Since January he has been playing for his local side however, prior to this he was playing College Football in the USA for West Virginia University where he was also studying
Readily admitting to being an Arsenal fan in recent years there has been a plethora of players to admire leading the attack for the Gunners but does one stand out and has hasn?t modelled himself on any in particular.
?No, not really.
?It?s how I?ve progressed , my build and physical attributes and do what works for me as I?m not the tallest player.
?I try to be nippy around the ball, twist and turn the defence and be nippy around their feet and try to create chances for others to feed off and, obviously, if I get a chance I will try to take it but I think it?s almost impossible to model yourself on anyone in particular as we are all individual.?
When pressed hard enough he readily admitted.
?OK, Thierry Henry is the Arsenal shirt I have my wall at home, Dennis Bergkamp is another hero of mine and being half Dutch myself you have to look after the boys….and Robin van Persie of course!,? he chuckles.
?He has had an outstanding season and is a typical players, not the fastest around but you look and see what works for him and maybe see if you can adapt it into your game, the way he beats defenders and the way he hits the ball.
His adaptation to the APIA Leichhardt Tigers side looks very promising, especially against Rockdale City Suns where his low centre of gravity and fast feet were a constant nuisance to the visiting defence.
?I think I?ve settled in quite well and it?s different from playing back home with some very technical players so you just have to take what comes to you on these pitches.
?When a chance comes your way you need to try and do something special because it?s more of a physical game and I?m not the most physical player so when something comes my way I am looking to create opportunities or have a go myself.?
When asked what he would like to be in five years? time he stated ?Six foot!?
Fair play to the likeable lad for getting one over the questioner but added.
?I would hope to be a full-time professional somewhere of course, I?d love that to be Australia.
?Like everyone else, I would hope I could take the opportunity if it came along so my aim to play well for APIA and hopefully turn a few heads and see what comes of it.
?I would love to give it a really good go and make a profession of it so that?s what I?m working towards.?
State League football isn?t paying everything and there is a need for the lad to work part time as a waiter as well as concentrate on football after spending last year studying.
The studies have been put on hold for a year as he tries to make his mark in the round ball game and especially hopeful of possibly making the New Zealand Olympic football squad for London 2012.
?The squad gets picked next and that would be a dream come true for me to be a part of that but I need to see how my season goes here and decide whether to play and study or play full-time.
?We?ll have to wait and see.?
Due to tender years, Bevin is far too young to understand the significance of the opening title being a part-time waiter, Manuel from Fawlty Towers etc. but he has a very dry sense of humour and his head very firmly screwed on.
One thing is for sure and certain though, keep your eye on this kid as the Kiwi selectors could certainly do a whole lot worse than pick the lad to go London and from there, who knows?
-By Micky Brock
APIA and Rockdale share the spoils in gritty contest
The game was a tight contest whe both sides certainly didn?t concede much to each other. It was one for the football purist rather than the casual observer who may have been seeking mo entertainment.
In the end, a draw was probably the faist sult whe both sides conceded goals from set pieces.
After the game Rockdale City Suns? new coach Mark Rudan expssed how happy he is to be associated with such a gat group of players. He was also satisfied with the sult given that in two games in charge, he is yet to experience a loss.
?I was happy with the sult because it?s a tough place to come,? he said. ?The a good quality players in both of these two teams.
?We have been working on our shape and organisation and hopefully we a becoming a hard team to beat.
?We will work on diffent things going forward, including tactical plays when we have the ball at our feet, and all that will come.
?I was very happy with my team?s attitude which was first class throughout. I couldn?t be happier with their effort – they worked ally hard with the game plan and instructions that they had been given.
?I haven?t got bad word to say because I am extmely proud of the boys. It?s a long season and the is still a long way to go.?
In the 18? minute Giorgio Speranza found himself with a high bouncing ball outside the penalty-aa and despite managing to get a powerful shot away, he couldn?t find the back of the net.
APIA-Leichhardt?s ply came after a scrappy corner made its way to Murisoo Gil, the new signing for the Tigers from Koa, but he too couldn?t dict his shot on target.
The best chance of the first-half fell to the Tigers in the 29? minute when a delightful long ball from Adel El Jamal ached a rampaging Andw Bevin who, with a powerful diagonal volley, just sprayed the ball wide of the net. And that was about it for the tightly contested first stanza of play.
In the second-half APIA-Leichhardt took the lead early on when Hirofumi Moriyasu managed to squeeze his fe-kick past the wall and into the bottom left let hand corner of the net. It seemed almost sural from a distance because it was hard to believe how Moriyasu had thaded the ball in such a small space.
How the Tigers must wish that Moriyasu?s short-term contract wasn?t ending with this game because the ?Japanese Emperor? has certainly been a valuable addition to their squad over the last four weeks.
The next two best chances of the game fell to Rockdale. Firstly, it was Tomi Cirjak who blasted a powerful shot just wide of the net and then Alec Vrosevski couldn?t beat Stefan Giglio who got down low with a good save to pvent a certain equaliser.
Stephen Kayes then tried his luck with an off target shot to no avail for the Tigers. The tenacious Kayes is certainly a player that APIA can always depend on.
In the 74? minute it became game on when Rockdale City equalised in the simplest of fashions from a set piece.
A corner by Cirjak was met by the tall Paul Kohler who rose above all and sundry to head home. It was simple but effective football.
After the equalising goal the was not much else was on offer from both sides until Kris Griffith Jones brought proceedings to an end nearly 20? minutes later.
John Turner, APIA-Leichhardt?s experienced coach, had mixed emotions about the sult.
?I think they took their one opportunity,? he said. ?We have to learn to pick up at the back post again.
?It?s very hard to play on this pitch because it is very tight. We had half a team that couldn?t train this week for various asons and injuries, so I am even surprised that we came this far.
?It?s a cdit to the boys because some did play with injuries and, on any other given day, they might not have played.
?We even lost our goalkeeper at halftime. It?s hard then when you have to play someone who has alady played 90 minutes even though I am certainly not blaming him for our goal,? he concluded.
Match Stats
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 1 (Moriyasu 48?)
Rockdale City Suns 1 (Kohler 74? )
Friday, 11th May, 2012
Lambert Park Leichhardt
Refee: Kris Griffiths Jones
Assistant fees: Adam Coombes and Craig Fisher
Fourth Official: Adrian Arndt
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Anthony Costa (1. Stefan Giglio 46?); 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.Adel El Jamal, 4.Murisoo Gil, 5.Michael West, 7.Stephen Kayes, 9.Ethan Galbraith (19.Wandi Jajaw 85?), 10.Franco Parisi, 12.Andw Bevin, 14.Hirofumi Moriyasu, 16.Michael Hawrysiuk (6.Danial Cummins 76?).
Substitutes Not Used: 17.Sam Salameh
Yellow Cards: Kayes 36?
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ryan Norval; 2.Takuya Murayama, 3.Giorgio Speranza, 5.Pece Cvetanovski, 7.Peter Apolevski, 8.Paul Kohler, 10.Alec Vrosevski (15.Adrian Karakolevski 82?), 11.Tomi Cirjak, 12.Huseyin Jasli, 21.Ricky Perinich, 23.Askin Oygur
Substitutes Not Used: 6.Joshua Lawson, 22.Aaron Liddell, 16.Anthony Perri, 14.Daniel Slaveski
Yellow Cards: Oygur 24?, Muriyama 28?, Jasli 68?, Speranza 90?+1?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Hirofumi Moriyasu (ALT)
2 – Ricky Perinich (RCS)
1 – Stephen Kayes (ALT)
-By Joe Russo
Manly United grind out draw against APIA
Games that a the to be won end up in draws and others that should have ended in a draw, turn out to be losses. Against Manly United the pattern continued.
The visitors opened the scoring and towards the end clawed their way back into the match thanks to a clear penalty, but in between the Tigers had the better of the play.
John Turner, the straightforward coach of APIA-Leichhardt, was once again left pondering what could have been.
?It feels like a loss to me,? he said frustratingly.
Manly United on the other hand deserve some praise for never surndering. In fact, towards the end, and with momentum in their favour, they could have won the game in their own right.
Craig Midgley, coach of Manly United, took a pragmatic view of things when questioned after the game.
?I?ll take the point because we got ourselves back in the game. We a playing away from home every week at the moment,? he stated.
?I don?t like making excuses but we do have the or four first team players away at the moment. We had our chances as well in the game and hopefully all these players will be back on deck for next weekend.?
Not much happened in the early stages of the first-half until Manly United scod the opening goal on the 15? minute mark. A defender slipped and failed to ally clear the ball away from his own aa and Adam Foti, with all the time in the world, chipped Anthony Costa who was well off his line. It was too easy for Manly United.
?We gave away their first goal which was like an under-10 type goal. We can?t gift teams goals and expect to win games,? Turner said after the game.
APIA Leichhardt tried to medy the situation a few minutes later when Andw Bevin found himself with ball at his feet, but unfortunately he tried to blast the ball home only to find that Dylan Mitchell was an unmoveable force on the Manly United line.
In the 29? minute David D?Apuzzo had a double scoring opportunity from close range but was unable to bak through. His first shot was blocked and then, as he ceived the looping ball straight back, his header was well met by Mitchell.
The Tigers finally struck gold in the 35? minute when Hirofumi Moriyasu, on loan for four games from Sydney FC, gave a delightful ball to Bevin in full flight and the young New Zealander blasted home an all too powerful shot which Mitchell couldn?t do a thing about.
Just prior to the bak Bevin turned cator for David D?Apuzzo who tried his luck with a lovely outside-of-the-foot shot that was well saved by Mitchell.
?Dylan is a young ?keeper who was let go by the Central Coast Mariners last year,? said Craig Midgley about his very competent goalkeeper. ?I think he has a chance in the game [of football] and he has pulled off a couple of gat saves today.
?That?s his job but it?s also good to have him because he?s a good young ?keeper.?
Immediately upon sumption of the second-half APIA Leichhardt deservedly scod again when David D?Apuzzo set up Bevin who charged down the left, into the box and with far too much time and space drilled home a diagonal winner.
?I thought we played far too deep in the first half which was a fairly scrappy half,? Turner said. ?I thought we should have scod mo because we had mo chances than they [Manly] did, so I was disappointed with the first-half.
?We had a good talk at half-time and we decided to push up higher in the park and, for the first 15? or 20? minutes, it could have been any sco.
?As soon as we scod early in the second half we dropped deeper again and gave them an invitation to come forward. You can?t do that against any team.?
In the 55? minute Michael Hawrysiuk delightfully shot a fe-kick straight on goal around the defensive wall but was met by an ever alert Mitchell who turned it away for a corner.
Mitchell was in the thick of the action again midway through the second stanza of play to pvent Bevin from scoring his hat-trick after a wonderful Franco Parisi cross. However, momentum then shifted away from the Tigers.
Scott Balderson?s volley brought out the best in Anthony Costa in the APIA goal befo Chris Payne, a late placement, wasn?t able to also beat Costa.
However Payne, the former Sydney FC player, was brought down by Costa in the goal aa and the fee corctly awarded the spot kick. The opportunity came about after a dadful APIA back pass was intercepted by the alert Payne who, himself, converted the penalty sending Costa the wrong way.
Such is football as John Turner summed up. ?I call a spade, a spade. Manly a OK, but in the end we we lucky not to lose in the last ten minutes and we we lucky to get away with a draw, so it was two points lost in my opinion.?
Late in the game Parisi had a gat chance to gain the lead but somehow his diagonal shot was met with the outsttched fingers of Mitchell who turned it way for another corner.
Match Stats
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 2 (Bevin 35?, 46?)
Manly United FC 2 (Foti 16?, Payne 79? (pen) )
Sunday, 29th April, 2012
Lambert Park Leichhardt
Refee: Adam Susz
Assistant Refees: Alex Goodhew and Bjoern Ku
Fourth Official: Gath Williams
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Anthony Costa; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.Adel El Jamal, 5.Michael West, 8.Adam D?Apuzzo, 10.Franco Parisi (20.Wandi Jajaw 87?), 12.Andw Bevin, 13.David D?Apuzzo, 14.Hirofumi Moriyasu, 15.Bradley Bartels (7.Stephen Kayes 46?), 16.Michael Hawrysiuk
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Stefan Giglio, 17.Sam Salameh
Yellow Cards: Costa 79?, Byrnes 88?
Red Cards: Nil
Manly United FC: 1.Dylan Mitchell; 2.Shaun Bowden, 5.Marc Richards, 6.Michael Daly, 7.Scott Balderson, 8.Daniel Grant, 10.Adam Foti (9.Jusin Hayward 46?), 11.Matthew Sim (20.Chris Payne 50?), 12.Colin Iley (19.Tinashe Mugabe 73?), 15.Jordon Edwards, 21.Leigh Egger.
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Mitchell Macedo, 24.Kang Ho Lee
Yellow Cards: Balderson 63?, Egger 92?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Andw Bevin (ALT)
2 – David D?Apuzzo (ALT)
1 – Dylan Mitchell (MUFC)
-By Joe Russo
APIA strike late for first win of the 2012 season
The visiting side were unable to take anything from three solid performances in the opening rounds, but their resilience finally paid dividends as Michael Hawrysuik found the back of the net in the 90? minute, much to the relief of the Tigers supporters.
APIA controlled much of the game after recovering a one-goal deficit and coach John Turner believes the result was justified:
?I was a bit disappointed the last three weeks, I thought we deserved something from each game but lady luck wasn?t on our side,? Turner said.
?We deserved everything we got tonight, we dominated the second-half.
?We are getting better and there are improvements every game.?
But it wasn?t all smooth sailing for Turner?s men and the coach admitted it took a half of football to assess how to break Parramatta down:
?We changed a few things at half time because I haven?t seen Parramatta before,? he added.
?You see where you can expose teams, we knew they were happy with a 1-1 draw but we came here for three points not one.?
The result pushes Parramatta FC into eleventh position, with the side still yet to win this year. Coach Lee Sterrey says his team were intent on attacking but made too many costly errors:
?We played a front three because we have got some good pace and some good youngsters in the team,? Sterrey said.
?They dominated a long period of the second half, we had one in our pockets going into half-time and we dropped it.
?When you drop your intensity in the Premier League, you get punished.?
Both sides looked eager to attack the game early and the first 10? minutes saw the ball move swiftly from end to end. APIA settled early on in the Parramatta half, but they were unable to make anything of their opportunities on the edge of the box.
The home side had a tough time breaking down APIA?s defence, and it was rightly so that their first chance game from outside the box on 6? minutes. Akiyoshi Saito received the ball from 20-yards out and sent a rocketing shot at goal which was parried away by former Parramatta FC keeper Anthony Costa.
The visitors then looked to make their mark on the game with a series of passes on the edge of the box. It was all to no avail though as the Parramatta defence held firm and broke away through a trademark run down the left flank by Kwabena Appiah-Kubi in the 11? minute.
Just a few seconds later, Parramatta midfielder Saito tried his luck from distance again, forcing a great save from the APIA shot-stopper.
From there, Parramatta were unable to hold onto possession and the long ball proved costly as APIA broke away on the counter. David D?Apuzzo attacked with real intent and Sydney FC on-loan midfielder Hiro Moriyasu darted around the Parramatta defence.
D?Apuzzo had the best chance for APIA in the 22? minute as a long throw found its way to the midfielder in the box, however he was unable to connect with the ball.
APIA were given plenty of time on the ball and a 29? minute shot from Hawrysuik outside the box was a clear indication of their frustration.
Appiah-Kubi looked lively for Parramatta and when he released Andy Matloub down the left flank in the 33? minute, Parramatta looked threatening. Matloub?s shot skewed across goal but Appiah-Kubi put Parramatta ahead just three minutes later.
Nicolas McInerney put the striker through on goal and Appiah-Kubi made the most of his chance, sending a delightful chip over the head of Anthony Costa to make things 1-0.
The remainder of the half belonged to APIA and they would have gone into the break as the happier side when striker Franco Parisi squared things up on the stroke of half-time with a well drilled close range volley.
An APIA corner was headed against the crossbar, leaving El Jamal to blast in the rebound from close range.
APIA started the second-half the way they finished the first with three shots on goal in as many minutes when play resumed. Appiah-Kubi continued pressuring the opposition defence and after a stagnant period in the game, he had the best chance on 64? minutes when he latched on to a curling cross from Saito only for his shot to be parried away.
But APIA made the second-half their own and on-loan Sydney FC player Hiro Moriyasu became more involved in the game.
On 78? minutes, he received the ball on the edge of the box and curled a low shot to the left corner, giving Parramatta ?keeper Matthew Nash with plenty to do.
Parramatta were clearly content with a point as APIA continued to dominate possession. Midfielder Franco Parisi tried his luck for the visitors as the corner tally piled up in their favour.
But as so often happens in football, fate paved the way for a last minute upset as APIA intercepted the ball in the midfield and worked the ball down the left flank. Michael Hawrysuik met a lovely weighted cross on the volley and the ball took a deflection to give APIA a 2-1 win.
Match Stats
Parramatta FC 1 (Appiah-Kubi 36?)
APIA-Leichardt Tigers 2 (Parisi 45?, Hawrysuik 90?)
Saturday April 21st, 2012
Melita Stadium, South Granville
Parramatta FC: 1.Matthew Nash; 2.Nicolas McInerney (Aous Altaee 82?), 3.Andy Matloub, 4.Domenic Trimboli, 5.Mark O?Reilly, 18.Nicholas Napoli, 8.Bryan Soane, 10.Akiyoshi Saito, 11.Bruno Pivato, 14.Kwabena Appiah-Kubi, 17.Hassan Daramy (Aaron Peterson 69?)
Substitutes Not Used: 7.Patrick Dixon, 12.Ehsan Popal, 20.Michal Sakowicz (GK)
Yellow Cards: Bryan Soane 38?, Akiyoshi Saito 66?
Red Cards: Nil
APIA-Leichardt Tigers: 21.Anthony Costa; 3.Adel El Jamal, 5.Michael West, 8.Adam D?Apuzzo, 10.Franco Parisi (20.Wandi Jajaw 85?), 12.Andrew Bevin, 13.David D?Apuzzo, 15.Brad Bartels (7.Stephen Kayes 73?), 16.Michael Hawrysuik, 18.Brendan Riley, 14.Hiro Moriyasu
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Stefan Giglio, 17.Sam Salameh
Yellow Cards: Michael West 51?, Andrew Bevin 12?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Kwabena Appiah-Kubi (PFC)
2 ? David D?Apuzzo (ALT)
1 ? Akiyoshi Saito (PFC)
-By Mitchell Grima
Bonnyrigg win three straight while APIA remain win-less
Taking nothing away from Bonnyrigg White Eagles who played well, it is hard not to feel a tad sorry for APIA Leichhardt because, in what was almost a play of last week against Marconi Stallions, the side gave it their all but somehow walked away empty handed.
The irony of the situation is certainly not lost on their experienced mentor John Turner who was coaching against his former club.
?We we every bit as good as Bonnyrigg, but we gave them two soft goals,? he said. ?We came back twice and possibly should have won the game, but that?s football. We hit the post and straight up the other end they scod.?
Turner, when questioned what he would wish for at this early stage of the season, gave an immediate sponse: ?I?d give anything for a striker because I have two very small men up front who a kids and they total 40 years of age between them.?
However, that is definitely not meant to be a complaint against his own side because immediately he clarified as follows: ?While it?s very difficult, I can?t knock the commitment of my players. The boys alise what needs to be done. We can do either of two things: feel sorry for ourselves or improve.
?In the last two seasons when I won the league, I hadn?t won a game in the first four games and, in the last season when I coached Wollongong, we went 13 games straight to win the league. I have been in this position many, many times so I know we can still do very, very well.?
In many ways it was tale of two dssing rooms because while APIA we left smarting about what could have been, Bonnyrigg have managed to secu all nine points from their first the encounters.
Brian Brown, the club?s head coach, couldn?t hide his smile. ?I am very happy because we have won away to both South Coast and APIA early on, so I am ecstatic,? he said.
?It?s probably the hardest place [Lambert Park] to come along to in the whole of the competition. I have been coming he for a long time and it?s never an easy game.
?Bonnyrigg tries to get people who a ambitious and hungry for success. Picking up people like Robbie Younis and Mitchell Long has been gat and we have a al good group of younger players as well.
?If the is a better player in this competition than Mitchell Long I?d be very surprised because he has been outstanding in the last the games for us.?
Early on Franco Parisi tried his luck for APIA but was slightly off target with his shot.
In the 17? minute Wandi Jajaw found himself with only Ben McNamara to beat but his shot was pushed away only as far as Andw Bevin who hit the post from close range and with an open goal.
That was a turning point in the first-half because a minute later Bonnyrigg had scod through Jordan Simpson who completed some lovely work down the right hand side to sco a delightful goal.
Simpson may hear some jibes about that goal during the coming week because ironically his opponent?s psident, Mr Tony Raciti, is also his daytime employer in his well known staurant.
In the 21? minute Younis took gat delight in setting up a goal against his former club. After turning and shooting nicely, he saw Anthony Costa only manage to push the ball into the path of Mitchell Long – arguably the best player on the night – and the former Blacktown City player didn?t need a second invite. The ball was in the back of the net befo the Tigers alised what had happened.
In the 28? minute APIA Leichhardt hit back with a truly magnificent goal. Jajaw fed the ball through high and long for Michael Hawrysiuk who, after letting the ball bounce once, hit it first time with a volley that was only ever heading into the back of the net and the was truly nothing McNamara could have done to pvent it.
Late in the opening half Bevin flashed the ball just wide of the intended target after a nice assist from the experienced Adam D?Apuzzo and shortly afterwards both teams we heading into the sheds for a well-deserved bak.
The second-half, while enjoyable and hard fought, didn?t produce as much goal mouth action as the first stanza of play.
Bonnyrigg scod their third goal in the 50? minute when a corner kick ached Alexander Canak who, somehow amongst a myriad of players, simply headed home from close range. In ality a set piece goal like that should never be made to look so easy.
Late in the game Younis tried his luck with a nice shot that was wide befo Parisi plied and forced McNamara into a stupendous diving save because of the low trajectory rocket of a shot.
Right at the end Bevin scod another quality goal for the Tigers after ceiving a good ball from Sam Salameh. The young Kiwi striker blasted home from outside the box but it was simply not enough for the Tigers who had left their run home too late in the second-half.
Match Stats
Friday 13th April, 2012
Lambert Park Leichhardt
Refee: Andw Best
Assistant fees: Adam Coombes and Thomas Lee
Fourth Official: Chris Peck
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 2 (Hawrysiuk 28?, Bevin 90?)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 3 (Simpson 18?, Long 21?, Canak 50?)
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Anthony Costa; 2.Mark Byrnes (18.Bndan Riley 60?), 3.Adel El Jamal, 5.Michael West, 8.Adam D?Apuzzo, 10.Franco Parisi, 12.Andw Bevin, 13.David D?Apuzzo, 15.Bradley Bartels, 16.Michael Hawrysiuk (7.Stephen Kayes 65?), 20.Wandi Jajaw (17.Sam Salameh 65?).
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Stefan Giglio
Yellow Cards: A. D?Apuzzo 15?, D. D?Apuzzo 20?, Parisi 23?, El Jamal 35?, Byrnes 43?
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Ben McNamara; 2.Alex Mansueto, 4.David Vrankovic, 5.Chris Tadrosse, 7.Tynan Diaz, 8.Alexander Canak, 9.Robbie Younis, 10.Jordan Simpson (17.Jordan Cighton 71?), 13.Nikola Stanojevic, 21.Ken Chen, 23.Mitchell Long (19 Harry Gaitatzis).
Substitutes Not Used: 15.Luka Dukic, 18.Chris Gaitatzis, 20.Andw Bazi
Yellow Cards: Vrankovic 33?, Diaz 78?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Mitchell Long (BWE)
2 – Ken Chun (BWE)
1 – Andw Bevin (ALT)
-By Joe Russo