SUPA IGA NSW NPL Mens 2 Round 18 Review

After last week’s shock results, there appeared something of a return to normalcy this weekend, with St George, Macarthur and Mounties all winning, although Parramatta suffered a setback against Bankstown City.
Spirit FC are looking to throw a spanner into the works late, and their cause was helped by a 5-2 win at Sydney University.
Two goals to St George’s Juan Chavez puts him clear in the race for the Golden Boot with thirteen goals. 
Bankstown City v Parramatta FC
Bankstown had wished to beat any club in the second round of the competition, then it would have been a good bet that Parramatta may have been that club. It was the Eagles who dished out a 5-0 shellacking to the Lions back in round seven and though the Lions are now playing for pride, they certainly produced a win worthy of their effort.
Parramatta had gone into this game after a great run of results, and a further win would have kept them in third spot and in a strong position to continue their challenge for the premiership. But Bankstown had other ideas and it was a hardworking Lions outfit who made sure that Parramatta would not leave Jensen Park without a fight.
While there was little in the way of first half chances in a battling opening period, the goal which did come was worthy of the wait. It was an excellent buildup, principally the work of last season’s Golden Boot Gosue Sama, who showed that despite the Lions’ tough season, his touch hasn’t deserted him.
After some crisp passing, Sama skipped through the Eagles defence with fine control, crossing from the left into the path of Jordan Simpson, who swept the ball home first time, to put the Lions 1-0 up with eight minutes remaining of the first half.
Parramatta went in at half time knowing that they had a game on their hands and to their credit they responded in an exciting second half. They produced plenty of good football themselves, and certainly had their chances to equalise. There was none better than a gaping goal for Daniel Rezo but the midfielder somehow managed to sky the effort when a goal seemed easier.
The loss of Danny Choi to injury after fifty minutes didn’t help the Eagles but Frank Martey on the opposite side was proving dangerous in his own right. He had probably the next best chance to equalise, being put through wide with just the keeper to beat. But Thomas Manos earned his keep, saving well to deny the Eagles.
At the other end, Simpson came close again, this time with a header, while Justin Biega also denied the Lions repeatedly in a quick burst of attack, from Gosue Sama and Aaron D’Mello. A further goal would have sealed the win but at only a one goal deficit, Parramatta still had all to play for. They played with plenty of urgency, having the majority of possession in the final stages, and Devante Clut almost pinched a result late. But his strike was just wide, an escape for Bankstown in injury time.
For large parts of this game, it seemed like the Lions of old, and there may still be a few more wins left in the tank yet.
Bankstown City 1 (Jordan Simpson 37’) v Parramatta FC 0
Sunday 28 July 2013
at Jensen Park
Referee: Kevin Peddie
Bankstown City Lions: 1. Thomas Manos 34. Anthony Lazarou 30. Owen Littlewood 102. Todd Halloran 15. Sam Salameh (26. Sasa Drijovski 87’) 6. Reuben Lagos 8. George Nohra 10.Jordan Simpson 21. Nicolo Sama 67. Aaron D’Mello (39. Thomas Kovacs 84’) 11. Gosue Sama.   
Subs not used: 40. Onisemus Akuoko-Asare 45. Jason Lazarevski 43. Leon Pappas
Yellow Cards: George Nohra, Jordan Simpson
Coaches: George Nohra/Bill Pilovski
Parramatta FC: 1. Justin Biega 2. Domenic Trimboli 8. Robert Tribbia 14. Andrija Petkovic 12. Hiroaki Kawasaki 5. Daniel Gullo (15. Suad Ameti 78’) 6. Joshua Small (10. Devante Clut 50’) 7. Daniel Rezo 16. Danny Choi (19. Wand Jajaw 50’) 11. Frank Martey 9. Niram Kanoun.    
Subs not used: 40. Lucas North 4. Anthony Avanti
Yellow Cards: Hiroaki Kawasaki
Coach: Lee Sterrey
St George v Fraser Park 
Competition leaders St George were made to work every inch of the way before finally overcoming a defiant Fraser Park 2-1. Two goals in five minutes, inside the last quarter of an hour, gave the Saints the points, overturning a lead Fraser Park had held since the seventeenth minute.
Ben Vidaic had put the visitors 1-0 up, controlling well before choosing his spot and it looked like Fraser Park may well take a valuable win. But a send off to Rocci Gabey with half an hour to go saw Fraser reduced to ten, and the constant pressure which St George had applied since the restart, only became more intense. With time ticking down, a decisive run by Nick Napoli set up Juan Chavez, who drew St George level with just over ten minutes to go.
Five minutes after that and a penalty award, after Sam Messam was upended in the box, gave Chavez the perfect opportunity for his second, his spotkick never in doubt.
A straight red card to Pat Cappuccio with three minutes left only made the end result even worse for Fraser Park, who will be somewhat shorthanded when Mounties come visiting on Tuesday.
“We showed great character tonight”, said St George’s Manny Spanoudakis. “It also shows we have great depth in the squad when guys like Sam Messam, Matt Sadler and George Lagoudakis can come on”.
“We still want to play football and despite the conditions, we did that. Overall, I thought we deserved the win”.       
St George 2 (Juan Chavez 79’, 83’ pen) v Fraser Park 1 (Ben Vidaic 17’)
Macarthur Rams v Hills Brumbies
Macarthur Rams stay second after dismissing Hills Brumbies by 2-0, a goal in each half doing the trick.
The goals came at the beginning and end of the game, the first through Alvaro Malmierca after just three minutes, and the second via Shannon Hankin, with three to go. 
“We started the game well”, began Claudia Canosa, “and had a few chances, but couldn’t really put them away. Hills fought back towards the end of the first half and made it tough, but overall, we deserved the win. There were some good buildups, and chances, but they just wouldn’t go in”.
With just five games to go, the Rams trail by just one point and have kept the pressure on leaders St George. 
 
Macarthur Rams 2 (Alvaro Malmierca 3’, Shannon Hankin 87’) v Hills Brumbies 0
Bankstown Berries v Northern Tigers
It was points shared at The Crest as finals contenders Bankstown Berries and Northern Tigers went head to head, both sides reaping some reward after last weekend’s setbacks.
While the draw may not have helped the Berries’ title chances, it did help them keep the Tigers at bay, as the finals run in looks to go down to the last weekend.
Bankstown Berries took the lead through an unlikely source, after Daniel Cunningham turned a sharp Kodjo Adjassou cross into his own net, midway through the first half, and it looked like that may be the only goal of the game.
But the Tigers managed to draw level in the final minutes when Aram Tayebi got on the end of a deep cross to maybe save the Tigers’ season hopes.
For the Berries, it must have been reminiscent of Parramatta’s late winner a couple of weeks ago.
“It was a cruel goal”, said John Calleja. “The long ball was pumped in and we just didn’t deal with it, maybe a bit of poor defending”.
“When we were a goal up, I didn’t think the Tigers looked like scoring, but we still didn’t do enough when we had the ball and we invited them forward”.
“The result really shows that this competition will go right down to the last round”.
Northern Tigers coach Jason Eagar felt the draw was fair.
“We played pretty well in the first half and had three pretty good chances, and they scored from a counter attack for the own goal. The second half was even but while we pressed forward for the final fifteen minutes, I did wonder where our goal was going to come from. But Aram was there at the end, to get us the point”.
Bankstown Berries 1 (Daniel Cunningham 20’ o.g.) v Northern Tigers 1 (Aram Tayebi 89’)
Sydney University v Spirit FC
This result may look like a hefty defeat for Uni, but the scoreline doesn’t always tell the true story.
Sydney University had put on a fine display at Hensley Field, and Spirit were made to work all the way for the win. The home side had actually gone a goal up, scoring first through Adrian Porcu before Spirit equalised with a goal by Brad Gibson, only his third for the season, but his second in a week.
Spirit led 2-1 by half time, with the speedy Henry Wells scoring, before Uni got back on level terms through Daisuke Kataoka.
At 2-2 and fifteen minutes to go, no one could have predicted that Spirit would go on to score a further three. Having not scored more than two in a game all season, the end result of 5-2 would have surprised even the most enthusiastic Spirit fan. Agyei Akwasi. Joel Carter and Grant Cornwell all scored in the final quarter of an hour to keep Spirit’s finals hopes alive.
It could have been even more when Carter was through on the keeper, but the Uni custodian brought down Carter just outside the box, earning a red card but preventing a sixth goal.
“I feel a little bit like a thief in the night”, stated Spirit’s assistant coach, John McLafferty. “Uni played some beautiful football and Mark McCormick has got them playing a nice style, some really great stuff. On that surface, they played some wonderful football, which we would have trouble playing really”.
“But some gaps really started opening up at the back towards the end, and to be honest, if the game had have continued, we most likely would have scored even more”.
Sydney University 2 (Adrian Porcu, Daisuke Kataoka) v Spirit FC 5 (Brad Gibson, Henry Wells, Agyei Akwasi, Joel Carter, Grant Cornwell)
Mounties Wanderers v Mount Druitt Town Rangers
For the second time in a week Mounties Wanderers have scored four goals, putting paid to their recent dry spell, to keep the pressure on the league leaders as the competition heads into the final month.
Alvin Singh, who hit the net twice last week, started the damage again, scoring within the first minute against Mount Druitt Town. When David Gardiner made it 2-0 with just four minutes gone, it was going to be an uphill battle for Rangers.
They certainly rallied, keeping it at 2-0 until the break, and brought one goal back when Ozcan Cetinay scored within five minutes of the restart. 
But Daniel Severino, with his ninth goal of the season, regained Mounties’ two goal buffer on the hour before Greg Baldock made it 4-1 with nine minutes to go.
Mounties Wanderers 4 (Alvin Singh 1’, David Gardiner 4’, Daniel Severino 60’, Greg Baldock 81”) v Mount Druitt Town Rangers 1 (Ozcan Cetinay 50’)
Leading Goalscorers
13 –       Juan Chavez                 (St George)
11 –       Danny Choi                   (Parramatta)
10 –       Sam Messam                (St George)

Jamie Watt                    (Sydney University)

9 –        Daniel Severino             (Mounties Wanderers)
8 –        Tom Spencer                (Northern Tigers)
Under 20s
Hills Brumbies maintained their three point gap at the top defeating third placed Macathur Rams 2-0 with goals to Jordan Caporale and Jake Bradshaw. Bankstown Berries stay second after their 1-0 win against Northern Tigers.
The biggest win of their weekend went to Spirit FC who hammered Sydney University 5-0, a result which now lifts Spirit above the Rams into third.
The top five is completed by St George who were helped in their 2-0 win over Fraser Park by two penalties. Both were awarded for handball and while Stephen Grbevski saw his attempt initially saved by Jesse Lenn, he knocked in the rebound while James Spanoudakis scored the Saints’ second ten minutes later. 
The Rangers left Cook Park with all the points thanks to a double to Brendan King. Mounties responded through Andrew Hirmiz.
Parramatta scored late to take the points at Jensen Park. Steve Velevski got a brace, the second goal coming with fifteen minutes to go, cancelling out a Lions goal from Leon Pappas.
Mounties Wanderers 1 Mount Druitt Town Rangers 2, Sydney University 0 Spirit FC 5, St George 2 Fraser Park 0, Macarthur Rams 0 Hills Brumbies 2, Bankstown City 1 Parramatta 2, Bankstown Berries 1 Northern Tigers 0.
-By Peter Rowney