Captained by Ruben Zadkovich, determined attacking play from the stand-in skipper created chances for Ali Abbas and the midfielder put the White Eagles on notice, sending an early shot flashing past the post.
It was a tougher night out than previous weeks; yellow cards to Zadkovich and star recruit Tiago within 90 seconds of each other were an indication of Bonnyrigg?s strong defence. With constant pressure on their midfield the Jets found it difficult to settle.
But it was only a matter of time before Newcastle managed to adjust and shift play away from the domination through the middle and Marco Jesic struck long range to put the Jets 1?0 ahead.
Poor Bonnyrigg passing gave Newcastle more opportunities and Jacob Pepper found himself in open space to link with Abbas, but he was unable to beat the keepers challenge nearing half time.
Wholesale changes by Coach Branko Culina saw Taylor Reegan the only Jets player with prior game time emerge from the sheds and a strong build up in the middle had Newcastle back in an attacking position. Labinot Haliti added the finishing touches for a 2?0 advantage.
The White Eagles continued to pressure and managed to get around Newcastle?s defence to push into the box but a lackluster final ball was easily cleared by the Jets.
Back on the attack, Ryan Griffiths showed too much class through his one-two combination with Haliti to plant the Jets third goal of the night into the back of the net to finish off a solid fifth trial performance for Newcastle.
-Newcastle Jets Press Release
Bonnyrigg win thanks to second-half blitz
In the end, after a tmendous blitz in the second-half, Bonnyrigg White Eagles took all the points.
After the game their coach Brian Brown was rightly pleased with his team.
?It was very exciting in the second-half, but in the first half we probably didn?t get in behind them enough,? he said.
?We talked about it at half-time and then we changed it in the second half because Marconi, anytime and anywhe, is always a tough game.
?I am delighted to get the points because Brad Boardman was sick all week, Jamie McMaster was out, Chris Tadrosse was out and Ben Spruce was out from this afternoon, so to miss four key players and play like that, I am very happy.?
The earlier parts of the first-half certainly belonged to Bonnyrigg White Eagles with players, mo or less, camping on the Stallions side of the field.
The first al chance of the game belonged to Takuya Murayama who fid a rocket towards the Stallions net in the 17? minute, but it was asonably off target as it sailed into the grandstand posts.
Immediately afterwards Alex Canak went charging into the Stallions box but, when it appead that he had a clear run to face James Chronopoulos, the was a miraculous tackle by Andw Mailer to dispossess him of the ball.
Canak most certainly would have loved to have scod against his former club, but tackles of that quality a definitely the ones that save games.
Marconi?s ply in the 20? minute was through a Josh Sama fe-kick that sailed around the wall but ended up wide of the intended target.
The opening goal in the 35? minute was almost against the run of play when a Christopher Nunes cross from the left ached Josh Sama in the middle who made no mistake as he powerfully finished off the move for the visitors with his well timed shot.
A few minutes prior to the bak Canak tried to chip an out-coming Chronopoulos but, unfortunately for the home side, his shot was just off target.
Right at the death of the first-half Bonnyrigg could have, and probably should have, equalised.
A fe-kick proved to be too hot to handle for Chronopoulos, but first Nikola Zonjic?s close range shot was blocked by the Marconi defence befo Blake Powell fid just over the crossbar.
In the second-half the early chances belonged to Bonnyrigg. It was Bndan Gan who fid just wide of the mark with a nice shot and then, shortly afterwards, he ceived a delightful through ball from Jad Lum but, once again, the former Sydney FC player couldn?t hit the mark because of Chronopoulos? diving feet.
However, Bonnyrigg?s goal duly arrived when Bradley Boardman made no mistake in the 64? minute with his diagonal shot shortly after arriving on the field as a substitute.
Bonnyrigg went further ahead when a cross from Nathan Elasi made its way into the middle befo Gan managed to nudge the ball into the back of the net through a myriad of players.
After both goals in such a short space of time, a frustrated Marconi coach Luke Casserly was sent from the bench for his tone by fee Ryan Shepheard.
In the 86? minute Blake Powell made it the goals for the home side and the game was definitely all but over. A high bouncing ball was pounced on beautifully by Powell who made no mistake with his shot.
Luke Casserly said the following afterwards when questioned about his team:
?We we playing against a very good team away from home,? he said
?They a going to have their periods in the game when they a going to do well and it happened in the second half and goals change games.
?A fe-kick goes their way, it is played quickly, they sco and get a bit of momentum and away you go.
?We always go into every game to win, but Bonnyrigg away is not a game whe you can pencil in the points.
?We we hopeful that we would get something out of this game and for a good 60 minutes we we the or theabouts, but unfortunately we couldn?t do it for the whole game.
?It?s the next couple of games that a the must-win games if we a to get anything out of the season.
?We a not going to give up anything without a fight and we a definitely going to be in the to get as much as we can out of it.?
Meanwhile, in the Grade 20s Marconi Stallions defeated Bonnyrigg White Eagles 7-0.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 3 (Boardman 64?, Gan 66?, Powell 86?)
Marconi Stallions 1 (Sama 35?)
Saturday, 16th July, 2011
Bonnyrigg Sports Club
Refee: Ryan Shepheard
Assistant Refees: Tom Lee and Steve Nguyen
Fourth Official: Michael Weiner
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Andw Bazi; 3.Nikola Zonjic (2.Nikola Stanojevic 90?+2?), 7.Nathan Elasi, 8.Alex Canak, 10.Bndan Gan (4.Wade Oostendorp 90?+2?), 12.Takuya Murayama, 11. Webb (9.Bradley Boardman 57?), 14.Blake Powell, 17.Michael Robinson, 16.David Vrankovic, 22.Jad Lum
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Thomas Hamilton, 15.Wely Al Rikaby
Yellow Cards: Powell 67?
Red Cards: Nil
Marconi Stallions: 22.James Chronopoulos; 2.Andw Mailer, 3.Ali Haydar, 6.Bnton Rhodes, 8.Sean O?Connell, 9.Keith Shevlin (18.Nathan Jagelman 80?), 14.Graziano Trimboli, 20.Josh Sama, 23.Christopher Nunes, 24.Daniel Petkovski, 26.Nahuel Arrarte.
Substitutes Not Used: 5.Adel El Jamal, 11.Matthew Gordon, 32.Tnt Barton, 21.Nikodin Matic
Yellow Cards: Trimboli 53?, Mailer 83?
Red Cards: Casserly 68? from bench
-By Joe Russo
Rockdale clinical and methodical against A.P.I.A.
The original game was postponed because of Sydney?s recent deluges, but the Tigers may have been wishing that the heavens had opened up today as well.
The heavens didn?t ? it was a spectacular Saturday afternoon ? but the ground might as well have opened for many of the home players. It would be safe to assume that they may have been looking for a cavernous opening to hide in.
Rockdale were methodical and clinical, but where they really won the game was in the detail. It was the little things that they did which set them apart from A.P.I.A. Leichhardt.
After the game Rockdale?s relatively new coach Wally Savor was understandably delighted with his team.
?To come to Lambert and score three goals against A.P.I.A. and to keep a clean sheet is a good thing,? he stated.
?I was definitely impressed with the way the defence held out, the way we kept a clean sheet and with the boys in the midfield.
?Also, to score three goals is great because I think it has been while since the club scored three goals.?
Savor, who himself was an excellent player in the old NSL and for the Socceroos, said that he was delighted to be in the coach?s seat when asked about the role given that he is only three games into the job.
?The blood pressure has probably gone up a few times and it?s certainly different to playing, but I?m enjoying the role because it?s a good bunch of players and the club is enthusiastic and it?s great to work here.?
Rockdale City Suns supporters didn?t have to wait too long for the opening goal as it duly arrived in the 3? minute. Adem Kir crossed from the right but it was poorly defended by A.P.I.A. and Jason Naidovski couldn?t believe his luck.
The ball arrived at his feet in the middle and all he had to do was put it in the back of the net. Too easy for the former Marconi player.
A very short time later the visitors should have been further ahead when somehow Marino Musumeci, against his former club, couldn?t steer the ball in from close range.
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt replied with a free-kick in the 10? minute through Robbie Younis who narrowly failed to curl the ball in as it flighted beautifully around the wall.
However, after this early action, both sides reverted to a tight midfield game for approximately the next half hour. It was football for the purist rather than for the casual observer looking for some goal-mouth action.
In the 40? minute A.P.I.A. should really have scored when a triple chance went begging.
It was all started by Younis who had his shot cleared off the line by Paul Dee. The ball then made its way to David D?Apuzzo who, too, had his attempt cleared off the line, before finally Nick Rizzo forced Ben McNamara into a spectacular diving save.
It hardly seemed possible that the ball didn?t end up in the goal after such a glorious chance.
Nevertheless, as football ebbs and flows, the play made its way down to the other end of the field where Rockdale scored.
Kir?s pass split the Tigers defence and found Paul Dee who, despite being in the twilight of his brilliant career, had enough pace and know-how to square a wonderful ball into the middle for Shay Spitz to score.
Late in the first stanza of play a cross from the right by Younis found Rizzo who volleyed first time but was thwarted by a diving save from McNamara.
In the second half there wasn?t as much goal-mouth action, but both teams certainly had their chances.
In the 58? minute a free-kick by Younis hit Marton Vass and then deflected back to Rizzo who fired over the crossbar.
Rockdale?s reply arrived midway through the second half when a Spitz cross made its way to Monie who forced Jose Bello-Amigo into a good save.
The same two players, in reverse roles, were involved again for Rockdale some minutes later but nothing much changed, with Spitz this time off target after a Monie cross.
Late in the game Rockdale scored a tremendous goal when Kir?s cross found Sash Tirovski who glanced a quality header into the back of the net. It was no more than the visitors deserved as they capped off a very sound display of football.
After the game A.P.I.A. defender Michael West was still in a positive frame of mind despite recent losses by the Tigers.
?Definitely a disappointing result today but we only have ourselves to blame,? he said very honestly.
?The first goal was an unlucky bounce for John Kelso as the ball bounced over him and went to the bloke who wasn?t first to the ball; there was not much we could have done about that one.
?For their second goal, there was some miscommunication by us and a good run by Dee who kept running and he made a goal out of it.?
When asked about what has gone wrong in recent weeks in the team, as expected, he was somewhat at a loss to single out a reason.
?It?s really hard to put your finger on and if we knew the reason, it probably wouldn?t be happening,? he said.
?Look, there is no magic watermelon juice and there?s always next week because that was a catch-up game, so technically we are not losing any ground on anyone this week,? he stated.
Meanwhile, in the Grade 20s A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers and Rockdale City Suns played out a 1-1 draw.
Match Stats
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers 0
Rockdale City Suns 3 (Naidovski 3?, Spitz 43?, Tirovski 87?)
Saturday, 9th July, 2011
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Kevin Peddie
Assistant referees: Nathan Motton and Thomas Lee
4th Official: Alex Long
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Jose Bello-Amigo; 2.Mark Byrnes (7.Stephen Kayes 72?), 3.John Kelso, 4.Cole Tinkler, 5.Michael West, 6.Marton Vass (16.Damir Prodanovic 86?), 13.David D?Apuzzo, 15.Adam D?Apuzzo, 11.Nicola Rizzo, 10.Franco Parisi (23.Chris James 28?), 9.Robbie Younis.
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Stefan Giglio, 20.Neal Keane
Yellow Cards: D. D?Apuzzo 60?
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ben McNamara; 13.Giorgio Speranza, 16.Josh Lawson, 2.Paul Dee (10.Sash Trajcevski 70?), 23.Askin Oygur, 3.Shay Spitz, 17.Sash Tirovski, 19.Marino Musumeci (7. Peter Apolevski 80?), 11.Adem Kir, 18.James Monie, 9.Jason Naidovski (14.Hisuki Hasegawa 43?).
Substitutes Not Used: 5.Rob Speranza, 22.Dion Shaw
Yellow Card: Kir 54?
Red Cards: Nil
-By Joe Russo
Rockdale City Suns v Newcastle Jets Postponed
Bonnyrigg White Eagles snap up Brendan Gan
The 23-year-old Sutherland Shire resident spent three seasons with the Sky Blues making 41 appearances and scoring five goals before signing for the White Eagles.
The attacking midfielder made his debut for the White Eagles in their 0-0 Round 15 draw against Sydney United over the weekend.
Gan will be looking towards getting his match fitness up to scratch in the hope of winning another A-League contract.
?I?ve come to Bonnyrigg to continue my footballing career but to hopefully move from there on to the A-League or abroad.
?I?ve played under both Brian Brown and Cliff Pointer during my time at Sutherland a couple of years ago as well as playing alongside some of the boys that were from that same team.
?There?s still a few games left and I am hoping I can assist Bonnyrigg in playing finals football come end of the season.?
-Football NSW Media Release