Sharks battle hard for win against gallant Penrith Nepean United
Sharks goalkeeper Jordan Nikolovski made his starting debut for the visitors as Penrith-Nepean United brought their 2009 TeleChoice Premier League campaign to a close.
In an even opening spell with both sides cancelling each other out Rob Morrison, another making his starting debut, had the opportunity to chip Nikolovski in the 8? minute but it was too strong and the chance vanished as Penrith-Nepean put themselves on the line and set out to upset the high flying Sharks.
Sutherland came straight back up-field with Michael Robinson going on a weaving 40-yard run and crossing for Panni Nikas whose header at the near post was well diverted for a corner by Matthew Nash as the visitors began to take control of the game.
Brad Boardman was unlucky not to find the net when Steven Baveas got the slightest of touches to deflect the effort over the crossbar for a corner but they didn?t give the Sharks their own way and mounted the occasional counter-attack, as the visitors pushed forward in search of the opening goal and, possibly, second spot on the ladder if other results went their way.
Chris Price, Nikas and Ben Spruce combined sweetly on the left but the final ball was crossed too long in the 24? minute as Sutherland started to find space and time down the Penrith-Nepean right-flank.
The visitors slowly pushed the home team back into defending deeper and put them under almost constant pressure but still the breakthrough proved elusive, especially when Mark Bariamis almost wrong footed his own ?keeper but the ever-awake Nash managed to get something on the ball and defuse the situation and was again in the action less than sixty seconds later when tipping over a Price effort from the left once more.
Nikas tried his luck from distance with Nash off his line and relieved to see it slide past the up-right as the Shire side turned the screws to no avail as Penrith-Nepean partly rode their luck and partly kept their defensive line intact meanwhile setting up attacks on the break.
The home-side?s efforts almost paid off when Devrim Husseyin managed to get a cross over for Morrison to rise and meet with a header that slipped agonisingly wide of the mark as they enjoyed a small hiatus from the constant barrage. At the other end, Nash had to be at his best to save down low to his left from yet another Nikas attempt just before the break.
The breakthrough finally came when the ball was played into Brad Boardman who slipped his marker in the 56? minute and fired home with the left foot. It was though the shackles were lifted and Sutherland started to play their usual brand of football and should have claimed a second not one minute later when Jimmy Bakis picked up a loose ball and had his shot cleared off the line by some desperate defence.
Bakis was culpable in the 63? minute when Boardman played the ball into the feet of Nikas who slipped it to Price who teed up Bakis to fire wide of the post with the goal at his mercy – and again Penrith were able to ride their luck and remain in the game.
Nash was called upon again when Boardman crossed for Neil Jablonski to try his luck but the Penrith-Nepean custodian got his hand to the ball which was eventually cleared off the line as the home team continued to play with pride and not a little passion.
Panni Nikas finally settled the result when heading home after 81? minutes and the gallant efforts of Penrith-Nepean were thwarted for another season and the planning for the next could begin in earnest and should they keep the nucleus of the present side intact they ought to really turn heads in 2010.
Boardman had another cleared off the line by Bariamis in what proved almost the last fruitful action of the match, before Nash had to make a double save from Michael Robinson at the death to restore the pride to a battling United side.
Penrith Nepean coach Ante Juric said afterwards:
?We battled hard today but made a few mistakes and paid the price against a very good Sutherland side.
?They are the only team to totally dominate us this season and they deserved the three points and to finish third and they certainly give the title a good shake.
?Well played to Robbie and his lads, they?ve done extremely well and should go on to better things.?
Sutherland Sharks boss Robbie Stanton stated:
?It was a good game today for us on a bad pitch and we knew we had to win to perhaps finish higher in the league but the pressure wasn?t on us so if we didn?t get the points, so be it.
?We rested Michael Katz and Nathan Denham for the TigerTurf Cup Final next week but I thought Boardo?s goal was world class.
?He managed to turn his marker and spin around to thunder the ball home and he was unlucky not to get a hat-trick today.
?When all?s said and done I am happy to finish third so we can look forward to the Cup final next week and the TeleChoice Premier League Final?s series and see how far we can go.?
After finishing third the Sharks take on the Marconi Stallions in the Preliminary Semi-Final on Sunday 23rd August at Marconi Stadium.
In the earlier Grade-20 match the Sharks were victorious by the odd goal ? 2-1 the final result.
Match Stats
Penrith-Nepean United 0
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Brad Boardman 56?, Panni Nikas 81?)
Sunday 9th, August, 2009
Cook Park, St. Mary?s
Referee: Jason Blackwood
Assistant Referees: Stephen Nguyen and Greg McLoughlin
Fourth Official: Chris Young
Penrith-Nepean United: 1.Matthew Nash; 2.Mark Bariamis, 6.Steven Baveas, 12.Nick McInerney, 14.Greg Kondek (10.Keynike Maralit 46?), 15.Sean Mitchell, 17.Ante Juric (8.Yannick Mifsud 85?), 23.Devrim Husseyin, 26.Tayfun Buyukkopru (3.Gassin Farraj 68?), 27.Rob Morrison, 31.Alex Mansueto
Substitutes Not Used: 21.Nikolas Jelic, 4.Evangelos Petratos
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks: 17.Jordan Nikolovski; 2.George Souris, 4.Michael Robinson, 6.Chris Price, 7.Jim Bakis, 9.Brad Boardman, 11.Ben Spruce (8.Nathan Ralph 80?), 12.Neil Jablonski, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 22.Yanni Fragogiannis, 18.Panni Nikas
Substitutes Not Used: 3.Ryan Emerton, 10.Matthew Hall, 15.Blake Powell, 40.Jake Lloyd
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock
