GRAND FINAL QUALIFYING FINAL
Sutherland Sharks v Manly United, Saturday 4.30pm at Bonnyrigg Sports Centre
The top two teams in the competition face off on Saturday afternoon for the chance to be the first side through to the Grand Final.
Sutherland Sharks finished five points clear of Manly United at the top of the table after 22 rounds and as a result, had the first week of the semi -finals to rest and recover from the exertions of the season.
Sutherland coaches Jim McMillan and Rod Eames will be sure to have their side in great shape for Saturday?s match, which will be played at Bonnyrigg Sports Centre.
In their ranks, they possess two A-League youth products in Western Sydney Wanderers? Nick Olsen and Sydney FC?s Christopher Naumoff, the latter who was named joint NSW Premier League Grade 20s Player of the Year at the Gold Medal dinner last weekend.
Both carry a significant goal threat and Manly United will have to be very wary of their presence.
Nigel Mahoney?s Northern Beaches side defeated Blacktown Spartans 1-0 last weekend to book their place in this Grand Final Qualifier.
The solitary goal was scored in the first half by the prolific Michael McGinley, who has now netted thirteen times this season, a total which saw him come second in the Grade 20s Golden Boot standings.
Manly United were rescued late on by their goalkeeper Tonu Liiband, who saved an 87th minute penalty from Spartans Andre Carle to preserve his side?s lead and thus close out victory.
United looked very dangerous on the counter attack, particularly down their left hand side where Aidan D?Arcy and Jordon Edwards looked threatening.
Manly Untied will certainly be worth opponents for Sutherland Sharks and if both teams are at their best, it should be a fluent, open match.
ELIMINATION FINAL
Blacktown Spartans v Rockdale City Suns, 12.30pm at Belmore Sports Ground
Blacktown Spartans defeat last week means that they face Rockdale City Suns in a do-or-die Elimination Final on Sunday afternoon at Belmore Sports Ground.
Spartans will be returning to the scene of their defeat, whilst Rockdale City will be revelling in their upset victory over Blacktown City at John Crehan Park last weekend.
Their victory knocked out one of the competition favourites, leaving four teams to contest for the Championship.
Spartans were curiously flat in the match against Manly United, only really coming to life in the final ten minutes when United sat deep and invited Mark Zecchin?s side to chase the game.
They were awarded a late penalty, won and taken by Andre Carle, but his spot kick was poor and Tonu Liiband saved to prevent the match going to extra time.
Rockdale City?s experienced looking side travelled south last weekend knowing that they had to win to avoid their season ending and an early goal from Anthony Perri set them on their way.
Blacktown City?s goalkeeper Luke Turnbull had an outstanding game, preventing the scoreline from being more, though Blacktown City did have chances of their own in the second half, but they couldn?t find their shooting boots when presented with opportunities.
With the experience of Tommy Cirjak, Joshua Lawson and the prolific Alec Urocevski likely to be called upon again this weekend, Spartans will have to lift their game to compete with Justin Bucciarelli?s side.
Their win last weekend was certainly a signal of intent and they will prove to be more than a match for Spartans. The winner of this match will play the loser of the Grand Final Qualfier next weekend, the loser will be resigned to a long off season, contemplating what might have been.
NSW Premier League Finals Series Week One Review
Despite struggling in the first-half, the Stallions took control in the second period to seal a 2-0 win and a shot at the recently crowned Premiers.
Blacktown City FC ended South Coast Wolves 2012 campaign with a fine display on a bumpy pitch on the South Coast. The 2010 champions were immense in the first period in setting up the win, before containing the Wolves? second-half fight back to setup another elimination tie next Sunday.
Qualifying Final
Sydney Olympic 0 Marconi Stallions 2
Marconi Stallions stunned reigning champions Sydney Olympic on Sunday afternoon at Belmore Sports Ground with a fine second-half performance to setup a date with Bonnyrigg White Eagles next weekend.
Sydney Olympic failed to make the most of its first-half territorial domination as Marconi netted two second-half goals courtesy of Joey Gibbs for the win.
Gibbs netted his opener from close-range following a Marconi corner, must to the disbelief of the home supporters.
Nathan Elasi combined with Gibbs for the second with latter grabbing his brace for the afternoon with a world class finish.
The win sets up a matchup with Bonnyrigg White Eagles to see which team progresses to the grand-final, meanwhile Sydney Olympic face elimination football when the side meets Blacktown City FC next weekend.
Elimination Final
South Coast Wolves 1 Blacktown City FC 2
South Coast Wolves failed to capitalise on home ground advantage at John Crehan Park on Saturday, falling 2-1 against a well-drilled Blacktown City FC and consequently ending its 2012 campaign.
Blacktown City was near perfect in a dominant first-half where the side went in at the break with a two-goal lead.
Youngster Travis Major was in great touch early, winning his side a penalty in only the 6? minute. Major, who converted a penalty against Daniel Collison a fortnight ago, was this time not so fortunate as the Wolves shot-stopper made a fine save to keep the scores level.
The opening goal did arrive on 24? minutes and it carried Adam Jenner?s name. Jenner took advantage of a poorly played pass to blast home with a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty-area.
Blacktown City extended its lead shortly before the interval. Following Matt Lewis? curling delivery, the Wolves defenders struggled to clear the ball. Blacktown City defender Zac Cairncross, who has had a big season for the club, netted with a fine finish to double his side?s lead.
After the break, Ricky Zucco re-opened the contest with a cool finish to convert a very neat counterattack. The Wolves striker showed poise and finesse to get into the position and neatly net his side a lifeline.
Despite the home side?s best efforts to find an equaliser, Blacktown City showed a steady hand in administering proceedings and keeping alive its finals ambitions.
-By Joseph Carlucci
NSW Premier League Grade 20s Round 1 Finals Series Review
QUALIFYING FINAL
MANLY UNITED FC 1-0 BLACKTOWN SPARTANS, AT BELMORE SPORTS GROUND
Manly United defeated Blacktown Spartans in the Qualifying Final at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon, with Michael McGinley scoring the solitary goal of the match in the first half. Spartans had the chance to equalise late on, but Tonu Liiband was the hero, saving Andre Carle’s poorly struck penalty.
A place in the Grand Final qualifier was coveted by both Manly United and Blacktown Spartans as the match kicked off in earnest at the picturesque Belmore Sports Ground.
The sun was shining and a light breeze was blowing across the home of Sydney Olympic, the pitch looking resplendent as the grandstands began to fill up.
The opening ten minutes was of the cagey variety as both sides pushed and probed but without any real penetration in the final third. Goalkeepers Tonu Liiband and Jesse Shewan were able to enjoy the sunshine as both sides felt their way into the match.
Manly United created half an opening in the 11′ minute, when some beautiful skill from Aidan D’Arcy saw him flick the ball over a defender and then slide a ball in the direction of Michael McGinley. A slip from a Spartans defender nearly let McGinley in but he didn’t anticipate the opportunity and Shewan grabbed the loose ball.
Manly settled into their style as the match wore on with D’Arcy and Jordon Edwards prominent on the left hand side.
Both sides were committed to play progressive, possession based football on an excellent surface at Belmore. Blacktown Spartans had first grade experience in their line up in the form of Tomislav Herceg and Andre Carle and it was to Carle whom they looked for on the counter attack.
On the half hour mark, there were two chances, one at either end. Firstly, Manly United caught Spartans napping when Jack Green took a quick free kick, finding Leigh Egger at the back post, but his header was wastefully placed straight at Shewan.
Then, Spartans went straight up the other end and when Kieran Dalton showed too much pace for Egger, it took a last ditch challenge from Josh Ward to prevent Dalton scoring after he rounded Liiband.
A surging run from Carle down the right threatened Manly United shortly after and only some resolute defending from Ward stopped him from breaking into the penalty area.
Manly United were awarded a free kick in the 35′ minute, in a dangerous position to the left of the penalty area. Edwards’ looked to have caught Shewan out at his near post but his shot curled just wide, as the match began to warm up.
Manly’s coach Nigel Mahoney was seated in his customary position in the grandstand and he would have been delighted to get a fantastic view as his side were rewarded for their persistence with the opening goal.
A simple switch from the centre of the park to the left hand side found Jamie Craig, who volleyed a first time cross into the area. McGinley ghosted in unnoticed at the near-post to tap in his thirteenth goal of the season and give Manly United a precious 1-0 lead.
Egger was booked in first half stoppage time for a foul that gave Spartans a free kick in a deadly position just outside the area. Harley Da Silva lined it up, but he sent it way over the bar.
The second half started much as the first did, with neither side willing to commit too much to attack in for fear of being played out of the match too early.
Blacktown Spartans coach Mark Zecchin was the first coach to blink, sending on Mitchell Davidson for Cameron McKinnon just before the hour mark in a bid to find parity on the scoreboard. He had already replaced Daniel Rees with Reyze Kelly at the half-time interval.
Carle went close to equalising in the 65′ minute, as he cut inside from the left, beating four players before eventually being stopped by the onrushing Liiband, who made a good block save to deny the Spartans attacker.
Liiband’s opposite number kept Spartans in the game just a minute later. McGinley turned beautifully inside the area to create space to shoot, only for Shewan to make a fantastic one-on-one save to keep his side in the match.
Nigel Mahoney made his first substitution shortly after, replacing Edwards with Harry Sweeney, as he looked to protect his side’s 1-0 lead.
Harley Da Silva went close to equalising for Spartans in the 72′ minute when his low, fizzing shot was touched onto the post by Liiband, but in reality they were carrying little threat to the Manly United goal in what was a curiously flat performance thus far.
Manly United continued to look dangerous, especially when Sweeney burst down the right and found Ferguson on the edge of the area. His first shot was straight at Shewan, much to the chagrin of McGinley, who thought he should have squared the pass.
Reid Taylor replaced Calum Hedge for Spartans with ten minutes to go, as they tried to find an equalising goal that would send the match to extra time. Andre Carle was booked immediately afterwards for a challenge born more out of frustration than anything else.
Spartans desperation was increasing as the clock wound down and the match began to take on that familiar tension that semi finals football often brings.
Manly United were beginning to camp a little deeper as Spartans pushed onwards looking for a solitary goal, but the side from the Northern Beaches looked ever more threatening on the counter attack, especially through the excellent Sweeney.
Manly nearly wrapped the game up in the 84′ minute when a cross from Sweeney missed McGinley at the near post, only to find the onrushing D’Arcy at the back post. His fierce strike was superbly touched on to the post by the outstanding reflexes of Shewan and Spartans survived again.
Grant Brown had to be alert at the back to prevent a Spartans attack making its way into the area, the Manly defender conceding a corner in the 85′ minute. It was a far better outcome than conceding a goal.
They did, however, concede a penalty immediately after when Carle went over an outstretched leg just inside the area. As Spartans most threatening player it was reward for his whole hearted efforts and he lined up the spot kick himself, knowing that to score would take the match to extra time.
His penalty was terribly struck though, the Spartans attacked scuffing it low to Liiband’s left and the goalkeeper, having guessed the right way was able to make a routine save, or at least as routine as penalty saves go. It was a devastating blow for Carle and for Spartans, who couldn’t recover in the final few minutes to find an equaliser.
As a result, Manly United will play Sutherland Sharks next weekend for a place in the grand final, whilst Spartans will be left to face Rockdale City in an elimination match.
Blacktown Spartans coach Mark Zecchin was philosophical about the defeat.
“I thought Manly United were the better side in the first half, so at half time we had to address that.
“In the second half we had slightly better play and of course we had the penalty right at the end,” he said.
“If we scored that I thought we would have had the momentum going into extra time as we were in the ascendancy at that point, but ‘c’est la vie’!
“The beauty of finishing in the top three is that we get another chance, so we’ll train hard during the week and regroup for next weekend,” Zecchin added.
Match Stats
Manly United FC 1 (McGinley 37′)
Blacktown Spartans 0
Sunday 9th September, 2012
Belmore Sports Ground, Belmore
Referee: Nathan Roberts
Assistant Referees: Craig Fisher and Adam Coombes
Manly United FC: 25.Tonu Liiband, 15.Jordon Edwards (20.Harry Sweeney 68′), 22.Leigh Egger, 27.Aidan D’Arcy, 28.Josh Ward, 29.Will Pritchard, 31.Dominic Ferguson (37.David Chung 88′), 32.Jamie Craig, 33.Grant Brown, 34.Nathan Simm, 35.Michael McGinley
Substitutes Not Used: 24. Tom Manos, 30.Jack Green, 18.Dejan Pandurevic
Yellow Cards: Leigh Egger 45′
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown Spartans: 40.Jesse Shewan, 28. Andre Carle, 24. Mark Puskarcuk, 25.Corey Biczo, 26.George Yousif, 30.Kieran Dalton, 31.Cameron McKinnon (18.Mitchell Davidson 58′), 34.Calum Hedge (20.Reid Taylor 80′), 35.Harley Da Silva, 37.Daniel Rees (33. Reyze Kelly 45′), 38.Tomislav Herceg
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Daniel Sadaka, 21.Justin Cootes
Yellow Cards: Andre Carle 81′
Red Cards: Nil
ELIMINATION FINAL
BLACKTOWN CITY 0-1 ROCKDALE CITY SUNS, AT JOHN CREHAN PARK
Blacktown City’s season came to a meek end in Wollongong early on Saturday after they went down 1-0 to an experienced Rockdale City Suns side at John Crehan Park.
Anthony Perri scored after six minutes in a match that saw Rockdale City dominate the opening half hour.
Blacktown City created some chances of their own in the second half, but were unable to find their killer instinct in front of goal, a trait that has haunted them for much of the second half of the season.
Rockdale City were excellent value for their win though, and they will face Blacktown Spartans in an Elimination Final next weekend.
Blacktown City coach Mark Strachan said, “If it were a league game I’d have said a draw was a fair result.
“In finals football though, there can only be one winner, so I wish Rockdale City good luck for the rest of their campaign.
“I firmly believe 20s football is about development and progression and I’m very proud of my guys and content with how they’ve developed,” Strachan said.
Rockdale City coach Justin Bucciarelli was very happy with how his side performed.
“It was a great performance. My boys knew it was finals football and they played accordingly.
“It was a different Rockdale City to what we’ve seen lately and we’re looking forward to next week’s game,” he added.
NSW Premier League Round 22 Highlights ONLINE now
As part of Football NSW?s revamped coverage on the NSW Premier League, all six matches will be highlighted and shown every Wednesday/Thursday giving you a look at all the goals, thrills and spills of NSW?s top tier football competition.
The 2012 regular season drew to a close on Sunday afternoon as five teams remain heading into the finals series next weekend.
Premiers Bonnyrigg White Eagles were second best at Blacktown City though still managed to secure a win, securing 53-points this season with fifty goals scored in the process.
Marconi Stallions added a final blow to Sydney United?s season with a 1-0 win in the local derby, securing third-spot in the process.
Sydney Olympic has sealed second spot with a draw against Manly United FC, meanwhile Rockdale City Suns sent captain, and club legend, Peter Apolevski out with a win in the side?s come-from-behind 2-1 defeat of Parramatta FC ? the loss for the Eagles condemning Lee Sterrey?s men to bottom-spot on the ladder.
At Lambert Park, APIA-Leichhardt completed five wins on the trot defeating Blacktown Spartans – the day a significant one for the Tigers, and the League, as it was the last Premier League match to be played on the natural grass. Lambert Park will have a new synthetic playing surface for season 2013.
To view the highlights click here
NSW Premier League Grade 20s Finals Series Week One Preview
ELIMINATION FINAL
Blacktown City vs Rockdale City Suns, Saturday 11am at John Crehan Park
Fourth placed Blacktown City take on fifth place Rockdale City Suns in the Elimination Final on Saturday morning.
John Crehan Park will be the venue for the match in which Blacktown City are favourites, having returned to form by beating a poor Bonnyrigg White Eagles outfit 4-2 last weekend.
Mark Strachan?s side was unstoppable early in the season and looked odds on to run away with the Premiership, but they found their match in Sutherland Sharks, who ended up winning the Premiership by five points.
Blacktown City ended up in fourth position and only an upset victory by Sydney United 58 over APIA Leichhardt Tigers in the final few rounds ensured that they headed into the final round safely in the top five.
Their loss of form in the middle of the season was quite alarming, but they have shown flashes of their brilliant best since and if they can harness the ability and talent that made them so formidable earlier in the season, they will certainly be confident of surviving this match.
Rockdale City Suns had a steady regular season, maintaining a presence in and around the top five throughout the entire 22 rounds of football.
Under the guidance of their coach Justin Bucciarelli, they have forged a reputation as being very difficult to beat. They headed into last weekend?s match against Parramatta Eagles needing a point to hold on to fifth ahead of the fast finishing Eagles.
Their hopes appeared dashed when Wandi Jajaw put Parramatta 2-1 up with three minutes remaining, but a second goal of the match from half-time substitute James Villazon straight from the resulting kick off grabbed Rockdale City a 2-2 draw and ensured that they remained in fifth place.
Blacktown City will rely on their midfielder talisman and captain Harry Brown to dictate the tempo of the match, allowing their attackers to flourish. In Luke Turnbull, they have the outstanding goalkeeper in the competition.
Rockdale City?s strength lies in their resilience and defensive strength, where their captain Lachlan O?Connor has been outstanding. Alan Kovacevic has been in good form also, and scored for the first grade side against Parramatta Eagles last weekend.
For one side, they will progress to the second week of the semi finals where they will face the loser of the Qualifiying Final between Manly United and Blacktown Spartans. For the other, their season will be over and their dreams dashed.
QUALIFYING FINAL
Manly United vs Blacktown Spartans, Sunday 1.30pm at Belmore Sports Ground
Second placed finishers Manly United take on third placed finishers Blacktown Spartans at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon, for the chance to play Sutherland Sharks in a Grand Final qualifier in the second week of the finals.
Manly United had a terrific middle part of the season, in which they soared up the table after a slow start.
They took advantage of the loss of form of Sutherland Sharks and Blacktown City to reel in the deficit they had to the top of the table and they finished five points adrift of Sutherland at the end of the season.
They cruised to a 3-1 win over Sydney Olympic last weekend and will play at the same ground again this weekend.
Blacktown Spartans finished two points adrift of Manly United in what was a hugely successful debut season in the NSW Premier League. In Hoysar Cakal they had the Golden Boot winner for 2012, his 15 goals setting him clear of a number of players on 12 goals, including Manly United?s Michael McGinley.
Mark Zecchin?s well drilled side are more than capable of taking the game to United and they warmed up for the finals series with a solid 2-0 win against APIA Leichhardt Tigers at Lambert Park.
It will be difficult to separate the two sides but by virtue of their sustained excellence throughout the regular season, they will be granted another opportunity should they not be victorious in this match.
-By Matthew Connellan