SUPA IGA NPL NSW Mens 2 Finals Series Round 1 Review
Mounties bowed out of the race for the SUPA IGA NPL NSW Mens 2 Championship after suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Northern Tigers in Saturday’s elimination final.
Earlier, Macarthur Rams clawed past Central Coast Mariners Academy to move within one win of a grand final berth.
Elimination final – Northern Tigers v Mounties Wanderers
Northern Tigers live to fight another day in the Mens 2 finals series courtesy of a 2-0 win over Mounties Wanderers in the elimination final.
First half goals to Michael Rolston and Daniel Stuart were enough to hand Tigers victory in a feisty encounter that bore a red card for each side.
The do-or-die nature of the clash was reflected in the quick tempo early on in the match, with both teams flying out of the blocks.
Tigers had a scare after just eight minutes when Aram Tayebi Derazkala clearing header from a Mounties free kick went goalwards and forced Stuart Page to tip the ball away from the top corner.
But it was the Tigers who surged into the lead on the 16-minute mark via the boot of Michael Rolston. After earning a free kick just outside the box, Shervin Adeli rolled the ball back for Rolston, who blasted his shot goalward and had the benefit of a deflection which caught Mounties goalkeeper Ali Akbal off guard.
Jason Eagar’s men didn’t relent and extended their lead beyond the 20-minute mark via youngster Daniel Stuart, who was one of three Under 20s players promoted to the first grade starting lineup for the match.
Jamie Craig whipped in a cross to Mitchell Smith in the centre of the box and his header fell out to Stuart, who composed himself well and sent a brilliantly controlled volley in off the post to make it 2-0.
Mounties seemed to be feeling the pinch in the aftermath of the second goal, conceding a number of cheap fouls in their own half and forcing through balls as they looked to get back into the contest.
Wanderers found the remedy on the half hour mark as urgency was replaced by balance.
There were gasps in the vocal crowd as Daine Merrin’s thunderous free kick was deflected off an outstretched Stuart’s leg, forcing Page into a superb reflex save.
The remainder of the first half was a tight affair, despite a consistent 10-minute downpour making conditions tough, even on the artificial pitch.
Wanderers had a chance to pull a goal back on the half time mark, which would have rewarded their persistence.
Tigers were a bit too casual at the back and Rolston was dispossessed by a plucky Alvin Singh, allowing Mark Symington to pick up the scraps and cut back for Daniel Willoughby, who fired his effort over the crossbar from a good position.
Mounties kicked off the second half with a similar urgency and were left with their hands on their heads as a Willoughby corner was headed wide by Mark D’Alessandro at the far post.
A gluttony of fouls and stoppages halted the momentum of the match and made it difficult for either side to stamp their authority.
Nonetheless, Tigers went cautiously in search of a clincher while Mounties pushed valiantly to keep their season alive.
Tigers’ second top scorer Liam McConaghy went close to putting the result beyond doubt with 15 minutes remaining, only to have his dipping free kick parried away at the near post by Akbal.
That served to inspire Mounties, who made a promising foray on goal shortly after. Substitute Matthew Viera sent a devilish cross into the box and although Tayebi intervened, the ball eventually fell to Mark Symington, who volleyed high from 18 yards out.
The match deteriorated thereafter as a result of two dismissals.
Mounties were the first to be reduced to ten men when Daine Merrin was shown his second yellow of the match just ten minutes out from time.
And a melee two minutes later saw Tigers also lose a man. After Jamie Craig was awarded a free kick, Eli Squillacioti forcefully grabbed the defender and lifted him off the ground.
McConaghy was adjudged to have inflamed the issue by running in as the third man and picked up his second yellow.
Tigers held on to clinch the victory and set up a showdown with Central Coast Mariners Academy in week two of the finals.
Tigers coach Jason Eagar admits the loss of McConaghy was a major sour point, but credited his charges for taking the game to their strong opponents.
"Mounties are always a very physical side, they try to impose and get on top of you, which they’re very good at," he said. "We knew we had to match them physically which I felt we did very well.
"It’s frustrating, we’re slim as it is so to lose Liam next week is a real shame for us. But it might give someone else an opportunity, so we’ll hit the training paddock this week and see how we go."
With Tigers having taken one point from their two clashes against Mariners Academy this season, Eagar insists there will be no room for error next weekend.
"They’re a good side, we’ve had a couple of good battles with them this year, we had a draw after being on top and then they came back. Then in the second round we were on top and they nipped us late in the game.
"So we know they’re a good side and hopefully we’ll match up and put in a good performance next week."
Despite Mounties’ season coming to a premature end, skipper Mark D’Alessandro drew positives from the defeat, particularly in Wanderers’ tenacity.
"Full credit to our boys, we really stuck in after last week’s loss. We put 100% in and that’s all we can ask for. At the end of the day credit to Tigers, they took the two chances they had in the first half and we just couldn’t peg one back.
"I knew if we got one in the second half, we could have got a couple. But it was stop and start, too many free kicks and we just couldn’t get a roll on.
"We wanted to make everything up tempo in the second half, but that’s finals football. We were fighting for our lives and credit to our boys, we really stuck in and I’m proud of them.
"Everyone plays to win that trophy but we’ll take positives. We put up a lot as players and I give credit to our boys. We tried our best and that’s all I can ask for."
Match Stats
Northern Tigers 2 (Michael Rolston 16′, Daniel Stuart 22′)
Mounties Wanderers 0
Saturday August 30, 2014
At Lilys Football Centre, Seven Hills
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant referees: Danny Hurstead, Banush Adabson
Northern Tigers: 7. Shervin Adeli (13. Braden Cheng 90+4′), 36. Jamie Craig, 3. Lucas Dawson, 10. Guilherme De Souza (23. Hayden Krha 68′), 9. Liam McConaghy, 1. Stuart Page, 4. Michael Rolston 15. Oliver Skelding, 18. Mitchell Smith, 19. Daniel Stuart, 17. Aram Tayebi Derazkala
Subs not used: 21. Harrison Devenish-Meares, 5. Samuel Ryder, 8. Max Glanville
Yellow cards: Guilherme De Souza, Liam Mcconaghy (x2), Shervin Adeli, Mitchell Smith
Red cards: Liam McConaghy
Mounties Wanderers: 21. Ali Akbal, 18. Mark D’Alessandro, 16. Scott Goodwin, 29. Jake Ingle, 31. Daine Merrin, 23. Klime Sekutkoski (2. Eli Squillacioti 63′), 25. Alvin Singh, 14. Mark Symington, 6. Aleksandar Tomic (9. Matthew Viera 45′), 10. Daniel Willoughby, 13. Milan Zoric
Subs not used: 1. Kristian Sekutkoski, 11. Daniel Severino, 27. Steven Veleski
Yellow cards: Daine Merrin (x2), Scott Goodwin, Jake Ingle
Red cards: Daine Merrin
Qualifying final – Central Coast Mariners Academy v Macarthur Rams
Macarthur moved with one win of the grand final thanks to an assured 1-0 win over Central Coast Mariners Academy in the qualifying final.
Shannon Hankin produced a tidy finish early in the match and his goal proved enough as Rams’ traditionally rigid defence held firm to see the result out.
Joel Craig had the pick of the chances for Rams in the second half when he shifted past two players in the box and unleashed a shot, only to be denied by the strong palms of Beyhan Irmako.
Mariners had one last chance to force extra time with the last kick of the game but Josh Bingham’s volley sprayed inches wide of the far post.
The result hands Macarthur another lifeline as they play Premiers Parramatta for the first place in the final.
Rams coach Claudio Canosa insists his side produced the best possible performance given the conditions.
"We’re happy because we’re progressing into the next round. Obviously we were a little bit under pressure in the second half, the conditions were not ideal, the weather today didn’t allow us to get hold of the ball and try to play the football that could give us the second goal and allow us to finish the game.
"But overall, I’m happy because the team worked very hard to get the win."
With a difficult clash against Parramatta now ahead, Canosa has identified what is required to overcome the form side in the competition.
"It will be a tough game. The team that finishes top is there for a reason," he added. "Everyone that is in this stage of the competition is there because they have some quality and Parramatta is one of them.
"So we need to be focused and do the best we can to win the game.
"There is always a way to improve, we didn’t hold the ball enough to create the momentum and create more chances in the second half.
"We are going to work on that and we are a team that, from the first day, set up a high standard and the players have been very focused on the welfare of the club.
"They deserve all of the credit, I am just there to guide them and put the club in the position we feel we should be."
Match Stats
Central Coast Mariners Academy 0
Macarthur Rams 1 (Shannon Hankin)
Saturday August 30, 2014
At Lilys Football Centre, Seven Hills
Referee: B. Abraham
Assistant referees: L. Greenshields, K. Robinson
Central Coast Mariners Academy: 11. Josh Bingham, 7. Louis Bozanic (13. Trent Buhagiar 61′), 5. Grant Brown, 15. Jesse Curran, 3. Matthew Hall (10. Adam Woodbine 53′), 1. Beyhan Irmako, 6. Daniel Mcfarlane, 2. Liam O’Dell, 17. Cameron Pryse-Jones, 12. Thomas Spencer, 5. Todd Balneaves (14. Steve Whyte)
Subs not used: 20. Patrick Ferrara, 9. Lachlan Wales
Yellow cards: Louis Bozanic, Cameron Pryse-Jones
Red cards: Nil
Macarthur Rams: 14. Reuben Agyei-Danso (3. Naoyuki Nomura 72′), 2. Craig Cooley, 15. Joel Craig, 5. Calum Fleming, 9. Shannon Hankin (18. Louis Duchesne 85′), 19. Alvaro Malmierca, 12. David McMurray, 11. Gerard Ouffoue, 16. Daniel Ramirez, 1. Chad Taylor, 8. Simon Valastro
Subs not used: 13. Emanuel Elali, 20. Harrick Sinpraseuth, 17. Aaron Farrington
Yellow cards: Nil
Red cards: Nil
– By Mitchell Grima
