NSW Premier Youth League Finals Series Round 1 Review

Grade 13
Preliminary Semi Final
When they met during the competition West Sydney Berries had produced a 7-0 victory in the first round but then Sydney Olympic squared the ledger with a 3-2 success in the second round.
There was not much between the teams when they faced each other on Saturday and it was clear from the outset that this game would provide something a bit special. The Berries opened the scoring in the 20^th minute when C. Torrello found the back of the net and they were able to take that lead through to the interval despite having Olympic throw everything at them.
It took until the 49^th minute for an addition to the scoreline and it came in spectacular form when A. Fofanah took a free kick from well outside the penalty area and the ball flew like a tracer bullet into the top corner of the net at the near post to give the Berries? goalkeeper no chance of make a save.
At that point the Berries really rolled up their sleeves as they appeared to be the more desperate of the two teams to be the next to score. Their efforts were finally rewarded when B. Antoniou produced what proved to be the winner in the 57^th minute.
The Berries will now face Marconi Stallions in the Major Semi Final on Saturday while Olympic will compete in the Minor Semi Final.
Elimination Semi Final
Manly United had taken all the competition points when they met Blacktown City Demons during the competition. Manly were 3-1 winners in the first round and then they came up with a 1-0 result the second time around.
The opening moments of the match on Saturday gave us a firm indication that both teams were determined to get the necessary result as they went at each other in the true spirit of a sudden death match.
Manly drew blood as early as the 12^th minute when J. McClintock found the back of the net and they held onto that advantage through to the break even though the Demons had gone at them as if there would be no tomorrow.
The second stanza was a very even affair with chance to score falling in equal measure at both ends of the ground and that kept the good folk in the spectator areas on the very edge of their seats for the full term of the half.
However, try as they might, neither team could find a goal and so Manly have progressed to the Minor Semi Final where they will face Sydney Olympic while Blacktown  will play no further part in the finals series despite their valiant efforts.
Grade 14
Preliminary Semi Final 
Marconi Stallions and Manly United had shared the competition spoils after Marconi were 1-0 winners in the first round and then Manly had taken out the second game with a 3-0 result.
From the first whistle it was very clear that there was very little between these two teams as they went at each other hammer and tongs and they managed to maintain the frantic pace right through the match.
After a scoreless first half in which both teams had produced several unsuccessful scoring opportunities, D. Pandurevic gave Manly the lead ten minutes after the break but the lead was to be short-lived as Marconi?s M. Duarte provided an equaliser just seven minutes later.
There was more end-to-end play and a number of opportunities were created by both teams but neither of them could find a way to break the deadlock and so extra time was needed.
However, despite a large number of chances going begging at both ends, there was no addition to the score and so a dreaded penalty shootout was needed to resolve the matter.
It was here that Manly came to the fore as they won that battle of nerves 4-3 and so they have moved into the Major Semi Final where they will face Blacktown City while Marconi will play in the Minor Semi Final.
Elimination Semi Final
Sydney Olympic had bagged the first round points with a 3-0 victory but Sutherland Sharks squared the account in the second round when they came up with a 3-1 success.
In a very even first half both teams had plenty of chances to make the all-important breakthrough but they were continually disappointed by a combination of good goalkeeping and some very near misses and so they entered the break locked at 0-0.
Olympic started the better in the second half and they were rewarded within two minutes with a goal from D. Bonomy and that really stirred things up as they went in search of another goal while the Sharks went in search of a goal that restore parity.
Despite enough thrills, spills and chances at both ends of the pitch to set the heart rates soaring, there was to be no addition to the tally of goals and so Olympic have progressed to the Minor Semi Final where they will meet Marconi Stallions while Sutherland have bowed out of the finals with their heads held high.
Grade 15
Preliminary Semi Final
The match between Sutherland Sharks and Sydney Olympic was postponed due to the fact that the Sharks will not return to Sydney until Thursday this week after competing in the Manchester United Cup where they have reportedly performed very well indeed. An announcement regarding the rescheduling of this match will be made by Football NSW during this week.
Elimination Semi Final
Blacktown City had bagged all the points from their earlier clashes with Manly United with a 4-2 result in the first round and then a 1-0 win in the second match.
However, Manly showed from the first whistle that they were not going to let Blacktown have everything their own way in this match and they set about their task with an admirable determination.
The lads from the northern beaches were rewarded in the 13^th minute with a goal from D. Chung and then P. Weir doubled their advantage just nine minutes later. Their defence held firm as Blacktown tried again and again to get themselves back into the game without receiving any reward for their efforts.
Starting the second half with a 2-0 lead, Manly clearly thought that it would not be enough so they set about trying to increase that advantage with the result that J. Green made it 3-0 in the 58^th minute. However, the Demons would not lie down and they came back to make it 3-1 thanks to a strike from B. Antelmi in the 61^st minute.
Manly were far from discouraged by that minor setback as they stuck to their game plan to come up with a fourth goal in the 68^th minute, this one completing a double for Green. Their reward is a berth in the Minor Semi Final while the season is over for the gallant Demons who will long be admired for their never-say-die approach to this match.
Grade 16
Preliminary Semi Final
Manly United had grabbed the first round points when they defeated APIA Leichhardt Tigers 2-0 in the first round of the competition and then the teams battled out a scoreless second round draw.
Knowing that they were in for a real challenge the lads from the northern beaches started in the best possible way with a seventh minute goal scored by T. Morrissey and they were able to hang onto that lead right through to the interval despite the best efforts of the Tigers in seeking to find an equaliser.
The second stanza was a delight to watch as the teams went at each other with skill and determination in search of goals only to be continually denied by some superb goalkeeping and some very narrow misses when goals seemed certain.
However, there were no more goals and that has meant that Manly will play Sutherland sharks in the Major Semi Final while Leichhardt will play in the Minor Semi Final on the same day.
Elimination Semi Final
Sydney United had taken the first round points when they rolled Sydney Olympic 2-0 in the first round of the competition but then United squared the ledger with a 1-0 result when the teams met in the second round.
From the first whistle everyone in the spectator areas knew that this would be a tight game as there was very little between the teams as evidenced by the end-to-end action that produced numerous heart-stopping moments. Although both went desperately close, neither team could produce a goal from the action packed first half.
The second half started with more of the same and everyone seemed to understand that it would take something a bit different to crack one of the defences. That is exactly what happened in the 55^th minute when United won a penalty kick which was duly converted by M. Osmond.
That goal did not make a scrap of difference to the level of intensity being produced by both teams as they continued to go at each other but the respective defences remained rock solid, continually denying their opponents even half a chance to score.
In the final analysis United came out as victors and they will be appearing in the Minor Semi Final on Saturday but Olympic won plenty of admiration for their dogged determination and approach to the game.
Grade 18
Preliminary Semi Final
South Coast Wolves had taken all the points from their clashes with Sutherland Sharks thanks to a 2-1 win in the first round and then they repeated that scoreline when they met again in the second round.
The Wolves showed that they really meant business when they took the lead in the 10^th minute through L. Gilroy and then managed to take that lead through to the half-time break after repelling the best attacking play the Sharks had to offer.
Just three minutes into the second half the Wolves doubled their advantage thanks to a strike from D. Munilla and then they took the score to 3-0 when the same player found the back of the net again eight minutes later.
While Sutherland redoubled their efforts they simply could not find a way through the strong and well organised defence put up by the Wolves who were constantly looking for ways to increase their margin.
The Wolves will now play Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the Major Semi Final while the Sharks will be involved in the Minor Semi Final on the same day.
Elimination Semi Final
Sydney United were 1-0 winners when they met Marconi Stallions in the first round of the competition but then the Stallions turned the table on them in the second round when they won by exactly the same scoreline.
This was a match that showed all the skill and commitment it takes to play at this level as neither team asked nor gave any quarter to the other in their earnest attempts to achieve the desired result.
While they both had opportunities to gain the upper hand, neither could find a way to break down their opponents and so the score was locked at 0-0 when the referee signified the half-time break.
The action had kept the supporters on the very edge of their seats and there was to be more of the same when the action continued and it was anyone?s guess as to which of the sides would eventually win the match.
The Stallions drew blood in the 57^th minute when they scored through W. Guzman and that served to spur on both teams as they upped the tempo and intensity to almost unbelievable levels and that provided a seemingly endless stream of heart-stopping moments.
However, when the referee blew the final whistle the Stallions were still leading 1-0 and that was enough to allow them to progress to the Minor Semi Final while United will probably consider themselves unlucky to have bowed out of the finals series after such a fantastic game.
-By Barry Davis