IGA NPL NSW Grade 20s Round 14 Review

The equation is clear as mud in mid-table, with only six points separating the top five and the bottom of the table.
In the Match of the Round, Marconi Stallions scored a valuable 2-0 win at home to Rockdale City Suns, a win that pulls the Suns back towards the chasing pack.
Marconi Stallions 2-0 Rockdale City Suns, at Marconi Stadium
For a relatively low scoring match, this was a game of real quality.

A goal keeping error from Aaron Liddell allowed Anthony Proia to score the opening goal for Marconi Stallions and substitute Steven Ilic tapped in a second.

But the truth was, this was a match between two very evenly matched sides.

Proia’s goal was unexpected, given that his left footed strike from 25 yards wasn’t particularly well struck, but Liddell was slopping in getting down to save and he could only help the ball into the bottom corner; it wasn’t a moment the Rockdale City keeper will look back on with any fondness.

That was in the 65′ minute and although there was hope for Rockdale City, Steven Ilic, on for Mark Cindric, made sure of the result when he tapped in a cross from the dangerous Nicolas Colantonio 11′ minutes later.

Colantonio did all the hard work down the left and his square ball was easily tapped in by Ilic. As well as confirm the result, it was goal that brought Rockdale City back towards the back after APIA Leichhardt Tigers’s draw with Sutherland Sharks the night before.

Quality chances were wasted by both sides, particularly in the first half.

The first came as early as the 8′ minute when the impressive Michael Toscano scooped a shot over after a left sided free kick by Huseyin Jasli.

Not long afterwards, a last ditch challenge from Patrick Savor denied Proia the chance to get a shot away and with those two early chances, the scene was set. Indeed, it was something of a surprise when two shots eventually found the back of the net in the second half.

Toscano was outstanding until his 74′ minute substitution, but his finishing let him down. One such occasion came in the 16′ minute, when he headed over a devilish cross from Toufic Alameddine.

That opportunity was the first of a three in quick succession for Rockdale City, a spell that should have yielded at least a goal for the visiting side.

David Talevski forced a save from Stefan Giglio at his near post before Jasli himself headed over.

They were chances that would come back to haunt the home side, who missed another opportunity before the half hour mark when Idriss El Hafiane headed over from another Jasli free kick.

It was one of those days for Rockdale City; having murdered Sydney United 58 last weekend on set pieces, they couldn’t manage a header on target in this match, much to their frustration.

Marconi Stallions passed up an excellent opportunity of their own in the 34′ minute, a miss that saw the first half destined to end scoreless.

Jaushua Sotirio did fantastically to round Liddell but his cut back towards Mark Cindric was intercepted by the recovering goalkeeper.

The second period continued in much the same vain; neither goalkeeper having much to do but watch the good football that was being played in front of them.

There was a painful moment in the 54′ minute when Sotirio was cleaned up by Liddell, who made a late decision to come for a cross. The big ‘keeper succeeded in clearing the ball but smashed Sotirio in the process; fortunately for Marconi he was able to continue after some treatment.

A timely intervention from Tom Whiteside denied Rockdale City yet again, as the visiting side carved out yet another opportunity.

Toscano and Alameddine were again involved, their one-two releasing the latter. His cross looked destined to be tapped in by Talevski at the back post but Whiteside came from nowhere to scramble the ball away.

The pressure was tolling but Stallions stood firm.

Toscano showed delightful technique and composure to turn his defender and release Talevski with an outside of the boot pass, but the one-on-one chance was passed up when a defender blocked the shot.

Marconi had absorbed the pressure, and it was worth it when Proia scored. The disappointment for Rockdale City was evident but they had only themselves to blame, for they could truly have been more than a few goals to the good by the time they conceded.

The concession blew the wind out of their sails though and any hopes of a comeback became extinct when the substitute Ilic tapped home the second.

Rockdale City coach Justin Bucciarelli was upset that his team didn’t make the most of the opportunities they created.

"Yes, I’m disappointed," he said.

"I think we controlled the match for large periods and given the amount of chances we created, we really should have capitalised.

"Unfortunately, they had two or three shots on goal and it hurts," Bucciarelli said.

Marconi’s coach, Pat Marando, was delighted to take the three points from a tough game.

"We’re very happy to get a result, especially at home," he said.

"They (Rockdale City) were getting away (at the top of the table) and we knew that if we didn’t get a result today, everyone else would be back in the pack.

"I think we did extremely well today," Marando concluded.
Match Stats

Marconi Stallions 2 (Anthony Proia 65′, Steven Ilic 76′)

Rockdale City Suns 0
Sunday 16th June, 2013

Marconi Stadium, Fairfield
Referee: Kelly Jones

Assistant Referees: Lance Greenshields and James Tesoriero
Marconi Stallions: 21.Stefan Giglio, 16.Mark Cindric (20.Steven Ilic 68′), 30.Harry Brown (C), 39.Nicolas Colantonio (32.Joshua Spina 84′), 42.Daniel Collins, 28.Grant Lynch, 43.Lachlan Reus (33.Delfeayo Francis 89′), 44.Simon Valastro, 27.Tom Whiteside, 12.Anthony Proia, 31.Jaushua Sotirio

Substitutes Not Used: 37.Alexander Doyle, 40.Ian Johnson (GK)
Yellow Cards: Daniel Collins 61′, Steven Ilic 83′
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale City Suns: 24.Aaron Liddell, 34.Toufic Alameddine, 37.Keifer Dotti (26.Michael Cimino 77′), 27.Idriss El Hafiane, 35.Huseyin Jasli, 41.Nicholas Petrillo, 25.Patrick Savor, 39.Michael Toscano (30.Sotiro Kagaras 74′), 28.Giorgio Speranza, 44.Themba Muata-Marlow, 32.David Talevski

Substitutes Not Used: 29.Daniel Kamel, 33.Tony Lo, 38.Paul Ragonese
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
ROUND 14 REVIEW
SATURDAY
Central Coast Mariners Academy 3-0 Bonnyrigg White Eagles, at Pluim Park
Central Coast Mariners Academy put themselves right back into the mix with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Bonnyrigg White Eagles.

Dean Caletti, Ryan Walker and Josh Swadling all scored for the home side.
Blacktown Spartans 0-1 Manly United FC, at Blacktown Football Park
Manly United FC are in fourth place after a good 1-0 win away at Blacktown Spartans.

Grant Brown’s goal gave them all three points, and puts them in a good position for the race home.
Sutherland Sharks 0-0 APIA Leichhardt Tigers, at Seymour Shaw Park
Sutherland Sharks and APIA Leichhardt played out a 0-0 stalemate on Saturday night.

The result leaves APIA third on goal difference and Sutherland Sharks in mid-table.
SUNDAY
Blacktown City FC 0-0 Sydney Olympic FC, at Lily Homes Stadium
Blacktown City FC and Sydney Olympic FC also played out a goal-less draw.

It leaves Blacktown in the mid-table cluster and Sydney Olympic clinging to pack’s coat-tails.
Sydney United 58 FC 2-2 South Coast Wolves, at Sydney United Sports Centre
Sydney United 58 FC fought back from 2-0 down to register a 2-2 draw at home to South Coast Wolves.

Jack Madgwick and Brett Wilson fired South Coast into their two goal advantage but goals from David Stojic and Stephen Vukovic saw the home side take a share of the points.

– By Matthew Connellan