State League One Round 3 Review
Mounties Wanderers vs Fairfield City Lions
The highly anticipated heavyweight clash last Friday night at Cook Park turned out to be a mismatch of sorts as Mounties Wanderers well and truly flexed their muscles, thumping the 2010 Grand Final winners Fairfield City Lions by 5-1.
If this was a boxing bout, the Fairfield contingent would surely have thrown in the towel during a first half where the Mounties just did not let up, scoring five goals, and creating numerous other chances which could have made the half time score even more one sided than it was.
The Mounties opened the scoring after just 10 minutes and never looked back from that point on.
Receiving the ball near the halfway point of the sideline, Greg Baldock cut inside a couple of flat footed challenges, before squaring to Daniel Willoughby after a quick one-two with Friday Jeremiah.
The Lions had let the big striker have a ?practise? shot earlier in the match, which went close, and left him unmarked again – this time though, Willoughby made them pay, and hit a scorcher from fully 20 yards that flew past Fairfield custodian, Adam Biernat, and into the roof of the net.
Skipper Daniel McCann went close with a free kick on 13 minutes that Biernat saved, and he was at it again within 60 seconds as the Mounties doubled their advantage.
Receiving the ball towards the right hand side of the penalty area, McCann steadied before cracking a shot that Biernat did well to parry towards the corner flag.
Greg Baldock defied his years to latch onto the ball before it went out of play, sending over a delightful cross that was expertly dispatched by Mark Symington with a left foot volley into the bottom corner.
Fairfield were on the ropes at this stage and the game was in danger of being over before it begun, as Willoughby almost made it three on 16 minutes with a low shot that was well saved by Biernat.
In fact the Fairfield keeper was in the thick of then action constantly, and was all that was between a bigger margin at the break as he often thwarted the home side?s attack.
Despite being outplayed in the opening stanza, Fairfield managed a goal on 27 minutes to reduce the deficit to 1-2 and give themselves some hope of coming back into the match.
Fairfield?s Mojtaba Mohebbee managed to thump his header past the helpless Mounties keeper, Ali Akbal, from point blank range, after a Lions? corner was flicked on at the near post, much to the relief of the traveling support.
Any hope that Fairfield derived from that goal was quickly extinguished within four minutes with two goals from the home side.
Daniel Willoughby got away down the right in the 29th minute, before crossing for the unmarked Symington to head into an unguarded net to make it 3-1, whilst the pint sized attacker grabbed his hatrick in the 33rd when he stabbed home from a few yards following some twisting and turning by Friday Jeremiah.
Greg Baldock, the scorer of four goals over the first two rounds, almost got in on the act again when he cracked an angled shot in the 35th minute that was once again well stopped by Fairfield?s keeper, Biernat.
The first half action wasn?t over just yet, as Mounties scored arguably the goal of the match a couple of minutes into injury time.
Captain Daniel McCann picked up a loose ball near the left touchline, and took off on a mazy run past a couple of opponents, before a swift one-two with Baldock on the edge of the penalty area.
Then, calm as you like, McCann curled an absolute peach of a shot over the stranded Biernat to send his troops in at the break with a 5-1 lead.
The break could not come soon enough for the visitors, with the opportunity to have a breather and review the tactics no doubt high on the agenda for discussion.
Fairfield captain, Yavuz Ekinci, did not reappear after the break, and with him went Fairfield?s best chance of getting back into the game.
His creativity had been snuffed out by the snapping tackles of the Mounties midfield pairing of Daniel McCann and Ian McAndrew, whilst the defensive brick wall of Mark D?Alessandro and Scott Goodwin was almost impenetrable for the Fairfield attackers.
Mounties took their foot off the pedal somewhat at the start of the second half, much to Fairfield?s relief, although they almost added to the scoreboard on the hour mark.
Baldock cracked a an angled volley just wide after some great work down the right by Peter Day and Ian McAndrew, whilst Friday ?night football? Jeremiah blasted high following an exquisite interchange of passes between Symington and McAndrew.
Mounties coaching pair of Aidan Desmond and Glenn Lockhart made three substitutions between the 64th and 69th minutes, one of them ? Daniel Willoughby ? a forced one through injury, but the home side remained steadily in control.
Fairfield changed tactics at this point, throwing men forward in a valiant attempt to salvage something from the match.
On the hour mark they almost pulled one back with Mojtaba Mohebbee hitting a 20 yard shot inches over the bar, whilst Ben Cronk blasted over after a great flick header by Ongel put him into space.
Mohebbee kept up his personal assault on the Mounties goal, when he hit a real speculator from fully 25 yards that was finger tipped by Ali Akbal onto the cross bar.
But alas, the game was over at half time, and the second half came to an end without any addition to the scoreboard, the full time whistle bringing proceedings to an end amidst the cheers of the home fans.
Fairfield came to Cook Park quietly confident of upsetting the apple cart, but were soundly beaten by a fierce Mounties side. Losing playmaker Ekinci at the break didn?t help the Lions , but on the night they were no match for their highly fancied opponents.
Best for the Lions were ; goalkeeper Adam Biernat managed to parry quite a few hits at goal during a first half onslaught, keeping the score down to five at the break with some good shot stopping ; Mojtaba Mohebbee lead a one man attack at the Mounties, and under the circumstances did ever so well to grab a goal, hit the woodwork and almost score a another with a great shot ; midfielder Sargun Dawd was energetic in the middle of the park, trying valiantly to stop the marauding Mounties onslaught with some timely tackles.
On the basis of this performance, it is going to take one heck of a team to stop the Mounties in 2011. They displayed raw strength in defence, tenacity in midfield, and sharpness in front of goal, but moreso, the real strength is in the collective approach to the job at hand.
Not only are they potent in attack, with a number of sources contributing to their fifteen goals in their opening three matches, they hardly look like they will concede many either.
And with Matty Viera, Reece Iredale, and Troy McColl yet to return to the fray, opposition teams be warned.
Best on a memorable Friday-night victory for Mounties were ; Daniel Willoughby scored for the third week in succession, and what a goal it was, and was a real menace with his strength, pace and height ; Mark Symington played the part of goal poacher on the end of a string of Mounties attacks, not only supporting the play in general, but often in the right place at the right time to clinically finish for a brilliant 19 minute hatrick ; Mark D?Alessandro and Scott Goodwin were like a brick wall in the centre of defence, their combined application to the task at hand, both in the air and on the ground, resulting in very few forays down the middle of the park ; and the centre midfield was well marshalled by Daniel McCann and Ian McAndrew, who combined to often win possession and set the Mounties attacks on their way.
Match Stats
MOUNTIES WANDERERS (5) 5 (Willoughby 10?, Symington 14?/29?/33?, McCann 45? +2)
FAIRFIELD CITY LIONS (1) 1 (Mohebbee 27?)
Friday, April 1, at Cook Park, Mt Pritchard
Referee ? Mr Colin Smith
Assistant Referees ? Mr Marc Nemorin & Mr Andrzes Imielski
MOUNTIES WANDERERS: 1.A.Akbal, 11.P.Day, 16.S.Goodwin, 18.M.D?Alessandro, 7.P.Crisp, 19.I.McAndrew, 10.D.Willoughby (3.T.Salvaggio 69?), 17.D.McCann (capt) (20.C.Rogers 64?), 14..M.Symington, 4.G.Baldock (2.E.Squillacioti 66?), 8.F.Jeremiah.
Subs not used- 43.J.Andriano,RGK.G.Jamieson.
Yellow Cards ? 2.E.Squillacioti 66?, 16.S.Goodwin 87?.
Red Cards ? NIL.
FAIRFIELD CITY LIONS: 1.A.Biernat, 2.S.Sozer (7.P.Bouzanis 58?), 3.M.Bozzetto, 4.C.Sultan, 5.H.Hidalgo, 6.S.Dawd, 8.C.Theodosiou, 9.B.Cronk, 10.Y.Ekinci (capt) (12.Y.Hayashi 46?), 11.M.Mohebbee, 15.E.Ongel.
Subs not used ? 13.D.Needham, 14.DF.Madadghar,23.O.Durmaz.
Yellow Cards ? NIL.
Red Cards ? NIL.
Division One Review ? Round Three
Camden Tigers ? Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1-0
6-00pm, Saturday, April 2 @ Ron Dine Reserve
Camden Tigers moved into third spot ? on goal difference ? on the Division One ladder courtesy of a 1-0 home triumph over Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
The solitary goal came via Dean Morgan just minutes after the break, and was enough for the Tigers to grab all three points.
Camden?s success thus far has been built on their resolute defence, which remarkably has yet to be pierced, with no goals conceded following the first three rounds of the competition.
Stanmore Hawks ? Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-1
7-00pm, Saturday, April 2 @ Arlington Oval
Stanmore Hawks made it back-to-back wins after their closely fought 2-1 home win over Gladesville Ryde Magic.
The three strikers on the match scoresheet were all familiar names in recent years of Division One football, with Stanmore?s Neil Philippou opening proceedings for the Hawks with a goal on 9 minutes.
The lead only lasted three minutes, as Steve Biviano, a player who is very familiar with the Arlington Oval surroundings, equalized for the Magic in the 12th minute.
Stanmore was not to be denied, and Nick Paradisis grabbed the winning goal a couple of minutes into the second stanza, his fifth of the campaign, to catapult the Hawks into second spot on the ladder.
Balmain SC ? Hurstville ZFC 1-2
7-00pm, Saturday, April 2@ Hensley Athletic Field
Hurstville ZFC find themselves near the summit of the competition ladder following their 2-1 away victory over Balmain SC.
Chris Terkes put Hurstville in front minutes before the break, but veteran Johnny Buonavoglia equalized for Balmain in the 52nd minute to give the home side some hope.
But Hurstville are made of sterner stuff in 2011, and it was that man Terkes once again that found the net, his goal in the 56th minute earning his side a valuable three points.
Fairfield Bulls ? Schofields Scorpions 2-1
3-00pm, Sunday, April 3 @ Hajduk Stadium
At Hajduk Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Fairfield Bulls managed their first victory in Division One with a 2-1 triumph over Schofields Scorpions.
The Bulls did so by coming from behind, with Tim Harrington giving the Scorpions the lead in the opening minute of the second half.
Sargon Georges equalized for Fairfield on 62 minutes, before Janan Kako grabbed a 78th minute winner, sending the home fans into raptures.
Inter Lions ? UNSW 2-2
3-00pm, Sunday, April 3 @ Crest Complex
Inter Lions threw away a 2-0 half time lead to eventually share the points with the visiting UNSW on Sunday afternoon at the Crest Complex.
Nick Ruoco put Inter in front after 18 minutes, and Daniele Chiandotto doubled their advantage in the 36th, giving the home side a commanding lead at the break.
After suffering two heavy opening defeats in the first two rounds, the ?students? were keen to retrieve something from this match, and pegged one back on the hour with a goal by Hayden O?Kelly.
Just as the home fans were calling for the final whistle from the referee, up stepped Henry Kamleitner to snatch a last gasp equalizer in the second minute of injury time, sending both teams home with their first point of the season.
-By Frank Speranza
