NSW Super League Round 14 Review
What else did the fully completed Round 14 tell us? Yep, this is yet another exciting Super League season ? ?arm wrestles? are going on across the league for: ?Premiers?, ?play off? spots, and the ?wooden spoon?, and of course club pride.
Bankstown Berries 1 ? Sydney University 0
Fourth placed Bankstown Berries shrugged off their loss, to APIA Leichhardt Tigers in the semi-final of the Waratah Cup, midweek with a 1-0 win over visitors Sydney University at The Crest Sporting Complex on Saturday night.
Their coach Tony Pace had said of the Cup game: ?I am very proud of my boys and they will just build on this experience of playing a Premier League side, and we?ll take that into our game this weekend?, however it took until the second half before they looked the goods.
In front of a small crowd on a cool night the game was free flowing under the watchful eye of referee Matt Cropper.
It was Sydney University who looked ?up for it? early on.
In the 2nd minute a flick over the Berries defence saw Liam McConaghy get a shot on target but the home side?s goalkeeper, Nestor Tsioustas, was equal to the challenge. Sustained pressure earned Uni several early corners but they could not capitalise.
The Berries were without goal-ace Dimitri Zakilas, and John Tsironas was fronting the attack with support on the left by Aram Tayebi.
In the 20th minute a chance arose for Tayebi in front of goal, but his shot was blocked, and it fell to Tsironas whose rushed shot went wide on the left.
Ten minutes later Alavaro Malmierca did good work for Sydney University to get into a free position in the area but he failed to beat ?keeper Tsioustas.
Such was the pressure by the Sydney University defence that even an overhead kick from 30m out was tried by the frustrated Berries midfield.
McConaghy got onto a through ball six minutes before the break and should have done better ? reduced to seeing the Berries custodian parry his shot.
At the half-time whistle it was the visitors just ahead on points, but after the break it was a different story, with coach Tony Pace tweaking of their formation, bringing Kodjo Adjassou more into play.
In fact the Berries had the ball in the net after 7 minutes, but an early off-side flag by assistant Kelly Jones was heeded.
In the 55th minute Aram Tayebi drew a diving save out of Uni?s Costa D?Addona, and five minutes later they had the lead.
Sydney University turned over possession deep in the Berries half, and a quick counter-attack saw the ball played in front of the breaking Kodjo Adjassou. He steered it precisely to the left past the advancing Uni ?keeper and into the net.
In the 65th minute McConaghy was free at the left side of the area but rushed his shot and it went wide.
Twice more Adjassou had good opportunities, but did not convert them, under pressure from the Uni defence, prior to his substitution for the experienced Peter Crevani.
Other than a half chance for Jack Nisbet for Uni at around the 75th minute mark it was really only the Berries likely to win in the end.
The Berries hold onto their place with those 3 points to stay in the finals race, and have a game in hand.
Sydney University have now lost three in a row, albeit by narrow margins. Their 9th spot sounds reasonable but is looking quite shaky in reality given that the teams just below them have games in hand.
The ?students? have looked ?the goods? at times over the past 3 weeks but with just 15 goals ?for?, they need to rediscover where the back of the net is, and fast.
Saturday 23 June 2012 7pm
At: The Crest Sporting Complex, Bass Hill
Referee: Matt Cropper
Assts: Kelly Jones, Luke Burley
Bankstown Berries: 1. Nestor Tsioustas (gk), 2. David Gardiner, 16. Brad Gibson, 8. Kodjo Adjassou (+ 15. Peter Crevani +83?), 3. Steve Wright, 11. Aaron Tayebi, 12. Stefan de Jesus, 18. David Stojic, 4. Alex Becerra, 10. John Tsironis (9. Ante Deur +72?), 21. Ben Delicata
Subs not used: 20. George Bouropoulos (rgk)
Yellow Cards: Nil
Coach: Tony Pace
Sydney University: 21. Costa D?Addona (gk), 2. Adrian Porcu, 3. K. Kurihara , 8. Adem Taskak, 4. Aaron Morley (10. Matt Demtriou +84?), 6. David McMurray (c), 7. Shaun van Rooyen, 9. Liam McConaghy, 11. Mojtada Mohebbee, 12. Alvaro Malmierca (17. Alex Crane +73?), 16. Jack Nisbet
Subs not used: 1. Jonathan Faeber (rgk)
Yellow Cards: Aaron Morley 75?
Coach: John Calleja
Bankstown Berries 1 (Kodjo Adjassou 60?) ? Sydney University 0
Other Saturday games
Dulwich Hill v Spirit FC
Spirit FC will be very relieved to have picked up their fifth win of the season (two back-to-back), after defeating Dulwich Hill with a flurry of second half goals on Saturday evening at Arlington Reserve.
Dean Savetta?s men are often slow to settle into their preferred passing game but Dulwich Hill are a quality outfit despite their lowly position and made the visitors work hard for it, in the first half at least.
A quick goal after the break by Spirit?s often mercurial Slaven Ljuboja set the home side a tough fight back.
Brima Kamara is perhaps not sighted often enough, but the youngster will be well pleased with his contribution for Spirit FC in the middle of the second half.
Young midfielder Adam Savetta put the game out of reach in the 85th minute, to shore up Spirit?s previously shaky table position.
Dulwich Hill are now again in ?wooden spoon? territory or thereabouts, and need to grab another 3 points soon, even with games in hand.
Dulwich Hill 0 ? Spirit FC 3 (Slaven Ljuboja 46? Brima Kamara 69?, Adam Savetta 85?)
Mounties Wanderers v Hills Brumbies
At Cook Park, Mt Pritchard, the Mounties hung onto their valuable table place in style, with the Brumbies seeing double, unfortunately in their own net, in each half.
Looking before the game at this being a 5th vs 10th clash would make the casual observer lean toward an unequal contest – but it isn?t often the case in the NSW Super League.
A brace to Greg Baldock for the home side within 6 minutes may have suggested a rout, but the Brumbies were able to stabilise matters for over an hour.
Mark Symington then wrapped it up with his own brace within 10 minutes, to put it beyond doubt.
Brumbies coach Mark Abi-Arrage may be wondering how to shore up the leakiest defence in the league.
Mounties Wanderers 4 (Greg Baldock 2?, 6?, Mark Symington 70? 80?) ? Hills Brumbies 0
Macarthur Rams v Bankstown City FC
The league leaders went down further south-west to Lynwood Park on Saturday night and laid down the gauntlet to their hosts, and to Northern Tigers, ?catch us if you can!?
Rams coach Claudio Canosa will be livid that his usually mean defence allowed four past them.
The first half gave him false hope as a 37th minute goal by ?Lions? Reuben Lagos was all that separated them at the break, but after the hour mark the floodgates opened.
Former Sydney Olympic man Robbie Mileski stretched the scoreline to a two goal lead, before Gosue Sama scored a brace in the 70th and nine minutes later; leaping to sole lead on the Super League golden boot chart overnight in the process.
Macarthur Rams 0 ? Bankstown City FC 4 (Reuben Lagos 37?, Robbie Mileski 60?, Gosue Sama 70?, 79?)
St George FC v Northern Tigers
St George Stadium was the venue for a cracker between the currently lowly Saints and high-flying visitors, the Northern Tigers.
Goal poacher Tom Spencer put the Asquith based side ahead early, before wily youngster Max Glanville enhanced his reputation with another goal for the Tigers eight minutes later.
The home side struck back almost immediately with a goal by forward Sam Messam.
They reset the balance to 2-2 through Michael Smith in the second half, and it was only the late goal by Adam Biddle for the Tigers that sent to 3 points north at the final whistle.
With that fighting performance and two games in hand Saints coach Kory Babington should not be panicking; despite only having one win and being in the unusual position of propping up the table.
For the Northern Tigers coach Jason Eagar will want to review how they took two goals against but the season is on track, and the tilt for Premiers is all in their own hands.
St George FC 2 (Sam Messam 28, Michael Smith 65?) ? Northern Tigers 3 (Tom Spencer 18?, Max Glanville 26?, Adam Biddle 84?)
Sunday 24 June
Granville Rage v Fraser Park
At FS Garside Park, Granville on a sunny winter?s Sunday afternoon Granville Rage consolidated their 6th position on the table, and took a five point lead over Spirit FC, with a handy and hard fought 2-1 win over Fraser Park.
In what must seem like ?2 minutes of madness? three goals were scored; with Almir Dizdaric taking the lead for Granville in the 37th minute, only for Wassim Hijazi to bring one back and Dizdaric to make his a brace for the afternoon.
Dizdaric?s second goal not only won them the game, but matched Gomue Sama feat the night before, to have them both share the golden boot lead.
With a much better goal difference than 5th placed Mounties Wanderers it is ?game on? for places in the finals.
Granville Rage 2 (Almir Dizdaric 37?, 39?) – Fraser Park 1 (Wassim Hijazi 39?)
Top Scorers: (to R14 ? games in hand still to play)
12 – Gosue Sama (Bankstown City FC)
Almir Dizdaric (Granville Rage)
10 – Dimitri Zakilas (Bankstown Berries)
8 – Tom Spencer (Northern Tigers)
7 – Max Glanville (Northern Tigers)
Wassim Hijazi (Fraser Park)
6 – Stefan Donevski (Macarthur Rams)
Shannon Hankin (Macarthur Rams)
Robbie Shields (Dulwich Hill)
Grade 20 Review
Spirit FC remain in the lead, 5 points ahead, with the top 4 fairly set (ie. they all won), so it is the next place that the most interest rested on.
Fraser Park?s win over current bottom dwellers Granville Rage has pushed their claims for the play-offs.
Results: Dulwich Hill 1 – Spirit FC 3, Mounties Wanderers 1 – Hills Brumbies 1, Bankstown Berries 1 – Sydney University 3, Macarthur Rams 5 – Bankstown City Lions 0, St George FC 2 – Northern Tigers 4, Granville Rage 0 – Fraser Park FC 3
– By Chris Dunkerley
(Filling in again for your regular reporter Peter Rowney, who will return next round)
