Sydney United ends A.P.I.A?s dream run

With scores locked at 0-0 after 90? minutes, the game went into 30? minutes of extra-time with Luka Glavas and David Zdrilic securing the Reds a shot at Bonnyrigg White Eagles next weekend for a shot at grand-final qualification.
The action started in the 5? minute as Luka Glavas beat Matthew Nash to the ball only for the goalkeeper to get a slight touch to force the striker wide and away from goal.
The Tigers showed they were not in the finals series just to make up numbers, and 1? minute later scooted up field as Robbie Younis laid back a ball to Franco Parisi, only for his snap shot to go just over the crossbar.
With both teams fighting hard in the midfield, the match lacked goal opportunities as it wore on.
In the 29? minute, Nicola Rizzo had the best chance of the first-half. Countering from the half way line, the former Central Coast Mariners midfielder shot just wide of the mark keeping the scores at 0-0.
3? minutes later and Parisi had his second shot on goal. After receiving a ball by Mark Byrnes, Parisi turned Shane Lyons splendidly but his shot went straight to United goalkeeper Ryan Norval.
Sydney United took a while to spring back to life but almost took the lead 4? minutes before the break. Steve Hayes got around John Kelso to create a 3-on-2 counter-attack, and found Mitchell Thompson at the far post only for his shot to sail just wide of the left upright to end the half.
Back from the break and United were at it again pushing forward. In the 47? minute Elsid Barkhousir shipped the ball over two defenders and ran down the goal-line only to ship across the face of goal and squander a great chance.
End-to-end action followed with both sides testing each other throughout. In the 69? minute Sydney United worked the ball down the left, as a cross found Barkhousir who brought the ball down well but shot straight to the waiting Nash.
A.P.I.A slowly got back into the game taking the majority of possession and in the 75? minute should have had the lead.
After great work down the right, Anthony Hartshorn ran in from the midfield to head a cross into the goals only to be called offside infuriating the Tigers bench.
The disallowed goal pushed the Tigers further forward and in the 79? minute Robbie Younis was unlucky to not slot the ball home in a one on one situation as Michael Cindric got back to save the day for United.
The continuous A.P.I.A attacking threats forced Sydney United into a substitute as player/coach David Zdrilic injected himself into the action.
Within minutes Zdrilic was causing the Tigers defence troubles. With 4? minutes left on the clock, Zdrilic shot the ball over the crossbar from 8-yards out in the best chance of the game.
The goalless game was forced into extra-time, with Sydney United looking the hungrier from the outset.
United however could not find the vital goal in the first-half of extra-time and on several occasions lacked the final touch to bury the ball.
Their pressure finally cracked the stiff A.P.I.A defence in the 112? minute. Beating the offside trap, Luka Glavas slotted the ball to the right of an out coming Nash as the home fans erupted.
The Tigers were not going to die wondering and pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
But their efforts were out shun in the final 3? minutes as Zdrilic ended a counter-attack he started himself by scoring the second goal to end the match 2-0.
Following the match, Zdrilic was pleased to finish victorious over an impressive A.P.I.A side:
?A.P.I.A have been the form side of the competition and if they started the season like that they probably would have finished first so you have to give credit to them,?? he said.
?I think we got a bit of luck also with the goal they scored which was a close one.
?But in saying that in the past few weeks we have been pretty determined and have come through a rough patch and it is great to be through to the next game.??
A.P.I.A Leichhardt Tigers midfielder Nick Rizzo believed the disallowed goal was the wrong decision but conceded defeat:
?We should be pleased with how we have gone this season,?? he said.
?I thought we did exceptionally well today and I think if the goal wasn?t disallowed it would have been a different story but that is football. I was in line with Hartshorn when he headed it in and he wasn?t offside. He runs in from the midfield normally like he did so it is very difficult to call offside.?
In the Grade 20s fixture, Sydney Olympic fought to play another day with a 3-1 victory over the Bankstown City Lions.
Match Stats
Sydney United 2 (Luka Glavas 112?, David Zdrilic 117?)
A.P.I.A Leichhardt Tigers 0
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Referee: Khodr Yaghi
Crowd: 600 Approx.
Sydney United: 1.Ryan Norval; 5. Damon Collina (C), 4.Michael Cindric, 7.Todd Brodie, 8.Shane Lyons, 10.Steve Hayes, 23.Ivo Bosnar (14.Petar Markovic 61?), 22.Peter Zorbas (21.Sean Mitchell 68?), 19.Mitchell Thompson, 16.Elsid Barkhousir (9.David Zdrilic 82?), 11.Luka Glavas
Substitutes Not Used: 37.Mitchel Spear, 30.Cem Akili
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
A.P.I.A Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Matthew Nash; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.John Kelso, 5.Michael West, 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Anthony Hartshorn, 9.Robbie Younis, 10.Franco Parisi (C), 11.Nicola Rizzo, 13.David D?Apuzzo (17.Matt Fsadni 68?), 19.Danial Cummins
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Terry Dalbroi, 17.Matt Fsadni, 18.Bishara Stephan, 14.Paul O?Grady, 4. Andrew Vitucci
-By Christopher Georges