Premier Youth League The Finals Series Review

The football on display was an absolute delight to behold and truly worthy of this very high level of competitive play ? a tribute to the coaches and the players from all the teams involved on the day.
Grade 13
Major Semi Final
Premiers Marconi Stallions had beaten second placed West Sydney Berries twice during the competition, 5-0 in the first round and then 3-1 in the second round, and so it came as no surprise that they came up with the goods once again in this match.
The Stallions started strongly and they were rewarded with a goal from M. Popovic in the sixth minute but the Berries refused to concede the game at that point as they fought back in search of an equaliser.
The Stallions had several more chances but it took until the 26^th minute for them to double their advantage and that came from a spectacular twenty-five metre drive from R. Darko which found the top corner of the goal.
While Marconi appeared to be in control from that point forward, there was no way that the Berries were going to throw the towel in as they fought valiantly. However, the Stallions went further ahead in the 45^th minute through M. Stewart and then they sealed the result thirteen minutes later thanks to a strike from A. Epifanino.
As a consequence, Marconi have claimed the first berth in the Grand Final while the Berries will now play in next Saturday?s Preliminary Final.
Minor Semi Final
In head-to-head matches played during the competition the honours were shared with fourth placed Manly United claiming the first round points with a 5-2 result but then third placed Sydney Olympic won the second round match 2-0. That set the stage for what turned out to be a very interesting clash.
Manly raced out to a 2-0 lead after G. Blackwood found the net in the 6^th and 15^th minutes and then they made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time thanks to a goal from A. Kalik.
Three minutes after the resumption Manly were four goals to the good after M. McManus added his name to the scorers? list but that seemed to be a signal for Olympic to come to life as they scored their first goal just two minutes later through S. Kuzmanovski.
Olympic clearly knew what was at stake as they continued to press forward and that brought the reward of taking the scoreline to 4-2 when L. Hanna found the net in the 51^st minute. Just two minutes later it was 4-3 after Olympic netted again through A. Fofanah.
The last seven minutes of play would have seemed like and eternity for Manly while the time must have been evaporating very quickly for Olympic as the supporters of both teams were kept on the very edge of their seats.
There was no addition to the score and so Manly will play in the Preliminary Final while Olympic have bowed out of the finals series with their heads held very high indeed.
Grade 14
Major Semi Final
Blacktown City entered this match as the Premiers and they had claimed the points with a 5-1 result when they faced third placed Manly United in the first round of the competition but the northern beaches lads had squared the ledger with a 3-0 win the second time around.
In a match that flowed from end to end Manly seemed to have a slight advantage throughout the first half as they were always prepared to shoot on sight and while Blacktown produced some splendid lead up play, they found it difficult to produce a genuinely threatening shot at goal.
Manly?s enterprise was rewarded when they found the back of the net three minutes before the break thanks to a strike from D. Pandurevic.
When play resumed in the second half there was very little difference in the pattern of play as the teams went at each other with some entertaining attacking play which was snuffed out by very effective defending at both ends of the pitch.
The Demons paid the price for their lack of shooting prowess and they will now play in the Preliminary Final while Manly?s 1-0 success was enough for them to claim the first spot in the Grand Final.
Minor Semi Final
Second placed Marconi Stallions were 4-0 winners when the met fifth placed Sydney Olympic in the first round of the competition but then the second round clash ended in a scoreless draw.
The first half was a very entertaining affair with the teams showing that they were more than prepared to have a go at trying to achieve the best possible result but the well organised defences made sure that there were no goals.
Both teams stepped up the intensity when the second half commenced and it seemed certain that the goals would come sooner or later.
It was Olympic who drew the first blood when O. Tengbah found the back of the net in the 45^th minute but everyone sensed that there would be much more action before the final whistle.
Marconi produced an equaliser in the 54^th minute through D. Joya and then they took the lead just one minute later when A. Frketic found the back of the net.
The remaining six minutes produced some truly amazing football from both teams but there were no more goals and so the Stallions have progressed to the Preliminary Final while the gallant lads from Olympic have completed their commitments to the finals series with enormous pride intact.
Grade 15
Preliminary Semi Final
No, this is not a misprint! You will remember that Sutherland Sharks competed in the Manchester United Cup and only returned to Sydney last Thursday so the finals series for this age group is slightly out of kilter.
Last Saturday Manly United knocked out Blacktown City with a 4-1 victory in the Elimination Semi Final and this match was rescheduled for this week. The Major and Minor Semi Finals will now be played at Marconi Stadium on Tuesday evening and that will put this grade back on schedule.
The second placed Sharks had taken the first round points with a 2-0 result over third placed Sydney Olympic and then the second round clash had ended in a scoreless draw.
In a closely contested first half the respective defences worked hard to hold firm against some outstanding attacking play and so the score was locked at 0-0 at the interval.
Sutherland opened the scoring when O. Close found the back of the net in the 60^th minute but their lead lasted only four minutes as J. Madonis netted an equaliser for Olympic.
When there was no addition to the score before the full-time whistle it was necessary to call on extra time to settle the issue.
Despite the best efforts of both teams neither net bulged during the first period and we had to wait until the teams changed ends to find out which of them would emerge victorious.
When Sutherland?s C. Naumoff scored with just five minutes remaining on the clock Olympic dug even deeper in an attempt to find an equaliser but they were denied by the solid Sharks? defence. Sutherland will now meet Premiers Marconi Stallions in the Major Semi Final while Olympic will face Manly in the Minor Semi Final.
Grade 16
Major Semi Final 
Sutherland Sharks are the Premiers and they had twice been held to scoreless draws by third placed Manly United during the course of the competition.
On this occasion Manly started very strongly indeed and they managed to draw first blood as early as the third minute when T. Morrissey rattled the net and then they doubled their advantage just before the interval thanks to a strike from D. Whitlock.
Sutherland had not been idle during the first half as they had launched many an attacking raid but they found the Manly defence too strong and so their opportunities to score were kept to a minimum.
The second half was a very even affair with both teams having opportunities to score but the goals would not come and so Manly were declared 2-0 winners.
They have taken the first berth in the Grand Final while the Sharks must now play in next week?s Preliminary Final.
Minor Semi Final
Second placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers had claimed all the points from their meetings with fifth placed Sydney United, winning 2-0 in the first round and then 1-0 the second time around.
United got off to the best possible start when S. Vukovic found the net in the very first minute of play and that set them on the right path. However, the Tigers showed that they were far from a spent force when they equalised through B. Brooker in the 25^th minute.
The teams remained locked together for the remainder of the first half after each had squandered chances to take the lead.
The second half saw an increased intensity from both teams as they earnestly sought ways to break down their opponents? well drilled defences but it took until the 65^th minute for the answer to be found.
The goal came from United?s D. Lyndon and it seemed to break the hearts of the Tigers? players who had given their all to producing a winning result from this game.
United will now play in the Preliminary Final while Leichhardt?s season has concluded but they have bowed out with considerable pride.
Grade 18
Major Semi Final
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are the Premiers after they finished the competition twelve points ahead of second placed South Coast Wolves who the White Eagles had beaten 3-1 and 4-1 during the season.
The Wolves were not about to let their previous results adversely affect their mission in this match as they set about achieving the result they wanted and needed, although not even their staunchest supporter could have predicted the eventual outcome.
The lads from the south coast began like a house on fire as they continued to take the game to Bonnyrigg and they allowed their opponents very little space in which to play.
The Wolves reaped their first reward in the 29^th minute when they scored through D. Munilla and then D. Stojic scored the first of his four goals just seven minutes later. D. Chapman then made it 3-0 for the Wolves three minutes before the break.
Obviously buoyed by their success the Wolves continued to press Bonnyrigg in all areas of the pitch and Stojic took the scoreline to 4-0 in the 68^th minute before adding another goal just two minutes later. Six minutes after completing his hat-trick Stojic added his fourth and his team?s sixth goal.
While the task was always going to be very difficult for Bonnyrigg, it is to their credit that they did not give up at any stage as they tried right up to the final whistle.
The Wolves have stylishly claimed the first spot in the Grand Final while Bonnyrigg will now play in the Preliminary Final.
Minor Semi Final
Third placed Sutherland Sharks had posted 3-0 and 1-0 victories over fifth placed Marconi Stallions when they met earlier in this season and so the Sharks came into this match as the favourites.
However, Marconi were obviously not having any of that as they set out to prove that they were at least as good as their higher placed opponents. The result was an action packed match that flowed from one end of the ground to the other and back again, keeping the good folk in the spectator areas guessing about which of the teams would emerge victorious.
Although the chances fell in equal measure neither team was able to rattle the net during the first half and despite them both redoubling their efforts during the second stanza, the teams could not produce a winning goal.
Therefore, it was necessary to call upon extra time for a decider and it was here that the goals finally appeared. Sutherland?s J. Wolstenholme put his team in front in the 99^th minute and then the Sharks made certain of the victory when A. Daly found the net ten minutes later.
Sutherland will now play in the Preliminary Final while Marconi have bowed out of the finals series after giving everything they had to this match.
-By Barry Davis