to head home his second of the game after 65? minutes which meant the Demons now had to come out in search of their own equaliser.
However, Michael Herbet was called into action again in the 76? minute when blocking from point-blank range a thunderous shot from Chris Gaitatzis to keep the Demons in the game.
A cheeky back-heel from Kwasnik let in Joel Chianese but the Demons midfielder couldn?t bury the chance under intense pressure from the Berries defence as the game again teetered one way and then the other as the clocked ticked down rapidly.
Luka Dukic, on as a sub for Daniel Wilkinson, fired in a cross just too far ahead of Kwasnik to reach at full stretch as another half-chance came and went for the Demons.
Demons coach Ken Schembri said afterwards:
?We conceded another two from set pieces and it seems we just can?t defend them.
?We were poor overall and didn?t play well enough to win.
?We went away from our normal game and in the end got punished and there?s not much more you can say about it really.?
West Sydney Berries boss John Calleja was happier when saying:
?I?m pleased with the performance and although it wasn?t pretty at times we still got the three points.
?We concentrated today and I though we were excellent at times as we had a game plan and the boys stuck to it.
?We let in a soft early goal but we battled back and I was a little disappointed we didn?t go 2-one up earlier than we did but that?s another three valuable points and keeps out unbeaten run going.?
In the Grade-20 match both sides shared the points following a 1-1 result.
Match Stats
Blacktown City Demons 1 (Matthew Lewis 15?)
West Sydney Berries 2 (Dimitri Zakilas 23?, 65?)
Sunday, 14th of June, 2009
Venue: Gabbie Stadium
Referee: Khodr Yaghi
Assistant Referees: Daniel Dewhurst and Lance Greenshield
Fourth Official: Brendan Jahansen
Blacktown City Demons: 1.Michael Herbet; 2.Tyler Simpson, 3.Paul Karbon, 5.Daniel Wilkinson (4.Luka Dukic 62?), 6.Luke Casserly (13.Nick Fitzgerald 84?), 8.Chris Bedzo (15.Ray Miller 62?), 9.Kain Rastall, 16.Ante Deur, 17.Joel Chianese, 19.Adam Kwasnik, 29.Matthew Lewis
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Brody Crane
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
West Sydney Berries: 1.Hamish McLean; 4.Omar Saadi, 5.Daniel Clifford, 6.Jack Sobczyk, 8.Johnny Fotiadis, 11.Aheleas Kotsopoulos, 14.Liam Austin (10.John Tsironis 90?), 15.Ryan Jones, 16.Kosta Lagoudakis, 17.Chris Gaitatzis (12.Stefan Donevski 86?), 19.Dimitri Zakilas (7.Peter Peralta 83?)
Substitutes Not Used: 2.Marjan Novotni, 22.Trinity Allen
Yellow Cards: Sobczyk 40?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock
