State League One Finals Series Round 2 Review

Match of the Round
Blacktown Spartans v Inter Lions 
Inter Lions continued their fairytale run in 2010 with a 4-1 victory over Blacktown Spartans in the Division One elimination semi final on Saturday afternoon.
Garside Park had seen many a battle over the years, and even though the ground has had some recent cosmetic upgrading, one of the ?home grounds? of traditional Australian football was now witness to yet another exciting encounter.
The Spartans had the best of the early exchanges, looking to get on the front foot and take the game to the youthful Inter.
Canessa had their first chance after just six minutes, when the left flanker cut inside the box after latching onto a long pass, his shot expertly parried by Inter?s goalkeeper, Sestak.
Leo Carle responded in the 10^th minute for Inter, his low shot gobbled up by Carlos Saliadarre after some nice build up play from the Lions.
Canessa then spurned a wonderful opportunity in the 20^th minute which would?ve given Blacktown the lead they so desperately craved.
Ex-Inter stalwart, Adrian Vizzari, floated in a free kick towards the far post, where Todd resisted temptation to go himself, heading the ball across the face of goal. Canessa was unmarked as he frustratingly flicked his header wide of the mark from a few yards.
The Spartans kept at it, with Glenn McPherson?s powerful strike in the 24^th minute flying inches wide of Sestak?s post following great work down the right wing from Joe Awola.
McPherson was at it again in the 35^th minute, turning inside the box before cracking a low shot, with Sestak again diverting the danger.
Inter Lions at this stage were happy enough to be 0-0 on the scoreboard, and had soaked up all Blacktown had to throw at them. As is often the case in football, Inter grabbed a goal against the run of play just before the break which would change the whole complexity of the match.
Receiving the ball just outside the centre circle, Leo Carle swiveled and chipped a beautifully weighted ball over the Blacktown defence.
Inter?s speedster, Domenic Dimento, got in behind Joe Awola – who managed to stall the flight of the ball with the top of his head – and hit a left foot volley as the ball dropped past the onrushing Saliadarre to give Inter Lions the lead.
Half time came, and it was time for both squads to regroup as they contemplated, and were to try and avoid, a possible final 45 minutes in the 2010 season.
Blacktown started well once more, when McPherson pinched the ball off Sestak in the 47^th minute as it dropped at the near post, but Canessa skied the cutback out of the ground.
In the 53^rd minute, Blacktown?s captain, Luke Infanti, had pushed forward, and gathered a loose ball before cracking his shot wide of Inter?s goal from outside the box as the Spartans kept at it.
Inter were content to play the ball around and try to hold possession, especially across the backline, hoping to drag Blacktown out of position.
But it was a pass back at the other end, to Carlos Saliadarre in the 57^th minute that nearly proved disastrous, the ball bobbling over the keeper?s foot, with Inter?s Anthony Ucchino almost swooping on the error before the keeper recovered.
A minute later and a Blacktown attack broke down, the ball falling to Leo Carle, who sent Dom Dimento away down the left with yet another sublime through ball.
Dimento?s first touch inwards towards goal was decisive, setting himself up to clip the ball over Saliadarre and give Inter Lions a 2-0 lead.
Blacktown had no choice but to throw caution to the wind, pushing men forward in the hope of grabbing a goal and making a game of it.
Inter?s Jacob Dimento took advantage of the extra space, playing a neat one-two on the hour with Leo Carle before shooting just wide of Saliadarre?s goal.
The Spartans almost pulled a goal back in the 67^th minute, when Wilson headed against the cross bar from a corner, and only a minute later McPherson had two consecutive shots saved by Sestak following a short goal kick gone wrong by the goalkeeper.
Carle then set up Inter substitute Park in the 73^rd minute, who blasted high from a tight angle, before Macrae stabbed wide for Blacktown in the 77^th after Fitzgerald and McPherson had worked well to set him up.
The action was furious at this stage of the match, with Blacktown throwing numbers forward, whilst Inter waited patiently looking to hit the Spartans on the break.
Martin McCaffery had entered the battle in the 75^th minute, increasing Blacktown?s intensity, but he missed a great chance in the 87^th minute when he shot meekly at Sestak after being put through on goal.
Just when you thought the Spartans were never going to score, an angled shot from Todd Macrae in the 88^th minute rebounded off Inter?s Ben Ellis and found its way in to make the score 1-2.
But if the Blacktown faithful thought they would retrieve something from the match they were mistaken, as Inter took advantage of the acres of space to create three great chances in injury time.
The first of the counter attacks ended with Leo Carle controlling a ball on his chest before cracking a volley that Saliadarre did ever so well to tip over the cross bar.
A minute later and it was Carle once again ? who else? ? who sent Domenic Dimento away from the half way line to face Saliadarre in a one-on-one confrontation.
Dimento dribbled around the stranded keeper to smash in goal number three and secure his hat-trick in the process.
Second half substitute Chiandotto then played the role of provider, sending Dimento away again with a super through ball, and the little striker chipped Saliadarre from 25 yards to notch up goal number four for himself and his team.
The final whistle blew, and the match was over, with mixed emotions understandably from both sets of fans.
For Blacktown Spartans, they have had a formidable season, and no doubt would be disappointed not to have any silverware to show for it. But they did finish runners up in the competition proper, having the second best attack in the league, and also reached the dizzy heights of the semi finals of the statewide McDonalds Cup, so should be proud of their season overall.
Best for the Spartans on a day when they were eliminated; captain Luke Infanti kept at it all day, leading from the front with his fierce defensive work, his persistence and his determination; ex-Inter old boy Adrian Vizzari, read the play well, and kept his backline well marshaled whilst his team did everything but score in the first half; Todd Macrae was a menace whilst he set up numerous half chances for his team mates, and getting some reward with his part in the late goal.
Inter Lions have come a long way over the past month, and now find themselves in a preliminary final with a spot in the Grand Final 90 minutes away.
They soaked up a lot of early pressure from the Spartans in this match, but kept their composure, and made their chances count when it mattered.
Best for Inter on the back of a great win for the team were ; Leo Carle showed all his class with some exemplary distribution throughout this match, setting up no less than three of his team?s goals, and always being available to link up and provide an option for any of his team mates who have the ball ; Domenic Dimento was the prime beneficiary of Carle?s pinpoint distribution, finishing clinically on four occasions, with his speed and general work rate proving a nuisance for Blacktown all day ; goalkeeper Peter Sestak was called upon on several occasions to keep Inter in the match, the experience showing as he did well to thwart the Blacktown attack as they lay siege to his goal.
Under 20s ? Semi Final #1
Mounties Wanderers: Fairfield City Lions 0-0 (1-3 on penalties)
Fairfield City Lions prevailed in the Under 20s semi final, albeit on the back of a 3-1 triumph in a nerve wracking penalty shootout following a scoreless draw in regulation time.
The season?s over for Mounties Wanderers as a result, whilst Fairfield City Lions tackle Schofields Scorpions in next week?s preliminary final.
Match Stats
BLACKTOWN SPARTANS                     (0) 1  (Macrae 88?)
INTER LIONS                                       (1) 4 (Dimento D 40? / 58? / 90?+1 / 90?+3)
Saturday, August 28, at Garside Park, Granville
Referee ? Mr. Adam Susz
Assistant Referees ? Mr.Alex Long & Mr Dale Fuda
Blacktown Spartans: 1.C.Saliadarre, 3.J.Awola, 5.A.Vizzari, 6.M.Hubbard, 7.M.Todd, 8.R.Wilson (4.B.Fitzgerald 75?),  9.R.Iredale (14.V.Propilio 59?), 11.G.McPherson, 16.L.Infanti (capt), 18.T.Macrae, 17.J.Canessa (10.M.McCaffery 75?).
Subs not used- 15.K.Walker,2.A.Stephenson.
Yellow Cards- 16.L.Infanti 80?.
Red Cards-NIL.
Inter Lions: 1.P.Sestak, 5.S.Perri, 2.A.Mansueto, 4. B.Ellis, 3.D.Arcella (15.J.Park 53?), 6.J.Dimento (capt), 7.M.Khouri, 8.J.Gonzalez, 9.A.Ucchino (12.D.Chiandotto 60?) , 10.L.Carle (13.G.Kamara 92?), 11.D.Dimento.
Subs not used ? 14.J.Hall, RGK.R.Maiorana.
Yellow Cards-6.J.Dimento 56?.
Red Cards-NIL.
Hills Brumbies ? Fairfield City Lions 3-4
3-00pm, Saturday, August 28 @ Bensons Lane, Hawkesbury
Fairfield City Lions became the first team into the 2010 Division One Grand Final, finally knocking over Hills Brumbies in a match that had drama, goals and all the thrills and spills you would expect in a game of this stature.
The minor premiers took an early lead at Bensons Lane when skipper, Terry Pannowitz, put Hills in front after just six minutes.
Then the pendulum swung further towards the Brumbies when Fairfield City lost arguably their most influential player this season, Yavos Ekinci.
A verbal misunderstanding was at the centre of controversy between the referee and Ekinci, with the league?s top marksman shown two cautions in quick succession, resulting in an early shower.
Despite being a man down, the Lions regrouped, and equalized a minute before half time with a well taken goal by Chris Theodosiou.
A frenzied second half produced no further goals, although playing ranks were evened up by the sending off of a Hills defender deemed to be the last man when committing a foul.
Five minutes into extra time and Tony Gabriel raced through to score, putting Fairfield in front, before being shown his second yellow card, and subsequent red, for removing his jersey when celebrating his goal.
Hills then took advantage of the extra man, 10 v 9, equalizing through Farrell in the 99^th minute to make it 2-2.
Fairfield substitute, Friday Jeremiah, had caused Hills all sorts of problems once he had entered the fray, and eventually got his name on the scoresheet, scoring in the 105^th and 109^th minutes to give the Lions the ascendancy.
Pineda made it 3-4 with a goal for Hills in the 114^th, but that was all she wrote, and Fairfield had prevailed in an incredible afternoon?s football.
Fairfield now progress to the grand final in a fortnight?s time, whilst Hills Brumbies will meet Inter Lions in next week?s preliminary final.
Under 20s ? Semi Final #2
Gladesville Ryde Magic: Schofields Scorpions 2-0 aet (0-0 at full time)
Minor Premiers, Gladesville Ryde Magic, moved into the 2010 Under 20s Grand Final with a dramatic victory over Schofields Scorpions.
After a scoreless 90 minutes in regulation time, the Scorpions found it difficult to keep up the momentum once they were reduced to nine men, succumbing 2-0 to the Magic after extra time.
Schofields live to fight another day, and will take on the resurgent Fairfield City Lions next weekend in the preliminary final, for another shot at Gladesville in the grand final.
-By Frank Speranza