Tigers hang on for victory in the Shire

APIA Leichhardt Tigers has clung on to a narrow 4-3 win against a fast finishing Sutherland Sharks during their PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash at Seymour Shaw.

A Sean Symons free-kick, Tasuku Sekiya strike and Corey Biczo double gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead with a little over 20 minutes to play. However, it proved to be a nervy finish for the visitors with a Jeremy Cox goal and a brace to Tomohiro Kajiyama giving Sutherland a sniff of victory late on.

It proved to not be the perfect ending to Sutherland Sharks ‘keeper Nathan Denham’s match as APIA held on to win in the shot stoppers’ 200th match.

The Tigers now have three wins on the trot and are looking like the team to beat in this season’s competition.  

Sekiya had the first chance of the match in the 12th minute when he cleverly flicked and volleyed the ball from the edge of the area. However, Sekiya’s effort was easily saved by Denham.

Shortly after, Sean Symons opened the scoring with a curling left footed free-kick which nestled into the bottom corner of the net and left Denham with no chance.

Sutherland replied soon after when Josh Da Silva played in Kevin Lopes. Lopes’ tame shot from distance did little to trouble the imposing frame of Luke Turnbull between the sticks.

APIA started to create the better of the chances and had the home defence on the back foot. the attacking pressure of APIA paid off less than sixty second later when a long-distance effort from Sekiya rippled the net to give the visitors a two goal advantage.

What started brightly for the Sharks diminished as the half wore on with the Tigers slowly but surely impressing their game on their hosts.

Kajiyama couldn’t turn the ball home at the restart to reduce the deficit as Sutherland started the half strongly.

However, the match would just as swiftly turn back in APIA’s favour when Biczo added a third for APIA to sink any of Sutherland’s hopes of a win.

Murray almost added the fourth when he rounded his marker and fired beyond Denham. Sadly for the young striker, the ball hit the post and rebounded back in to play.

Gordon came close to atoning for the earlier free-kick he gave away when he unleashed a powerful shot that Turnbull had to get his whole body behind to stop.

Biczo added his second of the night when he chased down a loose back pass and soundly beat an exposed Denham to make it 4-0 for the visitors.

Content with their night’s work, the visiting Tigers eased up enough for Kajiyama to pull a goal back with a sweet strike in the 76th minute.

Sutherland’s Cox then reduced the deficit further three minutes later. The comeback was starting to build for the Sharks.

Adrian Vlastelica received his marching orders for APIA in the 81st minute after being shown a second yellow opening the door for an improbable comeback. It was to be the Tigers’ second red card in successive weekend’s as Paul Galimi was shown a straight red in last week’s victory over Hakoah Sydney City East.

Kajiyama added a third unanswered goal for Sutherland with four minutes to play and it was APIA who began to implode in a helter-skelter finish to an enthralling match.

It was a fighting effort from Sutherland in the latter stages but it proved too little too late.

Sharks coach Carlos Villazon wasn’t overawed by the result.

“I watched APIA in their last game against Hakoah and knew we were in for a tough night,” he said.

“They are aggressive in defence and we knew we had to counter that but we gave away two simple goals and it has cost us.

“I’m very pleased with the we finished the game but we have to stop giving away silly goals and putting ourselves under pressure.”

APIA coach Danial Cummins was not happy with the way his side fell away in the second half.

“We lost our shape after losing a player for the second week running,” he said.

“We need to improve our disciplinary record for sure and make sure we do better and make the right choices in certain situations.

“It was very nervy toward the end but that’s three wins from three so no matter which way we get the points I am grateful for them.”

Match Stats

Sutherland Sharks 3 (Kajiyama 76’,86’, Cox 79’)

APIA Leichhardt Tigers 4 (S.Symons 15’, Sekiya 36’, Biczo 52’, 67’)

Saturday, 25th March, 2017

Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda

Referee: Adrian Arndt

Assistant Referees: Andre Giev & Joon Park

Fourth Official: Michael Herro

Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham, 3.Takuya Muruyama, 4.Stephen Kayes (19.Callum Fitzpatrick 59), 5.Nick Littler ©, 6.Matthew Gordon, 8.Chris McStay, 9.Tomohiro Kajiyama, 10.Joshua Da Silva, 13.Jeremy Cox, 15.Kevin Lopes (7.Jack Press 55), 25.Wade Oostendorp

Substitutes Not Used: 12.Blair Brown, 21.Niki Loe, 36.Matthew Stuart

Yellow Cards: McStay 42’

Red Cards:

APIA Leichhardt Tigers: 22.Luke Turnbull, 2.Nathan Millgate, 4.Joshua Symons, 8.Corey Biczo (5.Bradley Bartels 79’),  11.Jordan Murray, 13.David D’Apuzzo © (12.Dominic Cox 70’), 16.Sean Symons, 17.Adrian Vlastelica, 18.Adrian Ucchino, 20.Tasuku Sekiya (10.Franco Parisi 59’), 19.Brandon Lundy

Substitutes Not Used: 1.Blake Tuxford, 5.Bradley Bartels, 15.Themba Muata-Marlow

Yellow Cards: D’Apuzzo 20’, Millgate 36’, Vlastelica 48’, J.Symons 85’

Red Cards: Vlastelica 81’

Player Ratings

3 – Biczo (ALT)

2 – Kajiyama (SS)

1 – S.Symons (ALT)

-By Micky Brock, FNSW Reporter