Marconi end Manly United?s season with a win in extra time
The Stallions were quick out of the blocks in the minor semi final, rectifying their poor start to their match against Sutherland Sharks last week.
Matthew Gordon found himself back in the run on side and almost returned the favour to coach Lee Sterrey, but the number 11 was unable to capitalise on a through ball courtesy of some desperate Manly defence.
Former Ivory Coast youth international Ousmane Toure tried his best to etch his name on to the score sheet, but his effort from the edge of the box trickled wide of the far post.
A defensive error from Umut Tokdogan almost proved costly, but luckily for the home side, he was able to regain possession and deny Jamie Garside a shot at goal.
Marconi looked set for a big match and so to did Chris Nunes, finding some room down the right flank before sending his shot into the stands from close range.
Vuko Tomasevic threw himself into action, crossing a ball into the direction of Alex Canak, but a high bounce saw the former Super League striker get shin to ball.
It was all the Stallions in the opening 30 minutes, looking dangerous despite execution letting them down at the last pass.
Against the run of play, Manly United managed to find a crack in Marconi?s defence.
A long through ball fell between keeper James Chronopoulos and Garside, but the keeper?s decision to come out of his box almost proved costly.
Garside was first to the ball and managed to head past the shot stopper, but he lost his footing and watched on agonisingly from the ground as the ball rolled wide of the post.
But Ousmane Toure was quick to steal the limelight, beating Andrew Mailer with a flick over the top before launching a powerful shot that Brad Swancott swallowed up.
Manly were fortunate to go into the half-time break with the score locked up at 0-0 and Craig Midgley?s long-range effort failed to make an impact, missing his intended target.
Joey Schirripa?s free kick beat all players waiting in the box and the bounce proved awkward for Chronopoulos to handle, but the shot-stopper did well to keep his composure and deny the visitors yet again.
If anyone was going to break the deadlock it was going to be Ousmane Toure, but mid-way through the second period, his chip from outside the box fell narrowly over the crossbar.
Canak showed off his fancy footwork to beat Mailer down the left flank, only for Swancott to intercept his cross on the line.
Matthew Bingley found himself in the unfamiliar role of striker and almost broke the hearts of the Marconi faithful when he found himself on the end of a through ball, but the substitute found nothing but the side of the netting with his right-footed stab.
Nunes turned defence into attack when he supplied Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi with a magical through ball, but the Iraqi import?s cross in front of goal missed all his intended targets, allowing Manly to clear from danger.
Despite Marconi?s dominance, Manly United?s defence held firm, forcing the match into extra time with the scores locked up at 0-0 after 90 minutes of football.
Marconi could have taken a lead in the 93rd minute when Al-Hilfi put Canak into space, but the number eight was unable to successfully chip the advancing Swancott who got enough hand to the ball to thwart the attack.
But when English import Spencer Prior made a rare blunder to allow the ball past him, there was nothing Manly could do but to watch Nahuel Arrarte set up Al-Hilfi at the far post who tapped home the first goal of the match in the 95th minute, despite Manly?s protest for an offside.
Manly?s first chance of extra time came early in the second period when Keith Shevlin did well to chest down a long pass, but his second effort wasn?t so good, directing his shot way over the cross bar and into the private boxes.
Diarra gave Erick Anabalon the chance to double the lead and seal the victory, but failed to shoot on his first touch and paid the price as Bingley hunted him down in the penalty area.
But when the two linked up in the final minute of the match, the crowd were brought to their feet as Vamara Diarra finished off some brilliant lead up work to book a preliminary final berth.
Diarra?s first touch was all class, chesting down before tapping his shot past Swancott to stretch Marconi?s victory to 2-0.
Manly coach Phil Moss was a man of mixed emotions after the match.
?I thought they had the better of the game in the first half and that we had much better of the game in the second half,? Moss said.
?I thought physically we would give them a run for their money in extra time but they got the goal which at best you would call it controversial which on another night would be disallowed.
?I?m bursting with pride for my boys because we have had a mountain of injuries this year including 13-14 players in the grandstand in the last six weeks so it has been a great effort to get where we are,? he said.
Manly United?s season may be dead and buried, but Moss made no secret of which team he would like to see win this year?s TeleChoice Championship Series.
?Marconi are the most dangerous and creative side going forward but Sydney United have the most lethal attack with Luka Glavas, Elsid Barkhousir and Ante Milicic.?
?It?s going to be a pretty even race but for our sake we hope Marconi go on and win it because they knocked us out.?
In the opposing dressing room, Marconi mentor Lee Sterrey was a much happier man than he was just six days earlier.
?From the first minute we went out to express ourselves and we played some good quality stuff,? he said.
?The courage and determination has been there all season.
?There?s a lot of passion, desire and belief in the room.?
Sterrey was also full of praise for his opposition.
?We tried to go through them and not around them because they are a good, strong side,? he said.
?I don?t think people have given Manly enough credit this year because they have some good players and are well coached.?
When asked about who he would rather play next week in the preliminary final, Sterrey wasn?t too concerned.
?I don?t care who we play.?
Sydney United defeated the Sutherland Sharks 2-1 in the Grade 20s match earlier. The Reds took the lead in the 67th minute when Daniel Rezo struck from the penalty spot before Marko Banic added a second in the 84th minute. The Sharks pegged one back in the 93rd minute via Blake Powell but it was too little too late as United marched onto next week?s sudden death final while Sutherland bowed out in the Grade 20?s.
Match Stats
Marconi 2 (Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi 95?, Vamara Diarra 122?)
Manly United 0
Venue: Marconi Stadium
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Crowd: Approx 550
Referee: Kris Griffith Jones
Marconi Stallions: 22.James Chronopoulos, 2.Wade Oostendorp, 4.Umut Tokdogan, 6.Vuko Tomasevic, 7.Ousmane Toure (5.Adel Eljamal 102?), 8.Alex Canak, 10.Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi (9.Erick Anabalon 110?), 11.Matthew Gordon (15.Tim McGowan 73?) 17. Vamara Diarra, 23. Chris Nunes, 26. Nahuel Arrarte
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Cem Akili, 13.Ben Vidaic
Yellow Cards: Ousmane Toure 35?, Chris Nunes 61?, James Chronopoulos 108?
Red Cards: Nil
Manly United: 1.Brad Swancott, 2.Andrew Mailer, 4.Spencer Prior (19.Andrew Hayward 101?), 5.Sam Gallagher, 6.Scott Thomas, 7.Ashley Ryan (26.Jimmy Oates 101?), 8.Mick Lloyd-Green, 11. Craig Midgley, 12.Jamie Garside (20.Matthew Bingley 77?), 15.Keith Shevlin, 16.Joey Schirripa
Substitutes Not Used: 41. Ben McNamara, 13.Mitchell Macedo
Yellow Cards: Joey Schirippa 54?
Red Cards: Nil
3 ? Ousmane Toure (MS)
2 ? Chris Nunes (MS)
1 ? Andrew Mailer (MU)
By Michael Chammas
