NSW Premier League Finals Series Week Two Review



Forced to defend in the closing stages, the League?s benchmark for 2012 held off Marconi?s best challenges to secure a spot in the showcase match in two weeks.
Marconi still has a chance of reaching the grand-final despite the loss. The Stallions will face Blacktown City FC after the 2010 champions ended Sydney Olympic?s title defence at Belmore Sports Ground.
An equally entertaining encounter saw both sides create chances as Blacktown City fought off the dominant second-half display by the Blues to administer the 1-0 lead.
Qualifying Final
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 Marconi Stallions 0
The newly crowned Premiers? fine season continued as Bonnyrigg sealed its spot in the 2012 grand-final with a very hard fought 1-0 win over Marconi Stallions on Saturday evening.
A first-half penalty converted by Robbie Younis proved the difference as Brian Brown?s men were forced to defend in the second-half as Marconi Stallions peppered the White Eagles defensive line in search of an equaliser that failed to arrive.
Nahuel Arrarte led the Stallions charge with another fine performance by the captain, though in the end it failed to reap any reward for Luke Casserly?s players.
The only downer for Bonnyrigg was the late dismissal of Tynan Diaz for a rash tackle on Arrarte. Diaz, arguably one of the standout players in the competition this season, will miss the grand-final much to the despair of the White Eagles? supporters present on Saturday as the Bonnyrigg number 7 left the playing surface.
The loss for Marconi does not end its season with Blacktown City FC now standing in between the Bossley Park side and a grand-final berth.
Minor Semi-Final
Sydney Olympic 0 Blacktown City FC 1
Blacktown City FC ended Sydney Olympic?s title defence with a very hard fought showing in Belmore on Sunday afternoon.
A frantic opening to the match could have produced six goals in the opening 15? minutes ? as both sides went close to netting ? though it was certainly Sydney Olympic who created the better chances.
Despite the Blues? pressure, Blacktown City remained compact and cleverly chose when to press forward. Blacktown City?s winning goal arrived via the lunging boot of Ryuji Miyazawa early in the second-half, the Japanese import netting off Adam Jenner?s delivery from the right.
Travis Major had the chance to kill off the match late on as Sydney Olympic twice hit the post in the closing stages.
Blacktown City?s win sets up an encounter with Marconi Stallions next weekend, Mark Crittenden?s men one match away from a shot at Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the 2012 showpiece match.
-By Joseph Carlucci