State League One Finals Series Preliminary Final Review
Brumbies tame Lions on Father?s Day
The Division One Preliminary Final took centre stage on Sunday afternoon, on Father?s Day at Bensons Lane, at Richmond.
Hills Brumbies came into the match searching to regain some of their exemplary form they produced during the season. Three losses in August, including last week?s 3-4 reverse against Fairfield City Lions in the Major Semi Final, suggested they may have lost their edge in the run-in home.
Inter Lions were seemingly going from strength to strength, and wins in the last two weeks in elimination semi finals saw them come into this match brimming with confidence.
But it was Hills that started the better with the wind at their back, and as early as the second minute should?ve taken the lead when Dragan Savic blazed over from near the penalty spot after pouncing on a loose ball.
Inter Lions responded in the 8th minute with an exquisite move that equally should?ve produced a goal.
Domenic Dimento played a swift one-two with Leo Carle down the left flank, before squaring to Anthony Ucchino on the edge of the box.
The burly striker back heeled to Carle, who had continued his run, and the number 10 slipped a delightful ball into the path of Kamara, who shot wildly over with only the keeper to beat.
Yet another loose ball in the Inter half on 14 minutes was seized upon by Hills? striker, Savic, who managed to send Russell Farrell on his way into the box, but he hesitated and his shot was deflected wide by Inter?s retrieving defender, Mansueto.
However, the ensuing corner from Terry Pannowitz produced the opening goal of the match, when his in-swinger was met by the unmarked Farrell, powering his header past Inter?s goalkeeper, Peter Sestak, to give Hills a 1-0 lead.
Hills were frustrating Inter?s forays into their half by playing a very high offside trap, and the Inter players were caught time and time again as they attempted to venture forward.
Inter Lions are renown for playing the ball out of defence with composure and calm.
However, the accuracy and swiftness of their passes seemed to have deserted them in the first half, as they often gave the ball away in dangerous positions near their penalty box.
An Inter counter attack in the 39th minute ended with an angled snapshot from Domenic Arcella that was easily gobbled up by Hills keeper, Needham, who had very little to do in the opening 45 minutes.
Hills had one final chance before the break, when a floating lob into the box was stabbed at goal by Miki Awad, the ball taking a slight deflection off a static Inter defender on the way out of play.
Referee Dave Finlay was showing all of his experience in this tight and frantic match, rolling ?with the punches? as enthusiasm rather than malice effected many over zealous challenges.
Mr Finlay brought the first stanza to a halt, giving both teams a chance to regroup and revisit their game plans for what promised to be a frenetic second half of football.
0-1 down, and with the breeze at their backs, it was Inter?s turn to take the game to their opponents, and they, in fact, created a number of chances early in the half.
If you have been reading my match reports in recent weeks, you would?ve noticed that Leo Carle has been at the centre of most of Inter Lions? attacks.
After a relatively subdued first half, Carle was at it again after the break, putting Anthony Ucchino away in the 52nd minute with a superbly chipped pass.
Receiving it on his weaker right foot, Ucchino beat Hills keeper, Needham, but sliced his shot inches wide of the goalpost.
Within a minute the same two players combined again, with another ?peach? of a pass by Carle being beautifully controlled by Ucchino, before the striker got well underneath the shot.
Inter Lions were on a roll, and it seemed a matter of time before they would score.
Carle sent the speedy Domenic Dimento away down the left wing in the 58th minute, and his cutback was cracked towards the far post by Ucchino, the ball rolling a matter of millimeters wide of the post as Kamara through himself at the leather.
It was all Inter at this stage, and on 62 minutes they squandered a fantastic opportunity to equalize. Leo Carle scooped a chipped ball over a flat Hills defensive line, and Domenic Dimento raced onto it, swiveled, and shot all in the one movement, only to see Ben Needham pull off a brilliant save in the Brumbies? goal.
The corner from Leo Carle that followed beat everyone as it sailed towards the far post, Ucchino getting his head to the ball, but just not being able to steer it back towards goal.
It was the turn of substitute, Daniel Chiandotto, to slice his shot well wide for Inter when the ball dropped invitingly following yet another Inter corner.
In last week?s semi final encounter against Blacktown Spartans, Inter rode their luck as the Spartans missed chance after chance, and stung them with a goal against the run of play to all but clinch the match.
Well this week they got a taste of their own medicine, when Hills Brumbies made it 2-0 in the 72nd minute with a clinical piece of finishing.
Paul Down split the Inter defence with a weighted pass that allowed Russell Farrell to beat the offside trap and run onto it just inside the sideline in the middle of the Inter half.
Farrell zeroed in on goal from an angle, drawing Inter?s keeper, Sestak, off his line before slipping it under him to make it 2-0.
Still reeling from the shock of copping a second goal, Inter were caught flat footed just two minutes later when Down again split their defence, intelligently playing a firm pass straight down the middle to Savic on the edge of the Inter penalty box.
With everyone looking at the referee?s assistant, Savic dispatched the ball past Sestak off the post to give Hills a commanding 3-0 lead.
Inter responded immediately from the kick off, Chiandotto playing a ?one-two? with Leo Carle to race past a square Hills backline, stroking the ball past Needham to make it 1-3 with fifteen minutes remaining.
Farrell blew a great chance to grab his hat trick for Hills in the 82nd minute, stealing possession from Inter defender, Perri, before hitting his shot metres over the cross bar as Sestak advanced on the striker.
Just as the game fizzled away from Inter, Hills rubbed salt into their wounds with a fourth goal in the final minute.
Substitute Wand Jajaw sent over a fantastic cross from the right side of the penalty area that Sestak could only parry into the path of Pannowitz, and the Brumbies? skipper planted his header into an unguarded net to wrap up proceedings.
For Inter Lions, it has been a remarkable season, having changed almost the entire first grade playing roster at the beginning of the year, including the coaching staff.
Playing a swift passing game based on possession, the youthful Lions can be proud of their achievement, having finished fifth on the ladder and losing out in the finals series just one match short of the grand final.
Best for Inter in the Preliminary Final ; Leo Carle was at his brilliant best in the second half, setting up chance after chance for his colleagues with some superb passing, but, alas, his team mates could not take advantage this time ; Domenic Arcella played a solid match at right back, strong in the tackle and always available in attack via his overlaps ; substitute Daniel Chiandotto made an impact when he came on in the final half hour, adding sting in the tackles and support in the attacking third, scoring Inter?s consolation.
Hills Brumbies are back, and back with a bang, and ready to take on Fairfield City Lions to try and take their second piece of silverware of the season ? the grand final trophy.
They had a strong first half, weathered the storm in the early parts of the second, and finished with aplomb to take the match convincingly.
Best for Hills Brumbies were ; central midfield Paul Down had a whale of a game, often the architect behind many Hills attacks with some brilliant passing, and taking the centre of the park by the scruff of the neck from start to finish ; striker Russell Farrell was a menace all day for Inter?s defence, effective in the first half down the right flank, scoring two goals, and almost grabbing a couple more ; skipper Terry Pannowitz never stopped working all day, working box to box and being rewarded with a goal in the final minute.
Match Stats
HILLS BRUMBIES (1) 4 (Farrell 15?/72?, Savic 74?, Pannowitz 90?)
INTER LIONS (0) 1 (Chiandotto 75?)
Sunday, September5, at Bensons Lane
Referee ? Mr.David Finlay
Assistant Referees ? Mr.Mario Tedone & Mr.Thomas Diakos
Hills Brumbies: 1.B.Needham, 4.J.Miladinovic, 5.R.Farrell (8.W.Jajaw 87?), 6.T.Pannowitz (capt),7.P.Down, 9.D.Savic (19.R.Colborne 75?), 12.L.Ryan, 14.M.Awad (11.L.Darkoh 67?) , 15.N.Cholerton, 16.J.Pineda, 17.H.Oliver.
Subs not used- 18.N.Harnett, 40.M.Hamma.
Yellow Cards-NIL.
Red Cards-NIL.
Inter Lions: 1.P.Sestak, 2.D.Arcella, 3.J.Gonzalez, 4.A.Mansueto, 5.S.Perri, 6.J.Dimento (capt), 7. B.Ellis, 8.D.Dimento, 9.A.Ucchino (15.J.Hall 75?). 10.L.Carle, 11.G.Kamara (12.D.Chiandotto 63?).
Subs not used ? 13.M.Khouri, 14.J.Park, RGK.R.Maiorana.
Yellow Cards-5.S.Perri 84?.
Red Cards-NIL.
Under 20s ? Preliminary Final
Schofields Scorpions v Fairfield City Lions 3-2
The Under 20s Preliminary Final had all the drama of an elimination encounter, with the 2010 season ending for a gallant Fairfield City Lions.
The Lions had taken all before them in the finals series so far, and started like a house on fire this time around with a couple of early goals.
Mohebbee and Sozer sent the Fairfield fans into delirium giving their side a remarkable start to the match.
But the Scorpions regrouped, and restored parity before the break with goals by Cooper and Schumann.
Zac Watters completed a remarkable comeback for Schofields by netting the winner in the second half, sending the Scorpions into a Grand Final battle at Sydney United Sports Centre next Saturday against Premiers, Gladesville Ryde Magic.
-By Frank Speranza
