Nine goal thriller lights up Shire
NINE goals, two red cards, a missed penalty, a scored penalty and all three points to APIA-Leichhardt Tigers, but you had to be there to believe it.
Panni Nikas and Brad Bartels both saw red, Nikas had already scored, as did Jordan Figon and Nathan Elasi (twice) for Sutherland.
APIA’s deadly duo Blake Powell (twice) and Joe Gibbs both scored, as did Bradley McDonald and the eventual game winner, Daniel Fogarty.
Four minutes in and a classy free-kick floated in by Nikas and flicked on in the box crept narrowly wide of the upright as Sutherland showed clear intent early on. Paul Galimi needed to be accurate in the tackle against Figon in the area moments earlier to thwart another opportunity for the home side.
Elasi jinked his way past Bartels in the 8’ minute although the burly defender was able to atone and deflect the shot over the bar. Sutherland certainly starting the brighter in applying pressure on their guests.
Another free-kick from Nikas was met by the head of Nick Littler but again the effort was off target under pressure from the defence without reply in an opening ten minute spell.
Nathan Denham was finally called into action in the 11’ minute when smothering a shot by McDonald.
APIA-Leichhardt were finding it difficult to get the ball let alone retain it yet kept the home side scoreless whilst trying to work an opening.
Figon had a header blocked on the line by an astonishing reaction save from Bazi with the rebound falling to Sharks striker whose second attempt was again cleared off the line in the 16’ minute.
The goal finally came for Figon in the 23’ minute when a shot from Jamie McMaster on the right side of the box was spilt by Bazi and Figon followed up to blast home to give Sutherland the lead.
It lasted less than 90-seconds when former Sharks player Blake Powell slotted the ball under Denham in the 25’ minute to level the scores.
That man Nikas wouldn’t be left out when in the 28’ minute a curling free-kick left Bazi diving in despair as the Sharks skipper for the evening found the net with another sensational dead ball shot to put Sutherland ahead again. It was his tenth goal of the season.
The midfielder was shown a straight red card two minutes later for hauling down Powell in the box. The striker stepped up to plant the ball from the spot to Denham’s left but the keeper made a tremendous save to keep Sutherland a goal ahead.
Powell wasn’t to be denied much longer and in the 36′ minute hit a fabulous finish that dipped and curled past Denham to make the score 2-2.
It was end to end stuff with the game bursting in to life now that APIA-Leichhardt had the numerical advantage. But, the Tigers got caught out committing too many forward, and when Elasi got in behind he finished with aplomb past Bazi to put Sutherland ahead for the third time.
Again the response was immediate when Mitchell Farmer was adjudged to have committed a foul in the area to hand the Tigers their second spot-kick of the evening. This time Gibbs slotted home when placing the ball to Denham’s left, the ‘keeper going the wrong way.
APIA was level again but they too went a man down when Bartels was given his marching orders after tangling with Elasi on the touchline.
Improbably, APIA took the lead in first half stoppage time when McDonald scored, to put the visitors ahead for the first time in the match, remarkably with the seventh goal of the game.
Daniel Fogarty’s first goal for APIA came in the 51′ minute, and what an important one it was.
The winger lobbed Denham to put APIA 5-3 up, a lead which they would not relinquish.
Elasi should have reduced the margin in the 57’ minute when breaking from well inside his half, chipping the defence and flicking past Bazi but also beyond the post. It would have been the goal of the season had it found the back of the net.
Elasi did reduce the deficit with his next effort in the 61’ minute, knocking it in at the back stick after good work again down the right from Olsen and Mitchell Farmer.
McMaster went down in a tangle of bodies and after a long stoppage was stretchered from the field to be immediately replaced by Damir Prodanovic in the 67’ minute.
APIA-Leichhardt, having worked hard to get a lead, were more content to sit deep in the latter stages and hit on the break as was to be expected although they may have utilised the ball better when through.
The wily Franco Parisi came into his own showing there is no substitute for guile and experience in this situation, holding the ball, settling his team down and orchestrating forays forward, as they closed out a scarcely believable 5-4 victory.
A very unhappy Robbie Stanton commented afterwards: “I feel the game tonight highlights the lack of discipline shown by both sides. We lost our heads tonight, got carried away with ourselves and did some stupid things and that snowballed in to one big disaster.
“We’ve only got ourselves to blame to be honest. We were not good enough tonight and quite simply that was an unacceptable performance for me. Conceding five goals at home like we did here was very poor and very un-Sutherland.
“Take nothing away from APIA-Leichhardt, they came here to battle for a win and they did that but if you score four goals you should win and to play like we did was very ordinary. Some of the boys were very undisciplined out there and they need to have a good look at themselves because I am very unimpressed by this tonight.”
APIA coach Billy McColl said: "It was a crazy game, goals, send-offs, penalty saves and goal action. It was end to end action and anyone could have won it so I’m just happy we scored the most goals and came away with the three points.
“We didn’t intend to sit back at the end but after a run of poor performances and bad results the boys were just holding on to the ball to take the sting out of the Sharks and to build up some confidence that they can hold on to a lead.
“If you ask me would I want a match like that every week I would say it’s great for the supporters but personally for me it would be a no, not unless I get a pacemaker.”
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 4 (Jordan Figon 23′, Panni Nikas 28′, Nathan Elasi 40′, 61′)
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 5 (Blake Powell 25′, 36′, Joey Gibbs 44′ pen, Brad McDonald 45+2′, Daniel Fogarty 51′)
Saturday 28th June 2014
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: David Bruce
Assistant Referees: Andrej Giev and Andrew Coombes
Fourth Official: Adam Vainauskas
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 5.Nick Littler, 8.Nicolas Stergiou, 9.Nathan Elasi, 10.Jamie McMaster (24. Damir Prodanovic 67′), 12.Jordan Figon, 15.Perry Moustakas, 18.Jayden Koulizakis (16.Ethan Galbraith 80′), 19.Nick Olsen, 23.Panni Nikas (C), 29.Mitchell Farmer (17.Jordan Roberts 89′)
Substitutes not used: 22.Andrew Depta, Christopher McStay
Yellow Cards: Mitchell Farmer 42′, Jamie McMaster 56′, Jordan Figon 60′, Damir Prodanovic 88′
Red Cards: Panni Nikas 30′
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Andrew Bazi; 2.Travis Oughtred, 3.Jamie Lobb, 4.Bradley Bartels, 7.Stephen Kayes (C), 8.Bradley McDonald, 9.Blake Powell, 10.Franco Parisi (16.Jordan Simpson 90+4′), 11.Daniel Fogarty, 14.Paul Galimi, 19.Joey Gibbs (15.Matthew Mayora 86′)
Substitutes not used: 12.Luke Clifford, 20.Ali Nasreddine, 40.Stefan Giglio
Yellow Cards: Daniel Fogarty 25′
Red Cards: Bradley Bartels 45′
– By Micky Brock, National Premier Leagues NSW Mens 1 Reporter, at Seymour Shaw Park
