Sydney Olympic maul the Tigers
The clashes between these two former National League giants are always something very special and today?s clash, at the boutique Lambert Park, was no different.
The fact that the mercurial little ground will shortly undergo a $2 million plus transformation, can?t take away from the historical significance of arguably Sydney?s most quintessential football venue which held up remarkably well given Sydney?s recent deluge.
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers, the team that has produced more Socceroos and more Socceroo captains that any other in the history of Australian football, were certainly not given any quarter by Sydney Olympic who were well marshalled by Peter Tsekenis who is back at the club where it all began for him as a player.
In the end, all three points went back to Belmore with the visitors and deservedly so. Sydney Olympic, playing away from home while their own home ground undergoes transformation, won on merit.
?I am happy because we are getting a result against a quality side like A.P.I.A. away from home, especially not knowing if we were going to play because of the weather,? Tsekenis stated after the game.
?We created and took some chances today which in the last few weeks perhaps we didn?t do, but we showed today that there were some other players capable and up to the task.
?We got the result and probably could have scored a few more.?
Tsekenis was rather philosophical when questioned about his return to his former club albeit in a coaching role rather than a playing one.
?Coaching is always a challenge both on and off park and in particular we need to make sure that, off the park, we are always moving forward as a club.?
It was clear from early on what Olympic was about when Robert Mileski received the ball and then turned and fired just wide of the mark.
The opening goal arrived in the 13? minute when Alex Smith on the right found Mileski who, with a powerful shot, basically forced the ball into the net through Jose Bello Amigo?s grasp.
A few free-kicks wide of the mark from each side interrupted the arm wrestle that was developing out in the middle until the 34? minute when Alex Smith, an astute off season recruit from Fraser Park, ran down the left flank and around an out-rushing Bello-Amigo before firing in from almost the impossible angle.
The goal, shades of Ned Zelic?s 1992 effort for the Olyroos against the Netherlands, was remarkable as it seemed to defy the laws of geometry to end up in the back of the net.
Late in the first-half Chris James forced Paul Henderson into a beautiful diving save to turn his dangerous free kick away for a corner, but it was A.P.I.A. Leichhardt could muster in the first stanza of play.
In the second-half it was obvious that the Tigers were going to chase the game with vigour. However, after getting a goal back, that momentum was lost when the determined Sydney Olympic immediately restored the buffer zone.
In the 52? minute James ran for what seemed to be an eternity before ending up in a goal scoring position that he was never going to fail at.
With a cool head he slotted the ball home and the Tigers had reason to smile.
However, the smile turned to disappointment when Phil Makrys, with the determination of a rhinoceros, forced his way through the heart of the A.P.I.A. Leichhardt defence before he too slotted home with ease.
It was heart breaking for A.P.I.A. Leichhardt to see the two goal lead immediately restored.
When Alex Smith made it four for the visitors a short time afterwards with a lovely individual goal, it was to be the final dagger through the heart of A.P.I.A. Leichhardt.
Smith, rumoured to be in the sights of the Gold Coast United, certainly proved that astute buys can be made from the NSW Super League.
Smith was at it again as he set up David Gullo who forcefully shot wide before repeating the dose for Hussein Akil as he tested the Bello-Amigo with his shot shortly after entering the field.
Late in the game there were two more great chances ? one for each side ? but neither was successful.
Firstly, A.P.I.A. Leichhardt?s Nicola Rizzo fired across the entire face of an open goal but no one could touch the ball in and then Olympic?s reply was with Gullo who squandered a one-on-one with the goalkeeper at his mercy.
After the game A.P.I.A. Leichhardt?s Franco Parisi summed up the sombre mood in the Tigers camp.
?Look, we were like ladybugs out there today,? he said in probably an accurate reflection of the mood.
?We need to fight for each ball and there were probably too many lapses between us in the squad ? basically we didn?t play like a team today.?
Meanwhile, in the Grade-20s there was no game to preserve the ground after more than a week of heavy rain.
Match Stats
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers 1 (James 52?)
Sydney Olympic 4 (Mileski 13?, Smith 34?,59?, Makrys 53?)
Sunday 1st May, 2011
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Kris Griffith Jones
Assistant Referees: Sarah Ho and Adam Coombes
Fourth Official: Alex Smith
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Jose Bello-Amigo; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.John Kelso, 13.David D?Apuzzo (7.Stephen Kayes 63?), 4.Cole Tinkler, 5.Michael West, 6.Marton Vass, 23.Chris James 11.Nicola Rizzo, 9.Robbie Younis (8.Anthony Hartshorn 74?), 10.Franco Parisi (19.Samuel Messam 74?)
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Stefan Giglio, 16.Nathan Milgate
Yellow Cards: Byrnes 44?, James 72?
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic: 1.Paul Henderson; 2.Emmanuel Giannaros (4.Ibrahim Haydar 65?), 3.Brett Studman, 5.Richard Luksic, 6.Alex Smith, 7.Phil Makrys, 8.Chris Triantis (23.Taka Oki 70?), 11.Robert Mileski (9.Hussein Akil 78?), 16.Peter Triantis, 18.Jerry Kalouris, 19.David Gullo.
Substitutes Not Used: 21. Nenad Vekic, 14. William Angel
Yellow Cards: Giannaros 16?, Luksic 25?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Alex Smith (SO)
2 – Phil Makrys (SO)
1 – Brett Studman (SO)
-By Joe Russo
