Manly fight back for a share of the spoils at Sutherland
Sutherland, in a turnaround from past seasons, changed the game plan and played controlled football from the back, probing for the opening and, on occasion, slipping the odd pass long down the flanks.
In the 8? minute it almost paid off when Pat Savor took the ball in his stride down the right and laid it back for Matt Bailey to fire goal-ward, only for United goalkeeper Dylan Mitchell to knock it over the bar from point-blank range.
Hussein Salameh was next to show for the Sharks when hitting a tame effort toward goal in the 12? minute that Mitchell had no problem in picking up as Manly were struggling to find their rhythm and were reduced to attacks on the break.
Justin Hayward tried his luck from the edge of the box for the visitors, his effort took a deflection and narrowly went over Sharks goalkeeper Nathan Denham?s bar, although he had it covered all the way as the visitors began to break the shackles and foray forward.
Chris Price was sent scampering down the Sharks? left before crossing into the penalty-area, only a timely intervention by Leigh Eggen prevented the ball reaching Bailey who would have been through clear on goal on 21?t minutes.
Manly United fought back valiantly and as the midfield became crowded both sides attempted to lob over the top in an effort to turn the defences for the speedy forwards to latch on to.
Bailey created a chance for himself when skipping past two defenders after good work down the right from Nick Stavroulakis and Michael Stuart. Bailey hit a swirling left-footed shot from the edge of the box that warmed the hands of Mitchell before Stavroulakis had to leave the field covered in blood after a head clash in the 28? minute with his own player Panny Nikas.
Manly had a free-kick taken by Chris Payne that was floated into the box to meet the head of Scott Balderson but unable to gain enough purchase was a comfortable save for Denham.
Manly?s Marc Richards was forced to leave the field with a foot injury after 33? minutes to be replaced by Jordan Edwards, and a minute later Stavroulakis returned to the pitch, his head swathed in bandages, to bring the Sharks up to full strength and to the gritty midfielder?s credit, played the rest of the match certainly wearing his heart on his sleeve as he bossed the centre of the pitch for the home side.
The match was very much a cat and mouse affair with neither side able to gain nor hold the ascendency and a spate of tetchy cautions to both didn?t help the cause.
In first-half stoppage time, a long-range effort from Chris Payne struck the angle of post and bar with Denham beaten as the ball was always curling away from him in a moment the visitors hoped would break the deadlock in stead the game remained goal less at the break.
The second-half started briskly with Sutherland making the early showing until Manly broke with the lone Justin Hayward able to go one-on-one and slide the ball under Denham from a tight angle to give the visiting side the lead.
The Sharks surged forward with Souris attempting an audacious lob from just inside the Manly half that Mitchell dealt with easily as the Sharks captain urged his team forward.
The team responded with Panni Nikas trying his luck from the edge of the box with a drilled right-foot shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, came down on the line bounced out.
A minute later though, the same player buried the ball to restore parity to the game.
Manly went straight up the other end and Chris Payne was unlucky to see his effort cannon off the bar and away to safety as the game came to life with a bang.
Nikas was at it again in the 62? minute when he beat Mitchell to give the Sharks the lead for the first time in the match. With their tails up they continued to produce half-chances as it was now Manly?s turn to chase the game.
Jordan Edwards set off on a run that saw him flash a shot across the Sharks goal as Manly fought hard to get something out of the match which, until now, they probably had deserved as both sides were strangely under par in the opening period.
Substitute Matthew Sim did bring it level in the 86? minute with a mazy run and curling left-foot shot into the right-hand corner of Denham?s goal leaving the exposed goalkeeper clutching at thin air as Manly looked to have got the result were due on the night.
That was until goalkeeper Mitchell was adjudged to have brought down Chris Price in the box in stoppage time for a penalty that Nikas took. The Manly United shot-stopper saved with the rebound falling to Nikas again, and once more Mitchell was able to spread himself big to smother the shot with the referee instantly blowing full-time when the ball cleared the box in an intense finish that saved the day for the Northern beaches side.
Craig Midgley, Manly United coach, said afterwards:
?Our first-half performance wasn?t what it could have been and Sutherland are a very good side, they have the experience and the players who can hurt you and we are still a young side so I thought we did okay really.
?We?ve played well in our first three games apart from about 20? minutes and it?s during those times we?ve been hurt but that?s football I suppose.
?Dylan (Mitchell, the ?keeper) went from zero to hero in the last minute by giving away the penalty and then producing a double save and instead of the guys feeling gutted in the dressing room they are feeling good so hopefully this result can spur us on to better things in the games ahead as we face Bonnyrigg away next week so it?s never easy in this league.?
Sharks coach Robbie Stanton admitted afterwards:
?I cannot fault the effort from the lads but we still keep making silly mistakes and a win, loss and now a draw from our opening three matches isn?t quite what we wanted.
?I?m using a few younger players in the side but everyone is putting in so we feel we are on the right track and results will come, we just need to iron out a couple of things in training and the rest will follow.
?Manly are a better side than their results have suggested and Midge (Craig Midgley) is moulding a very good team of youth and experience so they will upset a few this season.
?We?ve managed to take a point and I thought throughout the match it wasn?t going to be our night, it was one of those games so when we didn?t score from the spot I cannot say I was too surprised but that?s what the game is all about and we?ll concentrate on next week when we face Rockdale City Suns here at Seymour Shaw.?
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Bailey 57?, Nikas 62?)
Manly United FC 2 (Hayward 50?, Sim 86?)
Saturday 14th April, 2012
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Chris Kerr (NZ)
Assistant Referees: Craig Fisher AND Christian Mehl
Fourth Official: James Meechan
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.George Souris (C), 5.Paul Cotte, 6.Matthew Gordon, 8.Chris Price, 9.Hussein Salameh (16.Klim Gjorsevski 83?), 10.Matt Bailey, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 17.Pat Savor (11.Todd Halloran 43?) 18.Michael Stuart, 23.Panni Nikas,
Substitutes Not Used: 12.Hayden Morton, 29.Chris Naumoff, 22.Simon Jaeger
Yellow Cards: Souris 35?, Savor 40?
Red Cards: Nil
Manly United FC: 1.Dylan Mitchell; 2.Sean Bowden, 3.Roberto Hamad, 5.Marc Richards (15.Jordan Edwards 33?), 13.Michael Daly, 7.Scott Balderson, 8.Daniel Grant, 9.Justin Hayward (17.Tod Bamber 65?), 12.Colin lley (11.Matthew Sim 73?), 20.Chris Payne, 21.Leigh Egger
Substitutes Not Used: 23.Damir Prodanovic, 24.Kang Lee
Yellow Cards: Hamad 37?, Balderson 42?, Payne 44?, Hayward 56?, Mitchell 90?+2?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Nick Stavroulakis (SS)
2 ? Panni Nikas (SS)
1 ? Dylan Mitchell (MU)
-By Micky Brock
