Waratah Cup Semi-Final: Mounties power through towards first ever Waratah Cup Final
It was an absolute typical Cup thriller ? a boisterous crowd, ferocious tackles, seven yellow cards and one red, and five goals ? all ingredients of a match to be remembered for many a year to come.
Both sides were oozing with confidence coming into the match, with big NSW Premier League Quarter Final scalps under their belt.
NSW Super League team Blacktown Spartans had overcome the might of APIA Leichhardt at Lambert Park to the tune of 2-0, with ten men no less, whilst State League One side Mounties Wanderers knocked over NSW Premier League leaders Sydney Olympic 3-2 in extra time, continuing their unbeaten run in league and cup during 2011.
Both teams set the scene for a classic within the first ninety seconds, with Mounties? Greg Baldock and Spartans? James Young firing in shots from outside the penalty area that whizzed past the respective uprights.
Mounties went one better on 3 minutes and took an early lead to send the crowd into a chorus of cheering.
Reece Iredale snapped a half volley on the turn past Spartans keeper, Carlos Saliadarre, from inside the box, after the home side?s corner was half cleared, to throw the cat amongst the pigeons.
Iredale has been patiently making his way back from an early season injury, biding his time in the 20?s whilst the seniors kept winning, and last week?s goals in both grades were obviously a sign of things to come for the striker who celebrated his Semi Final goal by completing a big swan dive in the corner of the field.
The Spartans responded on nine minutes when Young cracked the Mounties offside trap near the halfway sideline, and raced away into the box before cutting inside.
Young?s angled shot was brilliantly saved by Mounties keeper, Ali Akbal, and Blacktown flanker, Daniel Cornett, skied the follow up over the crossbar.
Mounties skipper, Daniel McCann, was definitely in the mood for the big one and he almost scored in the 12th minute from fully 35-yards with a volley that shaved the corner of Saliadarre?s goalposts.
Blacktown Spartans started to come into the match more so at this stage, holding and switching possession with some swift interchange of passes, but more often than not, hitting the Mounties brick wall in the defensive third.
On the half hour mark, Mounties pint sized wide man, Mark Symington, got in behind the Spartans? defence, expertly cutting the ball back for Iredale who missed the leather from right in front, much to the angst of the Wanderers? bench.
The tackles were absolutely flying in, with neither side taking any prisoners in some crunching collisions, causing referee Kris Griffith-Jones to issue four first half cautions in his attempt to restore some order.
But on 33 minutes, the man in black had had enough and issued a straight red card to Glenn McPherson, the Blacktown attacker, making the trek back into the match just that little but more difficult for the Spartans.
In the final opportunity of the half, Blacktown?s Daniel Wells made a timely interception on 44 minutes spraying the ball out wide to Young before meeting his cross with a firm header that cleared Ali Akbal?s crossbar.
The central defensive pairing of Mark D?Alessandro and Simon Goodwin was holding ground in the Mounties defensive third, giving the Spartans attack no room to breathe by hounding anyone that dared come close to their goal.
Mounties came out after the half time break determined to put Blacktown to the sword, and a second goal in the 53rd minute went a long way towards achieving that.
Mark Symington played a delightful ?one-two? with Reece Iredale, racing into the penalty area before looking up, and crossing, directly into the path of Greg Baldock.
The veteran flung himself at the ball, and his diving header bounced past Saliadarre to double the Mounties advantage.
Symington was at it again on the hour, volleying a cross shot that was deflected for a corner after a great far post cross by Joel Rodden-Ward.
Mounties could smell the kill at this stage, and grabbed goal number three with a real snatch and grab strike after Blacktown lost possession on the halfway line.
Daniel McCann was being his usual prowling self as the Spartans knocked the ball around, and pounced on a under hit pass, stealing the ball and sending Greg Baldock on his way from the halfway line.
Baldock sped away like a frightened rabbit, running into the box before cutting the ball back for McCann ? who had continued his run ? and the skipper hit a well struck, low first time shot past Saliadarre to give the Mounties a 3-0 lead.
Just when the home side were starting to make enquiries about the Final, Blacktown Spartans were given a lifeline when Ian McAndrew committed a needless foul on Todd McCrae as the Spartans substitute was running away from goal towards the corner stick.
Blacktown?s industrious midfielder, Simon Zahra, converted the penalty on 75 minutes with a well struck shot down the middle, reducing the scoreline to 3-1.
The Spartans had not given up the ghost, and made it 3-2 in the 93rd minute, when Nathan Agbinya headed in at the far post after a deep cross by Martin McCaffrey, but it was all she wrote, as the Mounties played out the final moments to record a momentous victory.
Blacktown Spartans goalkeeper, Carlos Saliadarre, was inconsolable after the exhausting encounter.
?We came into the match in a confident mood, but simply, it felt like they outplayed us,? admitted Saliadarre.
?It was always going to be tough going down to ten men before half time, but we believed in ourselves, and still thought we had a chance.?
?To lose once again in the semi final?two years in a row?it?s the worst two feelings I?ve ever experienced,? added the Spartans custodian.
Blacktown must be congratulated on a second successive Cup run that has taken them to within a whisker of the final ? last year as a State League One and this time round as a NSW Super League team.
They were best served by central defenders Daniel Wells and Luke Infanti, who were tough and uncompromising, motivating their team to lift with their fierce tackling and positive communication. Centre forward James Young worked tirelessly up front, chasing any loose ball in the attacking third, and at the centre of any opportunity the Spartans created.
Mounties lively veteran, Greg Baldock, was beaming with pride following his side?s semi final triumph.
?What a great team performance! There?s a good team atmosphere here, we are all committed to the cause, work hard for each other, and have a lot of fun,? reflected Baldock.
The scorer of Mountie?s second goal added – ?We?ve approached the Cup in the same way as we approach the League ? very seriously. We take each game as it comes, one step at a time?.in the end we?ve won nothing yet.?
Mounties Wanderers continue their incredible run which has seen them reach the Waratah Cup Final as a State League One team, picking up scalps from both the NSW Super League and NSW Premier League along the way.
Best for the victors on a memorable night were Daniel McCann played a typical captain?s knock, winning the midfield battle with a high workrate and fierce tackling, helping his team in defence, whilst supporting the attack and being rewarded for doing so with a great third goal. Greg Baldock just gets better and better with age, the flanker always looking dangerous in wide open spaces, using his speed to get in behind the Spartans defence, or alternatively to close down the man with the ball, and scoring a goal and assisting another. Reece Iredale was an effective pivot for the Mounties, holding the ball up well, and using his skills and presence to get his team mates into attacking positions, also getting the result underway with a well struck shot in the 3rd minute ; Mark Symington looked dangerous every time he had the ball out wide, attacking the defensive line with purpose and effective with his crosses.
Match Stats
MOUNTIES WANDERERS 3 (Iredale 3?, Baldock 53?, McCann 67?)
BLACKTOWN SPARTANS 2 (Zahra pen 73?, Agbinya 90?+3?)
Wednesday, June 29, at Cook Park
Referee ? Kris Griffith-Jones
Assistant Referees ? Adam Coombes & Steven Nguyen
MOUNTIES WANDERERS: 1.Ali Akbal, 3.Timothy Salvaggio, 4.Greg Baldock (10.Daniel Willoughby 71?), 20.Reece Iredale (2.Eli Squillacioti 65?), 16.Scott Goodwin, 18.Mark D?Alessandro, 33.Joel Rodden-Ward (6.Troy McColl 87?), 19.Ian McAndrew, 9.Matthew Viera 61, 17.Daniel McCann (capt), 14..Mark Symington (14.Peter Day 85?).
Subs not used- NIL.
Yellow Cards ? 17.D.McCann 17?, 9.M.Viera 19?, 20.R.Iredale 62?,14.M.Symington 82?.
Red Cards ? NIL.
BLACKTOWN SPARTANS: 1.Carlos Saliadarre, 2.Nathan Agbinya, 4.Daniel Wells, 5.Luke Boyd (capt) (17.Dylan Stivala 81?), 6.Greg Kondek (18.Todd Macrae 67?), 9.James Young (13.Ko Kurihara 86?), 10.Mario Ghobriel (3.Jackson Cruwys 67?), 11.Glenn McPherson, 14.Daniel Cornett (7.Martin McCaffrey 26?), 16.Luke Infanti, 19.Simon Zahra.
Subs not used-NIL.
Yellow Cards ? 16.L.Infanti 5?, 7.M.McCaffrey 44?,5.L.Boyd 51?.
Red Cards ? 11.G.McPherson 33?.
-By Frank Speranza
