Thrilling draw grips Seymour Shaw as Sharks and United share points
Prior to the match commencing the Sutherland Sharks honoured defender Ben Spruce with a special plaque for taking part in his 100th match. The 23-year-old has come through the Sharks junior ranks and has since cemented his spot as a regular starter for the senior club as Club President Paul Smith echoed Spruce?s achievements presenting Spruce with the award.
Coming into the game both clubs were missing notable players as Sutherland had bustling Scottish midfielder Neil Jablonski suspended while Sydney United had the likes of Mitchell Thompson, Peter Zorbas and Jacob Timpano on the sidelines.
The game kicked off and it was all systems go from the start as Sutherland attacker Jim Bakis had a spectacular half-volley shot inside the box saved brilliantly by United keeper Vedran Janjetovic who tipped it over the bar for a corner in the fourth minute.
The Reds? first chance came in the form of Sean Mitchell who had a speculative 25-metre shot whisk well wide from the Sharks goal-line in the ninth minute.
Things changed two minutes later as David Zdrilic?s men absorbed the early pressure from Sutherland and struck first in what was a well taken goal by ?fox in the box? striker Elsid Barkhousir.
The lively attacker back from injury picked up a neat ball played behind the Sharks defence by Mirjan Pavlovic and finished off expertly beyond a despairing Nathan Denham to give United a 1-0 lead and put his tally to twelve goals for the year.
There was high drama in the twenty-second minute as the Sharks hit back with an equalising goal via the boot of the ever present Bakis who scored from the spot-kick.
Sydney United defender Damon Collina was the culprit as he appeared to had handled the ball inside the box from an in-swinging Sharks cross with referee Adam Weir pointing to the spot. Up stepped Bakis who sent Janjetovic the wrong way and leveled the scores 1-1 much to the delight of the home fans.
United went chasing for a second only a minute later as Pavlovic jinxed his way through a couple of Sharks tackles and saw his right-foot shot whisk wide in what was a promising attack from the former Newcastle Jets star.
The Sharks then went close in the twenty-eighth minute when Scottish import Stephen McConologue had his right footed effort sail over the bar from outside the box.
Bakis seemed to be everywhere for the home side as in the thirty-second minute the experienced NSW Premier League campaigner saw his clever free-kick from the left-side of the United goals hit the side netting in what was a warning for United that more raids were set to hit the away side.
The action then shifted on the other side of the pitch a minute later as Luka Glavas? right-foot shot from outside the box was saved by Denham as United upped the ante in pushing for that elusive second goal.
The final chance of the first half fell again to Bakis eight minutes from the break as lovely build-up play with Chris Price saw his toe-poke effort sway just wide of the United post.
The second half commenced and it took two minutes for the game?s first incident to occur as Reds skipper Joe Vrkic skewed his shot just wide of the post after a clever back-post run.
A minute later and the Sharks almost took the lead through midfielder Nick Stavroulakis who saw his right-foot thunderbolt shot from outside the box shade the post in what was a promising attack from the Shire squad. Stavroulakis was playing through the pain barrier after suffering a broken nose during his round 18 clash against A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers.
After absorbing some early pressure from the Sharks it was United who responded with their second goal of the match in the sixty-seventh minute via a clever finish by Pavlovic.
An uncharacteristic mistake by the always consistent Michael Robinson in the Sharks back-line which saw what looked like a routine clearance skew off the side of his boot, fell nicely for Pavlovic who picked up the loose ball and chipped Denham to notch up his sixth goal of the season.
Robbie Stanton?s men needed a spark and nearly got it in the seventieth minute as a mazy McConologue run through a handful of United defenders saw his shot fall just wide of the United goal-line.
More attacking raids were to follow for the Sharks as they went even closer in the seventy-third minute when Price cracked the post with a left-foot shot inside the box after a nice lay-off from McConologue.
Bakis was at it again proving to be a menace against his former club as his long range shot from 30-yards was saved well by Janjetovic in the seventy-fifth minute.
The Sharks continued to compile more pressure on the United goal and Stavroulakis again went close with a well taken shot from outside the box but it failed to hit the back of the net in the seventy-seventh minute.
It was Paul Kohler?s turn to goal close for the Sharks in the seventy-eighth minute when his right-foot rocket sailed over the bar as the home side continued to push for that equalising goal.
With only nine-minutes remaining United Player/Manager David Zdrilic was then injected into the game replacing Pavlovic who appeared to had picked up a hamstring injury but it was to be a telling substitution minutes later.
The Sharks finally got their just reward in the eighty-fourth minute when a Bakis free-kick smacked the right post from just outside the box only to fall nicely to Price who smashed home from close range to see the score-line take a 2-2 stance.
Drama then unfolded during the goal celebration for the Sharks as Zdrilic, who had only come on moments earlier, was sent off in what appeared to be for dissent. The former Socceroo striker’s evening only lasted three minutes after receiving his marching orders via the red card from Weir.
It was to be the last talking point of the game as the full time whistle blew with both clubs sharing a point each in what was a very keenly contested match as United kept the pressure on the front runners of the NSW Premier League competition while the Sharks kept their finals chances alive with a point.
Stavroulakis was disappointed that the Sharks didn?t pick up maximum points on the night which sees their top five position hanging on a thread.
?It was a pretty fast paced match and there were a number of chances that fell to both teams but in football you need to finish off your chances and I know the boys are disappointed that they couldn?t collect the three points against a tough United outfit.
?I know it is going to be a tight run to the finals in these next few weeks and we need to grab as many points as we can as there are a couple of teams breathing down our necks for a top five spot.?
In the Under 20?s clash it was an entertaining 3-3 draw between the Sutherland Sharks and Sydney United.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Jim Bakis 22? pen, Chris Price 84?)
Sydney United 2 (Elsid Barkhousir 11, Mirjan Pavlovic 67?)
Saturday, June 27th, 2010
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Adam Weir
Assistant Referees: Daniel Dewhurst and Mike Roberston
Fourth Official: Bob Kofler
Crowd: 800 Approx.
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Nathan Denham, 2 George Souris, 4 Michael Robinson, 6 Chris Price, 7 Jim Bakis, 8 Blake Powell, 10 Stephen McConologue (31 Huseyin Jasli 79?), 11 Ben Spruce, 14 Nick Stavroulakis, 22 Yianni Fragogiannis, 20 Paul Kohler (9 Ben Vidaic 79?)
Substitutes Not Used: 16 James Lawrence, 24 Jack Duncan (GK), 30 Misha Hardwick.
Yellow Cards: B Spruce (SS) 18?, B Powell (SS) 86?
Red Cards:
Sydney United: 1. Vedran Janjetovic, 5 Damon Collina, 6 Joe Vrkic, 8 Shane Lyons, 10 Steve Hayes, 11 Luka Glavas, 14 Petar Markovic (4 Michael Cindric 77?), 16 Elsid Barkhousir, 21 Sean Mitchell, 23 Ivo Bosnar, 25 Mirjan Pavlovic (9 David Zdrilic 81?)
Substitutes Not Used: 30 Cem Akilli (GK), 36 Jani Bajramovic, 39 Kyle Ewart.
Yellow Cards: P Markovic (SU) 72?, J Vrkic (SU) 87?
Red Cards: D Zdrilic (SU) 84?
