Blacktown City return to winner?s list
With Blacktown City looking to get back on the winning trail, and Sydney Olympic down five first graders, it looked on paper like it would be all the home-side but the Blues contributed plenty to this entertaining game.
Blacktown City did come out the stronger side in the opening 20? minutes and by then they were leading by two goals.
Firstly, in the 6? minute, Mitchell Long stole the ball off Ricky Perinich at the back but was unable to keep his feet as the Sydney Olympic defence was able to clear the ball out for a throw-in. That throw-in was taken quickly and Tolgay Ozbey received the ball. In what would be one of his best team performances of the season thus far, Ozbey showed all his individual skills by bringing the ball down on his chest and smashing the ball into the back of the net.
5? minutes later, it was Sydney Olympic?s turn as they attacked down the right through Chris Triantis who played a great pass to Matthew Mayora in the area. Mayora turned in the box but, as he did, Travis Major got there to put him off and force the Blues striker into a chip shot that fell easily into Matthew Ryan?s hands in the Blacktown goal.
Another half-chance fell the way of Dimitri Petratos but this period of play was really all about the constant pressure Blacktown, sporting a new playing structure on the field, was putting Olympic under. This was capped off in the 17? minute when a powerful free-kick from Tolgay Ozbey could only be parried by Paul Henderson, low to his left, and Joel Chianese pounced to slot the ball home.
3? minutes later, the home-side could have had a third goal when Kain Rastall played a through ball to Ozbey. A mix up with the striker and his team-mate Chianese meant Henderson comfortably got to the ball and killed off the play.
With two goals in the bag Blacktown seemed to clock off for a while and Sydney Olympic got back into the game, although at that point they lacked the cutting edge to get a goal back.
However, Blacktown City were not making anything of their chances either and just before the break, it looked as though they would be made to pay by Olympic. Tyler Simpson fouled Mayora on the left-side of the penalty-area and a free-kick was awarded. Unlike the match between these two sides in round one, Mayora was not able to score just before half-time to get his side back into the match.
It was almost 3-0 at the break when Chianese and Ozbey combined down the left and set up several shots on the Olympic goal, however Paul Henderson denied each of his opponents from point-blank range – including Chianese and Luke Roodenberg – in a fine display of his immense goal keeping skills.
At the break Andre Gumprecht changed some personnel and adjusted his structure to try and change the game.
In the 55? minute it looked as though he would be rewarded with Phil Makrys shooting the ball towards goal with a great deal of power, though Matthew Ryan as able to punch the ball away to safety.
Still Sydney Olympic remained in the hunt as Blacktown City missed chance after chance. In the 59? minute Ozbey broke clear and tapped the ball around the last defender but as he approached Henderson he slipped and the ball went away out of danger.
2? minutes later, he was on goal again but denied by Henderson with the Olympic keeper approaching Ozbey quickly and spreading himself as wide as possible to thwart the attempt.
The game had really opened up and both sides still fancied getting something out of the match. On 66? minutes it looked as though the door was slammed in the face of Olympic. The ball had gone into the penalty-area when substitute Luke Gearin seemed to scoop the ball with his arm – he was already down low at the near post in traffic – into the hands of Henderson. Referee Kurt Ams, having a strong game in the centre, pointed to the spot immediately. Ozbey stepped-up to the mark and sent Henderson the wrong way, scoring the third goal the home fans had been yearning for.
How important this goal was became more evident in the next 10? minutes. Pressure from the away side saw Ryan pull off a good save from a shot by Nik Tsattalios along the slippery surface. Then, in the 76? minute, Ams was called upon again to point to the spot, this time at the other end of the field. Incredibly in the space of a matter of seconds Blacktown City players committed two fouls in the area on Olympic players. Ams had wisely played the advantage after the first one but then immediately pointed to the spot once the Olympic attack was brought to its knees by another poor tackle. The 77? minute penalty was successfully converted by Chris Triantis who fired the ball under Ryan, and Olympic back into the match.
Sydney Olympic tried to flood forward and again down the left Tsattalios was at the fore, picking up a loose ball in the middle of the park, advancing down the left, sliding the ball past the defence but slipping on the grass at the critical moment as the chance went begging. At the other end Ozbey was still doing his thing as he danced around defenders, although his final shot deflected off his opponents and away from danger.
In the 81? minute Travis Major hit a swerving ball that demonstrated what the ball might be like in the World Cup but Henderson was able to predict it?s path and thwart the effort.
As in the previous week against Bankstown, the Blues had strong late chances but were unable to take them with Matt Ryan missing a cross but Sydney Olympic players being unable to capitalise. Then, Jerry Kalouris put another cross in but this time Ryan beat his opponents to the ball to stop the play. Right on full-time Blacktown City had the chance to demonstrate their superiority throughout the match but they were unable to make the most of yet another strong opportunity on goal.
Following the match, Sydney Olympic veteran defender Angelo Petratos pointed to the youthful nature of the side so as to take a positive from the match:
?I was disappointed with the way we copped the first two goals but we fought hard after that. We had four senior players out today and our team was full of youth, but those players fought hard and have a lot to be proud of, despite the result.?
For Blacktown City FC coach Aytec Genc, it was great to be winning again after a rough period: ?We started really well today, we closed Olympic down and pressed them high up the park.
?I was pleased with our energy and determination and it was great to see Tolgay strike the ball so well for the first and second goal.
?Having said that we missed a lot of chances today. There were one-on-ones we should have scored from and we should have been up by three or four goals by half-time and more by the end of the match.
?I am unhappy with the front-third execution at present. We can play better, but today was all about getting the three-points and getting back into the winning way of things so we could keep up with the leaders.?
In the earlier Grade-20 clash, Sydney Olympic defeated Blacktown City FC 4-1.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 3 (Ozbey 6?, 67? (pen), Chianese 17?)
Sydney Olympic 1 (Triantis 77? (pen))
Sunday, June 6th, 2010
Lily Homes Stadium
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistant Referees: Sarah Ho and David Lockeridge
Fourth Official: Cameron Bruce
Crowd: 350 Approx.
Blacktown City FC: 20.Matt RYAN; 2.Tyler SIMPSON, 4.Mirko JURILJ, 5.Luka DUKIC, 17.Joel CHIANESE (22.Zac CAIRNCROSS 89?), 11.Mitchell LONG, 19.Tolgay OZBEY, 9.Kain RASTALL (16.Ante DEUR 71?), 18.Travis MAJOR, 23.Luke AUSTIN (13.Lachlan CAHILL 70?), 7.Luke ROODENBERG
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Matt NEMES
Yellow Cards: Austin 43?, Simpson 75?, Chianese 82?
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic: 13.Paul HENDERSON; 4.Angelo PETRATOS, 33.Nik TSATTALIOS, 18.Jerry KALOURIS, 22.Dimitri PETRATOS, 21.Ricky PERINICH (23.Luke GEARIN 45?), 17.Iain RAMSEY, 8.Chris TRIANTIS (30.Aleks JOVOVIC 87?), 11.Phil MAKRYS, 24.Mitchell STAMATELIS, 15.Matthew MAYORA (28.Alan KOVACEVIC 78?)
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Zaim ZANELLI, 6.Andre GUMPRECHT
Yellow Cards: Triantis 51?, Mayora 54?, Gearin 66?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Stuart Jones
