Maya brilliance wins it for Stallions
It came the hard way but the Marconi Stallions continued its push for silverware following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday.
After a disallowed goal from Marconi’s Cameron Windust in the 26th minute, Sutherland opened scoring in the 33rd minute through Jay McGowan.
Marconi managed to even the score in the second half through a Dylan Susovic finish in the 76th minute, but a sensational shot from Franco Maya saw the Stallions secure a late lead in the 84th minute, giving the visitors a 2-1 victory and a hard fought three points.
With the Stallions coming off their first loss of the season and the Sharks coming off their first win, the stakes were high in the Shire.
Marconi started the game with a lot of possession, moving the ball around the pitch calmly looking for opportunities, while Sutherland pounced on any counter-attacking opportunities.
Two corners in as many minutes looked promising for the hosts, but the first flew over the goal and the second was punched away by Marconi custodian James Hilton.
Sutherland picked up momentum and put pressure on Marconi, increasing the pace and intensity of the match, but the visitors defensive line held strong to keep out the hungry Sharks.
A hamstring injury saw an early substitution for the Stallions, with Jonathan Soares replacing Milislav Popovic in the 23rd minute of the match.
Hirokai Aoyama sent a ball blazing towards the area in the 25th minute, which looked poised to find the head of Cameron Windust, but Mitchell Stamatellis knocked it out of play.
Windust flew through the air to meet the corner ball moments later and confidently knocked the ball into the netting, but referee Sam Kelly called a foul from Marconi, keeping the match scoreless.
The hosts came close to opening the scoring in the 32nd minute as McGowan sent a curling ball towards the target, but a fully outstretched Hilton kept it away.
The consequent corner met McGowan again after some movement in the box, who fired it at the goal giving Sutherland the first goal of the match.
The two sides battled for another in the remainder of the first half, but Sutherland hit the sheds with a one-goal advantage.
Mason Fernandez created an opportunity on the counterattack, stripping Anton Mlinaric of the ball and thundering forward.
It was cleared by Marconi’s defence before Fernandez attempted a bicycle kick, but he sent his shot high over the bar.
Max Green had an opportunity to extend the Sharks’ lead in the 66th minute but his effort soared well over the crossbar.
Tensions started to rise in the final third of the match with fouls building up from both sides as the hosts looked to maintain their lead and Marconi pushed for an equaliser.
The equaliser finally came for the Stallions in the 76th minute after sustained pressure.
Maya’s ball from afar met the head of Nathan Millgate, who guided the ball into the area for Susovic to finish.
The substitute found himself one-on-one with Sutherland ‘keeper Nenad Vekic and took his time to clinically fire the ball into the netting.
Marconi captain Marko Jesic came close to gaining the advantage in the 82nd minute as he fired a powerful ball straight in the centre of the goal, but Sutherland’s Jacob Garner put his body on the line to cop the full brunt of the shot and Jesic’s subsequent shot was tipped over the line by Vekic.
The resultant corner would end to magic for Marconi after some movement saw Maya pounce on the ball outside the 18-yard box and send a sensational shot blazing over the line in the 84th minute.
Five minutes of stoppage time gave the Sharks plenty of time to look for their second as the continued to mount pressure.
McGowan had a final chance in the dying moments of the match, but his effort couldn’t meet the target, leaving Marconi with the 2-1 victory at the final whistle.
Stallions coach Peter Tsekenis said he felt his team “came out very flat in the first half” but were able to rise to the challenge to take the victory.
‘We got an early injury, we were already down on troops, so we had to find a way to come back into the game in the second half,” he said.
“I put the challenge to the players, and they rose quite well.
“It was a completely different second half in terms of our intensity.
“We changed formation a little bit to suit the players that we had on the park and we got the fruits for it and we got the result I think we deserved at the end.”
Sutherland Sharks coach Steve Zoric was disappointed his team conceded two goals after controlling stages of the match.
“I think they started both halves stronger in the first five or 10 minutes, but we sort of rode the wave on both of those occasions,” he explained.
“We were always weary of them going forward, so we sort of had visions for that, but it’s disappointing that we allowed ourselves to give away two goals.
“We were pretty comfortable at one stage, then that equaliser, that wonder goal, he hit that really well and what can you do.
“The few moments we had in the box that we got ourselves into good positions, we didn’t take the opportunity, so it’s simple as that.”
Match Stats
Marconi Stallions 2 (Susovic 76’, Maya 84’)
Sutherland Sharks 1 (McGowan 33’)
Saturday 16th March, 2024
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Sam Kelly
Assistant Referees: Joshua Eiser and Thomas Gellatly
Fourth Official: Jackson Tippett
Sutherland Sharks:1. Nenad Vedic, 2. Kotaro Katsuta, 4. Mitchell Stamatellis, 5. Takahide Umebachi, 6. Samuel Gulisano, 9. Max Green (21. Luke Sauer 84’), 10. Mason Fernandez (2. Liam Rippon 84’), 11. Jay McGowan, 15. Matthew Moric (7. James Cakovski 77’), 23. Ethan Beaven, 26. Jacob Garner,
Substitutes Not Used: 3. Jordan Roberts, 14. Chris Lindsay, 99. Jacob Cremen-Cowan
Yellow Cards: Umebachi 55’, Green 67’, Cakovski 87’
Red Cards: Nil
Marconi Stallions: 1. James Hilton, 2. Nathan Millgate, 3. Cameron Windurst, 4. Anton Mlinaric, 7. Franco Maya (29. Luke Raso 91’), 8. Daniel Bouman (14. Dylan Susovic 69’), 10. Mario Jesic, 11. Hirokai Aoyama, 17. Milislav Popovic, 18. George Daniel, 23. Brandon Vella
Substitutes Not Used: 21. Jakov Malbasa, 24. Mackenzie Syron, 25. Jonathan Soares, 26. Matthew Martignago,
Yellow Cards: Milnaric 41’, Maya 73’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Franco Maya (MS)
2 – Jay McGowan (SS)
1 – Cameron Windust (MS)
-By Madeline Riley
