State League Two Finals Series Round 1 Review

Wanderers, who suffered their first loss in nine good weeks, live to fight another day and face Luddenham United in this Saturday?s knockout bout.
Hurstville was dominant from the start against Wanderers and Sasho Stevoski put the visitors in front before the quarter-hour mark with a well-timed header from a corner kick before a sweet three-pass movement involving Dimitri Konstantinou from the back and Michael Di Meglio allowed Nicholas Goumis to tuck away a second underneath an advancing Wanderers keeper just before halftime.
Wanderers came out a little more organised in the second half and started to play like a team that boasts the competition?s best home record (now eight wins and a draw from 12 games), Jonathan Hurtado netting his first goal of the year from outside the penalty area 10 minutes after the restart to halve the Minotaurs lead, although there was also a hint of a deflection off a Hurstville defender.
But Di Meglio was in no mood to muck around and he scooted onto a neat through ball on the hour-mark to restore Hurstville two-goal advantage with a blistering left-footer across goal. To their credit, Wanderers kept coming and Mauricio Sanchez latched onto a strike to make it 2-3 with 10 minutes to play, but despite the Minotaurs losing captain Terry Sidiratos to a groin injury they held on for a big win.
Still, Minotaurs boss Peter Sarikakis wasn?t fully satisfied ahead of this week?s showdown with the Bulls. ?We should have scored some more goals but I think we played to the occasion at the right time of year,? he said. ?To tell you the truth, I would prefer it if finals matches were held at better grounds. I?ve offered to play any of the finals at Belmore Sports Ground for free, but no one has taken it up yet.?
Wanderers mentor Walter Alvarez knew his team could have snatched victory if they were a little sharper in front of goal. ?Hurstville is a tough team to play against; they fight very hard for the ball and they took the first chance that came around for them, and we had to play catch up after that ? all credit to them,? he said. ?I think we deserved better as we didn?t take all of our chances but I am still very proud of my players for never giving up the fight.?
Wanderers FC 2 (Jonathan Hurtado 54m Mauricio Sanchez 81m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 3 (Sasho Stevoski 14m Nicholas Goumis 43m Michael Di Meglio 61m)
Grade 20: Wanderers FC 3 Hurstville City Minotaurs 0
Luddenham chop Roosters
Luddenham United showed Roosters FC the door in a 3-2 knockout blow in the first final ever at Luddenham Oval on Saturday afternoon. The one-goal win would have helped erase United?s bitter memories of 6-2 and 1-0 losses to Roosters throughout the season and takes them to an exciting do-or-die affair with Wanderers FC on Saturday. The Roosters are now gone for 2010.
After a tense and scoreless opening half (the Roosters losing their goalkeeper to a horrible collision just before halftime), the game exploded minutes into the second when a Roosters defender inexplicably picked the ball up after mistakenly hearing a whistle blown. Angelo Martino stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and curled a magnificent shot around the wall and into goal for a 1-0 Luddenham lead.
Roosters were quick to respond, however, when Mustafa Ayvaz seemingly kneed home a corner kick to level the scores again minutes later before a master decision from United coach Andrew Montgomery to bring on Daniel Farre paid immediate dividends, the talented player scoring off his first touch when he headed in a corner kick to restore the home side?s lead on the hour-mark.
The Roosters cause took a further turn for the worst when star player Ercan Topal had to leave the field with injury and Luddenham took full advantage, sprightly 36-year-old Saula Matayalo taking an eternity to smash in a close-range shot late in the dying moments to take United to 3-1 up. Roosters grabbed a late consolation goal via Luddenham fullback?s Bojan Radmilo instinctive own-goal deflection.
?It was a great win but I think Harry?s [Roosters coach Harry Tsironis] decision to rest players last week may have backfired on him because we ran over the top of them in the end,? Montgomery said. ?But today?s game really changed when their captain Ercan Topal came off injured; he?s a player anyone would want in their side. We?re ready for the next match.?
Tsironis gave full credit to Luddenham but thought his team could have offered more in an elimination final. ?It was disappointing that we didn?t play our best match,? he said. ?It was a pretty scrappy game overall and both teams definitely had their chances. [In regards to a grand final winner] As I said last week, whoever turns up on the day will win it; it?s too close to call.?
Luddenham United 3 (Angelo Martino 48m Daniel Farre 65m Saula Matayalo 86m) Roosters FC 2 (Mustafa Ayvaz 51m own goal 89m)
Grade 20: Belmore Hercules 2 Roosters FC 1
Division two players who have scored five or more goals this year:
19 goals: Michael Di Meglio (Hurstville),
14: Niram Kanoun (Fairfield),
13: Khaled Elkerhani (Fairfield),
11: Ercan Topal (Roosters), Michael Amed (Gazy),
10: Elias Navarrete (Wanderers), Huso Merdanovic (Gazy),
8: Bryan Campbell (Springwood), George Illiopoulos (Belmore), James Christie (Bathurst), Jarred Portegies (Bathurst),
7: Alaa Ali Khan (Fairfield), Mauricio Sanchez (Wanderers), Michael Wood (Luddenham), Peter Henderson (Springwood), Paul Curjak (Prospect), Luis Freitas (Prospect),
6: Angelo Vagenas (Hurstville), Rob Portelli (Prospect), Joliyan Berhko (Gazy), Edwin George (Hawkesbury), Josh Morgenstern (Hakoah),
5: Ahmed Khan (Wanderers), Ian Peti (Wanderers), Emmanuel Papageorgiou (Hurstville), Angelo Martino (Luddenham), Daniel Farre (Luddenham), Paul Paras (Belmore), Kelston George (Hawkesbury),
Grade 20 report
While Fairfield Bulls had the first week of the finals off as first and reserve grade minor premiers it was left to Wanderers FC to outgun Hurstville City Minotaurs 3-0 in the grade-20 qualifying final, while Belmore Hercules eliminated Roosters FC 2-1 in the knockout game. This sets up a major semi-final clash between the Bulls and Wanderers this Sunday, after Belmore battles Hurstville in Saturday?s death match.
Next week?s first grade finals
This weekend sees Wanderers FC host Luddenham United in the do-or-die minor semi-final on Saturday (12pm kick-off), while minor premiers Fairfield Bulls take on Hurstville City Minotaurs in Sunday afternoon?s major semi-final (3pm kick-off) with a September 18 grand final berth handed to the victor.
-By Daniel De Nardi