Finals Series Round 2 Review – State League Men’s

Hurstville FC booked their spot in this season’s Grand Final with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over St. George FA.
Meanwhile, the SD Raiders FC kept their challenge alive after a resurgent win against the Camden Tigers FC.
St. George FA vs. Hurstville FC: 2-2 (3-4 on penalties)
Goalkeeper Michael Rutherford was the hero for Hurstville FC this Sunday, saving two penalties in securing a dramatic shootout victory for his side against local rivals St. George FA.
St. George took the lead twice throughout regular time, but an unrelenting Hurstville fought strongly to equalise on both occasions before taking the game to penalties.
Both sides started off scrappily, with neither able to establish any control over midfield and resorting to direct balls towards target men Marko Banic and Fouad Umlil.
In the twentieth minute, St. George’s Sean Richardson burst down the left wing and swung a well targeted cross into the unmarked path of Umlil. Umlil sent his free header at the front post wide of the goal.
Umlil attempted to return the favour moments later, jinking past two defenders before cutting back to Richardson at the front post who volleyed off target.
A minute later, Richardson made up for his miss and put St. George ahead with a completely free header on the penalty spot having lost fullback Hussein Rachid.
Hurstville’s best chance of the first half came just before half time, where Paul Gagro blazed a sitter over from the penalty spot, after great buildup play from Robert Bronev and Henry Kamleitner.
St. George’s Adrian Webster was extremely impressive in the first half, winning possession regularly in midfield and putting Hurstville’s back four to the test with penetrative angled balls forward.
It took Hurstville twenty minutes into the second half before they found their equaliser, but it came in spectacular fashion. Dario Borovickic stepped over a freekick from some 40 metres out, and launched it into his top left corner past a diving Marko Bozic.
St. George responded almost immediately, retaking the lead in the 73rd minute thanks to James Spanoudakis, who slot home with composition after a cut back from Hezio Silva-Neto.
The Premiers looked on their way to a maiden Grand Final, but just before full time Hurstville scored a dramatic equaliser off the boot of Michael Karagiannis – with the grandstands at Arlington Oval erupting. It was a well deserved goal, after a period of pressure from Hurstville.
The game meandered into extra-time, with both sides exhausted after a physical ninety minutes. The extra half an hour proved a rather tame affair, with chances few and far between.
Patrick Lloyd missed Hurstville’s first penalty, but an impressive diving save from Rutherford denied St. George’s Hezio Silva Neto immediately after. With penalties locked at 3-3, Rutherford pulled off another save, this time off a limp effort from Jordan Janic. Hussein Rachid stepped up and slotted away the winner for Hurstville FC.
Match Stats
St. George FA                                                              2 (Richardson 34’, Spanoudakis 73’)
Hurstville FC                                                                2 (Borovickic 65’, Karagiannis 88’)
Sunday, 11 September 2016
Arlington Oval, Dulwich Hill
St. George FA: 31, M. Bozic, 41. T. Dal Broi, 15. D. Dascal, 5. J. Janic, 18. M. Kamara, 4. C. Lawson, 19. J. Lazarevski, 8. N. Napoli, 7. S. Richardson, 12. H. Silva Neto, 10. J. Spanoudakis, 2. S. Thomas, 3. B. Tsanidis, 20. J. Tsironis, 9. F. Umlil, 6. A. Webster.
Yellow Cards: 10. J. Spanoudakis, 8. N. Napoli
Red Cards: N/A
Hurstville FC: 9. M. Banic, 8. D. Borovickic, 16. R. Bronev, 2. S. Flatt, 10. P. Gagro, 6. A. Harb, 3. M. Janov, 11. H. Kamleitner, 12. M. Karagiannis, 14. D. Kocina, 13. A. Livio, 5. P. Lloyd, 7. D. Marjanovic, 1. M. Rutherford, 15. T. Oneill, 4. H. Rachid.
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: N/A
SD Raiders FC vs. Camden Tigers FC: 4-2.
A spirited second half performance from the SD Raiders FC saw them come from behind to defeat the Camden Tigers this Saturday.
The Tigers started the game where they left off last week, dazzling with impressive attacking football and entering halftime with a 2-1 lead thanks to from goals from Jayden Russell and Matt Serone.
The Raiders fought back strongly and overran a fatigued Tigers outfit in the second half, with braces each to league top scorer Mitchell Mclintock as well as Nicolas Colantonio.
Camden coach Dean Bradley says that his side backed off in the second half, allowing the Raiders to play their dangerous attacking football.
“We played a great first half and executed the game plan well, though in the second half we just gave them too much space which allowed them to play the ball too much.”
“Against a quality side, they will eventually score some goals… our lads battled very well and kept trying to the final whistle which was fantastic to see.”
Bradley was delighted with how his young squad’s season had progressed, nonetheless, saying that despite the loss they had achieved their goals this year.
“It was a fantastic season by our boys… our objective was to finish in the top four and we did that. We have established a young squad who are ready for another Finals appearances next year.”
Bradley gives his best wishes on behalf of Camden to the three remaining sides in contention for the Championship. The Raiders will now take on St. George FA in a must win clash next weekend.
-by Daniel Palmer, Football NSW State League Men’s Reporter