The high flying White Eagles were second best during the first 45? minutes and found themselves under the pump for much of the time and can thank former Sharks goalkeeper Phil Zabaks for keeping them in the match, along with some stoic defending by Graeme Forbes and Wade Oostendorp, with Sutherland creating enough half chances and good opportunities to win a dozen games under normal circumstances.
Chris Price shot narrowly wide inside 60?? seconds of the start and a Jimmy Bakis free-kick had Zabaks bravely down among the flying boots to sharply gather the ball inside 3? minutes.
Nathan Denham was forced to tip over the bar in Bonnyrigg?s first attack at the other end, closely followed by former Sharks striker Brad Boardman crossing from the left to find David Gullo – the youngster was caught marginally offside as the visiting defence stepped up.
Sutherland were soon on the attack again and a sweeping move saw Blake Powell slip the ball to Jimmy Bakis, back from injury, who crossed to the back stick for Steve McConologue to head narrowly over when under intense pressure.
Bakis then had Zabaks forced into a full stretch to save around the post from another free-kick that was destined for the bottom corner as the Sharks turned up the heat that Bonnyrigg had to endure throughout the half, whilst manfully keeping the visitors at bay as they were harried and given no time on the ball which left Boardman with little or no service up front.
Boardman did come close though, with a solo move that saw him inside the defence and rush a shot, with Michael Robinson closing down, that stung the hands of Denham.
The Sharks took control of the game and a plethora of chances followed as the frustration for the home-side told when Nikola Zonjic found himself in the book for Bonnyrigg after a petulant challenge in the 35? minute.
When Bonnyrigg did make a break through on goal, it was Robinson to the rescue once more when Boardman was clean through and only a last ditch tackle prevented the lanky striker getting his shot away with just Denham to beat.
McConologue almost had the last word when his over shoulder effort whisked past the angle with his back to goal as the game remained scoreless at the break.
It was almost a reversal of the opening stanza as Bonnyrigg approached the second period like a steam train as Tomasevic scuffed his shot inside the box within 60?? seconds of the resumption, and Daniel Severino had Denham at full stretch tipping the ball past the left-hand upright for a corner before Sutherland finally started to play.
The visitors should have taken the lead on 53? minutes when McConologue chased down a hopeful ball, shrugged off his defender and went one-on-one with Zabaks who had originally come for the ball only to be grateful to the bar when the striker?s lob came bouncing back off it and into play before being cleared away up-field.
The deadlock was finally broken by Bonnyrigg in the 58? minute when Severino shot from outside the box to see the ball deflected into the net by team-mate Tomasevic only for it to be ruled offside by the official, much to the chagrin of the home fans who were unusually quiet on the night.
Neil Jablonski picked up a caution for Sutherland quickly followed by Michael Brown, who had a terrific game up and down the left flank for Bonnyrigg, and Bakis for the Sharks as the game went end to end in thrilling fashion until the 77? minute. A loose ball broke to Sharks bustling midfielder Nick Stavroulakis just outside the box and his thunderous right-footed shot left Zabaks no chance and the visitors took a deserved lead.
Bonnyrigg are made of stern stuff under coach Brian Brown and they threw everything at Sutherland without success until the moment of debate that eventually led to the equaliser in stoppage time.
Boardman slipped the ball back to a team-mate on the right flank as two Sharks players converged on the danger but when it was played back to him the linesman immediately flagged for offside. However, with two Sharks defenders sliding in the referee overturned the decision and gave a free-kick instead that was taken by Jamie McMaster, another to show well for the White Eagles, and up jumped Tomasevic at the back stick to head across the goal and into the net in the 92? minute.
With barely enough time to restart the game it was a different tale in each camp afterwards when White Eagles coach Brian Brown stated:
?We were awful in the first-half as we didn?t compete or chase for the ball and they dictated much of the play and we were probably fortunate to go into the break still level.
?We changed things up at half-time and produced plenty of chances and were perhaps unlucky not score a couple but we kept fighting and the lesson was that we played to final minute and didn?t drop our heads and got away with a point so I can?t be upset with that as this was an important game for us.
?We kept going and with their players starting to tire we managed to grab a goal that, whichever way you look at it, got us something from the game and it was a well taken goal so if people think we were fortunate to get the free-kick this game will always even itself out over the course of the season,? he concluded.
Robbie Stanton was diplomatic when saying:
?We created plenty of chances in the opening 45? minutes and we need to start taking them but in the cold light of day we have to look at it being our own fault that we only came away with a draw from this match as the game is never over until the final whistle and maybe we were guilty of not playing to that.
?Bonnyrigg have been set up as one of the benchmark clubs this season and the way we played tonight shows me we are capable of holding our own and are coming together as a solid unit as we did create the better chances this evening.?
Both coaches declined to comment on, perhaps, the controversial moment preceding the goal showing an enormous amount of dignity.
In the Grade-20 division, Sutherland Sharks were victorious with an impressive 3-1 defeat of Bonnyrigg White Eagles putting the home side towards their first loss of 2010.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 (Vuko Tomasevic 91?)
Sutherland Sharks 1 (Nicholas Stavroulakis 77?)
Saturday, 20th March, 2010
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, Bonnyrigg
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Assistant Referees: Lance Greenshields and David Lockeridge
Fourth Official: Matthew Samson
Crowd: 900 Approx.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 99.Phillip Zabaks; 3.Graeme Forbes (8.Milorad Simonovic 77?), 4.Michael Brown, 6.Vuko Tomasevic, 7.Nikola Zonjic, 9.Brad Boardman, 10.Daniel Severino, 11.Shane Webb, 17.David Gullo, 19.Jamie McMaster, 20.Wade Oostendorp
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Ali Akbal, 5.Milan Zoric, 13.Juan Carlos Chavez, 16.Stefan Helata
Yellow Cards: Zonjic 35?, Brown 66?
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham; 2.George Souris, 4.Michael Robinson, 6.Chris Price, 7.Jimmy Bakis, 8.Blake Powell, 10.Steven McConologue (31.Huseyin Jasli 71?), 11.Ben Spruce, 12.Neil Jablonski, 14.Nick Stavroulakis, 22.Yanni Fragogiannis
Substitutes Not Used: 3.Kyle Stuart, 9.Ben Vidaic, 16.James Lawrence, 24.Jack Duncan
Yellow Cards: Jablonski 60?, Bakis 68?
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Michael Robinson (SS)
2 ? Nick Stavroulakis (SS)
1 ? Phillip Zabaks (BWE)
-By Micky Brock
Nikas caps superb season
Nikas polled highest in the vote made by all players who featured in the NYL this season, and says the honour is a highlight of his short career.
?To win any award is fantastic but to be voted the best by the guys you play with and against week in, week out is extra special.
?I?ve been really happy with my season but also the team?s effort in winning the minor premiership. All the boys had a fantastic year and they are a big part of this too,? Nikas said.
Nikas featured in all but three of the Premiership winning young Mariners? matches this season, picking up the team?s golden boot award in the process with 13 goals in 22 games.
The 21-year-old made his Hyundai A-League debut in the round 21 clash against Wellington Phoenix on New Year?s Eve and went on to feature in three first team matches.
?The club congratulates Panny on his achievement, it?s a testament to not only his fine season but also to the work of the entire National Youth League squad and its coach Tony Walmsley,? said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.
Boardman relishing role at Bonnyrigg
?Three B? (Big Bad Boardo) was with the Sutherland Sharks Grand Final winning side last season, netting in the final, but this campaign sees him plying his trade for Bonnyrigg White Eagles, many pundits favourite for the title, so how is he settling in: ?It?s been quite easy,? the rangy striker stated.
?I joined Bonnyrigg to team up with ?Bomber? (Brian Brown) and Cliffy (Cliff Pointer) again because I?m not getting any younger and I want to take my football to the next level and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity and I feel the best move I could have made.
?The boys are great and we have hit it off immediately and I usually chat with ?Webby? (Shane Webb) on a daily basis so there is a great team spirit.?
Boardman netted his first goal for the club recently but he readily admits: ?It wasn?t the best goal I?ve ever scored but strikers are supposed to pick up the scraps and that?s what I did,? he laughs.
It would be easy for the team to stutter under the pre-season hype of favourites but is the something that unsettles the players?
?Yes it can play on your mind but it?s up to us to create what we want to do and if we are still favourites at the end of the season then so be it.
?Every player knows they have to perform to the best of their ability week in, week out so no surprises there and if we do that then there is no reason why we shouldn?t be there about come the run-in but I?m not going to pre-empt anything because football can be very fickle at times.?
Having recently been promoted in his day job, does he feel as though the extra sleep is a bonus?
“Ha ha, if you like.
?I was promoted recently with my company, (with whom he works with team mate and ?keeper Philip Zabaks), and now I don?t have to be up in the morning until 6am instead of 3.30am so I reckon I must be catching up on some much needed sleep.
?I don?t think it will make me any faster though,? he laughs.
Far too early in the year to make predictions of any kind in this game but it would be rude not to think that Brown and Co have already started a quiet revolution out Bonnyrigg way that could prove very difficult to beat this year.
-By Micky Brock
Second half blitz sets up an emphatic Bonnyrigg win
The White Eagles ran in three second-half goals to secure the emphatic victory against an injury depleted Tigers line up who were reduced to ten men midway through the second period.
It was a rather bleak start to round two clash, as neither side created any real opportunities inside the first 20? minutes.
Daniel Severino got the fans out of their seats when his free-kick appeared to have found the back of the net but, unfortunately for the home fans, they were celebrating a shot that went narrowly wide of the near post.
The White Eagles were caught napping midway through the first-half when a Tigers free-kick found its way into the penalty area, but an unmarked Anthony Hartshorn was unable to capitalise and sent his shot wide of the goals.
In an intense and physical first stanza, the Tigers were given a golden opportunity to hit the lead when Robbie Younis was brought down on the edge of the penalty area by Graham Forbes just 10? minutes out from half-time.
The former Adelaide United striker stepped up and curved a powerful shot past a seven-man Bonnyrigg wall, only to be denied by the wood work.
Younis looked a class above the rest at times and seemed the most likely of all the players to find the back of the net, but former team mate Phillip Zabaks was having none of it between the sticks.
Just when it seemed as though both teams would head into the break with the scores locked up at 0-0, the White Eagles pounced to take the lead in the 43? minute.
Severino, who latched on to a ball from David Gullo, had his powerful drive saved by Nash, but no one was going to deny Brad Boardman from cleaning up the scraps to register his first goal for the White Eagles.
When the players returned to the pitch for the second-half, it was the White Eagles who picked up where they left off ? scoring goals.
Jamie McMaster may have been the one who slotted his shot past Nash, but Shane Webb did equally well to supply the ball that gave the home side a two-goal buffer.
Bonnyrigg?s lacklustre start to the match was quickly erased from their memory as the side continued to press forward and almost made it a hat-trick of goals.
Severino?s free-kick from the right hand corner found the head of Vuko Tomasevic at the far post, but a desperate diving effort from Nash deflected the ball into the post and away from danger.
David Gullo was looking dangerous down the left flank for the White Eagles and weaved his way into the penalty area, but with only the keeper to beat, the youngster?s shot went straying into the crowd.
When Danial Cummins was given a red card in the 62? minute, the Tigers were staring down the barrel of another loss.
But when Robbie Younis caught Phillip Zabaks out of position, the Tigers were in with a chance with the margin reduced to one on the 65? minutes.
All hopes of an unlikely A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers victory were brought to an end just moments later when Wade Oostendorp made a charge down field, eventually latching on to a McMaster cross to give the White Eagles an unassailable 3-1 lead.
The White Eagles should have made it 4-1 in the 79? minute but Juan Chavez was unable to capitalise on some brilliant lead up work form Boardman and Severino, failing to find the back of the net from inside the penalty area.
In an attacking onslaught, the White Eagles could have found themselves four or five goals in front, but Nash was in sublime touch with the gloves, denying the White Eagles on several occasions.
However, there was very little Nash could do when Boardman and Severino went on the counter-attack, setting up Vuko Tomasevic with the fourth and final goal when he tapped home from close range to seal an emphatic victory.
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers assistant coach Jeff Suzor was impressed with the quality of football played by the White Eagles:
?Bonnyrigg are a super team and they will go a long way this year,? he said.
?They are the favourites.?
Suzor was happy with his troops? first-half efforts but said a lack of experience cost his side in the end:
?I thought we were in the game in the first-half and we dominated for most of that first 45? minutes but it?s hard to play kids for 90? minutes against seasoned campaigners who have come back from the A-League.
?They can do it for 30-40? but they can?t do it for 90?, it?s impossible.
?But in saying that I?m really proud of the young kids? efforts.?
A delighted Brian Brown was full of praise for his men:
?Our first-half performance was a bit of a battle but our fitness really showed in the end,? he said.
?The first-half we were too far back but at half time I said if we could get further forward we could cause them problems and we did.?
Despite the convincing victory, Brown was adamant his team should have won by a bigger margin:
?We probably should have won by seven or eight goals,? he said.
?Nashy had five or six unbelievable saves and we didn?t execute as well.?
The White Eagles enjoyed a 4-1 victory in the grade 20?s clash earlier in the day.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4 (Brad Boardman 43?, Jamie McMaster 50?, Wade Oostendorp 71?, Vuko Tomasevic 90+1)
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers 1 (Robbie Younis 65?)
Saturday, 6th of March, 2010
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, Bonnyrigg
Crowd: 1300 Approx.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 99.Phillip Zabaks; 20.Wade Oostendorp, 7.Nikola Zonjic, 4.Michael Brown, 11.Shane Webb (8.Milorad Simonovic 66?), 10.Daniel Severino, 19.Jamie McMaster, 9.Bradley Boardman, 3.Graham Forbes, 17.David Gullo (13.Juan Chavez 71?), 6.Vuko Tomasevic
Substitutes Not Used: 1.Ali Akbal, 5.Milan Zoric, 12.Mario Ghobrial
Yellow Cards: Jamie McMaster 90?
Red Cards: Nil
A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers: 1.Matthew Nash; 2.Mark Byrnes, 3.John Kelso, 5.Michael West, 7.Stephen Kayes, 8.Anthony Hartshorn (15.David Dascal 70?), 9.Robbie Younis, 10.Franco Parisi, 11.Nicola Rizzo, 16.Scot Madden, 19.Danial Cummins
Substitutes Not Used: 40.Michael Rutherford, 12.Liam McConaghy, 14.Joseph Cartisano, 20.M Pinto
Yellow Cards: Danial Cummins 58?, 62?, Scot Madden 63?, Michael West 76?.
Red Cards: Danial Cummins 62?.
Player Ratings:
3 ? Vuko Tomasevic (BWE)
2 ? Daniel Severino (BWE)
1 ? David Gullo (BWE)
-By Michael Chammas
Bonnyrigg White Eagles composed for 2010
It was a lackluster return to the Premier League for the White Eagles last season, but after enticing several big name players to the club in the off-season, a lot is expected of the boys from Bonnyrigg.
Defender Paul Cotte will lead the new-look White Eagles line-up as captain, one of only a few players to retain a position in the White Eagles first grade squad.
??The positive thing for the boys who have stayed on is that we all have something to prove,?? Cotte said.
??Bonnyrigg has a proud history and it?s a good time to be involved in the club with so many quality players on board.??
Arguably, the biggest offseason signing is that of 2009 player of the year Brad Boardman, joining the club after winning a championship with Sutherland last year.
Coach Brian Brown has been impressed with the new recruit and is expecting big things from his striker this year.
??He is fitting in very well and been training very hard,?? Brown said.
??If he gets on a roll he will score a lot of goals.??
With a lot of expectation on the club to perform, Brown has urged fans not to judge his side after one round.
“It’s not a sprint,” he said.
“This competition is a long race.”
-By Michael Chammas