Round 2 Waratah Cup final review
On Tuesday evening State League Two side Fairfield Wanderers caused a major upset defeating NSW Super League side Northern Tigers 2-0 at Knight Park.
Both goals came in the second half with Roberto Sanchez scoring in the 60th minute with the Wanderers firing home their second only a minute later via Luis Escalante.
On what was a very wintery Wednesday evening the last of six matches kicked off with a host of quality matches that were on shown across Sydney.
State League Two side Fairfield Bulls heroically defeated Super League side Central Coast FC at Pluim Park 2-1, Super League side Hills Brumbies defeated State League One side Gladesville Ryde Magic 4-3 in what was a thrilling match, State League Two side Northbridge stunned Spirit FC 3-1 at Christie Park, Sydney University won the battle of the Universities as they defeated UNSW 2-1 while State League Two side Chopin Park Rams defeated the final Association standing Eastwood St.Andrews 6-5 on penalties after the match ended 2-2 at full time and 3-3 after extra time.
One match that did not take place at all was at Bensons Lane where State League Two side Hawkesbury City SC won via forfeit against Manly Association?s Collaroy Cromer due to the amount of injuries the Association side suffered during their club fixture over the weekend.
Match Report
Macarthur Rams v Canberra FC
A severely depleted Canberra FC was dumped out of the Waratah Cup at the second round stage by Macarthur Rams on a cold night in Campbelltown in a match tinged with controversy with the Rams running out 3-1 winners on a pock-marked and uneven playing surface at Lynwood Park.
Already shorn of several first-team regulars including goalkeeper Ben Klug, defenders Matt Grbesa and Marcin Zygmunt, midfielders Adam Spaleta and John Glass and joint leading scorer Victor Yanes a young and tenacious Canberra FC saw their ranks diminished even further by the dismissal of central defender Joseph Lekic.
The flashpoint occurred midway through the first half when Lekic put in a robust challenge on a Rams midfielder when attempting to win a 50-50 ball. Admittedly the Rams player came off distinctly second best but there was an element of surprise amongst both sets of players and supporters when the referee pulled play up for a foul.
Incredibly, to the stunned disbelief of most of those present, the referee issued a straight red card to Lekic and, in the process, swung the balance of the match irrevocably towards the home side.
It was rough justice on Canberra FC who, up until that point, had barely been threatened by the Rams and indeed had found themselves 1-0 up thanks to a quite brilliant goal from striker Michael Spaleta in the 19th minute. Receiving a pass at the top of the penalty area Spaleta unleashed a left-foot thunderbolt that flashed past Ben Needham in the Rams goal into the top corner for a sensational opener.
By this stage it was all Canberra FC with speedy wingers Ivan Pavlak and Josip Jadric causing all sorts of problems with their penetrating bursts down the flanks. With Anthony Bekavac and Ryan Keir dominating the midfield exchanges Canberra FC goalkeeper Adam Perakovic was a mere spectator.
The sending off of Lekic in the 27th minute changed the whole complexion of the contest with the Rams suddenly being given a foot-hold in the match. They really should have equalised within seconds of Lekic?s departure as the resultant free-kick ricocheted fortuitously into the path of Callum Fleming who, all alone from only ten metres out in the centre of goal, really should have done better than to prod a tame effort against the base of the post.
After the interval the Rams introduced the lively Daniel Duarte to add some spice to what had been a toothless attacking display and the prolific striker was to finally breach the visitors defence with 67 minutes played.
A terrific run down the right wing by the excellent Craig Cooley culminated in a superb lofted cross being brilliantly headed in by Duarte at the near post with Perakovic rooted to his goal-line.
Having been reduced to ten men for three-quarters of the game, leaving Paul Ivanic to plough a lone furrow up front, a spirited Canberra FC finally ran out of legs towards the end of the match. Therefore, with the Rams enjoying the lion?s share of the play and Canberra FC reduced to sporadic breaks, it was little surprise when the home team took the lead.
Only six minutes were left on the clock when a corner from Alan De La Cuadra was met at the near post by Duarte again for an almost carbon-copy replica of the first Rams goal.
If that wasn?t bad enough for Rob Graham?s team, salt was rubbed into the gaping wound by a third Rams goal in the final minute. Alvaro Malmierca charged down an attempted clearance and, as the ball rebounded towards Perakovic, the same player clashed with the young custodian, who appeared to fumble the ball under pressure, allowing Malmierca a simple tap-in.
On another day the referee may even have called a foul on the Canberra FC shot-stopper but, as seemed to be the way of the match, the decision went with the home side and Canberra FC?s gallant effort came to naught.
Keeping with the theme of blooding young talent Graham introduced two of the club?s highly successful Premier League under-18 team into the fray with the appearance of Julian Borgna and Saputra Bachsan as the average age of the Canberra FC line-up grew ever smaller.
Macarthur Rams: 20.Ben Needham (gk), 2. Craig Cooley, 4. Goran Ljuboja (11. Daniel Duarte 58?), 5. Mitchell O?Keefe (19. Nemanja Kisacanin 49?), 7. Alan De La Cuadra (32. Mitchell Hall 86?), 8. Alvaro Malmierca, 12. Lloyd Spencer, 21. Callum Fleming 22. Matt Sadler, 25. Ben Simpson (27. Liam Scurr 79?), 30. Josh Marolo
Canberra FC: 20. Adam Perakovic (gk), 2. Nathan Evans, 3. Izach Clements, 4. Joseph Lekic, 7. Paul Ivanic, 8. Anthony Bekavac (5. Saputra Bachsan 88?), 9. Michael Spaleta (6. Aaron Evans 75?), 10. Ryan Keir, 11. Ivan Pavlak (12. Julian Borgna 92?), 14. Josip Jadric (15. Daniel Bennett 72?), 17. Aidan Brunskill
YELLOW CARDS: 21. Callum Fleming (Macarthur Rams), 2. Nathan Evans, 8. Anthony Bekavac, 9. Michael Spaleta
RED CARDS: 2. Joseph Lekic (Canberra FC)
Macarthur Rams 3 (Daniel Duarte 67?, 84?, Alvaro Malmierca 90?) Canberra FC 1 (Michael Spaleta 19?)
-Capital Football Press Release
Waratah Cup Round 2 Results
Pagewood Botany (ASSOC) 0 v Granville Rage (SL) 5
Mt. Druitt Town Rangers 2 (SL1) v Dulwich Hill (SL) 1 (1-1 after 90 mins)
Port Kembla (IPL) 2 v Hurstville ZFC (SL1) 1
Camden Tigers (SL1) 1 v Fairfield City Lions (SL1) 2
Fraser Park (SL) 2 v Pacific Hills Dural (ASSOC) 0
Mounties Wanderers (SL1) 7 v Como West Janali (ASSOC) 0
Schofields Scorpions (SL1) 3 v Bathurst 75 (SL2) 0
FC Gazy Lansvale (SL2) 2 v Picton Rangers (IPL) 1
Blacktown Spartans (SL) 0 v Balmain (SL1) 0 (Spartans won 3-0 in extra time)
West Sydney Berries (SL) 4 v Stanmore Hawks (SL1) 0
St. George FC (SL) 7 v Inter Lions (SL1) 3
Hakoah (SL2) 0 v Dandaloo FC (IPL) 1
Hawkesbury City SC (SL2) v Collaroy Cromer (ASSOC) – Hawkesbury City SC win on forfeit
Fairfield Wanderers (SL2) 2 v Northern Tigers (SL) 0
Central Coast FC (SL) 1 v Fairfield Bulls (SL1) 2
Hills Brumbies (SL) 4 v Gladesville Ryde Magic (SL1) 3
Macarthur Rams (SL) 3 v Canberra FC (ACT PL) 1
Spirit FC (SL) 1 v Northbridge FC (SL2) 3
Sydney University (SL) 2 v UNSW (SL1) 1
Chopin Park Rams (SL2) 2 v Eastwood St. Andrews (ASSOC) 2 (3-3 AET) 6-5 on pens
Key
SL – Super League
SL1 – State League One
SL2 – State League Two
ASSOC – Association
ACT PL – ACT Premier League
IPL – Illawarra Premier League
-By Mark Stavroulakis
