NSW Super League Round 18 Review
Bankstown City FC lead by just one point from Northern Tigers, with Bankstown Berries keeping them honest, three points further back.
In the fight for the fifth, Mounties Wanderers were the big winners, taking a victory, while all of their challengers couldn?t take a point between them. Granville Rage, Fraser Park, Spirit FC, Hills Brumbies and St George all suffered defeats, giving Mounties a little breathing space.
Hills Brumbies v Northern Tigers
Two second half goals by Liam McCreesh and Tom Spencer helped Northern Tigers to another win, this time 2-0 over Hills Brumbies, at Blacktown Olympic Park.
The conditions weren?t the best, the intermittent rain making for a slippery surface, but despite this, both teams put on a good show however it was to be the Tigers who gained the ultimate reward.
Hills were good value for their money though and made sure that the Tigers would need to work. Dragan Savic had the first chance of the game, while the Tigers? Daniel Cunningham also could have scored, after picking up the pieces from a corner. Liam McCreesh had probably the best chance to open the account for the Tigers, a quick throw saw him clear but his shot was somewhat rushed when in a good position.
Just before the break, a volley from Daniel Ramirez for Hills almost stunned the crowd but it swerved just wide.
Nil nil at half time but it only took two second half minutes for Tigers to gain the lead. A needless foul on Max Glanville resulted in a free kick midway in the Brumbies half, and a deep cross eventually fell to McCreesh, who turned well in the box to poke home.
The lead was almost doubled after a wonderful cross field pass by Cunningham, which fell to the feet of Travis Cooper. Cooper?s cross was met by Spencer, whose header slammed into the side netting.
Cooper was dangerous all game, and it seemed that if another goal was to arrive, it would come down from his right. That was to be the case just two minutes after Spencer?s miss, this time it was McCreesh who put through for Cooper, his cross was again met by Spencer but this time the Tigers leading scorer made no mistake.
Northern Tigers seemed safe now, Stuart Page always showed a safe pair of hands, saving cleanly from Savic, as Hills tried to get something back from the game.
But it was Cooper who almost got the third, his chip over Vekic hitting the bar but bouncing down and out. Vekic then saved well from Adam Hett in injury time in almost the last action of the game.
Hills Brumbies v Northern Tigers 2 (Liam McCreesh 47?, Tom Spencer 60?)
Sunday 22 July 2012
at Blacktown Olympic Park
Referee: Khodr Yaghi
Assts: Steven Nguyen and Luke Burley
Hills Brumbies: 32. N Vekic 2. Daniel Ramirez 3. Marc Gane 18 Justin Ciampa 15. Brad Robertson (17. Jordan Caporale 61?) 8. Keunike Maralit 4. Jovan Miladinovic 10. Eros Bergamin (5. Russell Farrell 74?) 11. Anthony Abi-Arrage (7. Paul Down) 16. Lord Darkoh 9. Dragan Savic.
Subs not used: 1. Harrick Sinpraseuth 6. W Giovenali
Yellow Cards: Brad Robertson, Dragan Savic.
Coach: Mark Abi-Arrage
Northern Tigers: 1. Stuart Page 4. Michael Rolston 2. Travis Oughtred 5. Daniel Cunningham 3. Jamie Lobb 8. Max Glanville (11. Adam Biddle 64?) 10. Liam McCreesh 14. Brendan Salameh (7. Adam Hett 74?) 16. Steven Baveas 13. Travis Cooper 24. Tom Spencer (17. Will Thom 84?).
Subs not used: 36. Brendan Bowd 12. Rhys Williams.
Yellow Cards: Travis Oughtred, Brendan Salameh, Max Glanville, Tom Spencer, Adam Biddle, Jamie Lobb.
Coach: Jason Eagar.
Sydney University v St George
Sydney University?s scoring fortunes turned for the better at last, Uni hitting the back of the net four times to defeat St George 4-3 at Hensley Field.
It was an open game in which a goal seemed possible at almost every attack, and it wasn?t long before the first arrived, Uni captain David McMurray sweeping home just after the quarter hour. Within ten minutes, St George had drawn level, with their captain Simon Verrender heading home from a Daniel Fallico long throw.
Alvaro Malmierca then entered the goalscoring fray, netting his first of a hatrick nine minutes before the break. Uni extended their lead out to 3-1 after half time with Malmierca picking up the pieces after the Saints failed to clear, but a St George rally brought the game to an unpredictable finish. Pablo Cardozo scored, bringing it back to 3-2 before Sam Messam gained the equaliser. A short free kick by Mark Bariamis, a deep cross by George Lagoudakis saw Michael Smith at the far post head back across goal for Messam to nod home.
With St George then charging forth for the winner, surging forward in numbers, a gap at the back gave Malmierca space to half volley home the winner, with ten minutes to go.
It was Uni?s first win in seven games and so it was no surprise that it was a very relieved John Calleja after the game.
?That is almost a quarter of our season?s goals in one game?, stated the Uni coach. ?And it was such an important win for us?.
?I actually thought at 3-3 that St George were going to win it. There was a lot of pressure but also, I felt that we could get another if the chance arose?.
Which, of course, it did.
Sydney University 4 (David McMurray 17? Alvaro Malmierca 36?, 54?, 79?) St George FC 3 (Simon Verrender 26? Pablo Cardozo 62? Sam Messam 76?)
Dulwich Hill v Macarthur Rams
Dulwich Hill and Macarthur Rams shared the spoils at Arlington Oval, but despite the point, it was not enough to prevent Dully slipping to bottom position.
It had looked good at half time, a penalty by Fabio Ferreira, after a Rams handball, putting the home side in the lead, but Shannon Hankin?s equaliser on sixty five minutes made sure that the Rams didn?t travel back down the M5 empty handed.
?We had our chances and they had theirs?, said Paul Carter. ?I couldn?t say that we deserved a win as they did put a lot of pressure on us. But we were focussed, and our commitment was really good. As long as we do that each week, we should be ok?.
?But the other result [Uni?s win] puts a bit of a dampener on it. Had they lost, and we gained a point against one of the top teams, I would have been satisfied, but it makes it very close now?.
Dulwich Hill 1 (Fabio Ferreira 42? pen) Macarthur Rams 1 (Shannon Hankin 65?)
Mounties Wanderers v Fraser Park
A goal to Scott Goodwin kept Mounties Wanderers? finals challenge on track, the lone goal enough to overcome fellow aspirants Fraser Park.
And considering that they took the match with just ten men for over half of the game, it makes the victory even more commendable, Greg Baldock receiving a straight red card on the 42nd, for retaliation.
We were very pleased with the effort from the boys this evening, it was a committed team effort, we always believed that we could get something out of the match and the score line is a reflection of their hard work and commitment.
?We had a lot of belief and even at half time, despite being down to ten, the vibe was really positive. Admittedly Fraser Park did hit the underside of the bar just before half time, and it bounced out, and that could have made things a bit different, but overall it was a very positive night?.
Mounties Wanderers 1 (Scott Goodwin 76?) Fraser Park FC 0
Granville Rage v Bankstown City FC
Bankstown City FC stay number one after coming away from Garside Park with a 2-0 victory, the win keeping them one point in the lead over Northern Tigers.
Both goals came in the second half, to Shannon Burgin and Gosue Sama, as the Lions swept to their thirteenth win of the season.
?We came up against a very good side?, explained Granville?s Mauricio Islas. ?They were very clinical with their chances, and they took them well?.
?It was a good physical game, both sides got stuck in and overall I was pleased with the performance?.
The result didn?t help Granville?s finals chances, but the Rage coach hasn?t lost hope that?s for sure.
?It will be a tough run in. Even though we play three sides below us next, it will be hard and we then have Mounties in the last game. It is still to be decided?.
Granville Rage 0 v Bankstown City FC 2 (Shannon Burgin, Gosue Sama)
Spirit FC v Bankstown Berries
It is now six wins from the past six games for Bankstown Berries and they remain just four points behind the leaders as we enter the last month of the season.
The Berries are poised to pounce should either the Lions or Tigers slip and with the Berries to play both in the final four weeks, there promises to be some football fireworks.
Against Spirit, it took until the second half for the Berries to hit the net, after Cameron Jones had given Spirit a first half lead. Stefan de Jesus equalised ten minutes into the half, before substitute Brad Gibson put the Berries ahead. Liam McKenna, with his second goal in five days, made it 3-1 before David Gardiner got the fourth a minute from time.
Spirit FC 1 (Cameron Jones 33?) Bankstown Berries FC 4 (Stefan De Jesus 55? Brad Gibson 66? Liam McKenna 73? David Gardiner 89)
Leading Goalscorers
16 – Gosue Sama (Bankstown City FC)
Dimitri Zakilas (Bankstown Berries)
12 – Almir Dizdaric (Granville Rage)
11 – Tom Spencer (Northern Tigers)
10 – Robbie Shields (Dulwich Hill)
9 – Max Glanville (Northern Tigers)
Robert Mileski (Bankstown City FC)
Wassim Hijazi (Fraser Park)
8 – Fabio Ferreira (Dulwich Hill)
Sam Messam (St George)
Under 20s
There was an amazing scoreline at Hensley Field where seventh placed St George annihilated third placed Sydney University 6-0. All goals came in the first forty five minutes with Xavier Quigley, Jonathan Kontalis, Ayden Trivor and Stephen Grbevski getting amongst the goals.
Mounties also had a comprehensive win, 3-0 over Fraser Park, with Joshua Ciabatti, Klime Sekutkoski and John Youkhana getting on the scoresheet.
Spirit FC lost only their second game of the season, going down 1-0 to Bankstown Berries, but they remain six points clear of Northern Tigers, who had a 4-1 away win at Hills Brumbies. A hatrick to the Tigers? Ryan Blaker and one to Jake Harris, all in the second half, overturned Wade Giovenali?s first half opener.
GRADE 20: Dulwich Hill 1 Macarthur Rams 4, Mounties Wanderers 3 Fraser Park FC 0, Sydney University 0 St George FC 6, Granville Rage 3 Bankstown City Lions 3, Hills Brumbies 1 Northern Tigers 4, Spirit FC 0 Bankstown Berries FC 1.
-By Peter Rowney
