NSW Super League Finals Review Week 2
The recently crowned Super League Premiers were the first club into the Grand Final after defeating West Sydney Berries 6-5 on penalties after a scoreless draw after extra time.
The Berries will now meet St George, 3-1 victors over Macarthur Rams on Saturday, in the final next weekend.
Minor Semi Final
St George v Macarthur Rams
A mad four minute spell midway through the second half saw this game turned on its head as St George eventually overcame Macarthur Rams 3-1 to progress to the elimination final next Sunday.
A match played in a wind hurling straight down the St George Stadium pitch made conditions difficult for both teams, resulting in few real chances particularly in a first half equally shared between both sides.
With both teams missing a couple of regular mainstays each, Simon Verrender (suspended) and Fred Umlil (overseas) for St George and Peter Halstead (overseas) and Ryan Marchant (unavailable) for the Rams, there was a small amount of tinkering needed. St George did settle the better though and dominated the match for the opening period, without really causing too much heartache for Josh Barrett.
There was plenty of possession but little opportunities, and it was fifteen minutes before the first strike on goal was made. This came via the boot of Macarthur?s Shannon Hankin whose shot was parried by Daniel Nash while Lisandro Berbis tried and almost succeeded.
Reuben Lagos responded for St George while a header from David Smith brought a diving save from Barrett, the closest the Saints got to opening their account.
But it was in the second half that the game exploded to life.
Macarthur came out firing after the break and had St George under constant pressure for large periods. The Rams held sway and St George found it difficulty to get back into their first half rhythm. Hankin did well in striking, on the turn, Daniel Duarte put a header over and Chris Gomez tested Nash.
It seemed like the pressure would tell and when a Callum Fleming free kick from deep was pumped into the area, a miscalculation by Nash, perhaps aided by the high wind, saw the ball dropped over the goal line.
Macarthur celebrated with delight, the win now in their grasp. Gomez almost sealed it seconds later as St George sought to regroup but he blasted wide. The realisation that their season was hanging by a thread spurred the Saints into action. They retaliated with immediate effect and it was James Kovas, in his first starting appearance since mid June, who did the damage.
Kovas rounded Barrett for the equaliser in the 73rd minute and then controlled well in beating his defenders before getting his second in the 75th minute. From being 1-0 down and facing elimination to being 2-1 up in the space of three minutes gave St George an added strength, and a second chance. They didn?t look like conceding another despite the best efforts of the Rams and when substitute Brad Gibson, in the dying moments made it 3-1, it was all over.
St George 3 (James Kovas 73?, 75?, Brad Gibson 90+1) v Macarthur Rams 1 (Callum Fleming 72?)
Saturday 3 September 2011
at St George Stadium
Referee: Chris Young
Assts: Alex Long and Adam Best
St George: 1. Daniel Nash 29. Jason Tack 2. Michael Smith (c) 14. Mark Bariamis 4. Daniel Fallico (8. Jason Gonzalez 87?) 6. Reuben Lagos 3. David Smith 25. Ivo de Jesus 10. Peter Vassilis (22. Brad Gibson 68?) 21. Blake Ricciuto 11. James Kovas (36. Jordan Figon 80?).
Subs not used: 18. Luke Turnbull 7. George Lagoudakis
Yellow Cards: Daniel Fallico and David Smith
Coach: Kory Babington
Macarthur Rams: 1. Josh Barrett 2.Craig Cooley (c) 3. Emmanuel Elali 6. Josh Ford 21. Callum Fleming 8. Alvaro Malmierca (4. Goran Ljuboja 85?) 11. Daniel Duarte 15. Lisandro Berbis 17. Chris Godoy Boscur (22. Matt Sadler 75?) 9. Shannon Hankin (7. Alan de le Cuadra 75?) 10. Chris Gomez.
Subs not used: 12. Lloyd Spencer 20. Ben Needham.
Yellow Cards: Lisandro Berbis
Coach: Claudio Canosa
St George Under 20s defeated Hills Brumbies 1-0 to keep their season alive with a lone goal by Marc Svinos being enough to take the Saints through.
Major Semi Final
Blacktown Spartans v West Sydney Berries
Blacktown Spartans moved into the Super League Grand Final but needed penalties to do so, taking the victory over the Berries after a scoreless two hours of football.
On a bumpy pitch which made the ball difficult to control, this was no classic although both sides did their earnest to try and claim the win.
After a three week hiatus, the Spartans had their full squad available while the Berries welcomed back John Tsironis, at least to the bench, after injury. But despite the strength in the respective frontlines, it was the defences who held the upper hand throughout the game.
In goals, Carlos Saliadarre for Blacktown and Phil Zabaks for the Berries looked impenetrable and with Peter Hubbard and Danny Wells, and Jack Sobczyk and Damon Collina respectively, controlling their backlines, it was going to take something special if they were to be breached.
There was no lack of effort, Kodjo Adajssou worked hard with his pace, and Mario Ghobrial drew the first save of the day, after Simon Zahra set him up, but Zabaks was equal to the task.
The Berries made claims for a penalty when Dimitri Zakillas and Danny Wells tussled for the ball in the area, and Zakillas went down, but referee Adam Susz was having none of that.
West Sydney Berries started to create some better chances in the second half, one of the best being when Adjassou charged down the right and cut back for Ante Deur in space, but the ball was just too far behind for Deur to connect.
James Young came on for Blacktown, in place of Todd Macrae, to add further pace to the frontline and he certainly caused some concern but real chances were few.
Some strong tackling, not least by Greg Kondek who denied Deur another chance, continued throughout the game, but it was in the final moments of normal time that the Berries pressure looked like it may tell. Deur placed some excellent corners into the box, Steve Wright just going wide with one chance and Stefan de Jesus had a shot deflected over.
So no score after ninety minutes, the extra time period saw more of the same. Adjassou drew a fine save from Saliadarre, and Tom Spencer came very close with a header after an excellent cross from Kondek. But no goals.
Down to penalties. The Berries started first and scored with their first three but were equalled each step of the way by the Spartans. Tsironis missed the Berries? fourth and when Zahra converted, the advantage went Blacktown?s way. Zabaks put away the next to keep the pressure on and it was Luke Boyd to have the chance to put the Spartans in. But that chance was missed and when Collina scored, Marty McCaffrey need to put his away. He did so and it was back to level pegging at 5-5.
Steve Wright stepped up, missed and the Spartans were back with the advantage. Spencer never looked in doubt and with his strike, the Spartans were on their way to their first Super League Grand Final.
Blacktown Spartans 0 v West Sydney Berries 0 after extra time. Blacktown Spartans win 6-5 on penalties
Sunday 4 September 2011
at Francis Park
Referee: Adam Susz
Assts: Adam Weir and Roland Hunt
Blacktown Spartans: 13. Carlos Saliadarre 6. Greg Kondek (2. Nathan Agbinya 112?) 4. Danny Wells 17. Peter Hubbard 7. Michael Todd 19. Simon Zahra 5. Luke Boyd 8. Tom Spencer 10. Mario Ghobrial (15. Marty McCaffrey 95?) 11. Glen McPherson 18. Todd Macrae (9. James Young 65?).
Subs not used: 16. Mushi Moheebee 20. Chad Taylor
Yellow Cards: Mario Ghobrial, Glen McPherson
Coach: Ben de Haan
West Sydney Berries: 99. Phil Zabaks 5. Liam McKenna 4. Jack Sobczyk 7. Damon Collina 2. Steve Wright 14. Ryan Emerton 12. Stefan de Jesus 27. Alex Becerra (6. Nick Tantalos 65?) 8. Ante Deur (c) 9. Kodjo Adjassou 19. Dimitri Zakillas (10. John Tsironis 107?)
Subs not used: 22. George Bouropoulos 11. Aram Tayebi 17.Michael Zezovski
Yellow Cards: Stefan de Jesus, Steve Wright
Coach: Steve Karavatakis
Penalty Sequence
West Sydney Berries Blacktown Spartans
Ante Deur Scored James Young Scored
Jack Sobczyk Scored Danny Wells Scored
Stefan de Jesus Scored Peter Hubbard Scored
John Tsironis Missed Simon Zahra Scored
Phil Zabaks Scored Luke Boyd Missed
Damon Collina Scored Marty McCaffrey Scored
Steve Wright Missed Tom Spencer Scored
In the Under 20s, premiers Sydney University claimed a 2-0 win over Spirit FC to move into the Grand Final.
Nick Nesbitt put Uni ahead two minutes after the break, and with a quarter of an hour to go, Andre Carle was upended in the box, giving Callum McGrouther the perfect opportunity to make it 2-0, from the spot.
Spirit FC will now meet St George in next week?s final.
-By Peter Rowney
