APIA maintains its Premiership charge with tight win over Hills

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APIA Leichhardt have continued their Premiership title charge with a 2-1 victory over Hills United in a hotly contested match at Landen Stadium.

APIA began the game in a menacing fashion, looking to suffocate their opponents with their intense pressing, to both control the game and create chances.

However, Hills had a chance in the sixth minute to find a shock opener off a long ball in behind, with Glen Kelshaw unable to direct a tricky header from just outside the box over a stranded Anthony Bouzanis.

Five minutes later, APIA responded with a chance of their own, with Ben Gibson forcing a good save from Ryan Wood after attempting to lob him from just outside the box.

Hills were remaining resolute and intense, but – as expected – APIA were dominating, and almost opened the scoring with a sweeping move that featured Dakota Askew, Ben Gibson, Jack Armson and Jordan Segreto, which allowed the latter to get in behind.

However, with Hills defenders covering, Segreto couldn’t squeeze a shot past Hills keeper Ryan Wood to gain a vital goal.

APIA continued to pile on the pressure, and a shot inside the box from Rory Jordan after cutting in forced a save from Wood, with the rebound precariously sitting inside the box, but Hills United cleared just in time.

A minute later, another dangerous APIA moment saw the ball fall invitingly to Armson within the 18-yard area, but the usually technically proficient attacking midfielder skewed a shot well wide of goal.

APIA continued working towards an opener, and in the 51st minute saw another chance go begging, as Dakota Askew poked a shot just over the bar after a Wood parry from a Jordan cross.

Seven minutes later, a good one-two between Askew and Segreto opened up the latter for a cross, which found the foot of Ben Gibson, who shot just outside the near post.

In the 60th minute, APIA finally found their opener.

Off a wide freekick, Jordan but in a cross deep to the back post, which was won by Themba Muata-Marlow.

The centre-back directed the cross back across goal and found the foot of Caspers.

After a scramble, Ben Gibson emerged, and poked the ball home to give the away side an all important lead at Landen Stadium.

Seven minutes later, APIA crucially doubled their lead off a corner, with set pieces proving crucial to the reigning Champions’ chance creation today.

An in-swinging ball from Segreto found the head of Sean Symons at the near post, who directed a delightful header across goal and beyond the reach of Wood to make it two for the away side.

However, their two goal lead lasted just two minutes, with Hills United earning a goal back off a set piece of their own to set up a grandstand finish at Landen Stadium.

An out-swinging delivery off a wide freekick was executed perfectly by Anthony Frangie, with his cross finding Thomas Lopez at the back post, who lept and placed a powerful header into the top left corner to halve APIA’s lead.

The tension inside the stadium was growing exponentially with every minute of play, and the home side almost levelled in 78th minute, with Cameron Philp stealing in behind but dragging his shot wide of goal.

In the 90th minute, Hills United were inches away from grabbing a spectacular late equaliser, with a stunning strike from Jordan Lane travelling just above the top corner.

This proved to be the last chance of the match for the home side, as APIA picked up a vital three points in a hotly contested Saturday night game.

APIA coach Franco Parisi was deeply pleased with the three points against a defensively sound Hills United side.

“There was a lot of good football for a long period of time, and then probably the final third of the game – maybe final quarter – turned into a good old NPL match,” said Parisi.

“Before that, I was very comfortable with how we were playing, with our ability to win the ball back, with our ability to keep moving the ball and credit to Hills, they were able to keep their distances through the defence and the midfield lines and it took two set pieces for us to score today.

“We normally have free flowing goals, credit to Hills as they were stubborn to get through, and then the game became chaotic and we were very disappointing to concede, but it’s another set piece so three set pieces, 2-1 and we’ll take the three points with a big smile.”

Hills United coach Luke Casserly was proud of his sides performance despite the end result.

“They’re a very good team, they’re going to expect to challenge for the title and I thought we were super competitive,” he said.

“The work ethic on the team was outstanding, we were well organised and we really limited them to opportunities – their goals were from set pieces – so it’s just a shame that the boys worked so hard and we didn’t get anything from that work.”

Match Stats

Hills United FC 1 (Lopez 69’)

APIA Leichhardt FC 2 (Gibson 60’, S. Symons 67’)

Saturday 11 May, 2024

Landen Stadium

Referee: Kurt Ams

Assistant Referees: Matthew Harris and Lachlan Hines

Fourth Official: Hayden Michlmayr

Hills United FC: 1. Ryan Wood, 5. Daniel Petkovski, 11. Anthony Frangie, 12. Jordan Lane, 15. Noah Casserly, 19. Glen Kelshaw (C) (14. Samuel O’Connor 88’), 20. Thomas Lopez, 22. Byron Ginn (10. Jamal Belkadi 80’), 24. Sunday Yona (13. Cameron Philp 45’), 26. Thomas Makko (49. Kaya Akdeniz 80’), 27. Nicolai Muller (7. Wade Giovenali 70’)

Substitutes Not Used: 21. Emlyn Cross

Yellow Cards: Makko 77’

Red Cards: None

APIA Leichhadt FC: 1. Anthony Bouzanis, 4. Josh Symons, 9. Ben Gibson (19. Luigi Ditroia 86’), 11. Rory Jordan (30. Alex Denmead 70’), 14. Jack Armson (7. Jack Stewart 60’), 15. Themba Muata-Marlow, 16. Sean Symons, 17. Jordan Segreto (41. Nicholas Azzone 86’), 18. Adrian Ucchino (C), 22. Edward Caspers, 23. Dakota Askew (21. Michael Kouta 86’)

Substitutes Not Used: 20. Alexander Parkes

Yellow Cards: Gibson 73’, Askew 77’

Red Cards: None

Player ratings:

3 – Edward Caspers (APIA) 

2 – Ryan Wood (HU)

1 – Josh Symons (APIA)

By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)