State League One Round Three Finals Series Review

Preliminary Final
Gladesville Ryde Magic ? Balmain SC  3-1

Premiership winner, Gladesville Ryde Magic, qualified for their second successive State League One Grand Final with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Balmain SC at Popondetta Park on Saturday evening.

For Balmain, it was end of a fantastic run, a wave of momentum that took the club to within 90 minutes of a grand final after finishing the competition proper in 5^th position.
It was a balmy evening at Popondetta Park, ironically the home of Grand Finalists, Mt Druitt Town Rangers, as both clubs arrived with boisterous support in tow, hoping to cheer their way into next weekend?s ultimate finale.
The two goalkeepers on show ? Balmain?s Daniel Conway, and Gladesville?s Kyriakos Tohouroglou ? also doubled up as skippers, and they took their positions after finalizing the coin toss to get this eagerly awaited match under way.
Gladesville settled the better of the two sides early on, their 3-5-2 formation effectively dominating possession, and creating the odd chance or two within the first half an hour.
Andrew McKie tried his luck as early as the 4^th minute, volleying over the crossbar from the corner of the penalty area after Scott Tonkin had flicked his header into the burly striker?s path.
The Magic kept the leather moving across the park as they searched for a gap in the Balmain rearguard, but were finding it difficult to have a crack at goal.
Alistair McKie did just that on 14 minutes, his swerving free kick from 25 yards just clearing the cross bar with Balmain keeper, Conway, scrambling.
Alan Ryan did well to reach a Johnny Martinez corner on 25 minutes, his header however clearing the Balmain cross bar, much to their relief.
Gladesville had a real urgency about them in the first stanza, and it was no surprise they opened the scoring on the half hour mark.
Yet another cross caused mayhem in the Balmain penalty area. Scott Tonkin made a real nuisance of himself, and battled against three defenders, no less, looking to have been fouled as the ball spilled loose, with the predatory Stephen Lloyd pouncing, stabbing home from a few yards to give the Magic the lead.
Balmain were struggling to make any headway in the Gladesville half during the first period, with Johnny Buonavoglia bottled up by the Magic defence. Will Donato had made some timely interceptions and forays down the left flank, but to no avail as Tohouroglou was left untroubled in the Gladesville goal.
The Magic on the other hand kept at it, and put together a swift passing movement in the 36^th minute that involved five players as the ball swept downfield, the referee?s assistant?s raised flag the only hurdle stopping a brilliant team goal.
Balmain?s Liam Cole sent over a teasing near post corner in the 38^th minute, Hill?s header finally forcing Tohouroglou into action as the keeper?s alertness saved the day on this occasion.
Alistair McKie had the half?s final two opportunities as the Magic looked to extend their lead before the break.
The pint sized number 10 cut inside a defender in the 43^rd minute before curling a shot inches over the Balmain crossbar.
And then in first half injury time, McKie was at it again, this time causing mayhem with his dipping free kick that Daniel Conway did ever so well to parry down low to his right. Scott Tonkin reacted fastest to the loose ball, his angled snapshot ricocheting for a corner off retreating defender.
Half time came and went, and unfortunately for Balmain, things didn?t get any better as the Magic continued where they left off. Actually, it got a lot worse for Balmain, as two goals in the first 10  minutes of the second half wrapped up the evening?s proceedings and put paid to Balmain?s season.
Andrew McKie raced onto a loose ball in the middle of the Balmain half, steadying himself as he entered the penalty area. McKie brushed aside a couple of would be defensive challenges before slotting the ball past Daniel Conway for a brilliant individual goal.
Balmain coach, Alex Kaltenegger, had seen enough at this stage, staging a double substitution, with the experienced Robbie Bruno and Daniel Borg thrown into the fray.
 But before the duo could get a touch on the ball, the Magic scored again and it was ?all over, red rover?.
This time McKie was played into the box with a well weighted Scott Tonkin through ball, skipping inside a defender before rounding Daniel Conway, the Balmain keeper, to hit home goal number three for Magic.
Even though there was over half an hour to play, the match lost some sting given even the most ardent Balmain fan couldn?t see their team pulling back three goals, especially the way the Gladesville defenders were holding course.
That may have changed on 62 minutes somewhat had Carl Modena scored, rather than hit the cross bar with a rasping drive from the corner of the Gladesville penalty area.
More substitutions from both sides, for different reasons, gave the match a stop-start feel at this point, Balmain hoping to inject some energy whilst Gladesville looked to give as many players as possible a taste of semi final football.
Balmain did in fact pull a goal back in the 73^rd minute, when Daniel Borg hit a wicked free kick that took an unpredictable bounce as it cannoned off the sprawling Magic keeper, Kyriakos Tohouroglou.
Joel Cook was like a lightning bolt, the Balmain flyer first to the rebound to smack the ball into the net to pull a goal back.
But that was all she wrote for Balmain, and they couldn?t muster any more as Gladesville took a neck hold on the remainder of the match, grinding out a comfortable 3-1 win in the end.
For Balmain, they should be proud of what has been a remarkable season, especially the back end. They were playing sudden death type football for pretty much the last two months of the season, firstly squeezing into the top five before giving the finals a real shake.
Coach Alex Kaltenneger has done a fantastic job on a shoe string budget, and has plenty to work with to build upon for next year, so expect them to come back bigger and stronger next season.
As for Gladesville Ryde Magic, they bounced back  from their semi final loss last weekend like the true champions they are, and made short work of Balmain as they took their spot in this year?s 2012 Grand Final, next weekend, against Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
Match Stats
Gladesville Ryde Magic                                       3 (Lloyd 30?, Andrew McKie 50? / 56?)
Balmain SC                                                         1 (Cook 73?)
Saturday September 8, 2012
Popondetta Park, Emerton
Referee: Mr Jamie Gavin
Assistant Referees : Mr Darrin Richards and Mr Terry Goodhew

GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC: 1.K.Tohouroglou (capt), 11.B.Townley-Jones, 4.L.Harte, 2.A.Morris, 13.C.Care (12.T.Huet 61?), 6.A.Ryan (7.T.Nastoulis 82?), 9.S.Tonkin (14.P.O?Doherty 69?), 10.Alistair McKie, 8.J.Martinez, 15.Andrew McKie, 16.S.Lloyd. 
Substitutes Not Used: 5.T.Woodhouse,1.P.Ferrara.
Yellow Cards: 11.B.Townley-Jones 72?.
Red Cards: Nil

Bench: J. Woods, Z. Elrich, W. Angel, V. Rigoli, I. JohnsoBALMAIN SC: 1.D.Conway (capt), 2.T.Hyde (18.V.Leto 63?), 3.G.Hill, 4.K.Baker, 13.T.Sowden, 7.C.Modena, 6.J.Cook, 5.A.Leris (8.R.Bruno 55?), 17.L.Cole (16.D.Borg 55?), 15.W.Donato, 10.G.Buonavoglia.
Substitutes Not Used: Nil
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Under 20s
Stanmore Hawks ? Schofields Scorpions  0-3
Saturday, September 8, @ Popondetta Park
Schofields Scorpions have won their third ?elimination? semi final on the trot, coming from fourth spot at the completion of the competition proper to take their place on Grand Final day.
The Scorpions accounted for Stanmore Hawks to the tune of 3-0 on Saturday afternoon, and will battle it out with Premiership winners, Inter Lions, in next week?s culmination of the 2012 season.
-By Frank Speranza