2009 Premier Youth League Grand Final Reviews
The bright sunshine was accompanied by a gentle breeze that ensured the ultimate comfort for everyone concerned on the day.
It was indeed fitting that the matches were all as skilful and competitive as the season had been and that the entertainment they provided was an absolute delight for everyone in the spectator areas.
On a day when it was known that the winners and losers would come in equal measure the atmosphere in the stadium was wonderful It was delightful to hear the nervous chatter, laughter and fearless predictions before each game, the ?Oooohs? and ?Aaaahs? mixed with spontaneous applause while the games were in progress and then the enthusiastic appreciation of both teams during each of the presentation ceremonies.
A legend in football in Australia for the last four decades, Rale Rasic watched and thoroughly enjoyed every match on the day. Still active in the development of young players, Rasic was more that willing to help with the presentation ceremonies at the conclusion of the matches where he was assisted by representatives of Football NSW including general manager Ian Holmes, director George Jackson and competition secretary Luke Cevolani.
When asked for his thoughts at the end of the day, Rasic?s enthusiastic response was ?The skill and athleticism I have seen today encourages me to believe that the future of football in Australia is in very good hands?. Still enormously respected within the football community, Rasic responded immediately to a seemingly endless request for photographs and autographs throughout the day.
Also amongst the large crowd to watch the talented youngsters in action were former Socceroo legends Jim Fraser and Stan Ackerley, both of whom are actively involved in developing the new generation of players.
Football NSW have asked me to acknowledge their sincere thanks to Marconi Stallions and Club Marconi who not only made their facilities available but also performed wonders in ensuring that the day flowed smoothly for players and spectators alike thanks to the seemingly boundless energy displayed by their small army of helpers. Worthy of particular praise is Stallions? football manager Paul Saliba who was ?the voice of Grand Finals day? with his stream of team announcements and general information as well as a fabulous selection of music appropriately played after every goal was scored and during every intermission throughout the day.
In addition, Football NSW did everything humanly possible to ensure that the day flowed very efficiently through the outstanding efforts of competition secretaries Cevolani and Larry Grant, match commissioner Lyn Doull and referees coordinator Steve McAppion.
It is important to mention the referees, all of whom made their own valuable contribution to the day. To a man they gave their best to each and every match, ensuring that the teams could display their wares and keeping the controversial moments to an absolute minimum in this game of widely diverse opinions. Throughout the day they were encouraged, assisted and advised by the full team of referees? coaches and that can only help with the further development of these young people who are every bit as committed as any player..
On the field of play, six of the twelve clubs were represented on the day with Wollongong FC having three teams present, Blacktown City Demons and Marconi Stallions each having two teams while Sydney Olympic, Sutherland Sharks and Manly United all had one team In action.
It the final analysis, Wollongong claimed all three of the Championship plaques they contested while Blacktown and Marconi earned one apiece.
Now it is time to look at what happened in each of the matches and to remind you that next week The Youth League Report will look back on the 2009 season on a club-by-club and competition-by-competition basis.
Grade 13
The Backgound
Sydney Olympic are the Premiers for this season, winning the competition by two points. They have reached this match via the most direct route after they defeated Wollongong FC 4-2 in the Major Semi Final.
Wollongong finished the competition in third position, four points behind the leaders. They arrived at this match after beating West Sydney Berries 1-0 in the Preliminary Semi Final, losing 4-2 to Olympic in the Major Semi Final and then overcoming Blacktown City Demons 3-1
In head-to-head action this season the first round clash was a 2-2 draw and then Wollongong won the second match 1-0.
The Match
What a way to start the day! This match was an absolute thriller from beginning to end with a breathtaking display of skill and commitment from both teams clearly delighting the large crowd on hand to witness the contest.
Wollongong had slightly the better of the first half as they took the game to the Premiers with the clear intention of achieving the best possible outcome. To their credit, Olympic defended resolutely and then began to claw their way back into the contest.
While the game began to flow from end to end, it was evident that Wollongong had a slight edge and their efforts reaped a reward two minutes before the interval when Aaron Glover?s strike gave them the lead.
After the teams had received some well chosen words of advice during the break, Olympic began to show the qualities that had taken them to the top of the table as they went in search of an equaliser.
After creating a few chances without joy, they found what they were looking for when Thomas Bonomy neatly tucked the ball into the back of the net.
That put the match on a razor?s edge and the teams responded by raising the bar on their own performances to give us a thriller finish as the chances to claim a winner fell equally at both ends of the ground. When none of those opportunities produced a goal it was necessary to go into extra time.
Both Wollongong and Olympic increased the tempo and intensity of their play to add to the nail-biting in every area of the stadium. While each of the teams had their share of chances, neither could manage to find the much desired finishing touch and so it was off to the penalty spot for the ultimate decision.
It was here the Wollongong came to the fore as they converted four of the spot kicks while Olympic converted just three and so the lads from the south coast claimed the crown as Champions.
Grade 14
The Background
Marconi Stallions were crowned Premiers when they won the competition by a very comfortable six points. To gain their place in this match the Stallions defeated Sutherland Sharks 3-0 in the Major Semi Final.
Sutherland Sharks were the competition runners-up and they came into this match following a 2-1 success over Blacktown City Demons in the Preliminary Semi Final, lost 3-0 to the Stallions in the Major Semi finals and then defeated the Demons 1-0 in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action the Stallions won the first round clash 1-0 and then the Sharks were 1-0 winners in the second round.
The Match
From the outset the teams showed that this match would be something special and they certainly lived up to that with a superb display of top quality competitive football that showed off the attacking and defensive qualities of both teams.
With the extreme pressure being applied in both penalty areas it seemed certain that anything could happen in this game as every player took full responsibility for their performance.
Marconi gained the upper hand when one of their first half attacks forced an error in the Sutherland defence and that resulted in an ?own goal?. Sutherland redoubled their efforts to try to make up the leeway but the Marconi defence held firm through to the break.
The earliest stages of the first half continued to paint the picture of two very even teams as they went at each other with skill and flair coupled with a solid resolve to achieve the best result.
The Sharks squared the ledger in the 42nd minute thanks to a spot kick conversion by Chris Ikonomidis and that led to the teams really rolling up their sleeves to provide a spectacle that will live long in the memories of everyone present on the day.
Chances continued to fall at both ends of the ground by they were thwarted by some very near misses and some splendid goalkeeping. The tension that created really reeked havoc on the nerves of everyone in the spectator areas and that was reflected in the subsequent increase the decibel level of their vocal support.
Just when the referee began to take the first serious looks at his watch to determine when he would blow the full-time whistle, the Stallions produced a moment of magic that proved to be decisive as it culminated in what would be the winning goal from Scott Harrison.
Such was the quality of this game that the post-match applause for both teams seemed to go on forever. The Stallions had claimed the Championship medals and the Sharks had their heads held high with the proud knowledge that they had been in a fabulous match.
Grade 15
The Background
Marconi Stallions are the Premiers after they won the competition by three points and they reached this match after losing 4-1 to the Demons in the major Semi Final and then beating Manly united in the Preliminary Final.
Blacktown City Demons were the competition runners?up and they claimed the first place in this match when they were 3-0 winners over Manly United in the Preliminary Semi Final and then they defeated Marconi Stallions 4-1 in the Major Semi Final.
In head-to-head action during the season their first clash was a 1-1 draw and then the Stallions won the second match 3-1.
The Match
Blacktown started this match like a house on fire. It was soon apparent that they had Marconi on the back foot in the early stages of the game and they were able to maintain that pressure for large chunks of the first half.
To their credit, the Stallions refused to crack as their defence held firm and then they began to launch some counter attacks that caused some moments of genuine concern for the Demons.
The teams went to the interval scoreless and from the start of the second stanza it was clear that the respective coaches had chosen the right words of advice for their charges. Blacktown were forced to increase their intensity in all areas of play as Marconi began to make more attacking forays in their bid to claw their way back into the game.
As a result, the play was much more even during the second half and it became a guessing game about which of the teams would create the chance that would result in the opening goal. They both had opportunities but some very near things and some excellent goalkeeping conspired to keep them scoreless.
In the 61st minute the referee spotted a pushing incident in the Marconi penalty area and Peter Antelmi accepted the responsibility for successfully converting the spot kick, giving the Demons the 1-0 advantage.
The Stallions shrugged off the setback and renewed their serious search for goal that would square the accounts but the well marshaled Blacktown defence refused to buckle.
After what would have seemed an eternity for both benches, the final whistle sounded and Blacktown were the Champions. It is certain that both teams will long remember this match for the quality, intensity and passion it produced.
Grade 16
The Background
Blacktown City Demons are the Premiers after they won the competition by a margin of five points. After going down 3-2 to Wollongong in the Major Semi Final the Demons were 3-0 winners over Sydney Olympic in the Preliminary Final.
Wollongong FC finished the competition in third position, seven points behind the leaders. They grabbed the first spot in this match when they defeated Manly United 2-0 in the Preliminary Semi Final and then they beat Blacktown City Demons 3-2 in the Major Semi Final.
In head-to-head action this season the Demons had won both games, 2-1 in the first round and then 1-0 in the second round.
The Match
Wollongong took the initiative from the first whistle and they had the look of a team that was in a hurry to get the result while Blacktown had a slightly sluggish look about them and that was not helped by them being forced onto the back foot.
While Wollongong continued to press forward to apply pressure to the Premiers, the Demons began to shake off their slow start and they started to make some inroads of their own.
Before the interval three goals had been scored with two of those going to Wollongong and the other one to Blacktown and so the stage was set for a ripper second half.
That is exactly what they produced as Wollongong showed a strong determination to go on with the job and Blacktown tried to impose themselves in a way that would produce at least an equaliser.
The enterprise shown by the lads from the south coast was rewarded when they added a goal to their tally, giving them a 3-1 scoreline but Blacktown showed right up to the final whistle that they would never throw in the towel, even though they could not find the back of the net after creating several chances.
So it was that Wollongong Community FC claimed the Premiers plaque.
Wollongong?s goals came from Matthew Birkin, Daniel Chapman and Dylan Evans while Bruno Privato netted for Blacktown.
Grade 18
The Background
Wollongong FC are the Premiers after they won the competition by two points and they took the direct route to this match by beating Blacktown City Demons 1-0 in the Major Semi Final.
Manly United finished the competition in fifth position, fourteen points behind the leaders. They have taken the long way to reach this match with a 1-0 victory over Bankstown City in the Elimination Semi Final, a 2-1 win over Marconi Stallions in the Minor Semi Final and then they defeated Blacktown City Demons 1-0 in the Preliminary Final.
In head-to-head action manly claimed the first round points with a 2-0 win and then Wollongong won the second round clash 4-0.
The Match
If forced to describe this match with one word, that word would be ?Wow!? It had everything you could possibly hope for with skill, commitment, passion and athleticism in abundance from both teams and there was no sign of any wilting of those ingredients at any stage of the match.
In turn, Wollongong showed why they finished at the top of the table and Manly showed that the form that had seen them gain a last-gasp place in the finals and their more recent displays were certainly no fluke.
While there were no goals scored during the first half, the quality of the match was there to be savoured by everyone fortunate enough to witness it as the teams went at each other as if there would be no tomorrow.
Both goalkeepers were forced to display their full array of skills as the teams seemed to take turns to launch attacks on their opponents? goal, producing the thrill-a-minute action that is expected at this level of the game.
As if the first half had not produced enough to satisfy everyone concerned, the teams produced even more heart-stopping action throughout the second half as they both sought the vital breakthrough moment.
We had to wait until the 75th minute for the net to be bulged and the honour for that fell to Wollongong?s Vaughan Patterson but no-one was sure whether one goal would be enough.
Manly promptly threw everything they had into their attempts to square the ledger and they very nearly achieved that aim but in the final analysis, ?nearly? was not quite enough.
Wollongong Community FC were crowned as Champions and Manly United FC can stand tall with their pride well and truly intact.
-By Barry Davis
