Sharks battle hard for win against reigning Champions

Travis Major converted the spot kick at the second attempt, after Western Australian referee Matthew Cheeseman ordered it to be retaken for encroachment, but it wasn?t enough to prevent the home side from grabbing the points at a rainy and windswept Seymour Shaw Park.
This opening round match had all the characteristics of a real battle as the two fancied heavyweights kick-started the 2011 NSW Premier League campaign.
Roodenburg had Denham saving at full stretch as early as the 3? minute before the Sharks countered with some sparkling play down the flanks with Panni Nikas – back from his latest stint in the A-League – pulling the strings in midfield. A short corner passed back to Jimmy Bakis to cross to the back stick had Blacktown City on the back foot, though the cross was inches too high for Nikas to head home.
Blacktown City hit back after early pressure saw them defend deep, though a free-kick just outside the penalty-area, in a central position, was fired into the wall.
The visitors approach play merits mention and, but for poor finishing, perhaps should have seen them take the lead via another free-kick that was completely unread by the attacking City side. Matt Bailey gave away a foul in another dangerous position that came to nought as the Sharks slowly grasped the initiative and began to impose themselves on the game culminating in the opening goal of the 2011 season.
Nikas had a shot blocked by Blacktown City goalkeeper Justin Biega, not his first moment in the game by any stretch, but he was powerless against the rebound hit with venom in the 30? minute by Bailey.
Kain Rastall clattered into the back of Nikas not for the first time in front of the official but no free-kick was awarded as the Sharks finished the half strongly and could have netted again when lanky striker Sam Awad, who joined the club last week from Rockdale City Suns, showed many deft touches and good pace before slipping the ball to Bakis who curled in a shot from the edge of the penalty-area that sailed narrowly over.
Nick Stavroulakis was given the midfield holding role and his tigerish play in the middle of the park when tackling back and cleaning up loose balls often went unnoticed, but shouldn?t be underestimated in the Sharks victory as it formed part of the platform allowing team mates to get forward.
Blacktown began brightly on the resumption but not before another scare as Bailey was put clean through with only the goalkeeper to beat following superb build-up work down the left by Nick Tsattalios. With Bailey through on goal, a horrendous miss-kick went beyond the post with the goalkeeper well beaten. He was to do it again in the 80? minute when Yianni Fragogianis sent Tsattalios free down the left, but with the goal at his mercy he found a way to scoop it over the crossbar.
Blacktown?s defence was starting to look shaky but they held out and the visitors came back strongly resulting in the twice taken penalty and levelling the game.
They pushed on and Denham had to save smartly down to his left from Major but Sutherland were not to take this laying down and the move of the match provided the winner seconds later. Michael Katz, back from a horror injury that limited him to just two appearances last term, slipped the ball to Bakis in a neat one-two before rounding a defender and chipping over Biega to find the head of Todd Halloran with almost his first touch of the match for the winner.
Rastall should perhaps purchase a lottery ticket after a two-footed lunge on Nikas left the player reeling that escaped serious punishment when receiving just a caution, as both Nikas and Tsattalios came in for some heavy treatment. However, it was Fragogianis who was perhaps the unluckiest player when in the 61? minute he rounded Biega in the penalty-area but had his effort blocked with a last ditch tackle that left the Sharks defender the worse for wear, forcing his early exit from the game.
Katz held his head in his hands when his 66? minute shot-cum-cross grazed the crossbar with Biega beaten after coming out to narrow the angle.
Roodenburg led by example and was busy all night with Tyler Simpson a tower at the back and Mitch Long and Michael Brown standing out before drifting in and out of the match for short periods.
Bakis almost had the last word when trying an audacious chip from fully 25-yards out after spotting the Blacktown City shot-stopper off his line. The attempt had the custodian back peddling rapidly, though the ball dropped marginally over the crossbar as the whistle blew for full-time.
Blacktown City FC coach Mark Crittenden commented following the match:
?We are disappointed with the result as there is always a big build up to the first game, and for me in my first game in charge and to walk away as 2-1 loser is hard to take to be honest. 
?The first-half we sat off a little too deep to be honest but when we came at them after the break we found the equaliser and I thought from there we would go on to win the game because we have the belief, though on the night we didn?t take our chances and we made a schoolboy error for their second goal and our defence was poor on that and that hurts. 
?There were a lot of positives to take from the 90? minutes and we have a couple to come back in next week but we?ll keep working hard and I?m sure the results will follow.?
Sharks coach Robbie Stanton had the look of a manager who had played every ball but stated:
?It was a very tough first game for us but as I said to the players, if you want to play against sides and players with a good pedigree, these are the games you have to put in for and Blacktown won the competition last year so it was always going to be hard.
?They are a very, very good team and it was a good result for us and without being disrespectful I thought we deserved the win tonight and with luck we could have had another couple of goals.
?I though big Sam (Awad) was outstanding for us tonight and all the new guys who have come into the side have merged well with the team and in Todd (Halloran) we have a great young prospect who has the ability to go far.
?All in all, it was a pleasing performance and we?re happy with the three-points against a strong side like Blacktown but we know we still have plenty of improvement to make, but I can?t ask any more than the guys gave tonight.?
Sutherland Sharks U/20s defeated Blacktown City FC U/20 3-1 in the early encounter.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Bailey 30?, Halloran 76?)
Blacktown City FC 1 (Major 69? (pen))
Saturday 26th March, 2011
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Matthew Cheeseman (WA)
Assistant Referees: Adam Coombes and Lance Greenshields
Fourth Official: Brendan Johanson

Crowd: Approx 500
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.George Souris (C), 4.Yianni Fragogianis (12. Hayden Morton 62?), 6.Sam Awad (11.Todd Halloran 75?), 7.Jimmy Bakis, 10.Matt Bailey, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 15.Michael Katz, 20.Paul Kohler, 23.Panni Nikas, 33.Nick Tsattalios (28.Klim Gjoreski 90)
Substitutes Not Used: 37.Ehsan Popal, 22.Jack Duncan
Yellow Cards: Nikas 73?, Stavroulakis 90?
Red Cards: Nil 
Blacktown City FC: 20.Justin Biega; 2.Tyler Simpson, 16.Adam Biddle (11.Milorad Simonovic 63?), 5.Pat Gatt, 6.Matt Pressello, 7.Luke Roodenburg, 9.Kain Rastall, 10.Mitch Long, 13.Matt Lewis, 14.Michael Brown, 17.Adam Jenner (4.Travis Major 63?)
Substitutes Not Used: 12.Sean Mitchell, 28.Kevin Oliveira, 40.David Bradasevic
Yellow Cards: Simpson 78?, Rastall 83?, Pressello 90?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Nick Tsattalios (SS)
2 ? Luke Roodenburg (BC)
1 ? Sam Awad (SS)
 -By Micky Brock