Waratah Cup Final: Marvelous Manly snare Waratah Cup 2011 Trophy
Following an evenly contested opening period, Manly United ran riot in the second-half with ?Man of the Match? Scott Balderson scoring a spectacular opener in the 1? minute of the half. Adam Foti made it 2-0 from the penalty-spot, before Mounties were reduced to ten-men following Joel Roddan-Ward?s straight red card.
Substitutes Jordon Edwards and Justin Hayward rounded out the result in the closing stages in what was a very polished second-half display by Craig Midgley?s men.
Eighty-eight teams entered the Waratah Cup this season and, four months on, two remained as Mounties fell agonisingly short of what would have been a remarkable achievement.
Greg Baldock got the ball rolling for Mounties in the opening minute with a wicked snapshot effort finishing well wide of the intended target.
On 3? minutes, Matthew Simm had Ali Akbal stretching as his Beckham-esque free-kick only just failed to dip enough to open the scoring.
Manly United again had the Mounties back tracking in the 7? minute as Simm?s set-piece from the right was cleared only into the path of Daniel Grant who saw his goal bound volley thwarted by a sea of Mounties legs in front of Akbal.
The Cromer Park side nearly found a breakthrough in the 13? minute as Scott Balderson was played through on goal. From an acute angle, Balderson drove his left-footed effort across Akbal?s goal, much to the relief of the Mounties players.
The Mounties shot-stopper was called upon again moments later as he bravely left his goal line to fist away a set-piece delivery despite the close attention of Adam Foti.
Mounties Wanderers responded with a quick counter-attack down the left-flank. Baldock?s trickery down the left created the space for a delivery as Mark Symington?s effort was thwarted by a well marshalled Manly United defensive line.
The State League One side held their own with a fine passing game out of midfield as Daniel McCann and Ian McAndrew moved the ball around nicely for the likes of Symington and Baldock in the final third.
Manly United?s use of the flanks proved effective as Jimmy Oates and Joseph Gibbs enjoyed some good territorial gain on their respective wings. Michael Daly remained sharp as did a very well organised defensive line.
McCann forced Dylan Mitchell into his first save of the afternoon on 28? minutes, unleashing a fierce drive from distance. Mitchell, who has been in great touch this season made a strong save down to his right.
The Premier League outfit responded at the other end with some fluid passing to carve out a real opening. Adam Foti?s fine short pass to release Balderson had Mounties stretched, though the delivery into the penalty-area failed to pick out a Manly player as Akbal managed to claim the ball amidst the legs of three defenders.
Manly United had claims for a penalty waved away in the 35? minute as Foti scrambled his way into the penalty-area, denied by Mark D?Alessandro who closed in quickly to thwart any danger.
Balderson then called Akbal into a fine save on his goal line. The Manly United midfield hit a powerful, curling, set-piece from the left though was denied by the former Bonnyrigg White Eagles goalkeeper.
Akbal was called upon again on 41? minutes, this time making a more comfortable save to deny Colin Iley?s attempt from distance.
Mounties closed the half on the front foot as Symington?s delivery from the right very nearly picked out an unmarked Baldock at the back post. The chance went begging for Mounties as the half was brought to a close.
Immediately following the re-start, Manly United found the opening goal. Balderson unleashed a venomous left-foot drive across the face of goal, ricocheting off the inside of the up-right before finishing in the back of the net. The Manly number 7 showed exceptional technique, bringing to life the travelling Manly United supporters behind the goal.
Mounties, stunned from the early second-half set back, created an opening in the 50? minute as Reece Iredale found some space on the edge of the penalty-area. The Mounties player connected well with his attempt on goal, though sent the ball well over the crossbar as coach Aiden Desmond added some additional firepower with the introduction of Eli Squillacioti.
Balderson nearly doubled his personal, and his side?s, tally in the 54? minute as he volleyed Colin Iley?s cross from the right inches wide of goal. It was another fine counterattacking move by the Northern Beaches side who continued to rise to the occasion with some fine possessional dominance in midfield.
On the hour, Manly United were awarded a penalty as Foti was brought down by Akbal. The striker dusted himself off to take the spot-kick and coolly drive the ball into the bottom left-hand corner for a two goal buffer.
Mounties looked to up the tempo and get back into the match, though consecutive chances to D?Alessandro and Baldock were thwarted by some scrambling Manly defence.
Mounties Wanderers? afternoon took a further turn for the worst as Joel Rodden-Ward was shown a straight red card. With Balderson played through on goal, Rodden-Ward was forced to make a challenge, and his poorly timed attempt resulted in the red card.
The numerical advantage facilitated Manly?s run home, as the Cromer Park side called all the running out of midfield.
In the 77? minute, Akbal produced a fine point-blank save to deny Foti a second goal for the afternoon, before substitute Justin Hayward headed his glanced attempt wide of goal.
Defensively, Manly United didn?t miss a beat with Marc Richards showing all his experience in another top-class performance alongside Graeme Forbes.
Youngster Daniel Grant nearly got his name on the score sheet in the 83? minute, picking up a delightful square ball from Robbie Cattanach. Grant, who took a first touch, was rushed into his shot, and his effort finished wide of goal.
Mounties did show some fight in the closing stages as substitute Daniel Willoughby forced Dylan Mitchell into an exceptional save down to his right. Willoughby?s shot packed a real punch, though there was to be no way past Mitchell on this day.
At the other end, Manly United capped off a wonderful afternoon with a third goal. Exceptional vision from Adam Foti saw the striker release substitute Jordon Edwards through on goal. With only Akbal to beat, Edwards calmly toe-poked his effort underneath the shot-stopper?s body, much to the delight of the Manly supporters behind the goal.
Manly?s afternoon got even better as another substitute, Justin Hayward added a fourth goal. Mounties coughed up possession inside their penalty-area as Foti played a delightful pass into Hayward?s path, the youngster had no trouble in slotting the ball home past Akbal.
Winning coach Craig Midgley was ecstatic with the result and for his players performance, following the final whistle:
?Very happy with the win, the boys have been fabulous, and I thought we really got it together in the second-half and deservedly got the win,? Midgley commented.
?We managed to control the first-half, I thought, though it was a scrappy opening period.
?Credit must also go to Mounties for their run into the final, and their efforts in the match.?
The result is exceptional for a club that has made a huge influence with the development of young players, though following some celebratory drinks tonight, it will be all attentions on the League:
?We?ll all go out to celebrate this evening, so the boys can relax a little tonight, though we need to be at our best from tomorrow onwards,? Midgley expressed.
?We have a tough match against Rockdale City next weekend, and they are coming of an impressive win yesterday, so we will need to step it up.
?We?ve put ourselves in a positive position for the League as well, and I believe we have a fabulous group here at Manly to give the League a real shake,? concluded Midgley.
In the opposite dressing sheds, Mounties Wanderers coach Aiden Desmond was full of praise for his troops, despite the fairytale run not coming to the end the club and supporters were after:
?We collected some really big scalps in this competition.
?I guess when you consider 87 other teams that started the competition would have killed for the opportunity to play in today?s grand-final, we (Mounties) have done a fabulous job.
?We competed in the first-half, though conceding such an early goal in the second pretty much threw out the discussions we had at the break. The penalty then killed off our chances.
?Regardless, the boys have been great. We have a good lead in the League, we?ll turn our attentions back onto the League and look to collect some silverware,? Desmond ended.
Match Stats
Manly United FC 4 (Scott Balderson 46?, Adam Foti (pen) 60?, Jordon Edwards 87?, Justin Hayward 90?+2?)
Mounties Wanderers 0
Sunday 10th July, 2011
Bonnyrigg Sports Ground
Referee: Khodr Yaghi
Assistant Referees: Nick Backo and Bachar Allam
Fourth Official: Steve Lucas
Manly United FC: 1.Dylan Mitchell; 2.Jimmy Oates, 4.Graeme Forbes, 5.Marc Richards (C), 6.Michael Daly, 7.Scott Balderson (11.Justin Hayward 69?), 10.Adam Foti, 17.Matthew Simm, 18.Colin Iley (13.Mitch Macedo 88?), 21.Joseph Gibbs (9.Robbie Cattanach 57?), 26.Daniel Grant (25.Jordon Edwards 84?)
Substitutions Not Used: 22.Kan Ho Lee
Yellow Cards: Scott Balderson 46?
Red Cards: Nil
Mounties Wanderers: 1.Ali Akbal; 3.Tim Salvaggio (7.Paul Crisp 72?), 4.Greg Baldock (11.Peter Day 84?), 5.Joel Rodden-Ward, 9.Matthew Viera (10.Daniel Willoughby 57?), 14.Mark Symington, 16.Scott Goodwin, 17.Daniel McCann, 18.Mark D?Alessandro (C) (6.Troy McColl 81?), 19.Ian McAndrew, 20.Reece Iredale (2.Eli Squillacioti 51?)
Substitutes Not Used:
Yellow Cards: Mark D?Alessandro 55?
Red Cards: Joel Rodden-Ward 66?
-By Joseph Carlucci
Waratah Cup grand-final player ratings
Manly United FC
1.Dylan Mitchell (GK) ? 7 ? The Manly keeper had a quiet match due to his back four operating well throughout the 90 minutes. His positioning served him well providing the custodian with the simplest of saves before he was called into a late diving save to deny substitute Daniel Willoughby?s effort on 86? minutes.
2.Jimmy Oates (RB) ? 7 ? The exciting defender put in a decent performance and was as dangerous as always when getting forward. While his attacking runs occasionally provided opportunity for Mounties to counterattack, Marc Richards provided cover to ensure Oates? was never caught out too far forward.
4.Graeme Forbes (CB) ? 8 ? The stopper put in a fine performance at the back, man-marking Iredale and his replacement Willoughby to limit the opposition?s attacking chances.
5.Marc Richards (CB) ? 9 ? The Manly captain led by example from the back and did not put a foot wrong throughout the match. Richards experience allowed nothing by him as he kept his backline in check from start to finish.
6.Michael Daly (CM) ? 6 ? Daly was the quiet achiever in midfield for Manly as his distribution of well weighted through balls created a number of opportunities for his team mates.
7.Scott Balderson (CF) ? 10 ? The nomadic attacker was a constant threat to the Mounties? backline in his man of the match performance. After terrorising the opposition throughout the first half Balderson broke the deadlock with a cracking goal in the opening moments of the second period and was unlucky not to double his tally on the volley soon after before coming off on 69? minutes.
10.Adam Foti (ST) ? 9 ? The physical presence the big target man ensured Mark D?Alessandro was kept busy throughout the match as Foti won a lot of ball in the air. The striker also earned and converted a spot kick on the hour mark before setting up the final two goals in an impressive performance.
17.Matthew Simm (LB) ? 7 ? The left sided defender calmly kept Mark Symington at bay over the match and came close to breaking the deadlock early in the match with a curled free kick that dropped inches over the crossbar.
18.Colin Iley (RM) ? 8 ? The big man put in a solid performance on the right side of midfield during his 88? minute appearance, drawing a lot of attention from his marker and as a result allowed Jimmy Oates space to get forward.
21.Joey Gibbs (LM) ? 5 ? Gibbs had little joy during his 56? minute run as Mounties? Tim Salvaggio did a top job of blocking any attacks down the left flank.
26.Daniel Grant (CM) ? 7 ? The holding midfielder did a fine job of controlling the tempo of the match during his 85? minutes on the pitch. Grant?s passing rarely missed its mark and the midfielder also made a number of dangerous forward runs and was unlucky not to scorer shortly before his substitution.
Substitutes
22.Kang Ho Lee ? N/A ? Did not play.
9.Robbie Cattanach ? 5 ? The pacy attacker had a quiet run out after coming onto the left side of midfield for Joey Gibbs, finding little freedom until he pushed onto the right flank in the closing minutes.
11.Justin Hayward ? 7 ? Hayward replaced man of the match Balderson on 69? minutes and was rewarded for his attacking runs with the final goal of the match in added time.
13.Mitch Macedo ? 5 ? The young midfielder replaced Iley in the closing minutes and had little time to make an impact on the match.
25.Jordon Edwards ? 6 ? Replacing Grant on 85? minutes, Edwards? short stint was as bright as his boots as he grabbed a goal a couple of minutes after his late injection into midfield.
Mounties Wanderers
1.Ali Akbal (GK) ? 5 ? The former Bonnyrigg White Eagles keeper made a number of crucial saves on his return to familiar turf, making a number of crucial saves only to blemish his performance by conceding a second half penalty and also producing a number of weak clearances.
3.Tim Salvaggio (RB) ? 8 ? Salvaggio displayed solid tackling throughout the match, and as a result did an exceptional job of shutting down Joey Gibbs and substitute Robbie Cattanach during his 72? minutes on the field.
4.Greg Baldock (LM) ? 6 ? The fleet footed left winger found a bit of extra space on the counter when Oates would push forward, but could not get in behind the remainder of Manly?s disciplined backline before he was subbed off on 84? minutes.
5.Joel Rodden-Ward (LB) ? 4 ? Charged with the task of keeping Iley under control, Rodden-Ward did well to hold his ground against his significantly larger opponent until he saw a straight red on 66? minutes for his mistimed last man challenge on Scott Balderson.
9.Matthew Viera (CM) ? 6 ? The central midfielder ran his socks off throughout his 56? minute stint, getting himself forward on several occasions for little reward.
14.Mark Symington (RM) ? 5 ? Symington found little to cheer about on the right flank as Simm kept him quiet throughout the match.
16.Scott Goodwin (CB) ? 5 ? Despite a solid start to the match, Goodwin?s second half was joyless as the Manly attack got in behind him time and time again after Rodden-Ward?s dismissal left Mounties short staffed at the back.
17.Daniel McCann (CM) ? 8 ? The Mounties? captain was calm on the ball under pressure, getting his side out of tight spots on a number of occasions. McCann?s distribution always found a teammate?s feet in a solid run out from the midfielder.
18.Mark D?Alessandro (CB ) ? 7 ? Handed the task of containing Foti, D?Alessandro?s fierce approach to defending created an intriguing tussle that limited the attacker?s chances as the defender saw yellow of 54? minutes. His substitution on 81? minutes appeared to remove the composure of an already weakened backline as his side conceded two late goals without him on the pitch.
19.Ian McAndrew (CM) ? 5 ? McAndrew produced a tame run in a midfield battle that was won by the opposition, regularly getting himself of the scene only for his more experienced opponents to come away with possession.
20.Reece Iredale (ST) ? 6 ? Mounties? lone striker was well contained throughout his 51 minute run. Iredale did well to create space for himself on a couple of occasions, however Mitchell was up to the task to an attempts.
Substitutes
2.Eli Squillacioti ? 5 ? The substitute striker replaced Iredale on 51? minutes and was largely ineffectual due to superb marking from the Manly backline.
10.Daniel Willoughby ? 6 ? Willoughby came on for Viera on 56? minutes and had a quiet run until his late effort from 20 yards forced a fine diving save from Mitchell.
11.Peter Day ? 5 ? Day replaced Baldock on 84? minutes and had little time to impact the match.
6.Troy McColl ? 3 ? McColl replaced the yellow carded D?Alessandro on 81? minutes and cheaply coughed up possession to Foti in added time, allowing the striker to set up Manly?s fourth and final goal.
7.Paul Crisp ? 6 ? Taking to the pitch for Salvaggio on 72? minutes, Crisp made little impact during his run out as Manly ran away with the game late on in the match.
-By Michael Shoolman
