Super League Round 20 Review
The Suns have their noses in front of the Eagles on goal difference alone (plus-23 to plus-18), a whopping 10 competition points ahead of third-placed Spirit with just two weeks of football remaining before the finals.
The Saints moved up to join Macarthur ? who drew 1-1 with Liverpool ? in equal-fourth position, a point behind Spirit, and a coveted five points in front of Northern Tigers and Sydney Uni. The Tigers and Uni had their game abandoned due to a poor playing field, adding greater importance to their rescheduled clash, to be played on Tuesday night, where only the victor will remain in the finals hunt.
Granville and Central Coast booked their places in next year?s Super League by defeating Fraser Park 2-0 and Mount Druitt 5-0 respectively. The win moved the Rage and Lightning seven points clear of the bottom-placed Rangers with two rounds left to play. Liverpool?s draw slips them three points in front of Mount Druitt, with Fraser Park ? who play Bossy next week ? still nestled in between.
Rockdale?s win at Christie Park draws them alongside Parramatta as the best performing sides away from home, claiming six wins and a draw apiece on the road. The next best record belongs to Macarthur (five wins and three draws). Fraser Park has the lowest return outside home gates, with just one win and one draw from nine outings.
Conversely, it?s Rockdale who enjoy the best home record in the league, winning seven and drawing three to be undefeated at fortress Ilinden in 10 matches. Parramatta (eight wins and a loss at Melita Stadium) and Spirit (seven wins, two draws and two losses at Christie Park) are also stingy on home turf. Mount Druitt has the worst record, winning one and drawing three of eight games at Popondetta. Interestingly, only 52 of the league?s 119 matches have been won by the hosts (with 27 draws).
The league?s 2009 super boot competition is also reaching fever pitch with Saints star Juan Carlos Chavez edging ahead of Rangers ace Troy Eedy by one goal. Chavez scored against the Eagles to move to a staggering 21 goals for the season after a midweek Eedy brace at Fraser Park had brought the two offensive juggernauts together on 20.
To put the achievements of these two craftsmen into perspective, Alex Canak was last year?s leading goal scorer, bagging 12 for eventual champions Liverpool. Chavez and Eedy are followed by Tim Simpson (Spirit) on 13, Christian Soares (Uni) on 12, with Sam Awad (Suns) on 10, and Tanju Balabanel (Saints) and Scott Balderson (Tigers) on nine goals.
In the team goalscoring stakes, Parramatta have 15 players who have found the back of the net this year, Macarthur has 14, Spirit 13, Rockdale 12 and Liverpool 11. There were 130 different goalscorers in the 2008 competition, and 122 so far in 2009. The teams look set to eclipse last year?s total of 395 goals, with the 2009 tally currently sitting on 390 goals with 13 matches still to play.
Offensively, Parramatta and Rockdale have managed to score goals in all but one of their fixtures, while Granville has been held to nil nine times this season. Defensively, Parramatta has been toughest to penetrate, keeping a clean sheet in half of their 20 games. Rockdale and Spirit are next best with seven clean sheets, while Mount Druitt has had a goal scored against them in every single match played.
The midweek catch-up matches failed to help round-14 from producing the lowest goalscoring round of the season. The 12 teams could only manage 11 goals between them in six completed fixtures, taking the mantle from round-six, which offered 13 celebrations. The recent round-18 results tallied an impressive 25 goals, the highest mark since a 25-goal bonanza in the opening round.
Saints pluck Eagles
St George Saints continued their merry march up the ladder with a surprise 2-1 win over competition leaders PCYC Parramatta Eagles at St George Stadium on Saturday night. The Saints came out firing and led through Tanju Balabanel inside eight minutes before the Eagles started to get their act together to trail by one goal at the break.
Parramatta hit the ground running in the second term and a fantastic 25m blast from Craig Jacob leveled the scores on 57-minutes. But the joy was shortlived when, a minute later, Juan Carlos Chavez caught the Eagles defence off guard to slip in the winner and his 21st goal of the year. Parramatta?s loss was compounded when Mathew Clowes was sent off with just minutes left to play.
The win ? their first over the Eagles at St George ? moved the Saints into fourth spot on the ladder, a point ahead of Macarthur, and with just a slight chance of making it past third-placed Spirit to claim a ?second chance? card in the finals. St George sits one point off Spirit and play Granville (away) and Liverpool (home) in the closing two weeks.
Parramatta coach Jason Falzon applauded his team?s effort. ?It just shows how close it can be,? he said. ?The intensity was really high from both teams, but we should not have lost the match; we just have to get on with it now. I can?t fault the effort of the boys, they just didn?t put it in the back of the net.? Parramatta faces Sydney Uni at Melita next week before traveling to Mount Druitt in the final round.
St George Saints 2 (Tanju Balabanel 8m Juan Carlos Chavez 58m) PCYC Parramatta Eagles 1 (Craig Jacob 57m)
Rage over Fraser Park
Two cracking goals from Granville Rage strike weapon Nenos Bobo in each half at Fraser Park could be enough to keep the club in Super League next year. The Bobo brace ? his first goals of the year after missing 11 games through injury and suspension ? was the main difference between the two sides on Saturday night, as Fraser Park started to feel the effects of a hectic playing schedule.
The significance of the win wasn?t lost on Granville coach Hugh McCrory. ?That was a six-pointer for us,? he said, as the Rage moved seven points clear of bottom spot with two games left to play [against top-five hopefuls St George (home) and Sydney Uni (away)]. ?The beauty of [Saturday] night was that I had two 17-year-olds playing and both did really well. It was a good result because we needed it.?
The home defeat embroils Fraser Park in a three-way relegation dogfight with Liverpool and Mount Druitt in the closing rounds. Coach Ramsin Shamon was reflective. ?Two great individual goals from Troy [Eedy] killed the game off. We?ve played plenty of games on the trot, and that started to get to us? but we?ve had a good month.?
It was a frustrating week for Fraser Park, who had a double shot at breaking a 2-2 deadlock with Mount Druitt during a midweek catch-up, only to see a fine save, clearance off the line, and the ensuing corner kick repelled to end the game in a stalemate. They now play Liverpool and Macarthur, both away. ?We beat Macarthur 4-0 two weeks ago, so it just goes to show you it?s always on the day,? Shamon said.
Fraser Park FC 0 Granville Rage 2 (Nenos Bobo 7/57m)
Suns overshadow Spirit
Rockdale City Suns saw an opening for top spot and forced there leg through the door with a gritty 2-1 win over Spirit FC at Christie Park on Sunday afternoon. The away victory pushed Rockdale into first position, on goal difference to Parramatta, with two rounds to go, while third-placed Spirit are now vulnerable to an attack from St George and Macarthur. Spirit is on the road for both of their remaining fixtures, against Central Coast next week and Northern Tigers in the final round.
Spirit came out stronger and Daniel Cunningham converted a 25th-minute penalty to take a 1-0 lead before Sam Awad jumped high to head home ? his 10th of the season ? and restore parity for Rockdale on the half-hour mark. The Suns pressed ahead in the second half, and it was Goce Trposki who provided the winner when he slotted home a penalty on 55-minutes. It was a great week for Trposki, who also scored the deciding goal in a 1-0 midweek victory over Granville.
Rockdale coach Mile Todoroski was relishing the end-of-season pressure, with games against Macarthur (away) and Central Coast (home) to play. ?It was a very hard game, and fortunately we were a little bit stronger, but Spirit really tested us,? he said. ?Melita [Parramatta] give us a present yesterday and we try to use the chance. Now we see what happens after the next six days. It?s very hard [for the team] to play under pressure, not from me, but from the result. But this is football.?
Spirit FC 1 (Daniel Cunningham 24m penalty) Rockdale City Suns 2 (Sam Awad 36m Goce Trposki 55m penalty)
Bossy, Rams draw
Bossy Liverpool gained a valuable point in their 1-1 draw with neighbours Macarthur Rams at Ernie Smith Reserve on Sunday afternoon. The afternoon started disastrously for Liverpool coach Zlatko Nastevski, who had key player Danny Wilson injured in the first 10 minutes and Tony Park sent off five minutes later. Despite the disadvantage the score remained 0-0 at the break.
Bossy fought hard a man down in the second half until Macarthur midfielder Josh Ford scored a terrific goal with 20 minutes left to play. With the clock ticking down, some masterful work from Jeffrey Issa inside the box, where he showed wonderful control to turn and finish well, leveled the scores and sent the home fans into jubilation.
?The point is bigger than a house,? Nastevski said ahead of vital matches against Fraser Park (home) and St George (away). ?The plan to get more, but nothing went our way. We had to reshuffle everything [after the injury and send-off] and Macarthur score one of the best goals I?ve seen this year. But we changed a few players, and they helped get us back into the game. Everything is still too close [relegation] but, in the circumstances, I have to be happy and we will keep fighting until the end.?
Macarthur have battled through one of the toughest months in club history and it would be a remarkable achievement for them to make the playoffs. While both remaining games, Rockdale and Fraser Park, will be tough, the Rams will close out the season on familiar territory, at Lynwood Park.
Bossy Liverpool 1 (Jeffrey Issa 91m) Macarthur Rams 1 (Josh Ford 60m)
Lightning strikes down Rangers
Central Coast Lightning celebrated a massive 5-0 win over Mount Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park on Sunday afternoon. The victory made sure Central Coast remained in Super League in 2010, while putting Mount Druitt in the firing line, a point adrift at the bottom of the table inside the final fortnight.
Lightning captain Jamie Lobb scored the first and Mitchell Harper grabbed two, with Keenan Crum and an own goal rounding out a fantastic five for Central Coast. The result, the Lightning?s best all season, maintained a perfect record against the Rangers, winning five times in six clashes (one draw).
Central Coast coach Peter Preston was understandably happy. ?It?s good to be safe,? he said. ?It?s never easy, but we took our chances. They had a player sent off straight after halftime, but we were good value for the halftime lead [2-0]. We had a good day, which was coming for a long time now. The boys have worked hard, I know what they?ve done, and full credit to them today, they rolled their sleeves up. We?re now starting to build to next year and give some opportunities to a few of our young players.?
The Lightning have a couple of big games to settle the season, meeting Spirit on the coast next week before traveling to Rockdale on the final weekend. Mount Druitt?s task of staying in Super League is Everest-like. The Rangers have to find points from their last two games, against finals contender Northern Tigers (away) and heavyweights Parramatta (home).
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 0 Central Coast Lightning 5 (Jamie Lobb 42m Mitchell Harper 45/64m Keenan Crum 75m own goal 81m)
Uni, Tigers called off
The match between Northern Tigers and Sydney University, set down for Sydney Uni Oval on Sunday afternoon, was abandoned due to the state of the playing pitch. The referee called the game off after it was deemed unplayable after a rugby union match was held there on Saturday. The game has great significance, with only the winner to remain in playoff contention. In the run home, Uni play Parramatta (away) and Granville (home), while Northern hosts both Mount Druitt and Spirit at Mills Park.
Round 20 results
Fraser Park FC 0 Granville Rage 2 (Nenos Bobo 7/57m)
St George Saints 2 (Tanju Balabanel 8m Juan Carlos Chavez 58m) PCYC Parramatta Eagles 1 (Craig Jacob 57m)
Spirit FC 1 (Daniel Cunningham 24m penalty) Rockdale City Suns 2 (Sam Awad 36m Goce Trposki 55m penalty)
Bossy Liverpool 1 (Jeffrey Issa 91m) Macarthur Rams 1 (Josh Ford 60m)
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 0 Central Coast Lightning 5 (Jamie Lobb 42m Mitchell Harper 45/64m Keenan Crum 75m own goal 81m)
Sydney University Northern Tigers postponed
Grade 20 results
Fraser Park 4 Granville Rage 0
St George Saints 0 PCYC Parramatta Eagles 2
Spirit FC 1 Rockdale City Suns 2
Bossy Liverpool 1 Macarthur Rams 4
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 1 Central Coast Lightning 2
Sydney University Northern Tigers postponed
Round 21 Fixtures
Round 21 of the 2009 NSW Super League is a Saturday night bonanza with Granville against St George at Garside Park, Macarthur versus Rockdale at Lynwood Park, Parramatta play Sydney Uni at Melita Stadium, and Central Coast tackle Spirit FC at Pluim Park. On Sunday afternoon, Fraser Park take on Liverpool at Ernie Smith Reserve, and Northern Tigers welcome Mount Druitt to Mills Park.
-By Daniel De Nardi
