SUPU IGA NSW NPL Men’s Two – Round 21 Review
The weekend couldn’t have finished any better for St George FC as they claimed both the Premiership on Saturday and the Club Championship on Sunday.
The Saints claimed the SUPA IGA NSW NPL Mens 2 Premiership after Macarthur Rams failed to defeat Bankstown Berries on Saturday, while a 3-0 victory over Northern Tigers on Sunday sealed the Club Championship.
Results for the rest of the finals challengers were mixed with Parramatta and Fraser Park gaining the most as they overcame Spirit FC and Mount Druitt Town Rangers respectively, while Mounties suffered a shock 3-1 reverse at home to Bankstown City.
Northern Tigers v St George
St George trotted out on to Mills Park as newly crowned Premiers but it was the aim of winning the Club Championship which ensured that the Saints weren’t going to relax for one moment.
It took a little time to settle nevertheless and had Max Glanville and Aram Tayebi converted a couple of early chances, the result may have been different.
But once Bruno Pivato put St George in the lead five minutes before half time, the importance of the goal suggested that it would be tough from thereon in for the Tigers.
That proved to be the case, and even though St George were reduced to ten when George Codrea received a second yellow card five minutes after half time, the visitors comfortably held the Tigers. When Aleks Jovovic rounded Stuart Page to make it 2-0, it seemed all over and Pivato’s third, a minute from time, simply sealed the result.
The dual honours won within the same weekend brought significant praise from coach Manny Spanoudakis.
“It is a credit to so many people at the club that we were able to be where we are. The players have worked so hard since December last year and it is full compliment to them. We had largely a new squad with essentially young signings and they have applied themselves so well. They have conducted themselves like the semi professional players they are and our first place is a result of a lot of hard work, and certainly no accident”.
“Congratulations also have to go to Ross Gardner and the board for the achievements of this year. For me, I am pleased with the faith they showed in me and the plan we put in place has certainly achieved the desired outcome. It is significant for me too, having played with St George back in their NSL days and having also coached them ten years ago. To come back and contribute and now have the potential of promotion is what we worked for, to get back to where we rightfully belong”.
“And it is great for all of the club including the staff, supporters and volunteers who all help out and it is a sense of relief that we have got there. Now we have to concentrate on the championship and playoffs and finish the season right to the end”.
Northern Tigers 0 v St George 3 (Bruno Pivato 40’, 89’, Aleks Jovovic 58’)
Feature Game
Bankstown Berries v Macarthur Rams
This game could hardly have finished in a more dramatic fashion. Two late goals to Macarthur Rams, the equaliser deep into injury time, dealt Bankstown Berries an almighty blow to their end of season hopes, the 2-2 result seeing the Berries slip out of the five with one game to go.
It didn’t seem like it would end up that way as the Berries seemed comfortable at 2-0, but a send off to John Tsironis with thirteen minutes left on the clock, changed the balance enormously.
Bankstown Berries had raced to a 2-0 lead within ten minutes of the restart, the first coming after Gary Hill rose superbly to nod home from a corner in the 51st minute. Three minutes later and the Berries had doubled their lead. Daniel Ramirez brought down Naim Rahimi just inside the box and Tsironis thumped the penalty past Chad Taylor.
The two quick goals stunned Macarthur who, until that point, had matched the Berries for the most part. They recovered well, pressuring the Berries as they searched for a way back, but it was a tough assignment with the Berries backline holding firm and George Bouropoulos not being called on directly on too many occasions. Almir Dizdaric tried hard, as did Shannon Hankin, but with Alex Becerra back in the middle of the defence, teaming up with Hill, there were few clear cut opportunities.
The pendulum did swing to the Rams after Tsironis was red carded, and they sniffed a chance. When Adam Wither, brought on with twenty minutes to go, shot home in the 88th minute, their eagerness for goals increased even more. It did seem like time would run out, but deep into stoppages, as Craig Cooley pumped the ball back in, Dizdaric rose highest to nod home with just seconds left.
Once again, the Berries had conceded late, losing important points, something not lost on John Calleja.
“That was gutwrenching”, he said. “We knew that was how Macarthur tend to score their goals, and we needed to make sure we didn’t give away so many freekicks near the box. We have lost too many points like that late in the game”.
“The Rams were always in it, but when we got to forty minutes [of the second half] I thought surely we would be right now. But when they got one back, it just added that pressure on."
It was a very worthwhile point for the Rams who will finish off the regular season with two games over the next seven days.
“It was definitely a good comeback”, agreed the Rams’ Claudio Canosa. “And it sets up the game with Spirit now, as they have been playing very well lately. It will be tight right to the end…even Mount Druitt next weekend won’t be easy, as they will have no pressure and being the last game of their season, may well come out to enjoy themselves”.
Bankstown Berries 2 (Gary Hill 51’, John Tsironis 54’ pen) v Macarthur Rams 2 (Adam Wither 88’, Almir Dizdaric 90’)
Saturday 17 August 2013
at The Crest, Bass Hill
Referee: Ryan Shepheard
Assts: Thomas Lee and Alex Goodhew
Bankstown Berries: 1. George Bouropoulos 2. Adam Savetta 4. Alex Becerra 6. Gary Hill 21. Nathan Mastroianni (28. Daniel Rees 51’) 14. Nicholas Paras (15. Pani Gotsis 80’) 5. Shannon Burgin (13. Kyle Ewart 86’) 8. Ante Deur (c) 11. Naim Rahimi 9. Kodjo Adjassou 10. John Tsironis.
Subs not used: 27. Chris Becerra 19. Dimitri Zakilas
Yellow Cards: Shannon Burgin, John Tsironis, Kyle Ewart, Daniel Rees.
Red Card: John Tsironis
Coach: John Calleja
Macarthur Rams: 1. Chad Taylor 13. Daniel Ramirez 5. Calum Fleming 13. Daniel Carrozza 2. Craig Cooley (c) 23. Aaron Farringdon (30. Luke Beezem 82’) 12. Neftali Gonzalez 19. Alvaro Malmierca (17. Adam Wither 70’) 7. Ko Kimura 9. Shannon Hankin 11. Almir Dizdaric.
Subs not used: Augustin Machado, Mohanad Deli, Joseph Cartisano
Yellow Cards: Shannon Hankin, Daniel Ramirez.
Coach: Claudia Canosa
Parramatta FC v Spirit FC
Parramatta ended Spirit’s grand run of victories with a 2-0 win, an all important result for the Eagles, after their own run of outs. The win was exactly what they needed and even though the three points doesn’t lift them inside the five just yet, their fate does now rest in their own hands.
The Eagles took the lead seven minutes before half time when Daniel Rezo put through a superb ball behind the Spirit backline allowing Steven Veleski to latch onto, lobbing Murray Nelson before tapping home.
A dominant second half display by Parramatta earned further reward when Frank Martey knocked in their second with twenty minutes left.
The loss by Spirit sees them drop four points behind Macarthur Rams heading into their clash on Wednesday while Parramatta will travel to Northern Tigers on Thursday with renewed confidence.
Parramatta 2 (Steven Veleski 38’, Frank Martey 70’) v Spirit FC 0
Mounties Wanderers v Bankstown City
The 3-1 win to Bankstown City would surely count as the shock of the round, the home loss by Mounties putting a serious question mark around their finals aspirations.
A 1-0 half time lead to the Lions put them in good stead and they were never headed running out 3-1 victors by full time. Player Coach George Nohra showed that he can score goals as well, netting his first of the season for Bankstown with Aaron D’Mello and Thomas Kovacs, his second in four days, also getting on the scoresheet.
It was no surprise that Alvin Singh should score for Mounties, the converted right back hitting his eighth of the season.
Mounties Wanderers 1 (Alvin Singh) v Bankstown City 3 (Aaron D’Mello, George Nohra, Thomas Kovacs)
Mount Druitt Town Rangers v Fraser Park
Fraser Park recovered from their loss last weekend to put themselves back into finals contention with a 2-0 win over Mount Druitt Town Rangers. Again though, they had to do it with reduced numbers after keeper Michael Frost was sent off after just eight minutes, red carded for bringing down a Rangers striker as last man.
But goals to Carlo Musumeci and Thomas Taylor made sure that Fraser’s season will go down right to the final game next Sunday.
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 0 v Fraser Park 2 (Carlo Musumeci, Thomas Taylor)
Hills Brumbies v Sydney University
Hills Brumbies and Sydney University shared the points in a close 2-2 draw, the result leaving the two “as you were” on the league standings.
A double to Dragan Savic was the highlight of the game as the leading Hills striker took his tally to nine for the season. A long range volley for his second of the game caught the eye but unfortunately for the Brumbies faithful, Hills were unable to clinch the victory.
Hills Brumbies 2 (Dragan Savic 2) v Sydney University 2 (TBA)
Leading Goalscorers
16 – Juan Chavez (St George)
13 – Sam Messam (St George)
11 – Danny Choi (Parramatta)
Jamie Watt (Sydney University)
10 – Saso Petrovski (ex – Bankstown City)
9 – Hosyar Cakal (Mount Druitt Town Rangers)
Dragan Savic (Hills Brumbies)
Daniel Severino (Mounties Wanderers)
Under 20s
Bankstown Berries and Hills Brumbies continue to match each other, both sides winning to stay equal top. The Berries were successful in overcoming fourth placed Macarthur Rams
4-1, a result helped by a send off to Rams’ Nicholas Mugridge late in the second half but the Brumbies excelled in putting five past Sydney University. That scoreline keeps the Brumbies in front on goal difference.
Spirit defeated Parramatta 3-0 at Melita to stay third while St George remain fifth after defeating Northern Tigers 2-0 with goals to Jake Trivor and Filip Laus. Mount Druitt are just one point out of the five after beating Fraser Park 2-1.
The bottom two faced off, with Mounties Wanderers not surprisingly taking the points against Bankstown City with Andrew Hirmiz, Michael Sada, Cristian Ciampa and Robert Loucos amongst the scorers for the Mounties while Matias Paz responded for the Lions.
Results: Bankstown Berries 4 Macarthur Rams 1, Mt Druitt Town 2 Fraser Park 1, Parramatta FC 0 Spirit FC 3, Mounties Wanderers 4 Bankstown City 1, Hills Brumbies 5 Sydney University 0, Northern Tigers 0 St George 2.
