Resilient Manly come from behind to upset Blacktown
A contender for goal of the season from Matthew Simm and a debut strike for Adam Foti cancelled out Luke Roodenburg and Travis Major?s goals before the visitors stole the match in the dying minutes with late goals to Graeme Forbes and Robbie Cattanach.
The loss keeps Blacktown City FC in fourth position on the NSW Premier League table as they failed to capitalise on the chance to climb their way up the ladder prior to next weekend?s final round.
With a finals series berth secured, and the potential for a top-two finish on the line, the hosts appeared determined to claim all three points as they attacked from the outset.
Sean Rooney came close to intercepting a weak back pass in the opening minute shortly before Matt Lewis tested Dylan Mitchell in the Manly goal from 35-yards.
Blacktown City took the early lead soon after when Rooney ran onto Roodenburg?s flick header and smartly held up the ball in Manly?s 18-yard box before centring for Roodenburg to tuck the ball home at point blank to break the deadlock.
Rooney went close to doubling his side?s advantage minutes later, skinning Leigh Egger on halfway and creating space for himself with a series of step-overs before his tame shot into the hands of Mitchell brought a disappointing finale to a superb solo effort.
In a near carbon copy of the opening goal, Rooney squared the ball for Roodenburg in the box only to be denied by Graeme Forbes, who produced a textbook sliding challenge to block the opportunity.
Manly United began to find the feet around the quarter-hour mark and went close to equalising when Symon Jaeger spilled Scott Balderson?s powerful free-kick; the ensuing goal mouth scramble saw Jaeger redeem himself with a confident save from Colin Iley?s follow-up shot.
With Manly now back in the match, Jaeger did well to keep them at bay with saves from Balderson and Joey Gibb?s long range efforts; however there was little he could do to prevent Simm from levelling midway through the opening half.
With the home side on the back foot, Simm found time and space to line up a spectacular 30-yard strike that rocketed beyond Jaeger?s reach and found its way into the back of the net via the inside of the post.
Blacktown looked to battle their way back into the lead before the interval, with Roodenburg seeing one header saved and one glance wide of the far post either side of Ray Miller?s long range effort, which fizzed just over Mitchell?s crossbar.
Both sides went close to taking the lead shortly after the re-start as Iley?s effort from the edge of the Blacktown box deflected wide before Roodenburg fired his shot into Mitchell?s safe hands at the other end.
Gibbs then drew a fine save from Jaeger, forcing the custodian to touch the ball wide with a fierce effort from 25-yards.
Jaeger was well beaten minutes later when Balderson and Gibbs linked up well to provide Iley with the chance to score, however the nomadic striker dragged his shot wide to let the home side off the hook.
Manly United were left to rue the miss just after the hour mark when a handball in the box provided Blacktown the chance to go ahead from the penalty spot.
Mitchell did exceptionally well to block Major?s penalty with a low dive to his right, however Major was handed a second opportunity when the referee ordered a re-take for several Manly defenders prematurely encroaching on the box.
Major made no mistake with his second attempt, drilling the ball into the top right corner to restore his side?s lead.
The visitors pushed forward in search of an equaliser, and Forbes went close with a looping header from Balderson?s free-kick the dropped onto the roof of the net from a tight angle.
Craig Midgely injected substitute Adam Foti into his midfield in an attempt to get his side back on level terms, and the move paid immediate dividends as Balderson teed up the striker for an equalising goal on 75? minutes.
With momentum now heavily in Manly?s advantage the visitors inevitably took the lead on 85? minutes in the closing stages as Forbes? deflection found its way into the back of the net via Jaeger?s fingertips.
Shell-shocked by the dramatic turn of events, Blacktown City fell further behind as substitute Robbie Cattanach managed to tuck the ball underneath Jaeger from close range to wrap up the win for Manly.
The hosts went close to grabbing one back and forcing a tense closing few minutes, however Milorad Simonovic?s 20-yard strike hit the crossbar and bounced clear as Manly United held on for the win to deny Blacktown the chance to climb the table.
Blacktown City coach Mark Crittenden was clearly disappointed with the result, crediting Manly with their deserved win:
?I?m very disappointed with how the game ended,? said Crittenden.
?At the end of the day we were totally out-competed.
?To be fair I thought our first 20? minutes was pretty good, we were in control and scored a nice goal ? a really good goal actually ? and we just started to fall apart.
?To their credit Manly kept on coming ? we knew they were like that ? and they battled and at the end of the day they were too good and too strong.
Crittenden was optimistic in defeat, declaring that the loss was the wakeup call his squad needed to warn against complacency going into the finals in a fortnight?s time:
?Looking at the results we?re going into next week in fourth, so exactly where we were,? said Crittenden.
?We go to Sydney United next week needing to win to try and hold fourth to try and get a home final.
?This might be a good wake up call, and at the right time too as we haven?t been beaten in about 7 or 8 weeks.
?There?s no doubt we can bounce back, there?s plenty of character there,? Crittenden added.
Manly United defender Graeme Forbes was happy to come away with the win in the end:
?It was a good result,? said Forbes.
?To get to the end of the season with not much to play for the boys still show up and work hard to the end.
?It seems to be what we?re good at ? beating the teams above us in the bigger games ? it?s the weaker games that have cost us at the end of the day.
?We came out here and the goal was to really take it to them and show we could be in the top four.?
Making a rare appearance on the scoresheet, Forbes was elated to find the back of the net and came away with the win against his former club.
?I?ll take any goal I can get,? laughed Forbes.
?I think it came off my ass to be honest, a bit of a deflection.
?I just tried to work hard and get in front of it.
?It was good to score and get up over an old team,? Forbes concluded.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 2 (Luke Roodenburg 6?, Travis Major 65? pen)
Manly United FC 4 (Matthew Simm 23?, Adam Foti 75?, Graeme Forbes 85?, Robbie Cattanach 88?)
Sunday August 28th, 2011
Lily Homes Stadium, Seven Hills
Blacktown City FC: 1.Symon Jaeger; 5.Patrick Gatt, 4.Travis Major (3.Mitchell Duke 66?), 13.Matt Lewis, 15.Ray Miller, 16.Luke Austin, 7.Luke Roodenburg, 9.Kain Rastall (8.David Cain 83?), 12.Sean Rooney, 19.Zac Cairncross, 11.Milorad Simonovic
Substitutes Not Used: 18.Bruno Pivato, 17.Adam Jenner, 40.David Bradasevic
Yellow Cards: Kain Rastall 26?, Matt Lewis 44?
Red Cards: Nil
Manly United FC: 1.Dylan Mitchell; 2.Jimmy Oates, 17.Matthew Simm, 4.Graeme Forbes, 7.Scott Balderson (9.Robbie Cattanach 83?), 8.David Dodd, 14.Sean Bowden, 18.Colin Iley (11.Justin Hayward 83?), 21.Joey Gibbs (10.Adam Foti 72?), 26.Daniel Grant, 28.Leigh Egger
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Tonu Liiband, 3.Roberto Haman
Yellow Cards: Leigh Egger 64?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Michael Shoolman
