Men’s State League 1 Round 2 Review
IT was a round shortened by the weather but wasn’t short of drama. An eight goal thriller and rout in the west highlight this weekend’s fixtures while North Shore continued on their winning ways.
It was raining goals at Arlington Oval, as Dulwich Hill came back from three behind at halftime to lead 4-3 before they were pegged back with the last kick of the game by Stanmore in an early contender for match of the season.
Stanmore started out the stronger, stinging from their loss last weekend at home to Hill Brumbies and Neil Philippou gave them the perfect tonic. The forward opened the scoring for the Hawks who were hungry for more.
Their second came from a less likely source, Costa Bakoulis, the huge number six for the Hawks doubled their advantage soon after. Stanmore were attacking with some fervour and were a constant threat on goal in the first half.
The game settled into a groove for the rest of the first half as the action moved end to end including a penalty shout for the Hawks which was turned down. Thierry Huet was brought down once then again later in the half, called this time. Philippou stepped up and slotted it home the spot kick for a 3-nil advantage going into the break.
Following the action packed opening twenty, the period after the resumption was more sedate with the teams trading corners mostly. Akwasi Agyei was brought on by the visitors while Dulwich Hill brought on Alex Yin.
Dulwich Hill worked their way back into the game after the hour mark. Aaron Cordova and Stephen Hrysanthos prised an opening that was skewed wide. Their good play was rewarded though in the 64th minute with a penalty after some neat feet.
Sash Tirovski took the kick and smashed it home to give Dulwich Hill their first. Only a minute later after a failed corner, they were gifted their second penalty after a tough tackle in the box. Tirovski once again sent it goalwards and suddenly, it was 3-2 with time to play.
The goals sparked Dulwich Hill into top gear, they were producing chance after chance against a Stanmore side weary from their FFA cup midweek. The ball wasn’t hitting the back of the net though, as they held on valiantly.
In the 77th minute, it took an audacious effort from James Morrison to break their defense. The winger burst down the flank, looking to float a cross into the box for his strikers but the pass was floating enough that it chipped the keeper to complete the comeback.
Nobody was content with leaving the game at three all though, the tension rose in the air and on the pitch, with a few yellows being metered out to players. Dulwich dominated possession and chances, with the best falling to Agyei in the 86th minute trying to side foot home, forcing a great save from James Adams.
The home side pressure finally tolled as the game ticked into the final minute, Hrysanthos worked down the left playing a lovely cross into the box for Adam Johnston to head home. Hill had scored four goals in the last twenty five minutes to seemingly secure their first win of the season.
Stanmore found their second wind late in the game, earning themselves a few chances to steal the game as it spread end to end. A scramble in the box was handled by Dulwich Hill’s Hussein Rachid to concede the penalty and receive a red card.
Substitute Christian Ekwerike took responsibility for the spot kick and despite the best efforts of the keeper, sent it right into the net securing a pulsating four-all draw which livened up a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Afterwards the Stanmore coach was “proud of the players effort, it was almost a whole new side (following the FFA cup defeat).”
Norm Tome on the Dulwich Hill bench was happy that the boys “showed a lot of character and at the end could have won it,” enthused the coach after full-time.
Match Stats
Saturday 4th April 2015
At Arlington Oval, Arlington
Dulwich Hill FC 4
Yellow cards: Stephen Hrysanthos
Red cards: Hussein Rachid
Stanmore Hawks 4
Yellow cards: Neil O’Sullivan, Evangelos Petratos and Nicholas Kynezos
Red cards: nil
North Shore Mariners 1 defeated Hills Brumbies 0
North Shore were victors in a tense game out in Lily’s Football Centre late Saturday night. The wet conditions kept the match tights until Michael Cole popped up to score his second goal in as many weeks to secure the win.
Balmain Tigers FC 4 defeated Western NSW Mariners FC 0
Balmain headed to the Wild West on Easter Monday and returned with all the chocolates leaving the Mariners with a duck egg. Goals to Ahmed Chandab, Scott Tonkin, Tatsuya Nakadai and Joel Cook were enough to register their first win of the new season.
Three other games were washed out.
-By Justin Davies
