State League One Round 13 Review
Match of the Round
Balmain SC vs Schofields Scorpions
The artificial surface at Hensley Athletic Field was not impacted by the wet weather that dominated the week, and Schofields Scorpions were the beneficiaries by beating Balmain SC 2-1 on Saturday night.
This match was a billed as a real ?six pointer? in my Preview, given Schofields were three points behind Balmain and were propping up the competition ladder prior to the game.
Both sides were cautious in the opening ten minutes, prodding each other carefully whilst assessing the bounce of the ball as they tried valiantly to keep possession.
Surprisingly, the visitors seemed to settle the better in the early exchanges, and created a number of opportunities within the initial half hour or so.
Prior to that, both sides were forced to make a substitution in the opening ten minutes. Coincidentally, both subs were strikers, with Kirby (Schofields) in the 9th and Barrett (Balmain) in the 12th succumbing to injury and calling it a night.
The first chance came moments later, when an inswinging corner on 14 minutes was spilled by Balmain?s custodian, Daniel Conway, and Schofield?s Daine Merrin stabbed wide from a few yards out.
Two minutes later and the visitors went one better, and it was a disappointing goal to concede from Balmain?s point of view.
A long throw into the penalty area was received by an unmarked Tom Simpson, and he duly took a touch, swiveled, and poked the ball inside the far side netting to send Schofields into a 1-0 lead.
The Scorpions kept at it, and on 19 minutes it was Merrin that raced down the centre of the park, before clipping a great pass to the left, over the Balmain defence, and into the path of Andrew Quigg.
Quigg controlled the ball as he entered the box, and cracked an angled shot goalward that was brilliantly parried away by Balmain?s keeper, Conway.
Balmain at this stage were seemingly holding possession of the ball, but were not making many yards at all, whilst the Scorpions were playing a patient game, relying on pinching the ball and moving into counter attack mode.
Quigg should?ve made it 2-0 to Schofields on 27 minutes, racing through to face Conway in a one-on-one, but hastily sent his shot skywards from right in front.
Balmain eventually had their first attempt on goal after what seemed an eternity, and it came in the 37th minute.
Following a good passage of team play involving a number of passes, it was youngster, Vincent Leto, who picked up the ball some 30 metres from goal, and after skipping over a challenge, he hit a shot that took a deflection and dropped just over the cross bar.
The visitors responded within sixty seconds, a number of Scorpions literally getting in each other?s way inside Balmain?s penalty area before Tom Simpson blasted over.
That?s the way it stayed until Mr Goodhew blew his half time whistle, and the home side went into the sheds with the greater concern, needing to change the tactics if they were to drag themselves back into the match.
Balmain went forward in numbers after the break, throwing men in attack in search of an equalizer.
On 51 minutes, Johhny Buonavoglia curled a brilliant free kick from the edge of the box that was headed for the corner of the goal where the spiders live ? but Schofields keeper, Nishad, was equally brilliant in making a spectacular diving save to his left.
The game was turned on it?s head just six minutes later in the 57th minute, and no prizes for guessing the protagonist ? Johnny Buonavoglia.
Stretching to receive an overhit pass on the right touchline, ?jockey? reached the goal line before jinking inside the penalty area, enticing a challenge from the Schofield?s defence.
The challenge arrived, and so did the foul, and Mr Goodhew pointed immediately to the spot.
Buonavoglia dusted himself off before cleverly sending the ball past Nishad to equalize for the home side.
With their tails up, Balmain kept at it, and Jamal Boutkabout snapped a low shot on the hour just wide of the upright after a neat interchange of passes with Vincent Leto.
At this stage it was all Balmain, with the home side holding possession well, and subsequently controlling the match, confidently looking for a second goal.
The second goal did come, in the 67th minute, but, totally against the run of play, it was scored by Schofields, with Tom Simpson grabbing his brace.
Whilst Balmain were on the prowl, Tim Harrington stole possession deep inside his own half, and instantaneously sent a diagonal through ball crossfield, behind the Balmain defensive line, and into Tom Simpson?s path.
Simpson allowed the leather to bounce, before hitting a low volley from the edge of the penalty area past Daniel Conway and into the bottom corner of the Balmain net.
The visitors celebrated, and then put up shop to defuse anything Balmain could throw at them in the final stages.
The home side huffed and puffed but just couldn?t find a second breakthrough, and it was the Scorpions that held on for what proved a most valuable three points.
Results elsewhere mean that Schofields still occupy last position on 9 points, however the gap has closed significantly, as Balmain are also on 9 points, and above them only on goal difference, and Stanmore (10 points) and Inter Lions (11 points) are within arm?s reach.
For Balmain, it was a disappointing back up performance given their emphatic victory last weekend against Fairfield City Lions, and the opportunity to break away from the base of the ladder slipped away in the second half.
Best for Balmain were ; the midfield triangle of Robbie Bruno, Vincent Leto and Johnny Buonavoglia were a great mix, with the grunt of Bruno as an anchor in the midfield complementing ?jockey?s? experience and positional play, whilst Leto defied his youth with his composure on the ball, the trio knocking the ball around swiftly and with ease.
For Schofields, the victors on the night, best performed were ; William Stuart and Daine Merrin did a great job in midfield, with Stuart anchoring the centre of the park whilst Merrin got forward with good effect ; Toner at left back and Harrington in centre defence were towers of strength and fierce in the tackle ; Tom Simpson buzzed around in the attacking third all night, and was rewarded with two well taken goals.
Match Stats
BALMAIN SC (0) 1 (Buonavoglia 57?)
SCHOFIELDS SCORPIONS (1) 2 (Simpson 16?/ 67?)
Saturday, June 18, at Hensley Athletic Field
Referee ? Mr T Goodhew
Assistant Referees ? Mr A Alexandrou & Mr S Babamovski
BALMAIN SC: 1.D.Conway (capt), 2.T.Hyde (12.C.Modena 67?), 3.C.Grayson, 4.N.Flower, 5.C.Andrews, 6.V.Leto, 7.A.Cacciotti, 8.R.Bruno, 9.A.Barrett (14.J.Boutkabout 12?), 10.J.Buonavoglia, 11.U.Kaye.
Subs not used ? 13.P.Milazzo,15.A.Petratos,RGK.M.Mulhall.
Yellow Cards- 6.V.Leto 59?, 4.N.Flower 83?.
Red Cards-NIL.
SCHOFIELDS SCORPIONS: 1.A.Nishad, 4.D.Toner, 12.T.Harrington (capt) , 13.C.Biesenthal, 23.A.Pearson, 8.J.Howard (7.T.Aitken 55?), 2.W.Stuart, 10.J.Kirby (9.D.Stivala 9?), 21.D.Merrin, 5.T.Simpson, 6.A.Quigg (11.L.Delaney 72?)
Subs not used- 3.T.Sullivan.
Yellow Cards- 5.T.Simpson 42?, 4.D.Toner 56?.
Red Cards- NIL.
Division One Review ? Round Thirteen
Hurstville ZSC ? Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1-1
3-00pm, Sunday, June 19 @ Hurstville Oval
Hurstville ZFC and Mt Druitt shared the spoils on Sunday afternoon in a 1-1 draw at Hurstville Oval.
Marko Susic put Hurstville in front early on, striking on 12 minutes to send the home fans into a bout of cheering.
Mt Druitt equalized on the half hour mark, and no prizes for guessing the goalscorer ? their in form striker, Hosyar Cakal, with his 11th goal of the season.
The point apiece keeps both teams placed just below the middle of the ladder, and only one win outside the top five placings.
UNSW ? Stanmore Hawks 2-1
3-00pm, Sunday, June 19 @ Wentworth Park
UNSW moved into outright second position on the competition ladder when they defeated Stanmore Hawks 2-1 at Wentworth Park.
Following a scoreless first half, UNSW exploded with two goals within three minutes in the second half.
Henry Kamleitner opened the scoring in the 67th minute, and Sebastian Bendall made it 2-0 to the ?students? just three minutes later.
League topscorer, Nick Paradisis, pulled one back for Stanmore Hawks in the 74th minute, but it was little consolation for the visitors, with UNSW recording another victory in their quest to bridging the gap at the top.
The three points puts UNSW on 22 points, whilst Stanmore dropped to 10th, just one point off the bottom of the competition.
Mounties Wanderers ? Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-0
3-00pm, Sunday, June 19 @ Cook Park
Mounties Wanderers made it 12 wins in 13 matches with a 2-0 triumph on Sunday afternoon against Gladesville Ryde Magic.
The goals came within three minutes in the middle of the second half, with Daniel Willoughby opening proceedings on 65 minutes with his 6th goal of the season.
Ian McAndrew doubled the Mounties advantage just three later, and it was enough to give the Wanderers the spoils.
Gladesville held onto their 5th spot despite the loss, but do have a flurry of teams surrounding them on the ladder, some of which have played less games.
Fairfield Bulls ? Fairfield City Lions 1-5
3-00pm, Sunday, June 19 @ Hajduk Stadium
Fairfield City Lions bounced emphatically back to form on Sunday afternoon, and with it won the bragging rights in Fairfield, when they trounced Fairfield Bulls to the tune of 5-1 at Hajduk Stadium.
The first half finished evenly, with Niriam Kanoun?s 37th minute goal cancelling out Yavuz Ekinci?s opener for the Lions in the 31st.
But the floodgates opened after the break, with the Lions scoring four goals to no reply.
Mirwiss Amiri put the Lions in front on 68 minutes, before Ongel made it 3-1 in the 76th.
Kumrulu (81?) and Hidalgo (84?) rounded off a 5-1 win with late goals for Fairfield City, a result which has restored some faith in the Lions? camp following a couple of disappointing results of late.
Camden Tigers ? Inter Lions 0-4
3-00pm, Sunday, June 19 @ Ron Dine Reserve
Redemption is a wonderful thing in football, and the visiting Inter Lions experienced the joy of how it feels on Sunday afternoon at Ron Dine Reserve.
After losing their Round 2 match to Camden Tigers 0-4 at home back in March, Inter Lions balanced the ledger with an identical 4-0 result, this time in their favour, in a resounding performance.
Anthony Ucchino has found some scoring form of late, and the burly striker was at it again in this match, proving a real nuisance for the Camden defence.
Ucchino opened the scoring in the 20th minute when he cleverly lobbed the keeper after being put clean through on goal.
Ucchino grabbed his brace in the 54th minute, with a tap in, following a great run and pass by Domenic Dimento.
Daniele Chiandotto put the game out of Camden?s reach with Inter?s third strike on 65 minutes, and Jacob Dimento closed off the day?s scoring with his team?s fourth just a couple of minutes before the end.
Camden remain third despite the loss, and would be hurting by conceding four goals, the competition?s second best defence torn to shreds on this occasion.
Inter?s win has given them a valuable three points and sees them climb to 11, and importantly, out of the bottom three for the first time this season, just six points from a top five spot.
-By Frank Speranza
