Bonnyrigg show grit and determination to win
In the end a deciding goal by Alex Canak, who was even helped by a deflection, separated the two teams.
However, it was exactly what Bonnyrigg deserved because as a team they are well coached and play with determination and grit.
Every ball is contested and fought for; in short, if any team other than Bonnyrigg that wins the NSW Premier League title, will have to overcome one of the more disciplined and focussed teams in the competition in recent years.
To their credit too, A.P.I.A. Leichhardt played very well, especially in the first-half, but seemed to run out of energy in the second stanza of play.
After the game Brian Brown was rightly proud of his team?s approach and for achieving the three points over a rather difficult Tigers outfit.
?I think this is probably as good a three points that we will get this season,? he said.
?Coming here you have to scrap and battle and our team did that very well.
?The team has a reasonably good bench, so that keeps the pressure on everyone to perform.
?I am ecstatic to get the win because I have come here so many times over years and I know that this is one place where you to battle and scrap for everything.
?I think we deserved to win because we wanted it more than A.P.I.A. did in the end.?
In the 12? minute Bonnyrigg White Eagles could have taken the lead when Alex Canak pounced on a loose ball from Jose Bello-Amigo, but unfortunately for the visitors he couldn?t steer the ball in from close range.
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt?s best chance of the half presented itself in the 23? minute when a Chris James corner reached Anthony Hartshorn, who flicked on a delightful header that ended up just wide for a corner thanks to a slight deflection from the Bonnyrigg White Eagles defence.
Late in the first-half Bello-Amigo was called on to work miraculously between the posts to deny both Canak and then Blake Powell from close range after a delightful cross from the left by Nathan Elasi who split the Tigers defence.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles, who by that stage were really pressing forward, must have felt terribly disappointed not to have found the back of the net.
Shortly afterwards Sam Messam dangerously charged into the penalty box, but upon reaching the byline he fired in a cross that was met nicely by Andrew Bazi down low.
The very competitive first-half, where both sides fought for every ball, ended scoreless as expected for such a tight contest.
In the 51? minute Messam was back at it again for the Tigers when, from reasonably close range, he fired his diagonal shot over the crossbar.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles took the lead in the 56? minute when a Chris Tadrosse corner reached Canak who seemed to out-jump all and sundry to head home thanks partly to a deflection from Messam.
It was all Bonnyrigg needed to claim all three points in the end.
In the 63? minute the mercurial Franco Parisi delightfully played a ball across from right to left for Nick Rizzo, but unfortunately the former Crystal Palace player couldn?t blast his shot through the legs of the alert Bazi.
A few minutes later Bonnyrigg?s reply was fairly dangerous because Elasi?s shot required an alert Bello-Amigo to make a nice save down low.
In the 78? minute Chris James should have been more clinical with his finishing when presented with a glorious chance, but somehow from close range he scuffed his shot and Bazi made a good save.
Late in the game the industrious Rizzo fired in another shot, but this time a deflection denied the Tigers.
After the game A.P.I.A. Leichhardt?s football manager Tony Raciti was left disappointed that his team couldn?t at least achieve a point.
?I think in the worst case scenario it should have been a draw, but at the end of the day the name of the game is to score,? he said.
?I thought that the team as a whole was very, very committed to win but, unfortunately, Bonnyrigg?s goal came from a set piece and we missed two one-on-ones.
?I thought that A.P.I.A. had slightly more chances than Bonnyrigg to win, but this loss will mean that it is a long-shot for the club to reach the semis now.
?We will focus all of our energy into Wednesday night?s game [against Blacktown Spartans in the Waratah Cup], but it will be a hard game against any opposition including Blacktown Spartans.?
Meanwhile, in the Grade-20s A.P.I.A. Leichhardt and Bonnyrigg White Eagles played out a 2-2 draw.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers 0
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 (Canak 56?)
Sunday 19th June, 2011
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: James Lewis
Assistant referees: Mike Robertson and Owen Ferguson
Fourth Official: Matthew Cropper
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Jose Bello-Amigo; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.John Kelso, 5.Michael West, 6.Marton Vass (20.Tomislav Herceg 85?), 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Anthony Hartshorn (12.Andrew Vitucci 83?), 11.Nicola Rizzo, 23.Chris James, 14.Sam Messam, 10.Franco Parisi (17.Wandi Jajaw 74?).
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Terry Dal Broi, 16.Damir Prodanovic,
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Andrew Bazi; 14.Blake Powell (23.Tynan Diaz 86?), 3.Nikola Zonjic, 5.Chris Tadrosse, 7.Nathan Elasi (4.Wade Oostendorp 90?+1?), 8.Alex Canak, 9.Brad Boardman, 12.Takuya Murayama, 16.David Vrankovic, 17.Michael Robinson, 19.Jamie McMaster.
Substitutes Not Used: 15.Wely Al-Rikaby, 2.Nikola Stanojevic, 20.Tom Hamilton
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joe Russo
