He came out of nowhere to be named in Ricki Herbert’s All Whites 2010 World Cup squad and despite not getting on the pitch Aaron Clapham could have been mistaken that his career was about to take off.
Three years on the 26-year-old Kiwi is still working tirelessly to get his big break and achieve his dream of playing in the Hyundai A-League.
Having played for Canterbury United in New Zealand’s top division he decided to think outside of the long white cloud and made the trip across the ditch to play for the APIA Leichardt Tigers in the NSW National Premier League.
“I realised that after returning from holiday that there was still a lot of time before the season started back up again so I spoke to NZ Football and they advised me to look at an NPL club,” said Clapham.
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Brilliant Blacktown City breeze past Bonnyrigg
Blacktown City FC produced a sublime performance in front of their own fans to brush aside Bonnyrigg White Eagles by a 4-1 score line in blustery conditions at Lily Homes Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Sean Rooney opened the scoring for the hosts with a brilliant finish before Ryuji Miyazawa put his side three up with a goal in each half.
Robbie Younis came off the bench to pull a goal back and give hope to Bonnyrigg yet any chances of a comeback were dashed soon after when Travis Major rounded off the win with a cool finish.
The result sees Bonnyrigg slip behind Sydney United 58 FC and into third while Blacktown City move ahead of Rockdale City Suns and into fourth as the race for finals football heats up.
Both sides took time to settle into the game as they battled against each other and the strong winds which caused general gameplay to become disjointed throughout the match.
In a match where chances were few and far between the first effort on target was produced by Vuko Tomasevic who looked to catch out Brody Crane with a powerful 40-yard drive; despite the ball finding a lot of movement Crane was well positioned to make a confident save.
The ball remained caught up in a scrappy midfield battle for an extended period before Major looked to spark life into his side soon after the half hour mark.
Mark Crittenden’s decision to play Major on the left side of midfield rather than on the left side of defence has proved to be a stroke of genius in recent months and that trend looked to continue as the enigmatic youngster cut inside from the left flank to shrug off the challenge of Jordan Crighton and fire wide of goal.
Major’s next attacking run saw him dart across the pitch and clear down the right wing to meet Ray Miller’s brilliantly weighted through ball; Major’s cross was delivered with the same pin-point accuracy to find Rooney in the box.
Rooney took full advantage to open the scoring with the most delightful of finishes as he deftly flicked the ball behind his leading leg and inside the near post.
The fans had barely retaken their seats before they were brought to their feet once again as Blacktown City quickly doubled their advantage.
Rooney was afforded space on the right flank to swing a dangerous cross into the box; Miyazawa perhaps best judged the flight of the ball in the wind as he beat Matthew Nash to a seemingly routine catch before tucking the ball into an open goal.
The quick fire double put the hosts in the driver’s seat going into the interval, leaving Bonnyrigg with it all to do in the second half if they were to keep pressure on league leader’s Sutherland Sharks.
Miller was the stand out player of the opening half and he looked to produce more of the same in the second as he skinned Crighton with his blistering pace before firing goalward from 20-yard; the effort required a fine low save from Nash who tipped the ball away for a corner.
Brian Brown looked for a quick remedy to bolster his side’s attack which had proved toothless so far, bringing in Robbie Younis and Alex Canak to aid their hunt for a route back into the match.
The visitor’s next corner almost paved the way for a goal as a Younis took control of a goalmouth scramble to tee up Tomasevic on the edge of the box; once again Crane was positioned to deny the defender once again with a pair of safe hands.
Howard Fondyke was next to test Crane as he met Chis Tadrosse’s ball with a powerful first-time strike; the custodian was again up to the task.
Younis crafted Bonnyrigg’s next chance as he held the ball up on the edge of the box before sliding Mitch Long through on goal with a smart ball; Crane reacted quickly to block Long’s attempted finish before Andrea Del Brocco bravely threw his body into the path of Younis’ follow-up to deflect the ball clear.
Blacktown City almost wrapped up the game soon after when Kearyn Baccus intercepted Tadrosse’s clearance before putting Rooney one-on-one with the goalkeeper; Nash was quick off his line to spread his frame to deny Rooney a second of the afternoon.
Miyazawa made no mistake with his next chance soon after; the fleet-footed Japanese import slipped in behind Bonnyrigg’s backline to meet Patrick Gatt’s long ball before rounding the keeper slotting home to secure his brace and give his side a seemingly unassailable lead.
Bonnyrigg responded quickly as their substitutes combined well to pull a goal back within minutes; Canak found Younis in the box and the striker was clinical as he tucked his finish into the back of the net to give his side hopes of a comeback.
It was not to be as Major wrapped up the win for Blacktown City soon after, collecting Rooney’s pass before calmly placing the ball past Nash with the coolest of finishes.
Crittenden then withdrew Miller for Matthew Mayora for the closing minutes; the midfielder received a deserved ovation from the fans for his brilliant performance on the afternoon.
The final chance of the match fell to Aaron Peterson who produced a solid volley only to see his effort blocked by Del Brocco, summing up the afternoon for both sides as Blacktown City showed true grit to earn their win while Bonnyrigg were left frustrated and well beaten despite giving it their all until the final whistle.
Blacktown City FC coach Mark Crittenden was delighted with the win and happy to see that all went to plan for his side this afternoon:
“I’m very happy,” said Crittenden jovially.
“I thought we did well – we played very well last week and didn’t win – so football’s a funny game.
“They’re always extremely hard to beat and to put four past them was very good.
“It was always going to be a tough one, we went against the breeze in the first-half and wanted to go into half-time in front or even all square would have been nice, so it went to plan which doesn’t always happen so it was good.”
Crittenden also took time out to praise both Travis Major and Ray Miller who were both brilliant in today’s win:
“Travis will tell you his best position is up top,” joked Crittenden.
“We keep teasing him that we’ll drop him into right back so he’s ready to leave the club but he’s done well.
“Ray has great feet.
“He’s carried a few injuries and we’re just getting him back now so if we can keep him on the park and get ourselves into the finals he’ll be a hard player to contend with.
“He’s got super feet and is very quick over ten yards so he’s very quick.”
With all eyes on the table going into the latter stages of the season Crittenden will continue to take things one week at a time to keep his side focussed for the run into the finals:
“There are still seven teams that are a chance of making the finals,” said Crittenden.
“I’m not counting my chickens yet that’s for sure.
“We’ve got United and Marconi in the next two weeks so it doesn’t get any easier for us.
“We’ll just keep taking every week at a time.
“I’m happy with the way we’re playing; we’re playing some good football so it’s definitely a positive.”
Bonnyrigg White Eagles coach Brian Brown was disappointed by the result and thought his players deserved more for the effort they showed this afternoon:
“Obviously it’s a bad result on an awful pitch on awful day, really, for us,” said Brown.
“I didn’t think we played particularly that bad to lose 4-1, I just think we’re losing very bad goals.
“There’s a lack of communication in that area and it’s killing us at the moment.
“When we should clear it we’re not, when we should come we’re not, and that’s been hard on us.
“I think we’re just losing goals at killer times and it’s hurting us.
“I can’t fault the effort of the players; a lot of teams would just stop and we’ve kept going until the end.
“We certainly had enough chances to score a few goals but it’s just not happening for us at the moment.”
Brown stood by his squad and accepted responsibility for today’s result while challenging his players to their recent run of poor form around as a team to get their campaign back on track:
“This is the time where if we’re going to show something as a club and a team we’ve got to stand up, stick together, and go forward,” said Brown.
“There’s no question that the guys in the changing room have the talent, I’ve got to take the responsibility for the result because I pick the team.
“If any blame is to be placed on anybody’s shoulders it’s on me because ultimately I put the players on the park.”
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 4 (Sean Rooney 36’, Ryuji Miyazawa 38’, 74’, Travis Major 82’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC 1 (Robbie Younis 78’)
Sunday 21st July, 2013
Lily Homes Stadium, Seven Hills
Referee: Michael Weiner
Assistant Referees: Andrej Giev and Lance Greenshields
Fourth Official: Lachlan Keevers
Blacktown City FC: 1.Brody Crane; 3.Andrea Del Brocco, 6.Matt Lewis, 7.Travis Major, 8.Ray Miller (15.Matthew Mayora 83’), 9.Ryuji Miyazawa, 10.Harris Gaitatzis (4.Yianni Fragogiannis 71’), 11.Sean Rooney, 12.Kearyn Baccus, 19.Zac Cairncross (5.Patrick Gatt 26’), 20.Jacob Poscoliero
Substitutes Not Used: 13.Blake Tuxford
Yellow Cards: Travis Major 85’
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Matthew Nash; 4.Vuko Tomasevic, 5.Chris Tadrosse, 6.Nikola Zonjic, 7.Tynan Diaz, 10.Mitchell Long, 14.Jordan Crighton (9.Robert Younis 50’), 16.Howard Fondyke, 18.Adrian Ucchino, 19.Aaron Peterson, 21.Bo Hyun Chun (8.Aleksander Canak 50’)
Substitutes Not Used: 2.Alex Mansueto, 15.Steven Hesketh, 33.Nikodin Matic
Yellow Cards: Tynan Diaz 90’
Red Cards: Nil
-By Michael Shoolman
Sharks extend lead at top with Blacktown City scalp
It was billed as a blockbuster. What followed was a chess match.
Two decisive moves decided it in Sutherland’s favour. The first came in the 70′ minute when Nathan Elasi found the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
The second arrived in the dying embers of the match, Nik Tsattalios rifling home after a nice dink over the defence from Panni Nikas.
That, however, doesn’t tell the whole story.
Blacktown City FC had two wonderful chances after Elasi’s opener. The first saw Sutherland survive by the skin of their teeth, the second confirmed that it must be their night.
A shot from the energetic Harris Gaitatzis came back off the post and with Sean Rooney poised to score, Sharks ever consistent defender Perry Moustakas flung himself in front of his goal-bound effort to preserve the lead.
From the resulting corner, Gaitatzis himself headed against the far post. Fine margins, but at the pointy end of the league, it is those margins that decide games.
Sutherland should have been in front as early as the 11′ minute. Jamie McMaster, playing alone up front, should have converted when presented with an opportunity by an Elasi cross, but from ten yards he hit the post.
It was McMaster himself who started the move with a lovely flick, but he lacked accuracy when it mattered most.
Elasi shot over after a clever free-kick routine from Tsattalios and Nikas found the Sutherland number 7 in the area and McMaster lined up a shot from distance that flew over.
Sutherland was marginally the better side in first-half, as the sides sparred without landing any real punches.
The Sharks seemed poorer for the absence of Chris Naumoff, left on the bench by Robbie Stanton, even in the injury-enforced absence of Brad Boardman.
When Gaitatzis’ 61′ corner hit the first man, and a then minute later Ray Miller sliced a volley horribly wide, it seemed that perhaps goals would be saved for another time.
Elasi struck though and in doing so prompted a flurry of goal mouth activity, culminating in Blacktown City’s double chance.
News filtered through of Rockdale City taking the lead at Bonnyrigg and that pumped the crowd up on a cold night in the Shire, even if Bonnyrigg eventually managed to equalise.
Mark Crittenden gambled, replacing Andrea Del Brocco with Matthew Mayora, but Blacktown City’s hopes were extinguished when Tsattalios found the space vacated by Del Brocco, and finished with venom.
Robbie Stanton acknowledged that the match was a tight affair, saying:
"It was pretty cagey from both teams.
"Both teams respect each other. We both had some half chances but we weren’t as effective as we wanted to be.
"In the end it came down to taking chances and they had a couple of their own, but we stuck ours away.
"That was the difference. They’re a very good team, one of the best, if not the best that we’ve played this season," Stanton said.
Mark Crittenden likewise, pointed out the importance of taking chances at the top level:
"It’s very disappointing," he said.
"We gave them one little sniff, and they took it. That’s why they’re where they are and we’re where we are.
"I thought the second-half was very good, probably one of our better performances of the year, but we’ve come away with nothing," Crittenden said.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Nathan Elasi 70′, Nik Tsattalios 90′)
Blacktown City FC 0
Saturday 13th July, 2013
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistant Referees: Mitchell Clark and Matthew Wright
Fourth Official: Karl Davies
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.Nicholas Littler, 4.James McKenzie, 7.Nathan Elasi, 8.Nicholas Olsen, 10.Jamie McMaster, 13.Reo Morinaga, 14.Nick Stavroulakis (C), 15.Perry Moustakas, 23.Panni Nikas, 33.Nik Tsattalios
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Andrew Depta; 3.Michael Stuart, 17.Klim Gjorseski, 19.Christopher Naumoff, 28.Jacob Tratt
Yellow Cards: Nik Tsattalios 43′, Nicholas Olsen 85′
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown City FC: 1.Brody Crane; 3.Andrea Del Brocco (15.Matthew Mayora 82′), 6.Matthew Lewis, 7.Travis Major, 8.Raymond Miller, 9.Ryuji Miyazawa, 10.Harris Gaitatzis (4.Yianni Fragogiannis 87′), 11.Sean Rooney, 12.Kearyn Baccus, 19.Zac Cairncross, 20.Jacob Poscoliero
Substitutes Not Used: 13.Blake Tuxford; 5.Patrick Gatt
Yellow Cards: Raymond Miller 64′, Sean Rooney 75′
Red Cards: Nil
-By Matthew Connellan
Parisi perfection hands APIA-Leichhardt Cup triumph
A near flawless 90’ minutes of football by Billy McColl’s APIA-Leichhardt Tigers saw the Inner West side snatch an unlikely, yet much deserved, Waratah Cup triumph against Sutherland Sharks on Sunday afternoon.
Battling not only against the thought of potential relegation in the league, and an away match against the top of the table Sutherland Sharks, the Tigers’ tactics were near perfect, starving the Sharks ball players of possession in the key areas – The loss too, only Sutherland’s second loss this season – League and Cup.
For the Tigers, playmaker Franco Parisi was brilliant, offering the large number of spectators a spectacle of sorts with his fine ball skill, creativity and eye for goal. In the end, it was his involvement in the first two goals – the first carrying Jason Oswell’s name, and the second his own – before Sean Symons added a third to add further delight to the victory.
Parisi’s return to the starting line-up, after a rather long spell off the bench, almost paid immediate dividends as he linked up with Jason Oswell, showcasing some exquisite short passes, before winning his side a free-kick. The Tigers’ number 10 floated the ball into the penalty-area and only just saw his effort skip past Nathan Denham’s left-hand post.
Both sides looked to up the ante in the middle of the park with a good spell of possession for both sets of midfielders with Panni Nikas looking to get on as much of the ball as possible for the Sharks.
Parisi was at it again on 10’ minutes with a wicked, dipping, effort that was destined for the top corner; the shot thwarted by an exceptional fingertip save by Denham.
The Sharks quick ball movement appeared to have the Tigers a little edgy across the backline, as Andrew Bazi was quick off his line to head clear a threat initiated by Panni Nikas shortly after.
Despite the Sharks appearing to hold the better possession in the middle of the park, it was the Tigers who carved out another serious opening. Some fine ball movement out on the right saw Michael Hawrysiuk centre a tantalising ball onto the head of Oswell who forced Denham into a routine save on 15’ minutes.
Sutherland looked to respond quickly with Jamie McMaster winning possession and beating two markers before drilling his effort on goal from the edge of the penalty-area. The ball carried a massive deflection that made it easy pickings for Bazi in the Tigers goal.
The Sharks came to life in the 19’ minute from a Nikas’ free-kick on the right flank. The playmaker’s delivery was pin-point accurate as a glancing header by Perry Moustakas was only partially dealt with by the retrieving Tigers’ bodies. The scramble that ensued saw the ball fall to Nik Tsattalios who had his first-time effort deflected behind for a corner.
Tsattalios continued to press out on the left for the Sharks and he was only denied by some expert defending from APIA-Leichhardt captain Michael West on 21’ minutes.
Perry Moustakas showcased all his ability with a weaving run in the 22’ minute. Collecting the ball from deep, the Sharks central defender showed composure and finesse as he opened up some space for Tsattalios, denied only by some expert defending from West and Paul Galimi.
Oswell opened the scoring, somewhat fortuitously, though none the less there could be no arguments about the side deserving to be in front. Again, playmaker Parisi was involved starting the Tigers counterattack with a fabulous back heel. The return ball from the left fell into the path of the number 10 who blasted a first-time drive against Oswell. The striker got his body in the way to divert into the back of the net.
For all Denham’s brilliance, the shot-stopper could not be faulted as the massive deflection took him way out contention to make the save.
Sutherland set forward to find an equaliser and Nathan Elasi very nearly delivered. The speedy flanker, switching mid-half to the left, got in behind the Tigers defenders only to see his diagonal effort saved by Bazi.
The Parisi show continued late-on in the half with the number 10 showcasing some superb touches for Oswell. On 37’ minutes, Parisi shimmied his way past two defenders before releasing the striker who saw his attempt on goal denied only by the brilliant Denham.
The Tigers closed the half on the front foot with Parisi again the orchestrator of all things in the front-third. The playmaker’s composure on the ball was world class as he played a cheeky ‘dink pass’ into the path of Oswell who was quickly closed down by the Sharks defenders.
Nikas tried his luck with a mazy run on the left byline, for the Sharks, though he too was cleanly dispossessed by the Tigers rearguard.
Immediately following the re-start, both playmakers – Panni Nikas for the Sharks and Franco Parisi for the Tigers – looked to further stamp their authority on the match with some scintillating artistry on the ball and exceptional passing.
The Tigers created the first chance of the second period when Parisi, again, played a neat layoff to Kayes who blasted his long-range drive against the crossbar on 48’ minutes.
Not to be outdone, the Sharks responded with Tsattalios covering enormous ground to cut the ball back into the path of a free Elasi at the back post. Elasi’s first-time effort was goal bound, though an exceptional level of defending saw the Tigers’ put bodies on the line to keep the lead intact.
Sutherland followed that attempt up with Nick Littler heading over from a Nikas corner on 50’ minutes. The central defender rose highest inside the penalty-area though only just failed to direct his header on target.
Out of the Sharks dugout, coach Robbie Stanton replaced Reo Morinaga with Michael Stuart on the hour, as captain Nick Stavroulakis got more involved in the middle of the park, covering a massive amount of kilometres in the process.
In the 62’ minute, the Sharks, with the fine vision of Nicholas Olsen, carved out an opening for Tsattalios down the left. The Sutherland left winger used his pace to get to the ball first though sliced his first-time shot wide of goal.
Parisi’s brilliance continued in the 63’ minute when he sold, and re-sold, his marker with two tremendous turns on the ball. With complete ease, the APIA-Leichhardt number 10 played a delightful cross into the path of Oswell who hit his first-time acrobatic effort over the crossbar.
The contest was all but ended 2’ minutes later when man of the match Franco Parisi, once more, had the full house in awe of his tremendous skill.
Parisi dispossessed Nikas on the halfway line with a perfectly timed intervention before releasing Keith Shevlin. The Tigers midfielder was brilliant in waiting for the moment to play the ball back to Parisi before the number 10 showed some pure genius in beating his marker and drilling the ball, low and hard, into the bottom left-hand corner.
APIA-Leichhardt should really have put the game away in the 72’ minute when a goal mouth scramble occurred inside the Sharks penalty-area. Kayes first, then Symons, were denied by a sea of Sharks legs as Nick Littler made a final goal line clearance to keep the deficit at two.
1’ minute later, Shevlin perhaps missed the easiest chance created by APIA-Leichhardt. David D’Apuzzo’s centre from the left picked out Shevlin, totally unmarked, at the back post. With the simplest of tap-ins required Shevlin, in all fairness at full stretch, sky-rocketed his attempt over the crossbar.
The Sharks best efforts to get forward saw the side struggle on the transition as Stavroulakis somewhat uncharacteristically coughed up possession in the middle of the park to Adel El Jamal. The makeshift forward picked his time nicely to release Oswell though the Sharks got men back behind the ball to annul any further damage to the scoreboard.
Nikas and Olsen both looked to get possession in the front-third for substitute Brad Boardman though the Michael West led Tigers defence, with Aaron Clapham’s tireless efforts in midfield, constantly frustrated the Sharks who looked short on ideas in the final part of the field.
Sutherland’s final chance of the encounter arrived in the 3’ minute of injury-time and it arrived via a set-piece. On the edge of the penalty-area, free-kick specialist Nikas stamped his curling attempt against the crossbar.
With the 4’ minutes almost up, the Tigers did wander forward on one last occasion to add further glory to the win, netting its third goal of the afternoon. A fine counterattack involving Clapham and El Jamal finally saw a loose ball fall to Symons who drove his half-volley into the bottom right-hand corner with aplomb.
The win was well-deserved, no doubt, something coach Billy McColl was very sure about:
“I thought we were brilliant tonight, we totally dominated proceedings out there,” explained McColl.
“To be honest, we created a few more chances so had we scored five or six tonight, I feel that would have been fair.”
McColl went on to explain his personal success:
“This is a win for the club, a great club, and it is a prestigious trophy to win. For me personally, it is the highlight of my career and I am really proud of the boys for their work rate tonight.”
McColl continued: “The boys proved they can play good football, and that is what we had asked of them. Last weekend’s performance in the league was awful, and we needed to ensure that was not seen again today.”
On the Tigers’ precarious League position:
“If you asked me prior to the match whether I would sign for the Cup Final win or three successive wins in the league, I would have taken the nine-points in the league.
“We still have a lot of work to do to ensure we remain in the top-flight, though I believe with the attitude shown today, we can certainly finish the season strongly,” McColl ended.
Sutherland Sharks left-sided winger Nik Tsattalios was evidently disappointed at the conclusion of the 90’ minutes:
“Look, that is how football goes sometimes, maybe we were due a loss,” said Tsattalios.
“APIA was the better team, they played the match the way they needed to play and we just couldn’t break them down today, so they are deserving winners.”
Asked about the Sharks objectives now, Tsattalios continued:
“We have a good dressing room in there, the boys are disappointed though the belief amongst the group, and the morale, is very high, so we will be looking to bounce back quickly.
“Our attentions now are firmly on the league, we have some big matches coming up and we will look to get the results we need to ensure we win some silverware this season,” ended Tsattalios.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 0
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 3 (Jason Oswell 27’, Franco Parisi 65’, Sean Symons 90’+3’)
Sunday 7th of July, 2013
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Chris Young
Assistant Referees: Craig Fisher and Andre Giev
Fourth Official: Khodr Yaghi
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.Nicholas Littler (4.James McKenzie 74’), 6.Matthew Gordon, 7.Nathan Elasi, 8.Nicholas Olsen, 10.Jamie McMaster (9.Brad Boardman 70’), 13.Reo Morinaga (3.Michael Stuart 56’), 14.Nick Stavroulakis (C), 15.Perry Moustakas, 23.Panni Nikas, 33.Nik Tsattalios (17.Klim Gjorseski 70’)
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Andrew Depta;
Coach: Robbie Stanton
Yellow Cards: Nik Tsattalios 30’, Jamie McMaster 49’
Red Cards: Nil
APIA Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Andrew Bazi, 5.Michael West (C), 6.Michael Hawrysiuk (16.Sean Symons 30’), 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Keith Shevlin (12.Miroslav Radulovic 90’), 9.Jason Oswell, 10.Franco Parisi (3.Adel El Jamal 74’), 11.Paul Galimi, 13.David D’Apuzzo, 14.Aaron Clapham, 15.Brad Bartels
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Simon Jaeger, 4.Brendan Reilly
Coach: Billy McColl
Yellow Cards: Paul Galimi 74’
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joseph Carlucci
Player Ratings:
Sutherland Sharks:
1.Nathan Denham – 8 – Denham set the tone for his performance early on when he produced a quality diving save to tip away Parisi’s effort in the opening minutes. He was well positioned to deny Oswell a headed goal soon after yet there was little he could do to deny Oswell a second time when the striker’s wicked deflection left him stranded. Comfortable in the air, Denham put in a fine shift in goal.
2.Nick Littler – 6 –The tall stopper put in a controlled defensive performance yet was occasionally overly casual with his passing which saw him turn possession over in a couple of concerning situations for Sutherland. His passing game aside he handled his opponents with ease on a number of occasions before subbing off for McKenzie with a quarter hour remaining.
6.Matthew Gordon – 7 – Gordon played well on the left side of defence today. His superior pace ensured he was never beaten by his opponent and he put his body on the line to produce a brave block to deny Kayes a certain goal in the second half.
7.Nathan Elasi – 5 – It was a quiet afternoon for the right winger who never really got going today. His explosive pace was nowhere to be seen as he failed to beat D’Apuzzo in a promising position in the first half. Did well to get a shot off under intense pressure soon after yet it was a luckless afternoon in general for Elasi.
8.Nick Olsen – 7 – Great movement off the ball created a lot of space and potential opportunities going forward and Olsen was unfortunate not to receive more of the ball for his hard work. A very impressive first half performance faded away in the second once the cause was lost yet Olsen was one of the better players on the park for his side today.
10.Jamie McMaster – 6 – McMaster’s footwork and distribution was sound yet he failed to produce the killer balls he is well known for as his attempted through balls were regularly intercepted. The effort was there from the attacking midfielder yet the final product eluded him at the end of the day.
13.Reo Morinaga – 6 – The right back put in a disciplined performance this afternoon. Neither Shevlin nor Symons got the better of him throughout his time on the field and his willingness to get forward created a lot of space on the right flank before he was withdrawn for Stuart on 57’ minutes.
14.Nick Stavroulakis – 7 – Stavroulakis was the engine of Sutherland’s midfield, both cleaning up the scraps efficiently and distributing with accuracy. No one would be more disappointed with today’s result than the Sutherland captain who played with a lot of heart only to watch his side’s Waratah Cup dream slip away as the clock ticked over.
15.Perry Moustakas – 6 – Moustakas appeared calm and collected in the opening minutes with a couple of strong challenges to ensure his physical presence would not go unnoticed. Unfortunately for Moustakas things soon headed south from there when a few casual passes crept into his game. Parisi all too easily turned the young defender in the second half before striking the second goal of the game, driving the nail into Sutherland’s coffin.
23.Panni Nikas – 6 – The playmaker looked lively in the first half only to let his influence slip in the second half, most likely due to increasing frustration. As always Nikas pulled the strings in Sutherland’s midfield and slid a number of smart through balls in behind Tigers’ backline only for his efforts to bear no positive results. Nikas struck the crossbar with a free kick in injury time, accurately summing up the afternoon of arguably the most talented player on the pitch.
33.Nik Tsattalios – 5 – Tsattalios has little luck on the left side of midfield before coming off for Gjorseski on 70’ minutes. His pace was his most valuable asset today yet his he was unable to deliver quality crosses into the box and picked up a yellow card for a rash challenge in the first half.
Substitutes:
3.Michael Stuart – 6 – Stuart came on for Morinaga on 57’ minutes and put in a decent performance during his half hour on the pitch. He delivered a couple of dangerous crosses into the box and looked comfortable at the back; unfortunately he was nowhere to be seen when Symons lost him to fire home the third goal of the afternoon in injury time.
4.James McKenzie – 6 – McKenzie came off the bench to replace Littler in the centre of defence on 74’ minutes and his fresh legs came in handy with APIA Leichhardt’s attacking partnership of Oswell and El Jamal causing headaches.
9.Brad Boardman – 6 – Boardman replaced McMaster on 70’ minutes as Robbie Stanton looked for a way to get his side back into the match. Unfortunately Boardman proved to be no more effective against APIA Leichhardt’s stubborn backline who kept him at bay during his time on the pitch.
17.Klim Gjorseski – 5 – Gjorseski came on as a like-for-like swap with Tsattalios on 70’ minutes and while he did appear more energetic than the man he replaced he proved to be just as ineffective as his sharp turns and neat footwork lacked the following cross or ball required to create opportunities for Sutherland.
22.Andrew Depta – N/A – Did not feature.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers
21.Andrew Bazi – 7 – Bazi played well between the sticks for APIA Leichhardt and while he was rarely tested he was quite busy in the air, gathering a number of crosses and free kicks that were delivered into his path. Sutherland never really looked like beating Bazi today and the custodian will be happy to win the cup with a clean sheet.
5.Michael West – 8 – After a nervous moment in which West glanced a header inches wide of his own goal midway through the first half the captain soon settled and did exceptionally well to keep Sutherland quiet in front of goal. Nothing got by West and his defensive partner Galimi throughout the match as the pair played an integral role in today’s win.
6.Michael Hawrysiuk – 5 – Hawrysiuk seemed a little off pace today, perhaps due to an injury that eventually forced him off the pitch on the half hour mark. He found space on the right flank on a few occasions prior to his withdrawal for Sean Symons.
7.Stephen Kayes – 7 – After a quiet first half Kayes didn’t take long to make his mark after the restart when he struck the crossbar with a powerful 20-yard drive. While Kayes didn’t look as sharp as usual he worked hard for his side and did pose a threat going forward on a number of occasions.
8.Keith Shevlin – 6 – Shevlin produced a couple of quality crosses from left side of midfield in the first half and charged up and down both flanks to create all he could for his side. His poor form in front of goal this season continued as he was left blushing midway through the second half when he somehow skied the ball over with an open goal at his mercy after a fine cross found his unmarked at the far post.
9.James Oswell – 8 – The English import has been APIA Leichhardt’s most prolific striker in the cup this year his goal scoring antics continued today when he deflected Parisi’s shot past Denham to open the scoring. Oswell looked a threat all day and kept his markers busy throughout in a fine individual performance.
10.Franco Parisi – 10 – Parisi was nothing short of brilliant this afternoon and deservedly picked up the man of the match award for his performance. His strike deflected in off Oswell to break the deadlock before he scored his sides’ second with a fine individual goal in the second half. Sutherland simply couldn’t get the ball off him today as he turned and glided past defenders with ease while threading miraculous passes through gaps in his opponent’s defensive line. Parisi received a standing ovation for his performance when he was substituted for El Jamal with a quarter hour remaining.
11.Pail Galimi – 8 – Galimi was faultless at the back and helped West to keep Sutherland’s attackers quiet all afternoon. The pair worked well together to shut Sutherland down both on the deck and in the air, playing their part in Bazi’s clean sheet.
13.David D’Apuzzo – 7 – D’Apuzzo held his own on the left side of defence against Elasi and also distributed well today. Usually a threat from the edge of the box, he must have left his shooting boots in the car with a wayward shot and an air swing.
14.Aaron Clapham – 8 – Clapham put in a decent shift in midfield; his defensive game was particularly impressive with a couple of crucial tackles to break down Sutherland attacks and a crucial last ditch slide to deny Elasi a goal early in the second half.
15.Brad Bartels – 7 – Bartels did well on the right side of defence, keeping Tsattalios and Gjorseski quiet attack and ensuring they weren’t able to deliver quality balls into the box.
Substitutes:
1.Simon Jaeger – N/A – Did not feature.
3.Adel El Jamal – 6 – El Jamal came off the bench for Parisi with a quarter hour remaining and played as a makeshift striker rather than in his usual position in the centre of defence. His physical presence saw him hold the ball up well yet the big man did appear out of position during his time on the pitch.
4.Brendan Reilly – N/A – Did not feature.
12.Miroslav Radulovic – 5 – Radulovic came off the bench for Shevlin late on and his little time to make his mark on the match.
16.Sean Symons – 8 – Symons came off the bench early for Hawrysiuk on the half hour mark and did well during his hour on the pitch. His movement and passing created space in attack for his side before he wrapped up the scoring with a well-taken first-time finish is injury time.
-Player Ratings by Michael Shoolman
Blacktown Spartans down luckless South Coast Wolves
A ten-man Blacktown Spartans outfit have continued their recent purple patch with a hard-fought 3-1 win over a gallant South Coast Wolves on a cool and crisp Saturday evening at Rooty Hill’s Blacktown Football Park.
In a free-flowing, end-to-end entertaining encounter – where the score-line didn’t necessarily depict the flow of the game – the outcome of the match was anyone’s to take as both sides failed to capitalise on the numerous chances created.
The Wolves, as has been the case all season long, came out of the blocks with all guns blazing and it was new addition to the team Steve Hayes who fired off a shot wide of the right post in the 3’ minute to ensure that the home side knew that they had a fight on their hands.
The Spartans returned fire almost immediately when the energetic Gregory Kondek launched a nice cross from the right to find the head of Japanese import Jun Kato whose angled header just sailed wide of the right post.
Kato was again in the thick of the action soon after when his shot from the edge of the penalty area was blocked by the Wolves defence that saw the ball ricochet out to an awaiting Zac Freeburn whose rushed shot sailed high over the crossbar.
A counterattack by the Wolves in the 10’ minute was beautifully orchestrated by Hayes who brought the ball nicely out of his own half and lofted a perfectly weighted ball to an awaiting Ricky Zucco. The quick thinking Wolves striker then sent a nice ball out wide to the fast-finishing Mitchell Del Turco whose first touch was tad too long that resulted in not only a realistic missed opportunity, but a sickening collision between Del Turco and the fearless Spartans keeper Carlos Saliadarre.
Both players recovered after the nasty knock, but a harsher pain was felt throughout the entire Wolves pack when a controversial handball penalty was awarded against them just three minutes later after referee Ryan Shepheard adjudicated that young defender Zac Mackenzie had intentionally touched the ball within the box.
New Spartans signing and experienced campaigner Phillip Makrys made no mistake as he slotted the ball past Wolves keeper Daniel Collison to open the scoring for the home side in the 13’ minute.
The Wolves almost leveled the ledger 3’ minutes later through a set play of their own when the always dangerous Zucco drove a low rising free-kick hard into the crossbar from 35-metres out with such vigor that is sure to keep the Blacktown Football Park groundsman busy for most of the next week panel beating out the resultant dent.
Despite dropping an early goal the Wolves dominance continued throughout the mid-sector of the first half when Zucco again combined with the crafty Hayes in the 19’ minute. Zucco’s ability to step defenders is unparalleled in the IGA National Premier League NSW Mens 1 competition and when he faked to the left to fool two would-be Spartans defenders in the middle of the park, only to step back to the right to deliver a flying Hayes a perfect ball to have him one-on-one with the keeper, it was only a poor first touch from the blonde midfielder that denied the visitors a much-deserved equaliser.
The Spartans managed to stem the Wolves onslaught and settled proceedings down to a more comfortable pace towards the back end of the opening half through some enterprising play by experienced campaigners Makrys, Kondek and Bryan Soane. And it was Soane in particular who began to get in behind a tiring Wolves defensive line and could have doubled his side’s lead in the 27’ minute after a nice cross found the head of Freeburn who was unable to angle the ball down and watched it sail over the crossbar.
The small but parochial home fans didn’t have to wait too much longer for their side to find the safety of a second goal as yet another controversial penalty was awarded against the visitors in the 30’ minute when the unfortunate Mackenzie was deemed to have charged the effervescent Kondek as he attempted to shelter an innocuous ball over the line for a goal kick.
Makrys once again made no mistake and despite the evenness of the contest, the score board showed that the Spartans had skipped out to a two goal lead and could have made it a third in the 35’ minute when Kondek’s overhead kick sailed just shy of the crossbar.
The Wolves never-say-die attitude came to the forefront in the 37’ minute when a ‘Zucco special’ from outside of the penalty area slammed into the top of the crossbar and could have reaped the benefit of a replay given the amount of movement of the net behind.
Zucco’s footballing brilliance was again on display in the 43’ minute when he chipped a ball from the right side into the box that had defenders and attackers alike beat to see yet another potential Wolves opportunity fall by the wayside and ensure that the Spartans maintained a two goal advantage heading into the break.
The second-half began with a flurry of opportunities from both sides, and it was the dangerous left boot of the Spartans’ Daniel Wilkinson who could have put the game to bed in the 50’ minute when his freakish power shot from a good 40-metres out tested the Wolves custodian who was equal to the task with his tip over the crossbar to deny the chance.
A minute later saw the Wolves claw their way back into the game when a penalty of their own was awarded when Simonoski was deemed to have been brought down in the box by a Spartans defender where Zucco converted from the spot to give notice that his side was well and truly back into the game.
The Spartans however, immediately stepped up a notch and could have had the two goal buffer reinstated in the 55’ minute when Soane’s on-target shot from the left was only denied by a brilliant reflex save by Collison.
In a game that continually had the spectators on the edge of their seat with end-to-end themed entertainment, the Wolves seemingly answered every attack with a counterattack of their own and an equaliser appeared a formality when Del Turco found himself one-on-one with Saliadarre and only had to chip the Spartans keeper find the back of the net, but was somehow denied by a miraculous save by the fearless Saliadarre who continued to lead his side by example.
The Spartans again looked certain to put the game to bed in the 60’ minute when yet another long-range Wilkinson shot was on target only to find the cold hard steel of the opposition’s crossbar.
The two goal buffer did eventuate in the 67’ minute when a Makrys’ corner caught the Wolves defence napping where an initial shot by Kondek was blocked only to land perfectly for an unmarked Nathan Millgate who slotted the ball past the Wolves keeper and into the back of the net.
With the Spartans seemingly cruising to victory courtesy of the Millgate goal, disaster struck moments later when a rush of blood in the 70’ minute saw the Spartans’ Zac Freeburn needlessly take out a Wolves defender deep in the opposition’s own half. Freeburn, who was already carrying a yellow card through an earlier incident, was given his second yellow and subsequently his marching orders to leave his side in the precarious position of having to play out the remaining 20’ minutes a player short.
However, it was the Spartans who lifted throughout the final quarter of the match playing some of their best football with a player down to not only create a number of realistic chances, but to ensure that they kept their semi-final chances well and truly alive by snaring all three points on offer courtesy of their 3-1 win.
“It has happened a number of times this year when we’ve gone down to ten men and our organisation actually improves,” admitted Spartans coach Ben De Haan when questioned by Football NSW as to why his side performed so well after having a player sent from the field.
“Having the ten men out there actually hurt the Wolves more than us I felt as we played well in tight spaces and broke really well. We found that extra space we didn’t seem to have when we had our full complement of players out there.
“In saying that though it was a tough first-half and fairly evenly matched, so we were happy to get those two penalties and especially after Ricky [Zucco] hit the crossbar a couple of times.”
The normally mild-mannered Wolves coach Richard Lloyd was scathing in his response when asked about his thoughts on the controversial first-half penalties that were awarded against his side.
“Two penalties have once again undone us and I’d like to watch a video replay of them to see just how bad they actually were,” claimed a frustrated Lloyd.
“We’ve had 14 penalties awarded against us this year and just three for. I’ll put my hand up and say that probably half of those have been our fault ….”
“We’re getting a bit sick and tired of walking away with no points after playing so well but as always I’m very proud of how the boys played and I thought that our captain Jacob Timpano was outstanding. I’ve moved him into a more central midfield role and since the move he has probably played his best four games of the season so that’s a real positive for us.”
Blacktown Spartans have a wash out game in hand against Rockdale City Suns, but face a tough run home to the semis with four of their remaining scheduled six games against sides who currently sit in the Top 5 on the IGA National Premier League NSW Mens 1 ladder. With a midseason hiatus for all teams scheduled for next weekend due to the final of the Waratah Cup, Ben De Haan’s men will need to bring their ‘A’ game for their next encounter on Sunday, July 14 as they travel to the heart of Canterbury to take on Sydney Olympic FC whose impressive home record is one of the best in the league having tasted defeat only once in the eight games contested at Belmore Sports Ground in 2013.
The Wolves return to Cringila’s John Crehan Park for their next outing as they host Manly United FC on Saturday evening July 13. Ironically the side from Sydney’s northern beaches boosts one of the best away records remaining undefeated in each of their last five consecutive road trips. The boys from the South Coast have also been impressive in their last two home games (both were transferred to Hooka Creek Park due to refurbishment of John Crehan Park) where they were unlucky to go down 1-0 against Blacktown City despite clearly playing the better football before bouncing back to trounce Marconi 4-1 last weekend with a Ricky Zucco-led goal barrage.
Match Stats
Blacktown Spartans 3 (Phillip Makrys 13’ (pen), 30’ (pen), Nathan Millgate 67’)
South Coast Wolves 1 (Ricky Zucco 52’)
Saturday June 29, 2013
Blacktown Football Park, Rooty Hill
Referee: Ryan Shepheard
Assistant Referees: Nathan Wotton and James Tesoriero
Fourth Official: Kelly Jones
Blacktown Spartans: 1.Carlos Saliadarre; 3.Nathan Millgate, 4.Luka Dukic, 5.Daniel Wilkinson, 6.Gregory Kondek, 7.Phillip Makrys (24.Reid Taylor 83’), 8.Brenton Rhodes (11.Tyson Rhodes 72’), 9.Jun Kato, 10.Bryan Soane (22.Pasquale Polistina 90’+2’), 16.Emmanuel Giannaros, 38.Zac Freeburn
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Luke Turnbull, 35.Jacob Harris
Yellow Cards: Zac Freeburn 32’, Luka Dukic 52’, Phillip Makrys 77’
Red Cards: Zac Freeburn 70’
South Coast Wolves: 1.Daniel Collison; 2.Jack Keating, 5.James Baldacchino (12.Joseph Lavalle 79’), 6.Chris Nathaniel, 8.Steve Hayes, 9.Peter Simonoski (18.John Martinoski 89’), 10.Ricky Zucco, 14.Mitchell Del Turco, 17.Zac Mackenzie, 21.Sam Matthews, 26.Jacob Timpano
Substitutes Not Used: 3.Sam Chapple, 4.Dusan Kolonja, 20.Thomas Hamilton
Yellow Cards: Sam Matthews 45’
Red Cards: Nil
-By Gary McDonald