Sluggish Bonyrigg pip dominant Blacktown City to cap off record season
Second best for most of the afternoon, second-half strikes by Chris Payne and Harris Gaitatzis, on either side of Yuchi Yamauchi?s momentary equaliser, proved enough to seal the points and secure the Premiers a fifteen-point difference over second-placed Sydney Olympic on the ladder. Bonnyrigg also finding its fiftieth goal of the season in the process.
The afternoon belonged in large part to the home side who dominated possession and goal scoring chances, though the inability of Mark Crittenden?s men to find goals ultimately proved the side?s undoing.
The result also a sad departure for Luke Roodenburg who has signalled that this fixture would be his last at Lily Homes Stadium ? the Blacktown City captain adamant this season will be his final one following his side?s finals football commitments.
James Monie and Adam Jenner combined on 2? minutes to carve out the home side?s first opening for the afternoon. Monie, with an exquisitely placed through ball, released Jenner into the penalty-area only to see his first-time diagonal effort thwarted by Nikodin Matic?s trailing leg.
Bonnyrigg?s response arrived on 8? minutes via the right boot of Chris Payne. The talented striker found a yard of space on the right and attempted a long-range curling effort, aimed for the top right-hand corner, though only just saw his shot deflect inches wide of goal.
Blacktown City settled in midfield rather well over the initial stages with Daniel Bragg and Ryuji Miyazawa comfortably moving the ball around.
Travis Major, today on the left side of midfield, looked lively and he tried his luck with what seemed a rather ambitious effort. The youngster?s shot put heavy pressure on Matic, the shot-stopper managed to claim the ball at the second attempt.
The visitors seemed content to contain Blacktown City and hit on the counterattack, and the side created an opening of its own on 17? minutes. Following a corner from the right-flank, Nikola Zonjic struck a loose-ball first time, miscuing his snap-shot over the crossbar.
Blacktown City should have opened the scoring in the 20? minute. Yuchi Yamauchi, to his credit, remained on his feet after entering the penalty-area and receiving a heavy touch from a White Eagles defender. The Japanese import cut his ball from the byline back to Major who saw his fierce effort parried by Matic ? the shot-stopper in tremendous form ? before Bragg blasted his follow-up effort over the crossbar.
Monie was next up for the home side as Blacktown looked to hit on the counterattack. With a yard of space, the Blacktown City number 10 wasn?t able to square the ball into the penalty-area quickly enough, as the chance went begging.
The Premiers looked to ride their luck and went close to finding a breakthrough. Payne again tried his luck, this time from a central position, narrowly sending his effort wide of Brody Crane?s post.
In the 28? minute, Major scuffed a golden chance to hit his side into the lead. The referee awarded the home side an indirect free-kick, and the midfielder blasted his effort well over the crossbar.
Bragg was culprit of squandering another massive chance for Blacktown City 4? minutes later. A fine clearance by Crane allowed Yamauchi the chance to get forward and beat his marker. The Blacktown City number 11 released Bragg through on goal with a tremendous diagonal ball however his first time attempt on goal lacked any conviction as the ball finished well off target.
Bonnyrigg?s best chance of the half arrived in the 38? minute from the left. Long wiggled his way past two markers before crossing for Robbie Younis. The striker attempted a first-time snap-kick, a heavy deflection aiding Crane?s diversion of the ball over the crossbar.
On 41? minutes, Yamauchi again should have opened the scoring. A poor clearance by Matic saw Monie?s initial effort thwarted by the goalkeeper. Yamauchi picked up the rebound and rather than attempt a first time effort, seeked to round the goalkeeper and defender only to run out of space as the chance once more went begging.
The closing stages of the half failed to reap any reward for Blacktown City who again saw another goal scoring chance go begging. Monie?s persistence down the left opened up the Bonnyrigg defence as he squared the ball into the penalty-area. A swift one-two between Bragg and Yamauchi looked spectacular however the latter blasted his shot well over the crossbar, much to the frustration of the home supporters.
Following the half-time interval, it was Blacktown City who again started lively. Ryuji Miyazawa released Major with a tantalising switch of play. Major showed pace and composure to bring the ball down though was thwarted by some stern White Eagles defending.
Bragg?s difficult afternoon in-front of goal continued in the 46? minute as a double chance went begging. The midfielder?s first attempt from the edge of the penalty-area richocheted off the Bonnrigg defence before his second effort flashed over the crossbar.
At the other end, Long responded for Bonnyrigg with a long-range attempt of his own. The attacking midfielder latched onto Younis? knock-down, though his attempt was well off target.
Miyazawa followed up with a fabulous slalom effort at the other end. The Blacktown City number 9 worked his way past three defenders before reaching the byline and his final cut-back effort was cleared by Bonnyrigg?s desperate defenders.
Totally against the run of play, Bonnyrigg found its goal just shy of the hour. A Chris Tadrosse in-swinging corner from the right was touched onto the head of Payne at the back post. The former A-League striker, totally unmarked, netted with a neat finish.
Younis nearly doubled his side?s lead 2? minutes later, again from a Tadrosse corner. With his back to goal, and a loose ball inside the penalty-area, the League?s top goalscorer attempted an audacious over the head attempt that only just cleared the crossbar.
The momentum continued with the newly crowned Premiers as substitute Harris Gaitatzis sent a stinging drive only inches over Crane?s crossbar. The White Eagles striker hit his effort from outside the penalty-area, carrying a huge amount of power, though only just failed to keep the ball down.
On 64? minutes, Blacktown City deservedly drew level. Major?s phenomenal work rate down the left saw the midfielder cut the ball back from the byline and into the path of Yamauchi who smartly slotted the ball home from close-range.
David Cain followed up with a chance of his own in the 69? minute. His long-range attempt packed a lot of punch though lacked in accuracy as Matic saw the ball finish wide of his goal.
Both sides continued to press out of midfield though it was the home side that seemed to have the better in the final third. Major again went close moments later with a neat run before firing directly at Matic before Ken Chun, at the other end, forced Crane into a save down to his left.
6? minutes from the end, Bonnyrigg?s blushes were spared as a Nikola Zonjic clearance deflected off Kieran Paull and very nearly finished in his own goal. Credit to Paull for his hassle to chase down what was ultimately a lost cause.
On 87? minutes, Payne was denied a winner for Bonnyrigg. The striker was played through on goal though his toe-poked effort was well read by Crane who saved the result for Blacktown City.
Once again, totally against the run of play, Bonnyrigg found its match winner. Harris Gaitatzis, who played a strong match after coming on at half-time netted with a marvelous drive past Crane. The former Blacktown City player showed no emotion following his goal against his former side as the Premiers left Lily Homes Stadium with a massive three-pointer, securing a massive fifty-three points following twenty-two rounds.
Following the match, Bonnyrigg White Eagles coach Brian Brown expressed his content in the result, though disappointment in his side?s showing:
?I think that was the worst we have played this season, our standards dropped completely,? Brown stated.
?There has been a lot said this week amongst the group about boys playing in the A-League or the Youth League, though based on today?s performance I don?t think they could play in any such league.
?The sad part is that today?s performance takes away from the good we have done. I rarely criticise my players though today I am very disappointed.
?In saying all that we still managed to get a result from a match where we made a few changes with Sprucey (Ben Spruce) rested, we were able to replace both Canak who was on a yellow and Diaz also, though our standards did drop today.
?The good thing about this team is that we can score goals, so in this sense it is fantastic, though we need to ensure we finish the season the way we have been playing.
?We will train hard over the coming week, especially with the weekend off, we?ll be working the boys harder and aiming to be back at our best for our first finals match in a fortnight,? concluded Brown.
Blacktown City coach Mark Crittenden was optimistic heading into the finals next weekend despite the loss:
?Bonnyrigg are the top side, and I think that the results this season, and the massive lead they hold at the top of the ladder, prove this,? Crittenden explained.
?Today, we played really well, I am happy with the effort of the boys and this has really been the case over the past three weeks.
?Unfortunately, you need to take your chances and score goals, and we have not been doing this.
?The positive is that we created many chances, I would be concerned if we weren?t doing this, though we really need to be deadly in-front of goal.
?All the boys played well today, I was happy with the all-round performance, though the missed chances, and two goals conceded via set-pieces are also a concern and we will need to address this.
?Heading into the finals, it is sudden death football and we are going to need to be on our game for the next month.
?The task at hand will be tough, as there are some great sides we will need to play to go all the way, though we will take it one match at a time starting with the Wolves next weekend,? ended Crittenden.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 1 (Yuchi Yamauchi 64?)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Chris Payne 58?, Harris Gaitatzis 90?+2?)
Sunday 2nd September, 2012
Lily Homes Stadium
Referee: Jason Blackwood
Assistant Referees: Craig Fisher and Adam Coombes
Fourth Official: Gareth Williams
Blacktown City FC: 1. Brody Crane; 4.Travis Major, 18.Kieren Paull, 6.Matt Lewis, 7.Luke Roodenburg (C), 8.Daniel Bragg (12.David Cain 58?), 9.Ryuji Miyazawa (17.Yianni Perkatis 80?), 14.Adam Jenner, 19.Zac Cairncross (3.Ryo Watanabe 71?), 10.James Monie, 11.Yuchi Yamauchi
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Luke Turnbull, 16.Delor Edosomwan
Yellow Cards: Daniel Bragg 56?
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 33.Nikodin Matic; 5.Chris Tadrosse (C), 8.Aleksander Canak (19.Harris Gaitatzis 46?), 23.Mitchell Long (10.Jordan Simpson 71?), 7.Tynan Diaz (13.Nikola Stanojevic 46?), 21.Ken Chun, 15.Chris Payne, 2.Alex Mansueto, 17.Jordan Crighton, 9.Robbie Younis, 6.Nikola Zonjic
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Andrew Bazi, 27.Nikola Todoroski
Yellow Cards: Aleksander Canak 45?, Ken Chun 81?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joseph Carlucci
