Bonnyrigg succumb to Manly United pressure
The home-side came under the pump almost immediately from the kick-off with Keith Shevlin attempting an audacious bicycle-kick that went narrowly wide of the mark, leaving Nenad Vekic a very relieved goalkeeper for the White Eagles.
It wasn?t long before Manly United did take the lead though, when Graeme Forbes unwittingly headed past his own goalkeeper who didn?t call for the ball.
With the Bonnyrigg side shaken by the run of events, they almost conceded a second less than 60?? seconds later, but this time Shevlin hit a powerful left foot shot narrowly wide of the target.
The northern beaches side did double their lead in fabulous fashion as Robbie Cattanach put over a cross to the back stick that Shevlin nodded back across goal for Ashley Ryan to tap home. The White Eagles defenders, and goalkeeper alike, were left stranded as the visitors took a commanding lead.
Bonnyrigg attempted a fight-back though on 28? minutes Vekic produced a moment of brilliance when forced to save bravely at the feet of Jamie Garside; the Manly United player was forced from the field – replaced by Michael Lloyd-Green – after an earlier heavy knock.
Steven Bozinovski could have pulled one back almost immediately for the home-side but dallied too long on the ball and the effort was blocked, before Andre Gumprecht pulled the ball back across the face with no White Eagles player following in as the side just didn?t seem to click on the night.
Kojiro Kaimoto added another spectacular moment that would have seen the goal of the game when attempting a left-foot shot just inside the penalty-area. The Japanese import?s effort whisked past the angle of the up-right and crossbar – the chance leaving no doubt to the home supporters present that this was not to be Bonnyrigg?s night.
Cattanach added the third after a goalmouth scramble, and Manly United might have had a fourth 3? minutes later from Shevlin when first Vekic palmed away a shot and the striker followed up the rebound to see it cleared off the goal-line and away for a corner.
Shevlin did get his name on the scorer?s sheet on 65? minutes before Forbes made atones for his earlier indiscretion by netting at the right end from a Ryan Baldacchino corner; the defender ghosting through unmarked in the centre of the Manly United defence to head home whilst the visitors had Andrew Mailer off the pitch receiving treatment.
Bonnyrigg coach Brian Brown commented afterwards:
?It?s not often I am stuck for words but we simply were not good enough tonight.
?It?s as though we left our energy at Edensor Park last weekend and I?m disappointed with the goals we?ve conceded as we gifted them some tonight.
?Our guys didn?t track back through the middle of the park and we got what we deserved tonight from a very good Manly side.?
Phil Moss stated: ?That?s a great result for the boys as they?ve taken a lot of flak over the last month and I thought it was a very dominant performance tonight.
?We won all of our individual contests and as a unit we?ve grasped the game and come away with the three-points.
?I?m proud of the way we?ve played, the execution and determination were there and we?ve got a few players back of course so very good all around.?
The Grade-20 match finished all square at one-apiece.
Math Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 (Graeme Forbes 83?)
Manly United FC 4 (Graeme Forbes (og) 16?, Ashley Ryan 28?, Robbie Cattanach 54?, Keith Shevlin 65?)
Wednesday, 15th of July, 2009
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, Bonnyrigg
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Assistant Referees: Steven Nguyen and Tushar Dhar
Fourth Official: Miles Allen-Scott
Attendance: 250
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Nenad Vekic; 2.Paul Cotte, 3.Graeme Forbes, 4.Kojiro Kaimoto, 9.Jay Lucas (6.Ilkay Gurbuz 63?), 11.Almir Dizdaric, 12.Andre Gumprecht, 13.Ryan Baldacchino, 14.Domenic Cutri, 15.Steven Bozinovski, 17.Milorad Simonovic
Substitutes Not Used: 23.Ali Akbal, 5.Mark D?Alessandro, 18.Tayfun Devrimol, 20.Milan Zoric
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Manly United FC: 1.Brad Swancott; 2.Sean Bowden, 3.Andrew Mailer, 4.Spencer Prior, 6.Scott Thomas, 7.Ashley Ryan (24.Luke Reading 66?), 9.Robbie Cattanach (10.Giosue Sama 60?), 12.Jamie Garside (8.Michael Lloyd-Green 39?), 15.Keith Shevlin, 16.Joey Schirripa, 20.Matthew Bingley
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Dylan Mitchell, 24.Bradley Groves
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock
