Tigers defeat brave Parramatta
APIA Leichhardt defeated Parramatta FC in what was one of the best games of the season as the match ended 4-2 to the visitors at Melita Stadium.
Six goals were scored and many more chances were created and the Tigers took a two goal lead before Parramatta FC hit back in the first half.
A late brace from the competition’s leading goalscorer Blake Powell eventually restored the two-goal margin for the Tigers who ended up with all the spoils of victory over a very gallant Parramatta FC.
All the action started in the third minute with a well-rehearsed free-kick move from Parramatta FC almost paid handsome dividends when Matthew Clowes swung the ball into the middle for Patrick Gatt who headed straight onto the crossbar. It was very unlucky indeed for the home side not to have broken the deadlock.
APIA Leichhardt however opened the scoring in the sixth minute of play when a dangerous cross was floated in from the right and Clowes’ attempted clearance landed straight onto Joshua Symons near the goal and the ball went straight in for a terribly unlucky own goal.
A minute later APIA almost doubled their lead when a thunderbolt from distance by Adrian Ucchino went just over the crossbar.
In the ninth minute APIA Leichhardt did double their lead when Nicholas Olsen from outside the box fired flat and straight and gave Luke Turnbull between the posts for Parramatta FC no chance whatsoever.
In the 20th minute, after nearly scoring a fraction earlier when Andrew Bazi pulled off a great save with his foot, Parramatta FC eventually did strike gold. A rebound fell to Matthew Clowes who curled the ball into the far post for a great goal to the home side.
In the 28th minute Parramatta FC almost equalised when a poor back pass was intercepted by John Tsironis who forced goalkeeper Bazi into a brilliant scrambling save. It was a crucial chance that should really have been capitalised on.
In the 44th minute Parramatta FC deservedly equalised when Joshua Symons beautifully set up Tomislav Cirjak who, from some distance, made sure that the ball ended up in the back of the net. With this great goal both sides marched into the dressing sheds on par.
Early in the second half Parramatta FC should have scored and taken the lead when Tsironis had an open goal and somehow shot just wide of the intended target.
In the 60th minute Nathan Elasi shot from outside the box and Luke Turnbull delightfully turned it over for a corner and, a few minutes later, the same goalkeeper turned over a very dangerous cross from Franco Parisi from the right in what was a very fine save indeed.
In the 80th minute APIA Leichhardt restored their lead through Blake Powell. A great diagonal shot that beat all and sundry finished in the bottom corner of the net. It was another goal to one of the league’s most prolific scorers.
Parramatta FC a minute later could have equalised when Cirjak at the other end forced Bazi into a diving save to turn the ball around the goal for a corner.
In the 88th minute APIA Leichhardt made sure of the points when Powell chipped over the goalkeeper as he charged towards goal and the ball ended up exactly where he intended it to go: the back of the net.
It was the ace marksman’s thirteenth goal of the season after just nine rounds.
After the game APIA Leichhardt’s coach Billy McColl expressed his satisfaction with the win.
“Look, we played excellent and Parramatta played a good game, but we could have scored more and we never and that’s sport,” he said.
“Blake Powell is on form right now and he is scoring every week and it’s great for the team.
“The atmosphere in this club at the moment is very pleasant and the boys are motivated. Our motto is to dream and achieve and we are going to try to achieve this year to the best of our ability.”
Over in the Parramatta FC dressing room Franco Consentino lamented his side’s lack of killer instinct in front of goal.
“It’s the story of the season at the moment. At the end of the day we have been unlucky in the last four or five games,” he said.
“Silly mistakes, lack of composure in certain areas and it is costing us at the moment. It was 2-2 at halftime and we worked hard to get back in the game, but we missed two golden opportunities to go up and credit to APIA because they are a good side. If you take those opportunities like other teams it’s game over, but we just can’t punish teams at the moment when we need to.”
Match Stats
Parramatta FC 2
(Clowes 20’, Cirjak 44’)
APIA Leichhardt 4
(J.Symons o.g. 6’, Olsen 9’, Powell 80’, 88’)
Saturday 9th May
Melita Stadium, Granville
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Joon Park, Danny Horstead
Fourth Official: Peter Liaros
Parramatta FC: Turnbull, Chavez (Martey 85’), Clowes, Gatt, Daniel Gullo, Speranza, J.Symons, Richards, Tayebi-Derazkala, Tsironis (Sama 75’), Cirjak.
Substitutes not used: Matic, Momohara, Rezo
Yellow Cards: Gatt 39’, Clowes 40’
Red Cards: Nil
APIA Leichhardt: Bazi, Millgate, West, Olsen, Elasi (D’Apuzzo 69’), Kayes, Parisi (Petkovski 89’), Powell, Studman, S.Symons, Ucchino.
Substitutes not used: Norval, Warren, Lachlan
Yellow Cards: Kayes 71’, Ucchino 78’, Studman 79’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Blake Powell (ALT)
2 – Nathan Elasi (ALT)
1 – Matthew Clowes (PFC)
-by Joe Russo, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 1 Reporter, at Melita Stadium.
