Super League Round 5 Review
The win lifts Spirit to third with St George and Sydney University, both winners this weekend, filling out the five.
Granville Rage, after their second loss in a row, drop from third to sixth while the battle of the cellar dwellers saw Fraser Park gain their first points with a narrow win over Central Coast.
Match of the Round
Macarthur Rams v Sydney University
In a thoroughly entertaining game at Lynwood Park, Sydney University came away with the three points, though not without having to withstand a strong second half performance from Macarthur Rams.
University opened the brighter, taking the game to the Rams early on, earning a number of corners in quick succession. But Macarthur were able to withstand the early pressure, gradually working themselves slowly into the match.
In fact, they had the best chance to open the scoring a quarter of an hour in, when Sam Messam found himself clear and facing only Jonathan Faerber, but the keeper saved with his legs, clearing away the danger.
In response, at the other end, Martin Havern tried to hook in a direct free kick but never threatened but he did get on the scoresheet eight minutes before half time. A well worked move down the left saw Joseph Savor attack down the wing, crossing for Christian Soares who neatly laid back for Havern. Havern struck low on the edge of the box, into the bottom corner.
It was no more than Uni deserved, clearly keen to overcome their poor results of the past fortnight. They could have had a couple more just before half time, Daine Merrin ghosting in on the near post but just failing to connect on a corner while Paul Medulla struck a thunderbolt from just inside his own half, narrowly failing to hit the target.
It was 1-0 to the good for Uni at the break, but then second half saw a different Rams.
Craig Cooley began to exert his influence, finding himself in space on many occasions down the right, working Macarthur back into the game. Faerber saved well from the Rams captain, who also set Alvaro Malmierca up with a good chance. Chris Gomez headed wide and it seemed only a matter of time before the Rams would draw level.
Alan de la Cuadra had an excellent chance too, turning inside his defender but lifting the ball high over the bar.
But as we have seen so often, teams who don?t take their chances end up paying in the cruellest of ways.
With only three minutes to go, a corner from Uni swung wide, was knocked back in but cleared off the line by Cooley. Soares, though, was ready to pounce and simply put away, from close in, for Uni?s second of the day.
While disappointed, Raul Blanco was proud of his team.
?We had some good chances and there was certainly improvement in the second half. We clearly dominated the second period although Uni did allow us to come at them. But we dominated without reward?.
?I can?t fault the team performance. I have to be patient?there was a big transformation from last season and there are many young players so I have to help them along the way?.
John Caruana also recognized the work that Raul Blanco is doing.
?It was touch and go there for a while. We all know that any team coached by Raul Blanco will be tough to beat?.
?But we played with our spirit today, like we had last year. We have some new players and it can take some time to settle but the spirit is back?.
?We played smart today, unlike last week when we didn?t play to our strengths?.
Match Stats
Macarthur Rams 0 v Sydney University 2 (Martin Havern 37?, Christian Soares 81?)
Date: 18 April 2010
Lynwood Park, St Helens Park
Referee: Chris Young
Assts: David Goldsmith and Craig Fisher
Macarthur Rams: 1. Tommy Tomic 2. Craig Cooley 11. Cole Tinkler 12. Mitchell O?Keefe 21. Callum Fleming 14. Lennox Tweneboa 8. Felix Wilson (Daniel Cortez 72?) 18. Alvaro Malmierca 10. Chris Gomez 19. Alan de la Cuadra 9. Sam Messam.
Subs not used: 3. I Kamara 4. S Hall 5. Prince Asamoah Rgk Brad Jones
Sydney University: 20. Jonathan Faerber 2. Alexander Bit 5. Paul Medulla 6. Clive Delaney 3. Joseph Savor 11. Liam Delaney (15. Carlos Villazon 68?) 21. Daine Merrin 8. Robert Morrison (14. Ihsan Savran 30?) 13. Darren Vujovic 7. Martin Havern 10. Christian Soares.
Subs not used: 16. Christopher Hayton 1. James Lowery.
Spirit FC v Parramatta Eagles
Spirit brought the highflying Eagles down to earth with a 3-1 win, not only taking the first points of the year from Parramatta but also being the first team to breach their goal.
Spirit came out off the blocks flying, netting twice within a quarter of an hour. Leo Papanicoloau got the first on eleven minutes and Stuart Meney made it two on sixteen minutes.
Kutaiba Elrich brought Parramatta Eagles back into it just after halftime but then Ben Gough, with his fifth goal of the season, regained Spirit the two goal buffer.
Brian Dene acknowledged that his Eagles side lacked intensity, compared to the previous four weeks.
?We didn?t get off to a good start and we turned over possession way too much. We went two goals down, Spirit took their chances, and we had to chase the game?.
?Spirit were into it from the first whistle and hats off to them. They are very similar to Bossy. But whereas we maintained our intensity against Bossy, we didn?t this week.?
?We did get back to 2-1 but then a bad mistake at the back and they scored again. We have some things to learn, there was some poor decision making which we will learn from?.
Spirit FC 3 (Leo Papanicoloau 11?, Stuart Meney 16?, Ben Gough 62?) v Parramatta Eagles 1 (Kutaiba Elrich 53?)
Fraser Park came up trumps at Pluim Park earning their first points of the season while inflicting on Central Coast their fifth straight loss.
A goal from Stivan Kostanic, five minutes before half time, was the only goal of the game but sufficient to give Fraser Park a hard-earned win.
But despite the loss, Peter Preston stated that he and his Coast team are still upbeat.
?There was not much in it. We are not getting smashed and we believe a win is not far away. We just need to get the percentages right?.
?It will be a case of turning the narrows losses into narrow wins. I am happy with the commitment, we have got a good squad, we just need to do things a bit better?.
Central Coast 0 v Fraser Park 1 (Stivan Kostanic 40?)
FC Bossy recovered from their first loss last week, to get back on the winning trail with a 3-1 home win over the visiting Northern Tigers.
The win lifts Bossy back to equal top spot with Parramatta Eagles, though they remain second on goal difference.
Brian Vanega got Bossy off the mark early in the first half with Tony Park adding a second just before the half hour.
While Tigers? captain, Paul Davies, scored for the second week in a row, it wasn?t to be enough as David Wilson secured the points for Bossy on the hour.
FC Bossy 3 (Brian Vanega 12?, Tony Park 27?, David Wilson 60?) v Northern Tigers 1 (Paul Davies 31?)
St George climbed to fourth spot, and won their second on the trot, after overcoming Granville Rage 2-1 on Saturday night.
Just on half time, Ryo Maekawa gave the Saints the lead, scoring his fourth goal of the year in the process.
Brad Gibson scored his first of the season to make it 2-0 but a goal to Kris Holbrook reduced the arrears in the 92nd minute, but too late to effect the final result.
St George 2 (Ryo Maekawa 45?, Brad Gibson 65?) v Granville Rage 1 (Kris Holbrook 92?)
Mount Druitt have certainly recovered from their poor start to the season, defeating Dulwich Hill 2-1 at Popondetta Park to rise to seventh spot on the table, and leapfrogging Dully.
A goal to Scott Bowman gave the Rangers the lead but Neil Phillipou drew Dulwich Hill level just three minutes later.
But a second half goal to Eddie Georges gave Mount Druitt their second win in a row, giving some relief after some heavy early season losses.
Mount Druitt 2 (Scott Bowman 12?, Eddie Georges 57?) v Dulwich Hill 1 (Neil Phillipou 15?)
-By Peter Rowney
