Kick-off times are as follows:
1st Grade ? 8.15pm
Grade 20s ?6.15pm
Set piece superiority sees Bonnyrigg past Wolves
All four goals on the night came from dead ball situations as Mitch Long?s headed first-half opener from a Tynan Diaz free-kick was cancelled out by Ricky Zucco?s confident second-half penalty.
Robbie Younis restored the host?s lead through a spot kick of his own before a trademark Diaz free-kick fizzed past substitute keeper Hayden Durose in the dying minutes after Daniel Collison saw red for a physical last man challenge on Alex Canak.
Bonnyrigg sought control of the match from the outset, holding possession during the opening minutes as they looked to assert their typical home dominance while Wolves absorbed the early pressure and threatened on the break.
The inclement weather of the days leading into the fixture showed early signs of playing a potentially crucial role in the match as players of both sides slipped in the opening minutes.
Former Wolves front man Chris Payne showed Bonnyrigg?s early attacking ambition with a low driven shot from the edge of the box; however Collison was equal to the task, easily gathering the effort.
Ben Spruce took advantage of space created my his teammates, darting in-field out of the right side of defence before looking to put Younis through on goal ? the defender overcooked his pass which evaded Younis in the slippery conditions and trailed through to the goalkeeper.
The host?s plan of attack appeared to be sliding balls in behind the Wolves backline, however Nick Littler and Jacob Timpano stood firm time and time again, either making crucial interceptions or smartly catching Bonnyrigg?s attack offside with their disciplined defensive structure.
The Wolves were given a brief scare when Nikola Stanojevic?s cross bounced skyward off Michael Robinson?s head, yet all danger was cleared by Timpano who was alert to head the ball away for a corner.
Bonnyrigg found the opening goal from the set piece on the quarter hour mark as Long beat his markers at the near post to head Diaz?s inch-perfect crossed free kick past Collison to break the deadlock.
The goal spurred the visitors forward in search of an immediate equaliser as Sasho Petrovski began to control the tempo in the centre of the park and bring his team mates into the game.
Despite being forced to soak up increased pressure Bonnyrigg still looked to double their advantage as Adrian Ucchino skewed an effort high and wide from the edge of the box.
Payne went painfully close to grabbing Bonnyrigg?s second as he beat Collison to a Ken Chun?s through ball, however with his angle of opportunity narrowed he almost inevitably hit the post as shot from just off the byline.
Chun, who did a wonderful job pulling strings in midfield throughout the match, spun his way past Samuel Jacob with an exquisite touch only to release an unconvincing through ball that was gathered by Collison who was quick off his line to intercept.
Petrovski looked to get in on the action at the other end late in the half, running at the Bonnyrigg backline only to slip at the vital moment with Chris Tadrosse seemingly beaten.
While the visitors were gaining momentum in the latter stages of the half it was the hosts who carved out a golden opportunity with the interval looming.
A late cross skimmed off Nick Littler?s head and fell to Diaz at the far post, whose ensuing effort was tipped into the path of Younis who uncharacteristically headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
Trevor Morgan?s half-time team talk appeared to provide his side with added inspiration as they emerged from the sheds with increased attacking intent.
Zucco earned himself a yard of space on the right flank before whipping a dangerous low cross across the face of goal that narrowly evaded all potential goalward deflections.
The Wolves were rewarded for the efforts soon after as Petrovski ran onto Chris Nathaniel?s perfectly weighted pass before smartly earning a spot kick as he drew the foul from Nikodin Matic with a timely touch to take the ball away from the shot-stopper before his ankles were clipped.
Zucco buried the penalty to Matic?s left to restore parity and spark wild celebrations from the travelling fans. It was the former Illawarra Premier League top scorer’s third goal in as many matches.
Bonnyrigg attempted to draw level soon after with a well rehearsed free-kick, however the dummy runners failed to distract Collison as he held Younis? effort on goal.
Younis did however find the host?s route to the lead as he was felled in the box soon after the hour mark, picking himself up to fire home a thunderous penalty to restore his side?s advantage.
Diaz came close to extending Bonnyrigg?s advantage from the free-kick soon after, drilling a powerful effort toward the near post only to see Collison miraculously tip the ball over.
Wolves came close to earning an equaliser midway through the second period as Petrovski played Peter Simonovski into a promising attacking position only to see Spruce shut down the attack with a smart tactical foul on the edge of the box at the expense of a yellow card.
Petrovski & Co. appealed for handball after he drilled the ensuing free kick into Bonnyrigg?s wall, however their calls were waved away as the contact was correctly deemed unintentionally.
Harris Gaitatzis was introduced into the match as a late substitute by Brian Brown, and the move almost brought immediate reward as the enigmatic midfielder skipped past Collison only to see his chance denied by a crucial intervention from Jack Keating.
The match took a sour turn late on as Collison was shown a straight red for an overly physical bodycheck on Alex Canak on the edge of the box.
Substitute goalkeeper Hayden Durose?s first job on the pitch was to pick the ball out of the back of the net as Diaz launched a screamer of a free-kick, inches inside the top corner to seal the win for his side with an obvious contender for goal of the week.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles coach Brian Brown was delighted with the win, believing it to be no less than his side deserved after their efforts tonight:
?I thought it was going to be a tough game and am very happy to get the win,? said Brown.
?We?ve had to make a few changes in recent weeks which unsettled us a little bit but credit to the boys who worked hard tonight.
?Last week when APIA scored I was worried we would lose the game, yet tonight I didn?t as I actually thought we would come back.
?I think we created enough chances early to put this game away but the decision making wasn?t spot on.?
With his side collectively playing so well Brown found it hard to pick out players that stood out above the rest, yet did take time out to praise Mitch Long and Tynan Diaz for their roles in tonight?s win:
?It?s hard to pick any players out tonight but I thought Mitch Long had a very good game,? said Brown.
?He makes a real nuisance of himself and makes it hard for defenders while Diaz also had a good game.
?We were talking to him before he hit that free-kick and he hit it real well.?
South Coast Wolves coach Trevor Morgan was left frustrated by the result:
?It was similar to the first round at our ground,? said Morgan.
?I think we were very competitive and had nothing to fear against Bonnyrigg.
?Again it was three fouls that decides the game ? a free-kick, a penalty, and another free-kick given away ? so I think that was the difference.
?(After going down 1-0) I don?t think we panicked, up to the point where the penalty happened I felt neither side was dominating and we were playing comfortable and decently dealing with what they were doing.
?After the penalty I think when we?re chasing the game and starting to think about time Bonnyrigg then brought on experienced players with fresh legs off the bench and I guess that?s where they got the edge.?
The Wolves will now look to put the loss behind them as they seek to get back on track against Sydney United next weekend:
?We?re 100% looking to bounce back,? stated Morgan.
?I think in total we had eight players out this week, next week we should have five back which gives us a lot more depth.
?We?re looking forward to the next big game against Sydney United.?
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 3 (Mitch Long 15?, Robbie Younis 65? (pen), Tynan Diaz 90?)
South Coast Wolves 1 (Ricky Zucco 53? (pen) )
Saturday July 7th, 2012
Bonnyrigg Sports Centre, Bonnyrigg Heights
Referee: Alex Glasgow
Assistant Referees: Grant Smith and Thomas Lee
Fourth Official: Danny Horstead
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 33.Nikodin Matic; 23.Mitchell Long, 11.Ben Spruce, 13.Nikola Stanojevic, 18.Adrian Ucchino, 21.Ken Chun (8.Aleksander Canak 66?), 9.Robbie Younis (19.Harris Gaitatzis 83?), 5.Chris Tadrosse, 15.Chris Payne (10.Jordan Simpson 72?), 6.Nikola Zonjic, 7.Tynan Diaz
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Andrew Bazi, 16.Andre Gomez
Yellow Cards: Adrian Ucchino 68?
Red Cards: Nil
South Coast Wolves: 1.Daniel Collison, 2.Jack Keating, 26.Jacob Timpano, 4.Michael Robinson, 5.Samuel Jacob (7.Cameron Littler 76?), 6.Nick Littler, 8.Chris Nathaniel, 15.Jack Madgwick, 10.Sasho Petrovski, 13.Peter Simonovski (16.Daniel Munila 76?, 20.Hayden Durose 89?), 17.Ricky Zucco
Substitutes Not Used: 11.Joseph Lavalle, 3.Dusan Kolonja
Yellow Cards: Cameron Littler 78?
Red Cards: Daniel Collison 88?
-By Mike Shoolman
Rockdale secure win against battling Parramatta
With the match still level after 90? minutes, experienced striker Dylan Macallister secured the win for the home side with an injury-time penalty to keep the Suns? hopes of finals football alive.
Bryan Soane had to be replaced after picking up an injury from a tackle by Giorgio Speranza early on, as the visitors changed the captain with Wandi Jajaw in the 9? minute.
Paul Kohler did well to control the ball on the edge of the box in the 11? minute and sent in a curling shot that had Eagles goalkeeper Matthew Nash on his toes to gather.
Rockdale gathered pace,and when Joshua Lawson went down the left flank to cross for Dylan Macallister, the ball fell to Ricky Perinich whose volley flashed narrowly wide in the 15? minute.
Parramatta hit back when Akiyoshi Saito played a series of intricate one-twos and found himself inside the Suns box. His shot however thudded against the crossbar in the 19? minute in the closest action yet to scoring on the break.
On 26? minutes, acting Suns captain Pece Cvetanovski took a direct free-kick that curled toward the near post, but with the Suns players closing in it left Eagles goalkeeper Nash unsighted as the ball bounced up to hit his chest and go out for a corner.
The visitors were making life very difficult for the Suns but showed neat inter-play to link their attacks, however Akin Oygur was strong at the back with Lawson and they diffused almost everything coming their way.
A succession of crosses needed to be cleared by the Eagles defence as Rockdale laid siege to the visiting goal before the ball finally fell to Cvetanovski in the 38? minute, only to skew his shot wide of the left-hand upright as the Suns upped the tempo and wanted to go into the break ahead.
The half ended scoreless, although Rockdale had the better of the possession they couldn?t turn it into scoring chances with Parramatta able to open up the Suns defence on a couple of occasions.
The home side mounted plenty of early pressure and came close in the opening minutes of the second period but the final ball option was lacking in a game of few chances.
The Suns were almost caught out in the 52? minute, saved only by a last ditch tackle by Ricky Perinich to defuse the situation.
The tackling left nothing to be desired as the frustration began to show for both sides as the drizzling rain made the surface a little more slippery the 50/50 balls were even more of a lottery.
With 61? minutes on the clock, Macallister knocked the ball down for Kohler who unleashed a thunderbolt that flew past the post as another chance went begging for Rockdale as they continued to take the game to Parramatta.
Substitute Wandi Jajaw was replaced by Ishmail Hadife in the 65? minute for the Eagles after suffering a knock.
Giorgio Speranza was next to fire one wide for Rockdale from the edge of the box in the 69? minute as they pressed the Eagles further, though still no breakthrough.
Cvetanovski tried his luck from 35-yards out in the 77? minute that Nash did well to get behind and hang on to with Macallister following up.
Nash had to punch clear from under the bar as an in-swinging corner curled toward the net that led to a goalmouth scramble shortly after, before the goalkeeper was able to fall on the ball and deny the home side.
On 83? minutes the rain finally began to tumble down from the skies as the Eagles were forced to fight a rearguard action allowing them to hit on the break only sporadically as the Suns dominated much of the game.
Nash was called into action again 3? minutes later to bravely save at the feet of Lawson as the home side went for broke.
Alec Urosevski probably should have secured the points for Rockdale but under heavy pressure was twice unable to connect with the ball inside the box.
If there was to be a winner it would need to come in the last 3? minutes of stoppage time and it came when Parramatta conceded a penalty that Macallister took in the 91? minute.
The experienced campaigner slotted home to goalkeeper Nash?s left, securing the points for a Rockdale side that was made to work hard for the win by a tough battling Parramatta FC side.
?I thought we were very good in the opening 20? minutes, playing to the conditions,? stated Eagles coach Lee Sterrey before continuing: ?We had the best chance of the match when we hit the crossbar and realistically we haven?t hit the back of the net from those positions all season so if we lead one-nil there we are in with a shout.
?They had some chances in the first-half, three corners in a row and had us under some pressure and I told the players about the set pieces and the danger Rockdale posed from them but I feel we deserved at least a point from the match.
?I feel we had three good shouts for a penalty ourselves and didn?t get them yet they get one and the rest is history. I feel very disappointed for the players as they did enough tonight, stuck to the game plan and came away with nothing after the effort they put in.?
Mark Rudan was honest in his assessment when adding: ?I?m happy we got the three points but I don?t think we deserved them to be honest.
?I was worried about this game and thought Parramatta would be a tough nut to crack, we are used to playing in the afternoon and not 8pm kick-offs and that was another factor to think about but the Eagles certainly don?t deserve to be where they are at the moment when you look at the games they have played and I cannot recall them losing by more than two goals all season.
?They have some really good kids there and I was genuinely worried about this fixture and whether our attitude would be right as well as our work ethic and game plan as well.
?They hit the bar early on with a terrific couple of give and goes and things like that are a cause for concern but we then got into the game a little more and created a couple of chances of our own and like I say, I?m happy with the three points but did we deserve it tonight? Probably not.
?Dylan (Macallister) has been sick all week and only got out of bed yesterday so to play the full 90? minutes is a credit to him and shows how much he cares about this team.?
Match Stats
Rockdale City Suns 1 (Dylan Macallister 90?+1?)
Parramatta FC 0
Friday 6th July, 2012
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Referee: Kevin Peddie
Assistant Referees: Christian Nehl & Lee Corey
Fourth Official: Dale Fuda
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ryan Norval; 2.Takuya Murayama, 6.Joshua Lawson, 5.Pece Cvetanovski (C), 21.Ricky Perinich, 23.Askin Oygur, 8.Paul Kohler (17.Sash Tirovski 70?), 9.Dylan Macallister, 18.Alec Urosevski, 3.Giorgio Speranza, 16.Anthony Perri (11.Tommy Cirjak 68?)
Substitutes Not Used: 10.Jason Naidovski, 19.Marino Musumeci, 22.Aaron Liddell
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Parramatta FC: 1.Matthew Nash; 3.Andy Matloub, 4.Domenic Trimboli, 5.Mark O?Reilly, 18.Nicholas Napoli, 10.Akiyoshi Saito,15.Masaki Nomoto, 7.Patrick Dixon, 17.Luke Grima (6.Graziano Trimboli 82?), 8.Bryan Soane (C) (14.Wandi Jajaw 9?)(16.Ishmail Hadife 65?), 13.Joel Wood
Substitutes Not Used: 19.Daniel Rezo, 40.J Fernandez
Yellow Cards: Dixon 34?, Napoli 58?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock
Fixture Alteration: Rockdale City Suns v Parramatta FC
Kick-off times are as follows:
1st Grade ? 8.15pm
Grade 20s ? 6.15pm
APIA-Leichhardt stun Bonnyrigg White Eagles with late Gailbraith double
Down on confidence following an inconsistent run of results in the League, it was Kiwi import Ethan Gailbraith ? on as a second-half substitute – who stole the headlines with a sensational second-half double to cancel out Robbie Younis? 25? minute penalty.
Gailbraith?s second was an absolute screamer, as the lanky striker showed skill and a powerful shot to leave the White Eagles? supporters in complete silence. Unfortunately for the two goal hero, he was to turn villain in the final minute of injury-time as he picked up a second yellow card and will consequently be out of the Cup Final next weekend.
It was the visiting Tigers to create the first opening of the night as Adam Casey appeared to steer his diagonal attempt past Andrew Bazi in the Bonnyrigg goal. With the White Eagles defenders retreating, Bonnyrigg thwarted the danger with a swift clearance.
Bonnyrigg?s response arrived immediately via Chris Payne who showed his speed down the right-flank. The former A-League striker however, failed to centre to a teammate.
Payne was in the thick of the action again on 5? minutes as he cleverly skipped his way past two APIA-Leichhardt defenders before being denied by some desperate Tigers defending,
Despite the 18-points separating the two sides on the League ladder prior to the match, the Tigers took the game to the high-flying White Eagles with some fine ball movement in the middle of the park by Adam D?Apuzzo, Michael Hawrysiuk and Mun-Soo Gil.
Hawrysiuk was one of the best on the park with his energetic performance for the visitors.
APIA-Leichhardt however did get caught out following a string of passes that ended back at the feet of Anthony Costa. The Tigers? shot-stopper?s poor clearance gave the White Eagles a chance to pounce as Payne again was sent through on goal, denied only by the flag of assistant referee Sarah Ho.
Bonnyrigg?s best movements arrived via their midfield pairing of Aleksander Canak and Adrian Ucchino; the latter looking comfortable on the ball for his side.
On 14? minutes, the Tigers created a neat headed chance for Casey, however the delivery from the right carried a little too much punch as the APIA-Leichhardt striker could only divert his header over the crossbar.
In the 17? minute, the home side again looked dangerous with a swift counterattack. Chris Payne was once more the main participant when he was released down the right. The speedy striker got to the byline showing strength and agility, though his cutback effort into the penalty-area again failed to find a teammate.
2? minutes later, Canak tested Costa with a shot from the edge of the penalty-area. The attacking midfielder lined up his effort nicely though failed to hit it with any conviction as the shot-stopper made a routine save.
APIA-Leichhardt responded with a set-piece from the right as Andrew Bevin got his first look-in for the match with an attempted header that finished off the mark.
The home side found its opener via the penalty-spot on 25? minutes. Chris Payne was sent through on goal before being denied by a brave Costa save at his feet. The shot-stopper then bravely denied Younis? follow-up attempt before the striker was fouled by Hawrysiuk challenge. Younis was deadly with his finish from the spot, driving the ball straight down the middle to send the Bonnyrigg supporters into raptures with a goal against his former club.
Younis nearly doubled his, and his side?s, tally in the 32? minute as he latched onto Chris Tadrosse?s set-piece delivery from the left. The looping ball managed to find its way through to the striker who sent his glancing header inches wide of the mark.
The visitors closed the half on the front foot with a massive amount of possession though the final ball in the attacking third was constantly dealt with by the always impressive young defender David Vrankovic who marshalled the White Eagles defensive line to perfection.
In the final chance of the half on 44? minutes, Ben Spruce sent his header from a Tadrosse corner delivery wide of the mark after showing great strength and agility to out-jump his marker.
Following the half-time interval, Younis should have doubled his side?s lead. After receiving a neat square pass on the edge of the penalty-area, and with the goal at his mercy, the striker blasted his attempt wide of Anthony Costa?s left-hand post.
Bonnyrigg striker Payne stung the palms of Costa with a ferocious drive from close-range in the 63? minute, though the Tigers? shot-stopper was brilliant in diverting the ball away before his teammates got their bodies behind the ball to thwart Younis? follow-up.
Bonnyrigg did have the ball in the back of the net shortly after via Payne, though referee Stephen Lucas was quick to spot the linesman?s flag and correctly brought play back for a free-kick.
APIA-Leichhardt substitute Ethan Gailbraith attempted to get his side moving in the right direction with a mazy run on 70? minutes, though the tall striker weaved his way into some trouble as the Bonnyrigg defenders shut down his run.
APIA-Leichhardt?s possession in midfield, and persistence, finally did pay off in the 78? minute as Gailbraith drew the visitors level. A pin-point delivery from Stephen Kayes on the right was powerfully headed home by the Kiwi import, leaving Bazi helpless.
Gailbraith became the Tigers? hero with 5? minutes remaining as he found a stunning winner for his side. The striker showed poise on the ball to turn his marker and enter the penalty-area before blasting a venomous drive into the back of the net.
With the momentum completely in favour of the Tigers, Gailbraith uncharacteristically saw his near perfect evening turned on its head. Deep into injury-time, the striker kicked the ball away to buy some time for his side and was correctly shown his second yellow card for his efforts.
The sending off is a huge blow for the striker and the Tigers who will be without their front man for the Waratah Cup Final showdown against Sutherland Sharks.
At the conclusion of the 90? minutes, APIA-Leichhardt Tigers coach John Turner ? who watched this match from the grandstands due to suspension after he was sent from the field last week ? was full of praise for his chargers:
?I am very happy for the boys, they really did put in a massive effort tonight,? commented Turner.
?To come to Bonnyrigg and take three-points is tremendous, and I really think we deserved it tonight.
?We were down a goal, and that was a penalty, and we managed to turn the match around. I told the boys to keep digging deep at half-time, and we managed to get the win.?
The win has come at a good time for the Tigers who have struggled for results in the League this season:
?The win was important obviously as we head into the Final of the Cup, though I told the players this week that I did not want to hear any talk of the Final at all? My concern was this match tonight,? explained Turner.
?We needed to focus on this match and look to move up the ladder, so we did that very well tonight. This week we can start looking at the Cup Final.?
APIA-Leichhardt?s defeat of Bonnyrigg is also a personal victory for the Tigers? boss:
?I spent quite some time at Bonnyrigg, so to walk away with the win and bragging rights is definitely something I am pleased about,? Turner ended.
Out of the Bonnyrigg dressing sheds, coach Brian Brown was less impressed than his counterpart, however it is not a time for panic in the White Eagles camp:
?APIA-Leichhardt I thought played a very good game today, and they took the chances that came their way so I can only applaud their efforts for the win tonight,? Brown commented.
?We didn?t get going the way we wanted, and to lose at home is disappointing, though we will be looking to bounce back next week.?
Despite the League leader?s potentially seeing their seven-point lead cut to four should South Coast Wolves and Blacktown City FC win on Sunday, Brown is aware what his side need to do:
?To be honest, I haven?t been following the League ladder, I am not looking at that. Even if the lead is cut down after this weekend, we have the catch-up match against South Coast Wolves next weekend, so we will be looking to get things right at home on Saturday night and make further progress on our work so far,? concluded Brown.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 (Robbie Younis 25? (pen) )
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 2 (Ethan Gailbraith 78?, 85?)
Saturday 30th June, 2012
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, Bonnyrigg
Referee: Stephan Lucas
Assistant Referees: Sarah Ho and Nathan Wotton
Fourth Official: Adrian Arndt
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 20.Andrew Bazi; 4.David Vrankovic, 11.Ben Spruce, 5.Chris Tadrosse (C), 18.Adrian Ucchino (21.Ken Chun 50?), 19.Harris Gaitatzis (13.Nikola Stanojevic 85?), 6.Nikola Zonjic, 8.Aleksander Canak, 15.Chris Payne, 9.Robbie Younis, 7.Tynan Diaz
Substitutes Not Used: 33.Nikodin Matic, 16.Andres Gomez, 10.Jordan Simpson
Yellow Cards: Ben Spruce 52?
Red Cards: Nil
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers: 21.Anthony Costa; 2.Mark Byrnes, 20.Gyu Lee (10.Franco Parisi 59?), 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Adam D?Apuzzo, 16.Michael Hawrysiuk, 3.Adel El Jamal (6.Danial Cummins 28?), 12.Andrew Bevin, 4. Mun-Soo Gil, 5.Michael West (C), 14.Adam Casey (9.Ethan Gailbraith 59?)
Substitutes Not Used: 22.David Bradasevic
Yellow Cards: Michael Hawrysiuk 64?, Ethan Gailbraith 75?, 90?+2?
Red Cards: Ethan Gailbraith 90?+2?
-By Joseph Carlucci