APIA-Leichhardt stun Sydney Olympic to avoid wooden spoon
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers scored a vital 2-1 win at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon to ensure the side avoided wooden spoon on the League ladder, and condemning Sydney Olympic to its ninth loss of the season.
The afternoon marked a sad occasion for Michael Cindric who lined up for his final match of a glittering career, and the burly defender was handed the captain’s armband for the occasion.
From the kick-off, Sydney Olympic were on the attack with William Angel breaking down the left and sending over a dangerous cross that was cut out for a corner. Cindric latched onto the delivery from the corner, heading narrowly wide in the 1’ minute.
Indeed, the left-hand channel for Olympic regularly put the Tigers under pressure and another Angel foray forward, and cross, had Chris Godoy Bascur scooping over the bar from six-yards out.
Jason Oswell responded with a quick ball over the top but he fired straight at Paul Henderson in the Olympic goal on 9’ minutes in their first attack of the game.
A touch of Franco Parisi magic in the 17’ minute saw the playmaker weave through the Olympic defence and carve out an opening for APIA though his curling cross bent too far for his strike partners to reach and the moment passed.
Kingsley Williams went close with a header that went wide of the upright as the midfield battle tightened with neither truly commanding the space although the home side by far had the better of the chances.
There was no better chance than when Angel was put through with two defenders to beat before firing into the side netting in the 23’ minute that had the crowd on its feet.
Troy Danaskos fired through a sea of legs for Olympic that had Tigers’ goalkeeper Andrew Bazi unsighted only to bounce back into play off the post straight to Williams who miss hit the shot wide from the edge of the area.
It came against the run of play 3’ minutes later when Jason Oswell thundered a shot past Henderson to give the Tigers the lead that left the custodian no chance. It was the shot in the arm the visitors needed but they were soon under the pump once more.
Williams, as Olympic replied, received a kick in the face inside the box that was purely accidental but delayed proceedings for a few minutes and required plenty of attention for a gash on the chin. Thankfully the midfield dynamo was able to carry on and returned to the field of play shortly afterwards.
The Blues were creating plenty of chances but were squandering them with final ball options and wayward finishing, something they could rue in the final wash-up.
Half-time arrived with no addition to the score in a largely uninspiring 45’ minutes of football that started brightly, and promised much, but failed to deliver.
APIA-Leichhardt were, of course, doing what they needed to give themselves a chance of not finishing bottom on the ladder so it was for Sydney Olympic to figure out how to break them down.
The Blues had the better of the first 45’ minutes, created the better chances but it was APIA Leichhardt who had taken theirs and put the home side on the back foot.
The home side started the second-half quicker and when Luke Grima was sent away it was Andrew Bazi who needed to be down sharply to save to his left but still the home side could not find a way through.
Very little in the way of goalmouth action occurred as most of the play centred around the middle of the pitch, each cancelling out in a stalemate.
Parisi, however, did come close when attempting to chip Henderson in the 54’ minute but the ball nestled on top of the netting.
Williams hustled and harried around the park as Grima fired wide once more when snatching at a shot as coach Grant Lee looked to his bench with Renato Franco Ramirez replacing Angel in the 58’ minute.
It was closely followed by the last action from Michael Cindric as he left the field to a standing ovation when replaced by Brendan Hooper on the hour mark.
Henderson made a spectacular flying save from a header by David D’Apuzzo in the 62’ minute worthy of an entry into save of the season to keep his side in the match.
It proved its worth when substitute Chris Godoy Bascur equalised in the 64’ minute after firing past Bazi to level the match once more, however parity remained in order for a little more than 3’ minutes when Oswell added his, and APIA’s, second of the match to restore the lead again.
The game finally sparked into life with Angel going close for Olympic but firing straight at Bazi and plenty of half-chances falling for both sides that again led to profligate finishing and poor ball usage.
The final action of the match, of significance, came in the 86’ minute when substitute Renato Franco-Ramirez played a couple of neat one-twos to get himself in on goal forcing Bazi to save unorthodoxly with his feet.
With no addition to the score it was a good result for the Tigers, but Olympic coach Grant Lee stated after:
“We didn’t have anything to really play for and perhaps at times we were a little lacklustre but there were some promising signs for next season.
“APIA were what they were with an older squad of solid players and they played a negative style of game and hit on the break whilst holding their lines for long periods, and if it had been a boxing match it would have been over by half-time.
“In the first 15’ minutes we should have been three or four up and it’s just a matter for us with a bunch of young kids of trying to convert our opportunities because we are creating some great chances but just cannot hit the back of the net at the moment.
“That is what we need to have a look at in the off season and see how we go from there.”
On the matter of final ball options he added:
“Sometimes we overplayed it or chose the wrong option certainly or didn’t play in the pass quick enough but that comes with experience and it comes with knowledge, and a few quality players instinctively know how to do that, but we’ll work on it and hope to improve that aspect of our game for next season.”
Out of the Tigers sheds, Billy McColl commented:
“We had more to play for than Sydney Olympic today.
“I think that showed between the two teams and we were perhaps that little bit more eager because we didn’t want the wooden spoon and we achieved that here.
“In the first 15’-20’ minutes Olympic were the better team and they looked like they were here to play but as time wore on we got on top of them and we scored that goal and that is what made the difference.
“If it had been a serious game I feel the result may well have been different but our goal took the steam out of them and maybe rocked them a bit and allowed us to gain the upper hand.”
On coaching the side next year McColl stated:
“I’m talking to the club and the President and I do want to be back at APIA for the start of the new season in some type of capacity, but not coaching first grade.”
All in all, the spoils went to a deserving APIA-Leichhardt side with more to play for in a hard fought contest but we must send our congratulations to Michael Cindric on hanging up the boots on a fantastic career with our best wishes for the future.
Match Stats
Sydney Olympic 1 (Chris Godoy Bascur 64’)
APIA Leichhardt Tigers 2 (Jason Oswell 28’, 67’)
Sunday, 18th August 2013
Belmore Sports Ground, Belmore
Referee: Adam Susz
Assistant Referees: Leigh Pigram and Sebastien Brennan
Fourth Official: Dylan Salotti
Sydney Olympic: 1.Paul Henderson; 4.Michael Cindric (C) (24.Brendan Hooper 60’), 5.Bradley Treloar, 8.Kingsley Williams (49.Zac Vallorani 89’), 8.Luke Grima, 11.William Angel (10.Renato Franco-Ramirez 58’), 12.Troy Danaskos, 15.Zak Elrich, 19.Chris Godoy Bascur, 29.Brayden Sorge, 50.Giorgio Bertacchi
Substitutes Not Used: 35.Luca Falcone, 49.Zac Vallorani, 111.Ezeqiul Consoni
Yellow Cards: Giorgio Bertacchi 37’, Chris Godoy Bascur 71’
Red Cards: Nil
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Andrew Bazi; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.Adel El Jamal, 5.Michael West (C), 6.Michael Hawrysuik (26.Ali Nasreddine 89’), 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Keith Shevlin, 9.Jason Oswell (19.Jack Press 84’), 10.Franco Parisi, 13.David D’Apuzzo, 18.Aaron Clapham
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Simon Jaeger, 12.Miroslav Radulovic, 32.Blade Richards
Yellow Cards: Jason Oswell 33’, Aaron Clapham 84’
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock