Stallions hang on for a narrow victory
In the Serie A, it is Roma vs Lazio but in the NSW Premier League it is Marconi vs A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt ? with very similar colour schemes for both teams to the famous Rome city derby – and this latest instalment of the rivalry didn?t disappoint fans.
The game was of the highest quality with both teams not prepared to give an inch to each other. In the end Marconi Stallions prevailed by a narrow one-goal margin after an extremely lucky break just before halftime.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt were a transformed outfit. Coach Luke McGuire has managed to work a minor miracle in the space of a week after a very disappointing game against Manly United FC in the previous round.
Determination and a never-say-die attitude were clearly evident against the Stallions.
However, that?s taking nothing away from Marconi. The home side is still unbeaten after four rounds of the NSW Premier League and there are some compelling reasons why that?s the case given the side?s heavy injury toll.
For starters, an impressive youth system that rewards the club with talented young players such as Mitchell Malia, who making his NSW Premier League senor debut, scored both goals.
?He?s a good young boy,? said a very proud Marconi coach Lee Sterrey after the game.
?He was a 17 year old last year playing in our [Grade] 20s. Mitchell came through the youth ranks here and we let him go to play in the youth ranks at the Central Coast Mariners.
?He has a lot of pace about him and he will pick up more knowledge because he has only just turned 18 recently.
?He?s learning and he picked up some good experience at the Central Coast and he looks the goods.?
In the 11? minute a free-kick from Pablo Cardozo reached Robert Younis in the box but his header went just wide of the mark. Cardozo was signed for the Tigers after his time in the Victorian Premier League with the former NSL marksman hoping to continue his career in the NSW Premier League by scoring important goals in helping his new club’s cause.
A few minutes later Younis should really have put the visitors in front when he had a golden chance as he charged towards goal, only to be thwarted at the last minute by a brilliant save from James Chronopoulos.
Matthew Gordon at the other end of the field replied for the Stallions when he fired a rocket on the run that narrowly whisked over Matthew Nash?s crossbar.
In the 16? minute Marconi took the lead when Alex Canak set up Malia who finished off the move superbly by firing the ball into the back of the net past an out-stretched Nash. It was a class goal from the young debutant but unfortunately for Marconi, Canak injured himself in setting up the goal and had to be replaced shortly afterwards.
Nahuel Arrarte, who received a nice ball from Erick Anabalon, could well have doubled the home side?s lead but his shot forced Nash into a wonderful double save.
In the space of a few minutes the visitors had two more chances: a Younis header from a corner went over and then Parisi from close-range ? after some nice lead up work by Younis himself ? brought out the best in Chronopoulos.
?Jimmy Chronopoulos was sensational,? said Sterrey. ?We were 2-0 up at halftime only because of him.
?He pulled off some great saves and he was the sole reason why we were in front at half time.?
With the last kick of the first-half Marconi doubled their lead. It seemed a rather innocuous shot
from Malia but somehow a wicked deflection off a lunging Danial Cummins directed the ball into the goal past a stranded Nash.
It was a cruel blow for the A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt side that came out in second stanza of play much more determined.
In the 65? minute Younis finally brought the visitors back into the match and set up the contest for an enthralling finish.
A free-kick was awarded just outside the box and somehow the tall striker bent the ball around the wall and placed it accurately in the bottom right hand corner of the net.
It was almost surreal ? many thought that he had just missed the target but the ball had squeezed inside the post for a wonderful strike at goal.
In the 68? minute Chronopoulos pulled off what was arguably the save of the game as he dived to his left at full stretch to block a header from Younis that was surely destined for the back of the net.
In the 74? minute Younis, beating the offside trap, charged towards goal but fired over the crossbar as he faced an out-coming goalkeeper. Right at the death Cardozo?s free-kick just missed the goal and in many ways it summed up A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt?s second-half.
It was a case of many near misses but full credit too to Marconi for displaying such resilience in the face of adversity.
?We started alright and we had the best deck of cards of what we have left,? Sterrey said in a clear reference to his side?s injuries.
?We had a spring in our step and I thought that we played in a certain way that would suit the opposition; I think we caused them a lot of havoc early on.
?We have a lot of inexperience at the moment on the park, so we are giving a lot of kids a chance because we are starting to fall by the wayside in numbers with injuries.?
His counterpart Luke McGuire was clearly disappointed to not have taken home at least a point:
?They score a deflected goal to make it 2-0,? he said.
?In the second half I thought we dominated possession and dominated everything , but their ?keeper pulled off a couple of good saves and that was the game,? he concluded.
Meanwhile, in the Grade 20s, Marconi Stallions and A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt played out a 0-0 draw.
Match Stats
Marconi Stallions 2 (Malia 16?, 45?)
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers 1 (Younis 65?)
Saturday, 20th March, 2010
Marconi Stadium, Bossley Park
Referee: Peter Vrtkovski
Assistant Referees: Murray Wilson and Matthew Colquhorn
Fourth Official: Cameron Bruce
Marconi Stallions: 22.James Chronopoulos; 2.Brenton Rhodes, 4.Umut Tokdogan, 5.Adel El Jamal, 9.Erick Anabalon, 11.Matt Gordon (38.Daniel Petkovski 71?), 23.Christopher Nunes, 26.Nahuel Arrarte, 31.Mitchell Malia (25.Domenic Trimboli 85?), 42.Giorgio Speranza, 8.Aleksandar Canak (18.Jared Lum 32?).
Substitutes Not Used: 21.Jose Bello Amigo, 39.Sean O?Connell
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Matthew Nash; 2.Mark Byrnes, 14.Paul O?Grady, 5.Michael West, 7.Stephen Kayes (18.Bishara Stephan 82?), 8.Anthony Hartshorn, 19.Danial Cummins, 11.Nick Rizzo, 9.Robert Younis, 10.Franco Parisi, 12.Pablo Cardozo.
Substitutes Not Used: 19.Joseph Cartisano, 15.David Dascal, 20.Mark Pinto, 40.Michael Rutherford
Yellow Cards: Younis 66?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Mitchell Malia (MS)
2 – Franco Parisi (ALT)
1 – James Chronopoulos (MS)
-By Joe Russo
