.gif "Sack Attack: An A-League Webcomic")
Matt Bailey and Sam Awad had formed a deadly strike force in the first four rounds of the New South Wales Premier League. Bailey, tucked in the hole behind his partner, had scored in every match and Awad had found the net once himself. But today, with Awad not featuring in Robbie Stanton’s Sutherland Sharks side, Bailey looked a shadow of his recent self. It was Todd Halloran, receiving his first start of 2011, that played up front and he struggled to emulate Awad’s role on the side. Bailey was almost inanimate as the goal-poacher grew frustrated with his lack of opportunities.
Similarly the Sharks looked lost down the wings as poor deliveries and inane judgement ravaged their decision to leave speedy winger Nicko Tsattalios sitting patiently on the bench. He stayed like that until the final whistle. A run-down and lost for ideas Sutherland team did not use even one substitution. The starting eleven was trusted for the full ninety minutes and possibly rewarded their coaches decision as they left with a point in a tricky fixture away from home. But, in all truth, they failed to create a genuine spark of attacking electricity besides the goal in the 31st minute.
Perhaps the Sharks equaliser was an appropriate high point in an uncharacteristic performance. The goal was not like the build-up usually seen from the stands of Seymour Shaw Park and the same could be said for the visitor’s game-plan entirely. A more direct and narrow approach was taken by the table-toppers and it was a long Pani Nikas ball from deep in the midfield that released Chris Price cutting inside. The winger, replacing Tsattalios, rounded the keeper and slid the ball into the vacant net.
It was disappointing from an otherwise solid APIA defence; Sutherland had just one other half-chance in the opening term with a long Mike Katz shot straight at the goalkeeper. It was the Tigers who undoubtedly controlled the first half and almost replicated Sutherland Sharks home football. Short, quick, passing and using the full width of the pitch was the main ideology of the home sides play, and it quickly proved successful when, just eight minutes into the fixture, Anthony Hartshorn connected with a Chris Jame’s cross that Nathan Denham couldn’t keep out.
A blow for APIA almost turned into a blessing in disguise when Hartshorn couldn’t continue. His hamstring caused him enough distress for the Tigers to bring on Sam Essem on the half hour mark and within ten minutes the big striker had made an impact with a legitimate call for a free-kick and possibly a red card after was turned down. Essem continued to show off his handsome first-touches and ball control and zig-zagged in the box before his shot was closed down.
Essem perhaps should have been the central figure in APIA’s celebrations with just four minutes remaining, but instead he saw his brilliant low-cross into the box only just deflected over the bar. The Tigers attacker failed to hit the net from a few yards as the desperate Sutherland defence threw their bodies in the way.
The only other excitement brewing in the final third were horrible balls into the box that looked more threatening for the crowd on the opposite side of the field than the goalkeepers. The trouble directed at the men in goals didn’t reach levels more than stopping shots right at them. Denham perhaps had just a little more to do with a diving hand keeping out an accurately placed chip shot.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers 1 (Anthony Hartshorn 8’)
Sutherland Sharks 1 ( Chris Price 31’)