Super-sub West hands APIA victory over Parramatta

Two late goals from super sub Matthew West has helped APIA Leichhardt Tigers clinch a 3-1 PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition win against Parramatta FC at Melita Stadium on Saturday night.

It was a magical final ten minutes to the match for West who gave APIA the lead in the 82nd minute before wrapping up the result with a strike in the 92nd.

It was a tough result for Parramatta who would’ve felt they were on the cusp of securing another hard fought competition point against one of the leagues front runners when they levelled the scores through Gosue Sama in the 54th minute.

In truth the home side probably deserved something out of the game too: a series of injured players and a couple of calamitous missed chances late in the game, however ensured that it wasn’t their night.

The win elevates APIA back to the top of the table ahead of second placed Rockdale City Suns who are yet to play this round.

The first real salvo didn’t arrive until the 22nd minute with both teams taking a cautious approach to start the match.

Howard Fondyke provided the service for Marco Sama who drilled towards goal, only to find his former teammate Luke Turnbull was ready to collect the spoils down low.

In the 26th minute after a bit of aerial ping-pong, the ball fell to Ibrahim Haydar who, from just outside the box, fired over the crossbar for the home side.

However, after absorbing those chances, it was APIA Leichhardt that did take the lead in the 28th minute.

Jordan Murray did the lovely lead up work for Sean Symons who, with dogged determination to beat off the challenge of his opponent, made his way into the box and toe-poked the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

In the 41st minute Sean Symons, from the edge of the box, fired just over the crossbar and it was APIA’s best chance of the first stanza of play – besides the goal a few minutes earlier – and it almost produced the visitors’ second.

 However, that would have been a travesty of justice for Parramatta FC going into the break.

It didn’t take Parramatta long to find an equaliser with Paul Galimi giving away a penalty in the 54th minute after a sloppy challenge on Marco Sama in the box.

Gosue Sama didn’t disappoint and fired home to level the score.

APIA tried to regain their lead in the 64th minute when Matthew West dragged the ball back tremendously for Sean Symons who unleashed a rocket that sailed narrowly over the intended target.

In the 73rd minute APIA too received a penalty when a foul by Joshua Gersbach on Sean Symons ensured that a penalty would be given their way.

Sean Symons himself took the chance but his spot kick was beautifully parried by goalkeeper Ryan Norval, but only as far as Muata-Marlow who headed just wide of the post with his follow up.

In the 80th minute a foul by Tomislav Mijic on Matthew West in the box meagre APIA Leichhardt had their second penalty of the evening. West himself decided to take this spot kick and he made no mistake with his powerful shot to give the visitors’ the lead.

There were to be two golden chances for Parramatta FC late in the game and if either had hit the target it would have provided a different ending to the encounter.

In the 87th minute Marco Sama presented the ball beautifully for Gosue Sama to fire over from point blank range and in the 90th minute a poor back header by the Tigers led to Nicholas Chymiak having the ball at his feet but he too inexplicably fired over.

When chances are not taken they are sometimes punished doubly and this was the case in the 92nd minute when a cross from the by-line by Sean Symons found West and he scored his second of the night with a neat finish.

After the game Danial Cummins, coach of APIA Leichhardt, was delighted to have secured all three points in tough conditions.

“It was a scrappy game but to be honest no team will find it easy against Parramatta FC and on that park,” he said.

“They are a good side who roll their sleeves up and are very difficult to break down.

“The best aspect though for our team was that we didn’t play all that well but still got the three points and that’s important throughout a season. Last year we probably would have drawn that game, so the boys’ mentality has changed and I’m impressed because they turned up today and played a tough game.”

Meanwhile over in the Parramatta FC dressing room the affable Franco Cosentino was doing his best to hide the disappointment of the one that got away from his side.

“I think a draw would have been a fair result,” he stated.

“We competed very well from the players that we had available, so that was very good from our point of view.

“We got back in the game after going a goal down and we also missed a couple of clear-cut chances that could have changed things. We pushed players forward and that’s always difficult to do late, but overall I think our boys did very well.”

Match Stats

Parramatta FC:   1 (G. Sama 54’)

APIA Leichhardt Tigers 3 (S. Symons 28’, West 81 pen’ & 92’)

Saturday 22nd April 2017

Melita Stadium, South Granville

Referee: Kris Griffith Jones

Assistant Referees: Joon Park, Hugh White

Fourth Official: Adrian Brett

PARRAMATTA FC: 1. Ryan Norval, 3. Christopher Carboni (2. Gino Cerasoli 68’, 14. Nicholas Chymiak 87’), 4. Howard Fondyke, 5. Tomislav Mijic, 8. Daniel Rezo (16. Keenan Gibson 46’), 9. Gosue Sama, 10. Marco Sama, 17. Joshua Gersbach, 18. Tom Mallett, 19. Samuel De Oliveira, 20. Ibrahim Haydar.

Substitutes not used: 12. Marcus Donatiello, 21. Christopher Moore,

Yellow Cards: G. Sama 58’, Fondyke 91’, Mijic 92’

Red Cards: Nil

APIA LEICHHARDT TIGERS: 22. Luke Turnbull, 2. Nathan Millgate, 3. Paul Galimi, 4. Joshua Symons, 8. Corey Biczo, 11. Jordan Murray (9. Matthew West 58’), 15. Themba Muata-Marlow, 16. Sean Symons, 18. Adrian Ucchino (10. Franco Parisi 67’), 19. Brandon Lundy, 20. Tasuku Sekiya (7. Sean O’Connell 85’)

Substitutes not used: 1. Blake Tuxford, 17. Adrian Vlastelica

Yellow Cards: Ucchino 34’, Millgate 44’, Galimi 54’, Muata-Marlow 56’

Red Cards: Nil

Player Ratings

3 – Sean Symons (ALT)

2 – Samuel De Oliveira (PFC)

1. – Matthew West (ALT)

-by Joe Russo, PlayStation®National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 1 Reporter, at Melita Stadium