Berries, United draw but no-one happy with point
The early strike set the tone for United, who were in for a real challenge against their less fancied opponent.
The Berries didn?t take a ?what we have we hold? attitude and took it to United who at times were struggling to contain a bubbly attack that got in behind the visitors defence, and turned the backs as United held a high line up the park. West Sydney Berries defended in numbers by getting back behind the ball quickly, another frustrating obstacle for the visitors.
David Zdrilic looked to level with a neat turn on the edge of the box but saw his left-foot shot squeeze narrowly past the post. Petar Markovic, Ante Tomic and Luka Glavas started to find some time and space on the flanks and through the middle, and this allowed the Reds to cause the Berries? defence a few problems. The Berries though managed to hold firm with ?desperation clearances? and the numbers as United started to gain the ascendancy, particularly through Glavas on the right wing.
Markovic provided a cross from the right that Glavas should have buried with his head but again the ball slipped past the post on 18? minutes. The Berries went straight on the offensive but couldn?t add to their tally as they finally began to relieve the pressure on their back four.
Tirovski came close to adding a second in the 24? minute only to see the ball sail agonisingly wide.
United?s Michael Cindric and the Berries Ryo Maekawa was an interesting pairing against each other with the wily Cindric keeping a lid on the diminutive striker.
Perhaps the best opportunity of the half fell to Kosta Lagoudakis in the 32? minute. The Berries midfielder opted against pulling the trigger from the edge of the penalty-area, instead electing to pass to a team-mate ? allowing Reds? goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic to leave his line and snuff out the danger.
Zdrilic played in Glavas but Hamish McLean was quickly off his line to bravely save at the feet of the United striker as Lagoudakis unleashed a screamer from 35-yards at the other end, skimming the top of the netting as United uncharacteristically conceded space in the middle of the park.
The visitors were forced into a change with Sean Mitchell leaving the field for Mirjan Pavlovic, but the change was too late to alter the half-time score line as West Sydney Berries led by the slender goal.
The Berries tried to replicate their first-half start but couldn?t find the net through Maekawa and were quickly on the back foot once more as United pressured with Pavlovic sending over a teasing cross that was again met by Glavas who headed wide for the second time.
Maekawa, switching from the right to the centre of attack, netted in the 53? minute from a Lagoudakis cross but the assistant referee on the near side flagged for offside as United escaped.
Zdrilic, marshalling his troops, had Glavas to his right but unleashed a ferocious shot that was blocked by a defender and fell kindly for McLean to clear up as another opportunity went begging for United.
Janjetovic was then called upon to push the ball away smartly for a corner when Maekawa was released, and from the resulting corner, the ball was easily cleared by Markovic as the cross came in behind the Berries attackers. The Reds counter-attack proved a winner as United went up-field and scored with a cross-turn-shot from the right by Petar Markovic that caught McLean off his line.
With parity restored United went for the kill but resolute defence, and attack on the break, once again saw Maekawa through one-on-one with Janjetovic who dived full length to clear the ball away when the Berries should have taken the lead.
When Tirovski sent over a cross to be met by the glancing head of Maekawa that had the beating of Janjetovic but also the post it was clear the luck had to drastically change if West Sydney were to claim all the points in the final 10? minutes remaining.
David Zdrilic and Peter Peralta went into the book for a slight scuffle brought about by frustration that warranted no more than a caution and play continued.
Maekawa was at it again with little left on the clock but this time a wild swing saw the effort sail harmlessly over the crossbar as United pressed forward in numbers, leaving gaps at the back to exploit.
Sydney United pushed hard for a winner and on another night may well have found one but so too could a rejuvenated West Sydney Berries but for the expertise of Janjetovic.
West Sydney Berries coach Steve Karavatakis said after:
?I?m happy the boys turned up ready to play today but it?s a game we should have won given the opportunities we created.
?We have to learn to take the chances we are making and I thought for 70? minutes we controlled the game well.?
Sydney United Assistant Coach Richard Plesa added:
?We started slowly and conceded the early goal and that put us on the back foot a little as we are not used to being in that position this season.
?I thought we were generally slack in the first-half but we tightened up in the second and showed structure and shape to our game.
?We left gaps at the back which nearly cost us as we pushed to get something from the game and realistically I?m not sure whether we should be happy with the point or not, it was one of those games.?
West Sydney Berries probably shaded the match at the final whistle with a performance far removed from the previous week that gives them a platform to launch from for the remainder of the season as they strive to kick clear from the foot of the table.
The Grade-20 encounter finished with a Sydney United win, 4-1.
MATCH STATS
West Sydney Berries 1 (Sash Tirovski 1?)
Sydney United 1 (Petar Markovic 63)
Sunday, 30th May, 2010
Sydney Olympic Athletics Centre
Referee: James Lewis
Assistant Referees: David Lockeridge and Samuel Grosso
Fourth Official: Brendan Johansen
Crowd: 250 Approx.
West Sydney Berries: 1.Hamish McLean; 4.Daniel Clifford, 5.Ryan Walsh (3.Omar Saadi 49?), 7.Peter Peralta, 8.Jesse Pinto, 13.Ryo Maekawa, 16.Kosta Lagoudakis, 17.Sash Tirovski, 19.Dimitri Zakilas, 26.Iain King, 34.George Lagoudakis
Substitutes Not Used: 12.Stefan De Jesus, 15.Ryan Jones, 18.Shane Morrisey, 40.Nestor Tsioustas
Yellow Cards: Peralta 69?
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney United: 1.Vedran Janjetovic; 4.Michael Cindric, 5.Damon Collina, 9.David Zdrilic, 11.Luka Glavas (7.Todd Brodie 68?), 12.Jacob Timpano, 14.Petar Markovic, 19.Mitchell Thompson, 21.Sean Mitchell (25.Mirjan Pavlovic 40?), 23.Ivo Bosnar, 32.Ante Tomic
Substitutes Not Used: 30.Cem Akilli, 42.Steven Veleski, 45.Adam Jenner
Yellow Cards: Zdrilic 69?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock
