Played at a fast-pace on a slippery surface, Bonnyrigg put together their best half of football this season over the first 45? minutes, illustrated by Jared Lum?s hat-trick.
The Sharks best efforts to re-open the contest were confirmed early in the second-half as Todd Halloran made it 2-3, before Brad Boardman and Brendan Gan completed the five-star performance.
The White Eagles had captain Chris Tadrosse at his best in a sensational performance by the left-sided defender, meanwhile Brendan Gan, Nathan Elasi and Alexander Canak looked the goods in the attacking third. Youngster Jared Lum was clinical with his finishing for the White Eagles, a most impressive sign for Bonnyrigg in the run into the finals series.
The Sharks week wasn?t a positive one with news of Yianni Fragogianis being ruled out for the season. The young left-sided defender will undergo an operation on his ankle following scans last week.
Bonnyrigg created the evening?s first opening in the 2? minute as Alexander Canak turned his marker nicely before blasting his effort inches over Nathan Denham?s crossbar.
Canak tried his luck from distance again 1? minute later though Sharks midfielder Nick Stavroulakis threw his body behind the ball to thwart any danger.
Sutherland pressed forward in numbers in the 4? minute as Jim Bakis was released down the right. The experienced midfielder picked his time nicely to deliver a cross into the penalty-area though the White Eagles defenders cleared their lines swiftly.
On 10? minutes the White Eagles found the opening goal. Chris Tadrosse?s perfectly lofted cross from deep managed to catch Denham and Sharks defender Paul Kohler hesitating momentarily, as Jared Lum snuck in with his right boot for the opener.
Brendan Gan went close to doubling the home side?s lead in the 14? minute with a fierce effort from the edge of the penalty-area. Sharks goalkeeper Denham did exceptionally well to divert the effort over the crossbar with a fingertip save.
1? minute later, Boardman and Gan combined with a tantalising one-two. The latter, from an acute angle, had his effort saved by a brave Denham at the midfielder?s feet.
In the 22? minute Canak and Boardman played a neat exchange to send the former through on goal. Again from an acute angle, Canak was thwarted by a brave Denham who claimed the ball at the attacking
On 23? minutes, White Eagles captain Tadrosse showed strength and finesse to cut back a square ball from the left byline. With a sea of legs inside the Sharks penalty-area, no Bonnyrigg player was on hand to convert.
Sutherland Sharks got a rare look at Andrew Bazi?s goal in the 28? minutes, though Bakis? free-kick delivery from the left failed to penetrate the Bonnyrigg defence.
Bonnyrigg should have had their second goal in the 30? minute as Boardman again played a neat lay-off into the path of Gan. The former Sydney FC midfielder picked his spot though saw his curling left-foot effort ricochet off the crossbar as the Sharks cleared the ball away to safety.
The White Eagles did find their second in the 32? minute, again via Jared Lum. Tadrosse?s sensational cut-back across goal from the left byline found its way into the path of Lum who blasted his shot on the turn past the outstretched glove of Denham.
The Sharks lifted their momentum in the front-third after conceding the second goal, though half-chances via crosses from Stavroulakis first, then Bakis failed to reap any reward.
The Sharks finished the half strongly with the side pulling a goal back on 43? minutes. Panni Nikas? free-kick from deep on the left-flank took a faint touch off Matthew Bailey to cut the White Eagles? lead to one.
Despite the Sharks lifting in confidence, Lum completed his hat-trick with the last kick of the half. A low corner delivery to the edge of the penalty-area picked out Lum who drove a fierce effort into the bottom right-hand corner to restore Bonnyrigg?s two-goal lead.
Sutherland returned to the field after the break with their foot firm on the accelerator. Half chances to Bailey and Nikas showcased the side?s intentions before substitutes Todd Halloran and Lachlan Cahill combined to re-open the contest.
Cahill?s cross from the left picked out Halloran at the back post ? the right-sided midfielder coolly drove his effort into the back of the net.
On 52? minutes, Matt Bailey squandered a golden chance to even the ledger. The Sharks number 10 managed to bring the ball down inside the penalty-area though, under the watchful eye of his marker, failed to drive cleanly on target as Bazi made a routine save.
At the other end, David Vrankovic picked up the scraps following a poorly dealt with set-piece by the Sharks rearguard. The defender?s snap-shot effort stamped against Denham?s left-hand post as the chance went begging for Bonnyrigg.
Tadrosse then went close via a free-kick on 65? minutes. The Bonnyrigg supporters were on their feet as Tadrosse struck the ball, though Denham got down well to make a strong save to his left.
On 77? minutes, Boardman tried his luck from distance though a slight deflection helped the ball over Denham?s crossbar.
Boardman got his goal 5? minutes later with a strong header from Tadrosse?s corner. The burly striker rose highest inside the penalty-area to restore his side?s two goal lead and secure the three-points.
Gan added a fifth for the White Eagles 3? minutes from time with a well worked effort. Gan?s initial effort was touched onto the crossbar by Denham before the White Eagles midfielder followed up with a header into the back of an open net.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles coach Brian Brown was ecstatic following the match:
?Very very happy with the boys tonight,? Brown commented.
?From the opening whistle the boys were up for the challenge and we gave a very good account of ourselves across the park.
?We were disappointed with the result last week against Blacktown City, and we knew that we needed to lift tonight, and we were brilliant in the first-half.
?I would have liked to have gone into the break with a bigger lead, for all the chances we created in the opening half ? and we were a little worried when Sutherland made it 3-2 ? though the team kept playing and we definitely deserved the result in the end.
?Last time we played Sutherland, we managed to then get a positive run of results in the matches that followed. Hopefully, we have a series of good results to come for us in the following weeks after tonight?s win,? concluded Brown.
Out of the opposite dressing room, Sutherland Sharks boss Robbie Stanton was disappointed with the evening?s events:
?We didn?t really show up for the match tonight, and that is really disappointing,? explained Stanton.
?We had a chance to go level with Sydney Olympic, had we got the win tonight, and then really pushed for a top-two spot.
?I cannot really argue with the result, as we were second best and Bonnyrigg definitely deserved the win for what they showed over the 90? minutes.
?We were sluggish at the start, though I was happy that the boys stuck with it and pulled a goal back late on in the first-half. Unfortunately, conceding another goal straight after made the job all the more difficult.
?In saying that, we were very positive over the opening 20? minutes of the second-half, and maybe on another evening could have found an equaliser at 2-3.
?Thoughts now have to turn to next weekend where we will need to bounce back quickly to move as high up the table as possible,? concluded Stanton.
The Grade-20 encounter between Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sutherland Sharks was called off to preserve the playing surface for the first grade encounter following the inclement weather over the past 24-hours.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 5 (Jared Lum 10?, 32?, 45?, Brad Boardman 82?, Brendan Gan 87? )
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Matthew Bailey 43?, Todd Halloran 49? )
Saturday 20th August, 2011
Bonnyrigg Sports Centre, Bonnyrigg
Referee: Gerard Parsons
Assistant Referees: Sarah Ho and Steven Nguyen
Fourth Official: Chris Peck
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Andrew Bazi; 22.Jared Lum (14.Blake Powell 71?), 16. David Vrankovic, 17.Michael Robinson, 3.Nikola Zonjic, 10.Brendan Gan, 7.Nathan Elasi (11.Shane Webb 83?), 12.Takuya Murayama (2.Nikola Stanojevic 88?), 5.Chris Tadrosse (C), 8.Alexander Canak, 9.Brad Boardman
Substitutes Not Used: 15.Wely Al-Rikaby, 34.William Case
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.George Souris (C), 7.Jim Bakis (11.Todd Halloran 46?), 8.Chris Price, 10.Matt Bailey, 12.Hayden Morton, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 15.Mike Katz, 19.Huseyin Jasli (5.Lachlan Cahill 46?), 20.Paul Kohler (6.Sam Awad 79?), 23.Panni Nikas
Substitutes Not Used: 3.Tyson Rhodes, 22.Alex Augusto
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joseph Carlucci
Rockdale slip against Blacktown in battle of cities
It was always going to be a match the Suns would have to set the pace in if they were to realise the dream of finals football, although the visitors knew a draw or win, should other results go their way, would be key in the coming weeks to realising their own goal of a top-five finish.
Rockdale were industrious in midfield and created the first half-chance of the match when James Monie set up Sash Trajcevski who attempted to lob Symon Jaegar in the Blacktown net, though the attempt did not quite come off.
The visitors replied 2? minutes later when a decent looking cross in from the left was met by the head of Luke Roodenburg. With Dion Shaw advancing, it proved enough to put the Blacktown midfielder-cum-striker off and the ball slipped narrowly wide of the post.
Blacktown City created several chances with Milorad Simonovic having a shot deflected wide, and then Shaw being forced into a full length save minutes later.
Rockdale came back strongly when a Shay Spitz free-kick into the wall rebounded to Dominic Hudap who hit a shot with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the area that skimmed past the post with almost the last kick of the half.
Stern words in the dressing rooms had both sides out faster and brighter upon the resumption with Blacktown?s Mitchell Duke robbing Mirko Jurilj and crossing immediately for the ever present Roodenburg to head tamely toward Shaw, as Rockdale countered on the break resulting in Spitz miscuing a shot wide at the other end.
Monie played in Jeffrey Issa who put an effort across the face with no Rockdale teammate able to take advantage. Moments later, the same player blasted over after terrific work down the left involving Spitz as the rain teemed down and lightening flashed around the ground.
An already bumpy pitch became greasy with many players unable to keep their feet which reduced the effectiveness of both in turning their hard graft into opportunities, and not until the 68? minute did Rockdale fashion a chance. Spitz, again, set up Paul Dee to shoot, forcing a full length save from Jaegar at his near post.
4? minutes later and the first goal of the game arrived for Blacktown. A pass from substitute Bruno Pivato for Simonovic saw a deflected shot loop over the head of Shaw to give the visitors the lead.
Rockdale couldn?t up the tempo as they were giving it all with a number of players missing ? Ben McNamara (gk) trialling with an A-League club, Giorgio and Roberto Speranzo likewise engaged overseas and Itsuki Hasegawa having returned to Japan, without mentioning injured and suspended players ? they moved to a back three as they pushed for an equaliser.
It was then a personal moment of horror for Suns goalkeeper Dion Shaw saw Blacktown secure the points.
Pece Apoloveski lost the ball in a one-on-one tackle as he became the latest victim to slip over. The resulting cross looked harmless enough and going wide when Shaw ran the ball down. Roodenburg looked to be chasing a lost cause until the custodian went to ground and the ball slipped from his grasp to leave the Blacktown man the easiest of chances to almost skip his way to the goal-line and tap it home.
Shaw had, until this point, had a terrific match but it?s a moment that will always haunt the young shot-stopper which, had he been an outfield player, would never be highlighted.
?It?s been the story of our season,? said Suns coach Wally Savor afterwards before continuing:
?We struggle at the scoring end and when that happens the luck doesn?t seem to go you way it seems.
?I feel that if we are just a little more positive in the final third our fortunes will change but you sometimes need to make your own luck in football.
?Our final ball in and the options available is something we work on in training but maybe we have a mental block when it comes to game day but we?ll keep practicing and push to the end of the season as we have a tough road in and we just have to take each game as it comes.?
Mark Crittenden looked relieved when stating:
?They certainly started quicker than us in the first-half and when the rain came down on that pitch in the second period it became a skating rink as you no doubt saw, so it was always going to be a battle and possibly the side that could get the bit of luck would come away with it and thankfully it was us today.
?Micky?s (Simonovic) strike was a good one and took a little deflection to give us the lead but I thought we created the better chances in the first-half and struggled to take them and that?s the way it has been for us this year, creating chances but unable to finish.
?We wanted to consolidate our fifth position on the ladder and knew it would put us in a strong position if we won and other results went our way.?
The Grade-20 encounter finished with a 2-1 victory for Blacktown City FC.
Footnote: U/20 Grade referee and NSWPL Grade 4th Official, from South Africa, Daniel Elder acquitted himself with some aplomb in the conditions with all officials playing a particularly essential part in proceedings in trying weather conditions. Well played gentlemen.
Match Stats
Rockdale City Suns 0
Blacktown City FC 2 (Simonovic 72?, Roodenburg 84?)
Sunday 7th August, 2011
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Referee: Andrew Best
Assistant Referees: Steven Nguyen and Christian Mehl
Fourth Official: Daniel Elder
Rockdale City Suns: 22.Dion Shaw; 2.Paul Dee, 3.Shay Spitz, 5.Jeffrey Issa (15.Adrian Karakolevski 86), 6.Joshua Lawson, 7.Pece Apolevski, 8.Dominic Hudap, 10.Sash Trajcevski (17.Sash Tirovski 67), 12.James Monie (19.Marino Musumeci 78), 21.Mirko Jurilj, 23.Askin Oygur
Substitutes Not Used: 18.Sean Thomas, 24.Aaron Lidell
Yellow Cards: Lawson 77?
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown City FC: 1.Symon Jaegar; 3.Mitchell Duke (16.Daniel Vellonio 91?), 4.Travis Major, 5.Patrick Gatt, 6.Matthew Pressello, 7.Luke Roodenburg (C), 8.Matthew Brennan, 10.Mitch Long, 11.Milorad Simonovic, 13.Matt Lewis, 15.Ray Miller (18.Bruno Pivato 64)
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Keiran Paull, 17.Adam Jenner, 40.David Bradesvic
Yellow Cards: Lewis 39?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Micky Brock
Bonnyrigg deny Wolves fairytale win
In a highly entertaining, free-flowing game of football, the Wolves took the lead for the second time on the night in the 87? minute courtesy of Dave Abel, though their supporters? hopes of adding a third successive win in the space of seven days were dashed by Boardman.
Sasho Petrovski?s first-half penalty was cancelled out by Jamie McMaster midway through the second period, paving the way for the dramatic finish to the encounter in-front of an impressive turnout at John Crehan Park on Saturday evening.
Mark Picciolini received a neat pass from Alex Mansueto?s cross from the right in the 3? minute though the striker, with his back to goal, had the ball swiftly taken from his feet by Michael Robinson.
The Wolves continued to find space down the left-flank via the feet of John Martinoski in the opening exchanges, though the visiting White Eagles limited South Coast with some strong defending to deny the final pass.
Bonnyrigg?s first forward foray arrived on 9? minutes as Alex Canak played Brad Boardman through on goal. The attacking midfielder?s searching ball carried a little too much pace as Brody Crane was quick off his line to thwart the danger.
Wolves? match winner in midweek against Parramatta FC, Petrovski, sprung into action in the 10? minute with a fierce drive off his left-peg. Petrovski?s effort was well-parried by Andrew Bazi in the Bonnyrigg goal.
Bonnyrigg went close to opening the score via a set-piece in the 11? minute. Jared Lum?s exceptional free-kick delivery from the right picked out Ben Spruce at the back post – the White Eagles? left-sided wingback only just sent his header wide of the target.
In the 18? minute, the Wolves went close to finding the first goal of the match, again via a set-piece. John Martinoski?s corner from the right picked out the head of Mansueto, though the defender?s powerful header finished over the crossbar.
Bonnyrigg?s reply was swift as another chance came about following a Jared Lum free-kick delivery. Amidst a sea of legs inside the penalty-area, Brad Boardman first, then Spruce, had half-chances thwarted as Crane picked up the loose ball.
A fine midfield battle ensued with both sides creating some very neat counterattacking play ? denied at both ends by some expert defending.
The Wolves were left to fend with ten-men for 5? minutes as Mansueto was forced from the field to change his shirt due to some blood from a facial injury. Bonnyrigg ?upped the ante?, though could only manage to carve out another headed attempt to Spruce from a Lum delivery, which failed to reap any reward.
On the half hour, Wolves? goalkeeper Brody Crane was forced into a last ditch save to thwart Boardman at the striker?s feet after spilling a cross from the left. Crane?s reaction was tremendous, though the shot-stopper collected a knock which forced some running repairs from the South Coast trainer.
The home side carved out an opening in the 34? minute via the feet of Petrovski. The former A-League striker showed class and finesse as he beat two markers with a fine shimmy. Unfortunately for the Wolves, Petrovski was brought to ground following a very neat David Vrankovic tackle, kick-starting a Bonnyrigg counterattack that ended with Shane Webb blasting his long-range effort over the crossbar.
Picciolini had the Wolves supporters on their feet with a fine shot on the turn in the 39? minute. With his back to goal, Picciolini turned and drove a powerful attempt on goal, denied by an expert save by Bazi down to his left.
In the 40? minute, the home side was awarded a penalty for a clear foul on Picciolini. The South Coast striker was a constant menace in the attacking third, and his quick movement inside the penalty-area was too much for the White Eagles defenders.
Petrovski took upon his shoulders the responsibility from the penalty-spot and the Wolves number 10 made no mistake in coolly converting to hand his side the lead.
Following the break, Bonnyrigg created the first chance of the half via another Lum free-kick delivery. The Wolves defenders kept their cool to clear their lines and deny Boardman a look-in as the burly striker lined up a header.
At the other end, Picciolini should have doubled his side?s lead following a Wolves counterattack. Picciolini sent Martinoski clear down the right-flank before the midfielder played a pin-point cross back to the striker. With only the goalkeeper ahead of him, Picciolini dragged his header across the face of goal ? failing to force Bazi into a save.
With the rain arriving on the hour mark, the Wolves were forced to retreat and defend against a White Eagles outfit that featured Blake Powell after coach Brian Brown added some further attacking flair to his side.
Canak was denied a certain goal when he floated in at the back post before seeing his volleyed effort cleared off the goal line by Mansueto.
Despite Bonnyrigg?s best efforts to get back into the match it was South Coast Wolves went close to doubling their lead in the 63? minute.
Martinoski?s free-kick from the left took a heavy touch off Canak and struck his goalkeeper?s up-right before Bonnyrigg cleared the ball away to safety.
Bonnyrigg found their equaliser in the 64? minute via McMaster. Substitute Blake Powell played a neat header back across goal into the path of McMaster who had no trouble converting from close-range past a helpless Brody Crane.
The Wolves went close to regaining their lead on 70? minutes as Andres Gomez?s set-piece delivery took a wicked deflection off a Bonnyrigg defender before finishing inches wide of Bazi?s left-hand post.
In the 74? minute, Spruce forced Crane into a reflex save from point-blank range. With the White Eagles out on the attack, Spruce fired a ferocious shot on the turn only to be denied by the shot-stopper.
1? minute later and Crane was almost left red-faced as he cleared left his goal line to chase down a through ball on the left. McMaster got there first and rounded Crane, though the South Coast shot-stopper did well to get back into position and deny McMaster a shot on goal.
South Coast went agonisingly close to a goal as Petrovski fired a curling free-kick against the post. Petrovski?s effort carried some real power, though failed to curl enough, much to the relief of a beat Andrew Bazi in the Bonnyrigg goal.
Despite the heavy legs following in this their third match in seven days, South Coast continued to press for a winner as Picciolini was denied a goal by some scrambling defence from the visitors who through bodies behind the ball to keep the score level.
On 82? minutes, Mansueto?s delivery from the right byline was cleared at the last moment by a Bonnyrigg defender as Gomez closed in at the back post.
Bonnyrigg substitute Nathan Elasi almost became an instant hero in the 86? minute as he picked up a loose ball on the edge of the penalty-area before driving his attempt inches wide of goal.
3? minutes from time and the Wolves went ahead for the second time on the night. Jacob Timpano picked up a loose ball at the back post following a Wolves corner, playing it back across goal into the path of Dave Abel who hit his first-time shot low and hard into the back of the net.
Abel nearly doubled his personal tally with a fabulous long-range effort. The defender?s shot had Bazi beaten, though not the crossbar, as the ball came back into play.
Bonnyrigg were not to be denied in injury-time as Boardman converted from close-range, cleverly latching onto Elasi?s cutback effort to secure the side a point on the South Coast.
Wolves coach Trevor Morgan was disappointed that his side conceded a goal so late in the match:
?We?ve had a busy week, and I guess if you had told me I would take seven points from nine on offer with the three matches this week, I would definitely have signed for it.
?In saying that, leading 2-1 in injury-time against Bonnyrigg and to concede a goal so late on is just frustrating as nine points from the three matches would have been great.
?I am proud with the efforts of the boys, I thought we put ourselves in a position to win the match ? at 1-0 the header to double the lead, Sash?s post and then the crossbar at 2-1.
?We just needed to take our chances, and we could have wrapped the match up, though we have built a lot of confidence in the group. We?ll aim to keep working hard and to move as far up the table as possible over the final four matches.
?If we continue to play as we have over this past week, I am confident that we will be adding points to our tally, and we will be putting ourselves into positive positions to win matches,? Morgan concluded.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles coach Brian Brown was equally proud of his players for their never say die attitude to score late on for a share of the spoils:
?We knew coming here was going to be tough, they are a good side and I am happy with the point.
?We did create enough chances, though so did they, so in the end I can?t argue with the draw.
?Again tonight, I can?t fault the players for their desire and efforts, we need only to avoid some mistakes in defence and look to take our chances up front.
?In saying that, we haven?t leaked many goals in the second part of the season so defensively we have been sound, though we still need to improve,? ended Brown.
In the Grade-20 division, Bonnyrigg White Eagles scored its first win of the season defeating South Coast Wolves 2-1.
Match Stats
South Coast Wolves 2 (Sasho Petrovski (pen) 41?, Dave Abel 87?)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Jamie McMaster 64?, Brad Boardman 90?+2?)
Saturday 6th August, 2011
John Crehan Park, Cringila
Referee: Alex Glasgow
Assistant Referees: Michael Robertson and Nathan Wolton
Fourth Official: Scott Edeling
South Coast Wolves: 1.Brody Crane (C); 2.Alex Mansueto, 3.Dave Abel, 4.Jacob Timpano, 5.Nick Littler, 22.Zac Freeburn, 13.Stjepan Paric, 8.Andres Gomez, 9.Mark Picciolini, 10.Sasho Petrovski, 19.John Martinoski (18.Sean Robertson 69?)
Substitutes Not Used: 6.Jake Duczynski, 14.Cam Littler, 12.Jack Keating, 20.Sam Nastic
Yellow Cards: Brody Crane 75?
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Andrew Bazi; 12.Takuya Murayama, 17.Michael Robinson, 16.David Vrankovic, 6.Ben Spruce, 22.Jared Lum, 8.Alex Canak, 10.Brendan Gan (7.Nathan Elasi 83?), 11. Shane Webb (14.Blake Powell 55?), 9.Brad Boardman, 19.Jamie McMaster (C)
Substitutes Not Used: 2.Nikola Stanojevic, 3.Nikola Zonjic, 20.Thomas Hamilton
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joseph Carlucci
Ten-man Bonnyrigg hold off Manly United challenge
Down a man for most of the second half, the home side demonstrated great tenacity grinding out a point from the match.
The match had started well for the home team, possession wise, but they seemed unable to turn this into effective shots on target due to a combination of poor final touches and a desperate and effective Manly defensive unit.
In the 7? minute Brad Boardman headed a Michael Robinson free-kick onto Brendan Gan but the former Sydney FC and Sutherland front man could not get to the ball before Manly goalkeeper Dylan Mitchell.
Then, in the 13? minute a cross from Jamie McMaster could only be headed down by Sean Bowden in his own penalty-area but no Bonnyrigg player could pounce on the loose ball before David Dodd cleared to safety.
The first time Andrew Bazi had to make any kind of save in the match was when Mathew Simon ran through from deep and tried to chip the ball onto the target, only for the ball to fall comfortably into Bazi?s hands.
Manly continued to effectively cut off Bonnyrigg attacks early in their creation and from the 20? minute the visitors started to build more effective attacks themselves.
On 25? minutes a Cattanach free-kick was headed goalwards by Marc Richards for Manly but the away supporters were disappointed to see the ball go over the crossbar.
On the half hour Brad Boardman was denied by goalkeeper Mitchell as the Bonnyrigg striker was put through by McMaster only for Mitchell to dive low at his feet and stop the progress of the ball.
The match went through a period of little chances on goal although Bonnyrigg continued to dominate possession and made good attacks down the flanks, especially on the left by Ben Spruce.
In the 36? minute Bazi denied Manly?s Jordan Edwards as his shot was deflected goalwards by a Bonnyrigg defender but Bazi changed direction and saved the ball. This chance had come thanks to a great piece of skill from Adam Foti who chipped the ball through to Edwards with a great deal of finesse.
Brendan Gan should have helped his side in front on the scoresheet in the 38? minute when he set up a great chance for Alex Canak, though Canak?s shot deflected off the desperate Manly defence. Even then the chance was not over with Nikola Zonjic pouncing on it but just as he shot he was put off by his marker and the ball sailed over the top.
2? minutes later, the best chance of the match for Bonnyrigg went begging. Gan crossed the ball from the right and the ball went through goalkeeper Mitchell?s hands. Chris Tadrosse was honing in on goal at the far post but was unable to slow and saw the ball fall behind him a metre from the target when all he would have needed was a touch for the ball to go in.
The sides went in at the break with the scores level, though Tadrosse was to have more disappointment at the goalmouth where he had missed the chance a few minutes before the break. 3? minutes after the break he was to be sent off defending that goal mouth. He had shown tremendous reflexes in saving a Marc Richards shot from going in to the top corner in the 48? minute but as he was not the goalkeeper, using his hands so effectively was problematic.
However it seemed worth the effort in the end as Foti lined up the penalty for Manly only to see another opponent stop the ball with his hands, this time the goalkeeper Bazi, to deny Manly the lead.
Manly made a couple of changes and started to win more possession, although shots on target still were few and far between.
In the 62? minute, Justin Hayward had players unmarked behind him but managed to head a cross back into an area where Bonnyrigg players could clear the danger.
1? minute later another substitute for Manly, Joseph Gibbs, saw his shot deflect off a teammate and away from danger. A few seconds later Bazi was back at his finest as he denied Hayward from point-blank range after Gibbs had played the Manly striker into such a promising position.
On 70? minutes Michael Robinson blocked another shot by Gibbs and the follow up effort from Cattanach went well over the crossbar.
The home side were not without their chances and in the 71? minute Shane Webb and Spruce combined only for Canak to just miss the cross at the near post.
Spruce was making his mark at both ends as in the 81? minute he combined well with Bazi to deny Hayward the chance to get onto a dangerous cross from the left. This was only 2? minutes before Manly should have taken the lead as a powerful cross from the ever dangerous Colin Iley, who never stopped running all match, was met by Hayward who tried to turn it the right side of the far post but due to the power of the cross he watched his effort go off target.
With Bonnyrigg desperate to get a point after all their effort, and Manly?s defence working so effectively as a unit, the final 5? minutes did not see any more effective goalmouth action, and in the end the 0-0 result seemed fair to both teams, although the away side would walk away the most disappointed having been a man up for most of the second-half and having missed a penalty.
After the match Manly coach Craig Midgley reflected upon this:
?I would have been happy with a point going to Bonnyrigg but in the end I am disappointed we did not get more from it.
?Our back four did a great job tonight, with special mention going to Sean Bowden who played so well considering how long he has been out of the game. I am chuffed at where we are as a club at present and am very proud of the boys effort tonight.?
Brian Brown was the happier to have ended with a share of the points:
?I am happy with a point considering we again played half a match a man down. ?Manly are a good side and we had to play well tonight. I was pleased with Ben Spruce tonight and young David Vrankovic must be one of the best stoppers going around at present.?
In the Grade-20 encounter, Manly United FC scored an impressive 4-0 win over Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
Match Details
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 0
Manly United FC 0
Saturday 30th July, 2011
Bonnyrigg Sports Ground
Referee: Alex Glasgow
Assistant Referees: Roland Hunt and Sam Grasso
Fourth Official: Brendan Johanson
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Andrew BAZI; 16.David VRANKOVIC, 17.Michael ROBINSON, 8.Alexander CANAK, 12.Takuyuma MURAYAMA, 6.Ben SPRUCE, 19.Jamie MCMASTER, 5.Chris TADROSSE, 3.Nikola ZONJIC (11.Shane WEBB 61?), 10.Brendan GAN (22.Jared LUM 65?), 9.Brad BOARDMAN (7.Nathan ELASI 61?)
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Thomas HAMILTON, 14.Blake POWELL
Yellow Cards: Alexander Canak 40?, Michael Robinson 84?
Red Cards: Chris Tadrosse 48?
Manly United FC: 1.Dylan MITCHELL; 3.Roberto HAMAD, 4.Graeme FORBES, 5.Marc RICHARDS, 8.David DODD (12.Mitchell MACEDO 77?), 9.Robbie CATTANACH, 10.Adam FOTI (11.Justin HAYWARD 55?), 14.Sean BOWDEN, 17.Mathew SIMON (21.Joseph GIBBS 60?), 18.Colin ILEY, 25.Jordan EDWARDS
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Kang HOLEE, 2.Leigh EGGER
Yellow Cards: David Dodd 75?, Colin Iley 84?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Stuart Jones
Wolves hammer Rockdale on South Coast
Sean Robertson opened the scoring in his debut appearance for the home side minutes before quick goals to John Martinovski and Andres Gomez put Wolves firmly in the driver?s seat before half time.
Shay Spitz pulled one back for the visitors in the second period before Sasho Petrovski put the icing on the cake for Wolves with a late goal to wrap up an impressive team performance.
The first opportunity of the match fell to Sash Tirovski in the opening minutes as Spitz?s corner eluded everyone to find him unmarked in the box; however Brody Crane was on hand to block the shot off the line with his right foot.
Dion Shaw was called into action at the other end soon after, racing off his line to steal the ball from Robertson?s feet as the debutant was put through on goal by the in form Gomez.
Petrovski went within inches of opening the scoring as he turned his marker after receiving a fantastic ball from Nick Littler; his shot left Shaw well beaten only to ricochet off the post and bounce clear.
The rebound collected by Gomez, who broke wide and picked out Petrovksi in the box once again, but was denied by a fine challenge from Josh Lawson.
The visitors went close on a couple of occasions as Adem Kir and Spitz dragged shots wide from the edge of the Wolves box while Robertson saw his effort saved at the other end before Gomez volleyed over from close range.
Spitz went close once again on the half hour mark, belting the ball into the side netting from a tight angle before Dave Abel fired high and wide from Martinovski?s free kick.
Wolves began to control the tempo of the match throughout the remainder of the half, with Spitz?s block needed to deny Petrovski?s indirect free-kick in the box before Mark Picciolini?s header from the ensuing corner lacked the conviction to find a way through.
The home side were duly rewarded for their spell of dominance on 38? minutes as Robertson beat Shaw to Martinovski?s cross to divert the ball into the back of the net and introduce himself to the home fans with a goal.
The following minutes produced extraordinary scenes as the hosts ran away with the match with two more goals in quick succession.
An unmarked Martinovski received ball at the far post from Gomez?s unselfish cross, and although the Rockdale defence did exceptionally well to block the initial shot on the line the rebound fell back to Martinovski to apply the finish and double Wolves lead.
The home fans barely had time to retake their seats as Wolves quickly reclaimed possession from kick off and picked out Gomez on the edge of the box. The enigmatic winger?s shot took a wild deflection off a Rockdale defender, wrong-footing Shaw en route to the back of the net as Wolves looked to have wrapped the match up before the break.
Wally Savor responded to the goal glut by injecting Sash Trajcevski and Pece Apolevski into his side during the interval, and the move almost paid immediate dividends as the latter picked out James Monie in the box only for the attacker to sky his effort high over the crossbar.
Rockdale pushed forward in hope of salvaging the match and were first denied by Dave Abel?s block on Jason Naidovski?s effort before the Spitz?s shot from a narrow angle clipped the far post.
Mark Picciolini fired over the crossbar at the other end before Trajcevski made a smart block to deny Robertson a second goal on debut.
Rockdale?s persistence eventually paid off on 64? minutes as Spitz found space to turn 25 yards from goal, launching a powerful drive beyond Crane?s reach and inside the far post.
Trevor Morgan reacted without delay; boosting his tiring midfield with Tayfun Buyokkopru, Cam Littler, and Stjepan Paric in an attempt to return momentum in their favour.
The visitors had their chances to pull back to within a goal of their opponents, but were let down by wayward finishing and Monie and Naidovski each spurned chances.
Wolves ensured their victory with a fourth goal in the dying minutes as Picciolini bamboozled his markers on the right wing before picking out Buyokkopru on the edge of the box, who played Petrovski through on goal with a spectacular volleyed through ball.
The experienced Wolves striker made no mistake, blasting the ball past Shaw to cap off a fine afternoon for the home side look to surge up the NSW Premier League table.
South Coast Wolves coach Trevor Morgan was delighted with the result and the effort his squad put in throughout the match:
?That?s what it?s all about ? sometimes they only concentrate in training for 4? minutes,? joked Morgan.
?Early on Sash (Petrovski) hit the post, and within 30?? seconds they?ve hit it for a goal kick, so I knew they (Rockdale) were a very good counterattacking side; they?re a very good technical side.
?So it was a fight for a while, then I wrote in my notes around 35? minutes that we?re starting to make something happen, and then bang bang bang ? clinical finishing, so happy days.
?Full credit to the boys, they were really hungry to make things happen, they were positive about what they did, and they took their chances with no hesitation.?
With today?s match the first of three in a busy week for his side, Morgan emphasised the importance of beginning with a positive result before facing Parramatta FC and Bonnyrigg White Eagles on Wednesday and Saturday respectively:
?All in all it?s a very important result for us,? said Morgan.
?It?s a week that we know is a very big and difficult week for us and we needed to start it with a win.
?So it?s a very important win and we now need to recover as best as possible.
?We need to train with quality on Tuesday before going to Parramatta on Wednesday night.?
Rockdale City Suns coach Wally Savor was obviously disappointed with the result, especially after conceding three goals in quick succession late in the first-half:
?For about 5-10 minutes I think we just lost our heads for a while,? said Savor.
?There?s no excuse for that, Wolves took their chances and scored, and good luck to them.
?We showed some good character, I thought we created enough chances in the second half, but Wolves scored another one while we were pushing forward looking for an equaliser.
?We had a go in the second half and I guess if we played that well in the first half it could have been a different story,? Savor concluded.
The afternoon?s early fixture saw Rockdale City Suns secure a 3-1 win over South Coast Wolves in Grade-20 Division.
Match Stats
South Coast Wolves 4 (Sean Robertson 38?, John Martinovski 41?, Andres Gomez 42?, Sasho Petrovski 84?)
Rockdale City Suns 1 (Shay Spitz 64?)
Sunday July 31st, 2011
John Crehan Park, Cringila
Referee: Khodr Yaghi
Assistant Referees: Thomas Lee, Nathan Wotton
Fourth Official: Matthew Cropper
South Coast Wolves: 1.Brody Crane; 2.Alex Mansueto, 3.Dave Abel, 4.Jacob Timpano, 5.Nick Littler, 22.Zac Freeburn (15.Tayfun Buyokkopru 68?), 8.Andres Gomez (14.Cam Littler 68?), 9.Mark Picciolini, 10.Sasho Petrovski, 18.Sean Robertson, 19.John Martinovski (13.Stephen Paric 68?)
Substitutes Not Used: 6.Jake Duczynski, 20.Sam Nastic
Yellow Cards: Nick Littler 36?, Alex Mansueto 58?, Sasho Petrovski 72?, Tayfun Buyokkopru 78?
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale City Suns: 22.Dion Shaw; 23.Askin Oygur, 6.Josh Lawson, 13.Giorgio Speranza (19.Marino Musumeci 78?), 2.Paul Dee (10.Sash Trajcevski 46?), 11.Adem Kir (7.Pece Apolevski 46?), 8.Dominic Hudap, 17.Sash Tirovski, 3.Shay Spitz, 9.Jason Naidovski, 12.James Monie
Substitutes Not Used: 14.Jeff Issa, 24.Aaron Liddell
Yellow Cards: Adem Kir 43?, Josh Lawson 62?, Askin Oygur 76?, Dominic Hudap 88?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Michael Shoolman