Sharks frustrate Tigers in Good Friday encounter
Despite missing influential striker Sam Awad who was overseas, the Sharks came from behind with a goal to Chris Price after Anthony Hartshorn opened the scoring for the Tigers.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt quickly started to control the runoff play and in the 4? minute Chris James played a lovely through ball which Anthony Hartshorn cut back only for Sutherland to clear.
The Tigers did take the lead however in the 8? minute as Stephen Kayes floated a lovely cross to the back post for Hartshorn to nod home for the 1-0 lead.
A minute later, Hartshorn was at it again but could not control his header as it went sailing over the crossbar.
Sutherland was eager to get back into the game and in the 11? minute, Jim Bakis had the chance to shoot but lost his footing, and the ball, in sequence.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt could have extended their lead in the 20? minute as a failed Sutherland clearance allowed Kayes to head the ball inches over the crossbar.
Kayes had another chance 3? minutes later as the midfielder forced Nathan Denham into a save from outside the penalty-area.
Tigers? goalkeeper Stefan Giglio, who was on debut, made a monumental mistake in the 24? minute as he caught the ball outside the area giving Sutherland a free-kick. Unfortunately for the Sharks, Jim Bakis? set-piece was easily cleared by the tight Tigers defence.
Sutherland did equalise 5? minutes later as Panni Nikas played a lovely through ball with the outside of his foot to put Chris Price through on goal. The latter rounded the goalkeeper and coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
The news didn?t get any better for the home side as goal scorer Anthony Hartshorn came off the field with a hamstring injury, replaced by Sam Messam immediately following the Sutherland equaliser.
The battle for supremacy in the middle of the park continued for the rest of the half as both sides tried to take control of the match.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt started the second-half hungry to again take the lead with Sam Messam beating three defenders from the kick-off only to lose the ball at the last moment.
3? minutes later and Messam had a clear chance on goal. The Tigers? new signing struck the ball directly at the chest of Sharks goalkeeper, Denham.
Messam continued to be in the thick of things, and in the 50? minute he bustled his way past Michael Katz and George Souris and cut the ball to D?Apuzzo, though the latter?s shot was well blocked by the Sutherland defence.
Sutherland were not going to give up and in the 56? minute Todd Halloran went close with a header at the back post going just wide.
The Sharks started to dominate the play and 3? minutes later Jim Bakis had a snap shot at goal, only to find the waiting Giglio on the goal line.
Giglio was called into action again a minute later as he fisted a ball out for a corner.
The Tigers were well under pressure as the Sharks continued to find gaps in the home side?s defence.
Nicola Rizzo came into the game in the 73? minute and immediately had a shot on goal but could not beat Denham.
At the other end, Sutherland had a great chance to take the lead in the 76? minute as Giglio picked up the ball from a back pass resulting in a free-kick inside the Tigers? box. The Sharks could not take advantage of the opportunity as they blasted the ball out of play.
In the 81? minute Halloran won the ball from Kelso but could not take advantage of the one-on-one opportunity and shot straight at Giglio.
A minute later, the action shifted to the other side of the field with Rizzo forcing Denham into a save with his shot dropping towards the goal.
The home side had the last chance of the match with 3? minutes remaining as Messam cut the ball back to a free Kayes, only for the Sutherland defence to get a foot in and clear out for a corner.
James had a solid match for the Tigers as did Kelso while the Sharks had Nick Stavroulakis who was busy in the midfield.
One interesting spectator at the match was former APIA midfielder and now Sydney FC star Hirofumi Moriyasu who came down to watch his old side – a great role model for the game.
Following the match A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers captain Franco Parisi said his side could have won the match:
?We knew it was going to be a tough match and were aware that in the midfield there would be a few bombs and we all tried to be like Macgyver (Chris James) and tried to defuse them,?? he said.
?I think we started well and had enough chances to win the game which would have been nice just before Easter.??
Sutherland Sharks coach Robbie Stanton was happy with taking a point away from Lambert Park and remain unbeaten in 2011.
?It was a tight and aggressive game and in the end a draw is a little bit disappointing but we know it is always hard coming here.
?The pitch is not great and it is a smaller field so we are happy with the point.??
In the Grade-20 match, Sutherland Sharks scored a late equaliser to get a 1-1 draw against the Tigers.
Match Stats
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers 1 (Anthony Hartshorn 9?)
Sutherland Sharks 1 (Chris Price 29?)
Friday 22nd April, 2011
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Alex Glasgow
Crowd: 300 Approx.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers: 40.Stefan Giglio; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.John Kelso, 4.Cole Tinkler, 5.Michael West, 6.Marton Vass, 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Anthony Hartshorn (14.Sam Messam 30?), 10.Franco Parisi (C) (11.Nicola Rizzo 73?), 13.David D?Apuzzo, 23.Chris James
Substitutions Not Used: 22.Terry Dalbroi, 16.Nathan Milgate
Yellow Cards: Michael West 21?
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2. George Souris (C), 7.Jim Bakis, 8.Chris Price, 10.Matt Bailey, 11.Todd Halloran, 12.Hayden Morton, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 15.Michael Katz, 23.Panni Nikas, 20.Paul Kohler
Substitutions Not Used: 22.Jack Duncan, 37.Ethan Popal, 5.Lachlan Cahill, 33.Niko Tsattalios, 19.Huseyin Jasli
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Chris James (ALT)
2 – Nick Stavroulakis (SS)
1 – John Kelso (ALT)
-By Chris Georges
