SUPA IGA NPL NSW Men’s 2 – Finals Week 3 Review
The SUPA IGA NSW Mens 2 Grand Final will be contested between Mounties Wanderers and St George after the Mounties’ 3-0 victory over Macarthur Rams in the preliminary final.
Macarthur Rams v Mounties Wanderers
Mounties Wanderers moved into next week’s Grand Final after overcoming a depleted Macarthur 3-0, the Rams finishing the game with nine players once again.
This time they weren’t able to claim the victory, as they famously did two weeks ago, and it is the Mounties that will face St George in next week’s season finale.
But while the 3-0 scoreline may look comprehensive, two goals only came in the final fifteen minutes, this despite Macarthur being reduced to ten men midway through the first half. It had not started well for the Rams with both Shannon Hankin and Joseph Cartisano picking up early yellows, the result of which meant that they would miss the Grand Final were the Rams to qualify. Macarthur were already missing defender Daniel Carozza in this match for the same reason, and were forced to fill the bench with Under 20s.
Things only got worse when Cartisano was sent from the field after Alvin Singh was brought down, though doubts were held that Cartisano was the culprit. Nevertheless, off he went, and Macarthur had a mountain to climb. Especially as a spotkick was also awarded and Daniel Severino stepped up to the mark. Amazingly though, the normally accurate Severino smashed the penalty against the post before it rebounded across goal and away. A let off for the Rams.
To this point, there had been a few chances which neither side had been able to convert. Singh had been wide with a couple of headers and Adam Wither managed to evade Ali Akbal but the angle proved too sharp.
The Rams came closest to a goal when Almir Dizdaric touched a shot against the upright, in a good period for Macarthur, who weren’t playing as if they were a man down. But just when it seemed they would go in half time still even stevens, a late corner to Mounties drew a goal, David Gardiner heading home.
With a one goal deficit, and a man short, it was surely going to be an uphill fight and that was to prove the case. After the break, Mounties had two great chances to double their lead, Singh driving a shot hard against Chad Taylor, who had no chance to hold, the rebound falling to the feet of the striker who only blasted over, perhaps hurriedly. Then three minutes later, Eli Squillacioti was through, chased in hot pursuit by the Rams defence, but he shot against Taylor also, who was certainly in the wars.
Off went Singh on fifty five minutes, limping to the touchline, and Taylor saved well from Daniel Willoughby. Still only 1-0 to the Mounties, and as long as that scoreline remained, Macarthur would always have hope.
But Singh’s replacement, Greg Baldock, put paid to that.
With sixteen minutes to go, Baldock swept home a Willoughby cross and the Rams’ season was over.
When Wither received a second yellow, and his red, the night just turned worse for the Rams and the Mounties were content to wind down the game, passing around and making Macarthur’s nine remaining players chase and chase.
It was in injury time that the third goal came, Mark Symington, on for Severino, knocking past Taylor for 3-0.
Macarthur Rams 0 v Mounties Wanderers 3 (David Gardiner 45’, Greg Baldock 74’, Mark Symington 90+3’)
Saturday 14 September 2013
at Bonnyrigg Sports Centre
Referee: Adam Susz
Macarthur Rams: 1. Chad Taylor 16. Daniel Ramirez 5. Calum Fleming 18. Joseph Cartisano 2. Craig Cooley (c) 8. Neftali Gonzalez 7. Ko Kimura 17. Adam Wither 19. Alvaro Malmierca 9. Shannon Hankin (25. Blake Szumski 83’) 11. Almir Dizdaric (23. Aaron Farringdon 83’).
Subs not used: 27. Ashir Kadric 30. Luke Beezem 40. Augustin Machedo
Yellow Cards: Joseph Cartisano, Shannon Hankin, Adam Wither.
Red Cards: Joseph Cartisano, Adam Wither.
Coach: Claudio Canosa.
Mounties Wanderers: 22. Ali Akbal 8. David Gardiner 18. Mark D’Alessandro (c) 16. Scott Goodwin 3. Tim Salvaggio 10. Daniel Willoughby 17. Daniel McCann 31. Daine Merrin 27. Daniel Severino (14. Mark Symington 68’) 2. Eli Squillacioti (24. Klime Setkukoski 84’) 25. Alvin Singh (4. Greg Baldock 55’).
Subs not used: 1. Jackson Franich 38. Adrian Debrincat.
Yellow Cards: Daniel McCann.
Coaches: Aiden Desmond and Glenn Lockhart.
Under 20s
Premiers Hills Brumbies gave their all in their 3-2 win over Bankstown Berries, to move into next week’s Grand Final against Spirit FC, winning against all the odds.
Hills were reduced to ten players after just ten minutes when their keeper received his second yellow card. With eighty minutes of the game still to play, the game was perfectly placed for the Berries to take control and when they duly went 1-0 up, it seemed that would be the case.
But that was not to consider Hills’ fight for the cause. The Brumbies equalised to bring it back to 1-1 before half time, and with no further additions to the scoreline, to extra time it went. That was when the drama continued. A perfectly executed direct free kick from Glen Kelshaw sailed into the net, leaving the Berries keeper unmoved, and that seemed it. But the Berries fought back to 2-2 only minutes later.
With penalties looming, Hills got in early. A penalty award saw Kelshaw step up. The kick was saved, but only parried, and Kelshaw had time to control and strike home at the second attempt. A close run thing, but this time Hills hung on.
Hills Brumbies 3 v Bankstown Berries 2
