SUPA IGA NPL Mens 2 Round 11 Review

The lead at the top of the Mens 2 competition increased to four points after St George won away at Mounties and Bankstown Berries suffered their first loss of the season, against Bankstown City.
Macarthur Rams proved the weekend’s biggest winners, 5-0 against a ten man Mount Druitt Town Rangers, with the Rams having the opportunity to reduce the gap at the top to one point, when they visit Fraser Park on Wednesday.
Parramatta FC v Fraser Park
Fraser Park overturned the formbook, and overturned a 1-0 deficit to leave Melita Stadium with all three points, a victory which moves them within one win of the five, with a game in hand.
It didn’t look likely in the first half hour or so though, Parramatta seeming comfortable and dominating the early stages, with no small thanks to the pace and danger of Danny Choi. It was Choi who had set up Frank Martey on the quarter hour, with a glorious cross, Martey only needing to head home but electing to shoot instead, a decision which saw the ball sail over the cross bar.
Choi made amends himself a few minutes later, this time getting on to the end of a Martey cross, which swept across the face of goal. Choi’s sweet left foot connected neatly to fire past Michael Frost.
Even at this early stage of the game, it seemed that Parramatta’s target of sneaking up on the top five over the next few games would prove successful. The Eagles were rarely threatened, Fraser Park looking most dangerous from corners. 
It was Parramatta who looked most likely to score again, and Niran Kanoun had just the chance. A break from halfway, saw him face Frost one-on-one but the keeper did well to deny the young striker, a great chance lost.
Fraser Park took full advantage of that escape, and it was the run of Ben Vidaic which brought Fraser level. Vidaic was put through out wide on the left, just inside Parramatta’s half, and managed to get in behind the Parramatta defence, before crossing from the byeline, straight into the path of Kevin Oliviera. Oliveira could hardly miss, inside the six yard box and right in front.
This goal turned around the game, Fraser Park lifting as a result. Hussein Akil seemed everywhere now, driving forward at every opportunity. Parramatta had taken their foot off the pedal as it were for a time, and it was a Vidaic strike, fifteen minutes after the break, which put the visitors in the lead. The goal was a clinical finish, a left footer under Justin Biega.
There were chances still, for both sides. Devante Clut was denied by Frost, again in a one v one, and Carlo Musumeci broke away for Fraser Park but Biega had his measure. 
With ten minutes to go, Fraser Park were reduced to ten men, when goalscorer Oliviera received a second yellow, after a harsh tackle on Hyung An. Fraser put everybody behind the ball as a result, defending with nine spread across their own third, as Parramatta looked to draw level. It almost came too, in the dying moments when Daniel Rezo slotted through a beautiful ball straight to new signing Steven Veleski, splitting the defence. It seemed 2-2 for sure, but Frost was again the man of the moment, closing down the shot expertly.
Fraser Park had dug deep but hung on well for the win, condemning Parramatta to their first home loss of the season. Fraser Park will now have their confidence up when they meet Macarthur Rams on Wednesday.  
“We had our chances in the first thirty minutes alone to have won that game,” said Lee Sterrey. “We really do have to rue the chances we had”.
“Our execution was lacking again, and we were beaten by two sucker punches. Vidaic should not have been able to get behind our defence for the first, and the second came early when the game hadn’t really settled [after half time]. They had probably three good chances and scored twice”.
“It is disappointing for the boys not to have taken some points from that game, as I really do feel that we are good enough for a top five spot, without a doubt”.
“But credit to Fraser Park. I have a lot of admiration for the way they fought back and defended right at the end. We will certainly learn from experiences like that”, Sterrey finished.
Parramatta FC 1 (Danny Choi 20’) v Fraser Park 2 (Kevin Oliviera 38’, Ben Vidaic 60’)
Sunday 2 June 2013
at Melita Stadium, South Granville
Referee: Chris Young
Assts: Sam Grasso and Matt Wright
Parramatta FC: 1. Justin Biega 2. Domenic Trimboli 3. George Youssef 8. Robert Tribbia (c) 12. Hiroaki Kawasaki (17. Hyung An 80’) 11. Frank Martey 5. Daniel Gullo 10. Devante Clut 15. Suad Ameti (7. Daniel Rezo 65’) 16. Danny Choi 9. Niran Kanoun (19. Steven Veleski 65’).
Subs not used: 22. Domenic Badolato 14. Andrija Petkovic.
Yellow Cards: George Youssef, Niran Kanoun, Steven Veleski.
Coach: Lee Sterrey
Fraser Park: 1. Michael Frost (c) 3. Andrew Vitucci 16. Robert di Meglio 19. Nick Dimitropoulos 2. Rocci Gabey 7. Kevin Oliviera 13. Pat Cappuccio (4. Thomas Taylor 62’) 15. Sash Tirovski (10. Paulo Oliviera 46’) 20. Hussein Akil 18. Mitchell Davidson 14. Ben Vidaic (11. Carlo Musumeci 77’).
Subs not used: 17. Fabio da Silva 40. Wayne Estavao
Yellow cards: Pat Cappuccio, Robert di Meglio, Kevin Oliviera, Rocci Gabey, Paulo Oliviera.
Red Card: Kevin Oliviera.
Coach: Albin Mikulski
Mount Druitt Town Rangers v Macarthur Rams
A send off after just twenty minutes put paid to Mount Druitt Town Rangers’ hopes when new signing Andy Matloub was sent from the field midway through the first half with a straight red card, the defender deemed to have pushed Shannon Hankin in the back, as the last man.
It was a crucial decision, as Adam Wither took fullest advantage, scoring from the resultant free kick to put the Rams 1-0 up.
A penalty awarded for handball gave Craig Cooley the chance to double the lead just before the break, the Rams looking good at half time. 
A second for Cooley, collecting a rebound, saw Macarthur move out to 3-0 before two late goals to Neftali Gonzalez and Alvaro Malmierca, in the final fifteen minutes, sealed the comprehensive result.
It was a difficult night for Nick Verdos, as his side suffered a second half capitulation.
“I am pretty disappointed in how it went”, he stated. “A few heads dropped at 3-0 and we have to realise where we are. We really have to wake up a bit”.
“It didn’t help with ten men of course, and after they got the penalty, it was an uphill battle from there. We were fighting pretty hard for a while, but they ran away with it in the end”.
Claudio Canosa was in agreeance with those sentiments.
“It was probably a little bit easier than I expected”, he stated. “They have some good players there and I thought that maybe it would have been a little more difficult”.
“But we played the game well, spreading the ball around to take advantage of the extra man. And the gaps started to appear, and maybe the goals came at the right time”.
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 0 v Macarthur Rams 5 (Adam Wither 21’, Craig Cooley pen 43’, 62’, Neftali Gonzalez 76’, Alvaro Malmierca 86’)
Bankstown Berries v Bankstown City
The last undefeated record ended at The Crest on Saturday night when the Berries went down 1-0 to Bankstown City, a goal from Sam Salameh with a quarter of an hour remaining doing the damage. Salameh had the simplest of tasks to tap in after Nicolo Sama had excelled down the right before hitting the woodwork, leaving Salameh to pick up the rebound. 
The loss sees the Berries slip to third behind Macarthur Rams, while Bankstown City, with now two wins on the trot, have thrown themselves right into the finals mix.
“Things are starting to come together a little”, said the Lions’ George Nohra.
“We are starting to play football again, and we played some great football in the middle of the park, but there is still more work to do”.
“They had some chances too, though, but it was a fair result”.
Despite the loss, Berries coach John Calleja was content with his side’s performance.
“I am happy with the way we played, but we simply didn’t take our chances”, was the crisp summary.
“We dominated for the most part, and it was one of our good performances where we were consistent for ninety minutes. We must have had five clear cut opportunities and should have done better with them, but you have to take your chances”.
“Their young keeper [Thomas Manos] did really well and kept them in the game, I thought”.
“After they scored, we bombed forward and had some chances, and Zakilas with a header at the back post was close. But the loss now brings us back to reality a little, and makes next week’s game against St George even more crucial”, he ended.  
Bankstown Berries 0 v Bankstown City 1 (Sam Salameh 75’)
Mounties Wanderers v St George
St George survived a second half Mounties onslaught to take three valuable points away from Cook Park, in a sometimes tempestuous affair.
A Juan Chavez goal put St George 1-0 up early in the piece but it was his second which proved more controversial. Chavez’s low strike on twenty four minutes was slowed on the way in by Ali Akbal, and the keeper tried desperately to recover to prevent the ball going over the line. To no avail, according to the officials, who awarded the goal, much to the Mounties’ displeasure and Akbal’s in particular, who received a yellow card for his protestations. A sniff of offside also added to the clamour.
At 2-0, St George looked comfortable but Mounties came out firing in the second half, swarming forward in waves. Daniel Severino ran riot, and his crosses, corners and freekicks were a danger on every occasion. Mark Symington was also a huge threat down the right, along with Alvin Singh, who was exceptional all evening.
But despite this pressure, it was St George who gained a third, the leadup commencing with some neat footwork from David Dascal, who set free Aleks Jovovic, before Sam Messam met the cross to make it 3-0.
Mounties’ concerted efforts gained some reward when Greg Baldock scored after a Severino corner, and it was almost two when Severino’s direct free kick was just touched onto the bar by Dion Shaw. St George held firm though, against a yellow and black tide, and even a late send off to substitute George Lagoudakis, who picked up two yellows in the seven minutes he was on the pitch, wasn’t going to affect the result.
St George now move onto the Waratah Cup quarter finals on Tuesday evening, against the Illawarra Premier League’s Wollongong United, whose coach Paul Carter was a more than interested spectator at Mt Pritchard.
Mounties Wanderers 1 (Greg Baldock 69’) v St George 3 (Juan Chavez 3’, 24’, Sam Messam 60’)
Washed Out
Spirit FC v Hills Brumbies
Northern Tigers v Sydney University
Leading Goalscorers
11 –       Juan Chavez                 (St George)
10 –       Saso Petrovski             (Bankstown City)
9 –        Sam Messam                (St George)
8 –        Danny Choi                   (Parramatta FC)
7 –        Dimitri Zakilas               (Bankstown Berries)
5 –        Peter Crevani                (Sydney University)
            Liam McConaghy          (Northern Tigers)
            Dragan Savic                (Hills Brumbies)
            Daniel Severino             (Mounties Wanderers)
            Ben Vidaic                    (Fraser Park)
Under 20s
There is no doubt to where the kudos go this week…to Bankstown Berries who annihilated Bankstown City 8-0 to skip four points clear at the top off the table  following the Brumbies’ washout on Sunday. There were six goals shared at Popondetta Park, when Mount Druitt Town Rangers and Macarthur Rams met, the 3-3 draw keeping the Rams level pegging with St George, who also took a point at Mounties Wanderers. Brendan Berkeley for Mounties and Andrew Katsoukis for the Saints were the scorers there.
Fraser Park took the points at Parramatta thanks to first half goals to David Wilson and Jacob Svilicich.
Results: Bankstown Berries 8 Bankstown City 0, Mount Druitt Town Rangers 3 Macarthur Rams 3, Mounties Wanderers 1 St George 1, Parramatta 0 v Fraser Park 2.
-By Peter Rowney