State League One Round 15 Review

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Match of the Round
Stanmore Hawks ? Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1-1

A feisty battle at Arlington Oval on Saturday evening finished all square as Stanmore Hawks continued their recent climb up the competition ladder by grabbing a 1-1 draw against high flying Mt Druitt Town Rangers.

Coming into the match Stanmore Hawks were on a high, having accounted for Hurstville ZFC 5-0 in a midweek trouncing at Seymour Shaw. Steve Biviano, Neil Philippou, Adrian Heath, and a brace from Nick Paradisis gave Stanmore the much needed victory, the three points catapulting the Hawks 5 positions into 6th spot.
Mt Druitt Town were keen to stay in touch with competition leaders, Gladesville Ryde Magic, but had to face match day without their coaching staff ? 1st grade coach, Hugh McCrory was out of action after an operation, whilst Assistant, Gary Lewis, was banished to the stands due to a misdemeanour in last week?s U/20s fixture.
The Hawks exploded out of the blocks, with three attempts at goal within the first ten minutes. Neil Philippou burst into the box in just the second minute, beating a defender and keeper, Tim West, on an angled run before his shot rebounded off a Mt Druitt player and out for a corner.
Steve Biviano turned his marker on five minutes before his snapshot went across the face of goal and past the far upright, whilst Nick Paradisis did likewise in the 8th minute as Stanmore went looking for an early goal.
Nathan Ralph had the first opportunity for Mt Druitt and it came at the 14 minute mark, as he controlled a ball on the corner of the box before firing his volley past the far goal post.
Both sides were struggling to control the leather in the centre of the park against the bumpy surface, but managed to continue to conjure up numerous opportunities, all of which went begging in the opening 45 minutes.
Stanmore kept at it, and Philippou thumped a header straight at West in the Mt Druitt goal following a great cross from Kosta Gioulis in the 25th minute, whilst minutes later Biviano smacked his shot over after latching onto a long through ball by Rafael Bove.
Mt Druitt were not to be outdone, and Nathan Ralph, who had a whale of a game in the centre of midfield, almost broke the deadlock on 32 minutes, drilling a low shot that Stanmore keeper, Sam Emmanouil, tipped around the post.
A few minutes later and the league?s top marksman, Todd Macrae, hit a ripper of a shot from all of 20 yards that flew inches wide of the Emmanouil?s left hand upright.
Half time came and went, with both sides locked in a stalemate, the attacking prowess of either side unable to find the target.
The match erupted just before the hour mark with a number of very close chances at either end of the field.
Nathan Ralph went oh-so-close in the 57th minute, playing a one-two with Daniel Fogarty on the edge of the Stanmore box before stabbing his wide centimetres wide of the post.
Stanmore went down the other end a minute later and Biviano hit a low missile from outside the penalty area that Tim West spilled, with Nick Paradisis thumping the rebound against the post, much to the angst of the home support.
Daniel Fogarty, who was kept quiet by the Stanmore defence for most of the match, broke free of the shackles in the 59th minute, slicing inside Andrew Heath before his angled chip shot was well saved by Stanmore?s keeper, Sam Emmanouil.
Within sixty seconds and Fogarty managed to wriggle down the right hand side of the box, his square pass drilled at goal by the marauding Ralph. Emmanouil did ever so well to parry the shot, but Todd Macrae was fouled as he attempted to reach the rebound, and Mt Druitt had a penalty as man in the middle, Mr Darrin Richards, pointed to the spot.
Todd Macrae dusted himself off and took the penalty himself, but Sam Emmanouil was equal to the task, diving brilliantly to his left to divert the ball past the post.
Stanmore rode their luck and took the lead three minutes later with a well worked goal involving several players.
Steve Biviano got away from his marker down the right flank before sending over a deep cross that was headed clear by the Mt Druitt defence.
The ball bounced invitingly for Rafael Bove, and he unleashed a piledriver of a volley that stung the hands of Tim West in the Mt Druitt goal.
Nick Paradisis was prowling, and responded quickest, placing the loose ball into the net to give the Hawks the lead amongst the cheers of the home fans.
Paradisis was at it again in the 68th minute, beating a couple of defenders at will whilst working his way into the box, eventually skying his shot over the bar from a tight angle.
Just when all seemed doom and gloom for Mt Druitt, they conjured up an equalizer in the 78th minute that showed all of their attacking strengths.
Nathan Ralph showed determination and speed to win a long ball played towards the corner of the box, eventually squaring to Daniel Fogarty.
Fogarty held it up long enough for Carl McNaughton to run past him, flicking it into his path before McNaughton drilled a grass cutter past Stanmore?s keeper, Sam Emmanouil, into the bottom far corner of the net.
Despite both teams increased efforts towards the back end of the match, that was all she wrote, as the sides settled for a share of the spoils.
The final result of 1-1 meant Mt Druitt would be ruing their spot kick miss, although Todd Macrae can be forgiven given his goals have gone a long way to helping them into second spot, still five points behind the league leaders, Gladesville Ryde Magic. Nathan Ralph was especially effective for the Rangers, strong in the tackle in a real box to box performance.
Stanmore would be content with the point, even though they took the lead and could?ve gone on with it from there. Sam Emmanouil was solid between the sticks, Ash Harvey and Joel Rimmer worked tirelessly whilst Nick Paradisis was always a threat up front. The point sees them climb to 16, but drop to 8th spot given results elsewhere, still within the hunt for a finals position.
Match Stats
Stanmore Hawks                      1 (Paradisis 63?)
Mt Druitt Town Rangers            1 (McNaughton 78?)
Saturday 30th June, 2012
Arlington Oval, Dulwich Hill
Referee: Darrin Richards
Assistant Referees: Paul Faithful and Joon Park

Bench: J. Woods, Z. Elrich, W. Angel, V. Rigoli, I. Johnson.Stanmore Hawks: 1.S.Emmanouil, 10.R.Bove, 12.A.Harvey, 3.A.Heath, 6.Y.Mavrou,  2.C.Paradisis, 19.N.Paradisis, 9.N.Philippou, 8.S.Biviano (20.D.James 74?), 7.J.Rimmer, 29.K.Gioulis.
Substitutes Not Used: 35.D.Daaboul, 11.A.Scimone, 21.G.Murphey.
Yellow Cards: 3.A.Heath 60?,10.R.Bove 65?,19.N.Paradisis 86?,7.J.Rimmer 87?, 9.N.Philippou 90?.
Red Cards: Nil
Mt Druitt Town Rangers: 1.T.West, 2.M.Aragone, 4.D.Fogarty, 5.R.O?Shea, 8.N.Ralph, 10.J.Kirby, 18.T.Macrae, 15.G.McPherson, 14.C.Prothero, 17.M.Todd, 9.C.McNaughton.
Substitutes Not Used: 6.D.Penfold, 12.L.Brown, 3.K.Elborough, RGK.J.Marsh.
Yellow Cards: 10.J.Kirby 39?, 15.G.McPherson 65?.
Red Cards: Nil
State League One Round Fifteen Review
Northbridge FC vs UNSW 3-1
Northbridge FC got the jump on UNSW in their battle at Hills Sports High on Saturday afternoon, their 3-1 victory seeing them move to third and 23 points on the ladder, three above the ?students?.
Aaron Taylor got Northbridge up and running after just two minutes, and doubled his and his team?s advantage with goal number two just before the break.
Ry Hardy wrapped up proceedings for Northbridge in the 70th minute, grabbing his tenth goal of the campaign, before Byrne?s late consolation for UNSW right on full time.
The loss sees UNSW drop to 5th spot, on the back of a horrid run that sees them winless since late May.
Balmain SC vs Hurstville ZFC 3-0
Balmain scored three times in eight first half minutes to earn themselves a much needed three points at home to Hurstville ZFC on Saturday evening.
Johnny Buonavoglia is like a vintage wine, and seems to be getting better with age, as the little striker scored a brace of goals on 25 and 27 minutes to take his tally for 2012 to six. Aidan Barrett made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute, and that was the last time the scoreboard was troubled as Balmain cantered to victory.
Balmain climb back to within arm?s length of fifth spot as a result of the win, two points behind UNSW with a game in hand on the ?students?.
Camden Tigers vs Fairfield City Lions 1-0
Camden Tigers made it back to back victories with a 1-0 victory over Fairfield City Lions at Ron Dine Reserve on Saturday night.
Ross Purser got the all important strike on 57 minutes, giving the Tigers all three points and moving them to 17 and 7th spot on the ladder.
Fairfield City have dropped to second bottom, remaining on 13 points, but have games in hand coming up, games they will have to win in order to have any chance of finals football come season?s end.                                                                                                                                                 
Schofields Scorpions vs Gladesville Ryde Magic 1-1
Schofields recovered from their drubbing last weekend to grab a point against league frontrunners, Gladesville Ryde Magic, in a1-1 draw at CSI Sport Ground on Sunday afternoon.
Gladesville could have taken the lead in only the second minute when a leaping Tommy Nastoulis rose above his marker to meet a long cross. His effort just grazed the crossbar as it fired over leaving the Gladesville fans hoping that this was a sign of more things to come.
The only occasion that either team looked particularly threatening during the first stanza was in the 22nd minute when Gladesville hit the lead after Brett Townley-Jones? lofted free kick from halfway was headed down into the 6-yard box. The bouncing ball was swooped on by Gladesville?s Alex Morris who drove it into the net from 6 metres.    
 If anyone expected Schofields to lose heart or application at this setback they would have been very mistaken as the home team continued to apply themselves to their busy game plan and lifted their work-rate across the park. A stand-out performer in both halves for Schofields was their diminutive winger Benny Lam who continually caused havoc down the right wing and made threatening inroads through the Gladesville defence.
The second half saw the game ebb and flow with both teams taking turns to absorb the opposition?s attack and make fast breaks on the counter. Under defensive pressure the last pass, however, often went astray or the shooting at goal was wide of the target.
Schofields won themselves a penalty in the 70th minute during an attack down the left hand side. Unfortunately, the ball was driven hard against the left upright and even the bobbling rebound was struck wide with the goalmouth totally unprotected.
After failing to convert a penalty on 70 minutes, conversion was eventually to come for Schofields in the 75th minute when a flowing left-side move saw a bouncing ball sit up long enough for striker, Tim Simpson, to launch an angled lob inside the far post.
With the score locked at 1-1 and fifteen minutes to go it was anybody?s game. But with tired bodies and heavier legs neither team could conjure up the winner.
Schofields are in 10th position in the competition, sitting on 14 points, with a real chance of climbing the ladder if they can turn their games in hand into wins and points.
Magic wouldn?t be too fussed with the draw, retaining their five point gap over second placed Mt Druitt Town, whilst still holding a game in hand on the Rangers.
Southern Bulls vs Inter Lions 2-4
Inter Lions moved into 4th position in State League One after the weekend?s results, on the back of their 4-2 away triumph over the Southern Bulls on Sunday afternoon at Ernie Smith Reserve.
Miguel Martinez snuck Inter in front after 20 minutes, before Domenic Di Mento gave them a two goal lead going into the break.
The Bulls came out charging after half time and were level within ten minutes, courtesy of Ringoli and Tommasoni, sending the home fans into raptures.
But Inter are made of sterner stuff in 2012, and Di Mento edged them back in front in the 59th, before Nick Ruoco finished off the day?s proceedings with Inter?s fourth goal in the 74th minute.
-By Frank Speranza