IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 Grade 20s Final Series Week 3 Review

Manly United FC will meet APIA-Leichhardt Tigers FC in the 2014 Grand Finals next weekend after triumphantly beating Blacktown City FC 2-1 at Lilys Football Centre on Sunday afternoon.

Manly United FC 2-1 Blacktown City FC at Lilys Football Centre

Blacktown City’s final hopes of making it into the 2014 Grand Finals were shattered on Sunday afternoon after Manly United came from behind to secure the other spot in next week’s Grand Final match, thanks to a goal in each half.

It wasn’t the most enthusiastic of starts from either of the sides and it took until the 10’ minute for the first shot on goal. Off a Blacktown City corner, Danny Choi’s short pass found Nikola Kuleski at the top of the box, whose shot was quickly denied by Manly defence. 

A costly error by Blacktown City’s Joel Hardwick moments later could have seen Manly grab the opening goal of the match, but Oliver Green’s shot in the box found the welcoming arms of City keeper, Blake Tuxford.

In the 19’ minute Blacktown City broke the deadlock and opened the goal scoring. Sam Perre’s brilliant through ball found Choi whose cutback into the box fell to the feet of Eoin Montford, before unleashing an unstoppable effort that flew into the top right corner of the net. 

A sensational first touch shot in the 35’ minute by Sam Perre on the left saw the next best opportunity for City, only for it to be denied by Manly keeper Tonu Liiband, who was forced into a quick save on the far post.

Manly United who had been in the shadows for most of the first forty-five minutes began to pull some performances together in the final stages of the half.

From Oliver Green’s right pass in the 33’ minute, Dominic Ferguson’s shot from 20 metres out was sent just wide of the target.

Manly United looked to get back into the contest just before half time and the equaliser arrived when Oliver Green beautifully threaded the ball to Lachlan McLean in the box whose shot found the back of the net in the 41’ minute.

With the scores now level as the sides returned to the field for the second half, Manly were forced to endure some pressure from Blacktown City who looked dangerous as they created wonderful chances in quick succession.

First there was Daniel Araujo in the 50’ minute who had a brilliant run down the line, beating his player before finding Montford in the box as he looked for his second goal of the match, but Liiband pulled off an impressive finger-tip save to deny him the point.

Barely minutes had passed before Araujo returned to the spotlight, this time sending a short left pass to Choi at the top of the box who wastefully drilled the ball to the arms of the keeper.

In the 55’ minute Blacktown City spurned another chance when Sam Perre’s shot on goal in the box sailed over the crossbar.

Had it not been for a wonderful tackle by Manly defender Marcus Zarantenelle, Blacktown City may have been rewarded with a second goal in the 67’ minute from Joel Hardwick’s shot in the box, but that wasn’t the case. 

With the final ten minutes on the clock and the scores even, both teams searched for the winning goal to secure their spot in the grand final.

In the 81’ minute Choi’s cross from the left scraped past the goal finding substitute Jack Press in the penalty box whose header narrowly missed the target.

But Manly United reacted well and grabbed the lead in the 85’ minute in what was quite arguably their only shot on target for the second half.

From the byline, Daniel Drakopoulos’ cutback found Dominic Ferguson on the left of the box who finished the sequence off as he drilled the ball into the far corner of the net, passing City keeper, Tuxford to all but seal the match.

Despite Blacktown City’s final efforts and a last minute corner they were unable to keep their grand final hopes alive as the full time whistle blew.  

It is a disappointing day for the Blacktown City side as they rue the one that got away, but it’s a different story for Manly United who are now one step closer as they look to secure the Championship title.

Match Stats

Manly United FC 2 (12.Dominic Ferguson, 36.Lachlan McLean)

Blacktown City FC 1 (24.Eoin Montford

Sunday September 14 2014

Lilys Football Centre

Referee: Samuel Grasso

Assistant Referee: J.Park & L.Pigrham

Manly United FC: 23.Daniel Drakopoulos, 12.Dominic Ferguson, 35.Hamish Galbraith, 22.Jack Green, 27.Oliver Green, 20.Tonu Liiband, 36.Lachlan McLean (18.Sam Conway), 39.Harry Sweeney, 13.Masakatsu Tanaka (35.Hamish Galbraith), 21.Patrick Weir, 24.Marcus Zarantenelle

Substitutes Not Used: 1.Shaun Catlin, 25.Henry Gallagher, 10.Sheldon Tweedie, 2.Joel Glassman

Yellow Cards: 22.Jack Green 43’, 25.Henry Gallagher 68’, 18.Sam Conway 89’

Red Cards: Nil

Blacktown City FC: 35.Daniel Araujo, 30.Lewis Beumie, 23.Jonathan Grozdanovski (29.Jack Press 70’), 20.Joel Hardwick, 27.Nikola Kuleski, 24.Eoin Montford, 22.Peter Pelekanos, 21.Sam Perre, 15.Marco Travaglini, 13.Blake Tuxford (25.Patrick Flottmann 83’), 34.Danny Choi

Substitutes Not Used: 1.Thomas Heward-Belle, 28.Ryan Peterson, 31.Matthew Stewart

Yellow Cards: 24.Eoin Montford 63’

Red Cards: Nil

-By Anneliese Scenna