Controversy mars Berisha-inspired Brisbane victory

Brisbane Roar escaped a frantic final five minutes riddled with controversy to down Melbourne Victory and book a home Grand Final thanks to Besart Berisha’s second-half strike.


Referee Strebre Delovski denied Melboune what seemed to be a clear-cut penalty in stoppage time in front of a close to 30,000 strong crowd at Suncorp Stadium in Sunday’s second semi-final.

The 1-0 result saw Brisbane book its third home Grand Final in four years, where they will host Western Sydney Wanderers next Sunday afternoon.

The defeat for Victory was reminiscent of their 0-1 loss to Central Coast at the same stage last year, although the circumstances surrounding the penalty shout – where the two captains came together as Matt Smith challenged Mark Milligan – incensed coach Kevin Muscat.

“The one decision that had to be right tonight was missed,” Muscat said.

“It’s beyond belief how that can be missed.

“From where I was it looked like he (Delovski) put the whistle to his mouth and basically bottled it.

“Big crowd, home team and he bottled it.”

A little over 30 minutes earlier, Besart Berisha had sent the orange army into furor as he set off on a solo run that ended with a trademark clinical finish against his future employers.

Released by an opportune pass from Matt McKay, Berisha dribbled 25 metres towards goal, keeping Nick Ansell guessing before beating Nathan Coe at his near post.

His celebration was no more than reserved, indicating his respect for the blue and white jersey he will be donning as of next season.

It was a goal Brisbane deserved on the balance of play at the time – the home side came out invigorated in the second period after a timid first half showing from both sides.

Both midfields were efficient in executing their strategy – albeit carrying out differing tasks.

Roar’s trio of Thomas Broich, Matt McKay and Luke Brattan were instrumental in Brisbane’s patient and visually pleasing build-up play, while Victory’s Mark Milligan and Leigh Broxham stood solid in front of their back four to shutout their opponents.

Yet Melbourne looked incapable of creating a clear cut chance to get back in the game after conceding – fatigue clearly evident after travelling to South Korea for an AFC Champions League fixture in midweek.

The four minutes of stoppage time that concluded the match were one of the most gripping ever witnessed in an A-League showdown.

A desperate Victory poured men forward with nothing to lose, commencing a dramatic sequence of play with an Archie Thompson shot from close range that was palmed away by Michael Theo.

The rebound broke for Milligan who went tumbling under Matt Smith’s challenge, but to no reaction from the referee.

Archie Thompson deflected the ball goal-ward from the resulting corner, only for Matt McKay to head it off the line and into Theo’s thankful grasp.

Moments later Broich needlessly lost possession in the middle of the park and allowed the visitors to find in-form James Troisi in the box, whose shot was again well saved by Theo.

It was an inspiring few moments for the Brisbane custodian, who will be making his fifth Grand Final appearance next week. He has never lost.

Nonetheless, it could have been a different outcome had Melbourne capitalised on their late flurry at a time when Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey believed his team were their own worst enemy.

“We had more than enough chances to not even be worried in the last ten minutes,” Mulvey said.

“We were the architects of our own situation in the last ten minutes and what caused it was we didn’t get the second goal.

“We turned the ball over and got into situations where we were having too many touches in the wrong areas.

“Victory were very tired by that stage and we helped them along by some poor decision making.

 “We were looking for a goal instead of maybe keeping possession, but I’m not going to blame the lads because that’s my mantra – I want to keep looking for that second goal.”

The intensity of the match was no less than Mulvey expected, but he can now look forward to his debut Grand Final as an A-League coach.

“You got what you expected from a semi-final tonight – two extremely committed teams who went for the jugular.

“A week off is difficult, but we will be better because of it in seven days time.

“This week is all about recovery and maintenance.

“What a great feeling to win in front of thirty thousand home fans – it’s just brilliant and I can’t wait until next Sunday.”

Mulvey’s counterpart Kevin Muscat was seen clearly remonstrating with referee Strebre Delovski post-match and his assessment of the official’s performance was frank.

“At that point in time I don’t expect him to say anything,” Muscat said.

“He told Mark Milligan he didn’t think there was any contact.

“He’s probably not paid to think – he’s paid to get decisions right.”

Muscat was left fuming at the referee’s decision to wave away the late penalty and called for Football Federation Australia to take action.

“It’s staggering really at this level to be so distanced from the game and to get such a big decision wrong – we really have to analyse and the FFA should really look into how we get this better,” Muscat said.

“From my perspective the referees need to be full-time if we’re going to be taken seriously.

“I haven’t got any words for the players at this point in time because they’ve given absolutely everything for this football club and unfortunately the result was taken out of their hands by an official’s decision.

“He’ll look back and he’ll apologise but that’s no consolation to the boys.”

It adds misery to a bitter week for the Victory, who were controversially denied a penalty during their match against Jeonbuk Huyndai Motors in the Asian Champions League that could have granted them passage to the Round of 16.

“Going away to Korea and thinking to yourself ‘I don’t think I’ll go through my career with a clearer penalty shout that’s not given’ and the official tonight has proved me wrong,” Muscat said.

 “It’s hard to take because the players have put in an extreme amount over the last six to seven weeks and I couldn’t be any prouder and for all that in the space of five days for an official to dictate the result of the game is embarrassing.

“At this point in time I’m so emotionally attached to what’s just gone on – it’s difficult to start reviewing the season.

“One thing’s for sure – we’re two stone-wall penalties away from a Grand Final and a Round of 16.”

Muscat and the Victory will long be thinking how their season ended so prematurely within the space of a few days.

As for Brisbane, the city will gear up for Orange Sunday Episode III, this time against the Western Sydney Wanderers.

If it is anything like the past two editions – where Brisbane dramatically triumphed late on against Central Coast and Perth – A-League fans will be treated to yet another classic between the league’s most consistent sides this season.

Brisbane Roar: 1. Michael THEO (GK), 2. Matthew SMITH (C), 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 5. Ivan FRANJIC, 7. Besart BERISHA, 11. Liam MILLER (8. Steven LUSTICA 90’), 13. Jade NORTH, 17. Matthew McKAY, 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Dimitri PETRATOS (10. HENRIQUE 79’)


Melbourne Victory: 1. Nathan COE (GK), 2. Pablo CONTRERAS (13. Andrew NABBOUT 83’), 3. Adama Traore, 4. Nicholas ANSELL, 5. Mark MILLIGAN (C), 6. Leigh BROXHAM (16. Rashid MAHAZI 69’), 7. Guilherme FINKLER, 8. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10. Archie THOMPSON, 14. James TROISI, 25. Jason GERIA

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Stocky's Scribbles: The Hurt Locker

With the ANZAC legend fresh in everyone’s mind, the battle at Hillsview was fought out on the rolling plains and pitch of South Morang on April the 26th.

Words and images by Craig Stockdale

In the minds of many a bystander, this should have been a convincing victory for one of the powerhouse battalions of the SportsMart Women’s Premier League but the one-nil result was indeed propitious.

The Bundoora Women’s First Batallion was littered with experienced Melbourne Victory ‘big guns’ – Maika Ruyter-Hooley, Gulcan Koca, Enza Barilla, Jacqui Vogt along with WPL notaries Stacy Papadopoulos, Padiki Dade and Rachel Alonso. Their sheer size and stature enough to intimidate any a confronting soldier on the front line.

With an average age of 15 years and 7 months, the NTC U17 Girls Light Horse Infantry Regiment took up their positions to defend their ground and fight against the tall and mighty on this auspicious day. And fight they did – with another wonderful display of aggressive, controlled, on ball possession football that belied their years on the pitch.

Major General Joseph Montemurro had strategically prepared for the battle at hand and knew the contest would be won in the trenches of the defensive line. Rallying his troops, he positioned Lieutenant Jamie Brown in the bunker ably supported by Captain Maddy Stockdale and privates Giulia Sepe, Jaimee Williams, Sky Jensen, Jade Feakes and Anabel Martin who collectively were looking to thwart the many attacks from the opposition advances.

May it be said, this defensive unit was undeniably impenetrable for the majority of the day and quite often do not get the accolades of those at the other end of the battle field. Williams, Sepe and Martin made many a great tackles while all creating some outstanding runs up their respective corridors to create forward opportunities for the NTC Girls. Jensen and Stockdale remained steadfast with support from the versatile Feakes (Defensive Midfield) circumventing the opposition onslaught whilst Brown and later in the day Lucinda Kolissis defended gallantly denying Bundoora on multiple occasions.

In the trenches were second Lieutenant Beattie Goad along with the Officer Cadets – Adriana and Melissa Taranto looking to launch a series of attacks up forward. It was here in the Hurt Locker of Hillsview that the three midfielders really took the game up to the more experienced Bundoora battalion with some aggressive on ball play, clever steals and solid possession football that maintained the NTC composure for the entire match. This triumvirate with the addition of Jade Feakes, were superb in breaking down the possession of the Bundoora midfielders and arresting control of the ball for the younger NTC Girls eleven.

Taking up position on the front line were gunners Georgia Alberti, Emily Harbis, Noel Boersma, Janna Lawson and Alexi Garcia all surveying the enemy looking for weaknesses in the defensive armour of Bundoora and their chance to take a shot on the target up forward.

After unsuccessful limited attacks in the first half, the only real opportunity for Bundoora came with a striking right footer from the boot of Rachel Alonso that evaded NTC keeper Brown finally ricocheting off the far post and back into play resulting in no casualty on the score board.

It was not long after this that NTC had their best chance of the game to score. Beattie Goad swerved and dodged her way through the defensive line of Bundoora resulting in a one-on-one with the Bundoora Keeper Tori Snelleksz. The resultant shot on goal aimed at the right hand bottom corner of the net was unable to penetrate the outstretched hands of the advancing keeper.

The NTC Girls were indefatigable with their constant pressure on the Bundoora ball carriers and once again had the majority of possession in the first half but without score board presence – Nil all at half time.

What a performance by the NTC Girls. The sidelines were abuzz with plaudits from many supporters and onlookers who did not expect the continuous on ball aggression, technical superiority and certainly the off ball positioning by the younger NTC brigade. Hats off to a great first half display by both teams played in an admirable spirit across the pitch.

With the battle lines drawn for the second half, NTC Girls came out firing and very nearly stole a march on the Bundoora defensive line when Janna Lawson sent a low flying missile into the mouth of the goal line that saw the ball spill from a desperate lunge by the Bundoora keeper and a flurry of feet clear the ball from impending danger. Georgia Alberti was elusive up forward causing concern for the Bundoora camp while Emily Harbis was wagering her own war against the defensive giantess Maika Ruyter-Hooley – twice her size.

The NTC Girls continued to defend strongly with little respect for their own safety trying to transition the ball through the Bundoora midfield for a chance up forward. Stringing together an impressive combination of one touch passes right up the pitch, the Taranto Twins looked progressively dangerous opening up runs for Lawson and Martin to cross back into the box but all to no avail.

When the battle looked like succumbing to a truce by both sides, up stepped the diminutive yet ferocious competitor Enza Barilla for Bundoora managing to run onto a vacant ball and slot a right footer wide of the advancing NTC keeper Brown to register the winning shot for the game. 1-0 to Bundoora in the dying minutes and not the result the NTC Girls deserved.

When the whistle sounded, there was a mighty sigh of relief from the Bundoora camp knowing they had snatched victory from an impressive NTC Girls outfit that are now starting to combine together and gain valuable experience at every outing in the SportsMart Women’s Premier League.

Although this battle was lost, the war continues with NTC Girls taking on the might of last year’s runners up South Melbourne this Friday night. This will sporn another learning curve for the youngsters.

Personally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the ANZACs having lost six family members across multiple wars. Anzac Day itself goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day on which we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of Anzac, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and self-sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. It is on the many sporting fields across this great country that this legend lives on – both male and female codes.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest we forget.



Bundoora United 1 (Enza Barilla 80’) defeated NTC U17 Girls 0

NTC U17 Girls: 1. Jamie Brown, 2. Giulia Sepe, 3. Jaimee Williams, 5. Sky Jensen, 6. Adriana Taranto, 7. Emily Harbis, 8. Melissa Taranto, 11. Noel Boersma, 14. Maddy Stockdale, 15. Georgia Alberti, 18. Beatrice Goad

Subs: 4. Jade Feakes, 12. Alexi Garcia, 13. Annabel Martin, 20. Lucinda Kolissis, 19. Janna Lawson


Bundoora United: 20. Tori Snelleksz, 13. Claudia Fruscalzo, 4. Melissa Missailidis, 23. Maika Ruyter-Hooley, 9. Tyla-Jay Vlajnic, 5. Jackie Vogt, 10. Gulcan Koca, 6. Padiki Dade, 14. Rachel Alonso, 8. Adelyn Ayton, 3. Stephanie Galea

Subs: 7. Enza Barilla, 18. Stacey Papadopoulos, 2. Julia Sardo, 19. Ilona Jakub, 15. Matilda Ford

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How Lowe can you go

Just when you thought Perth Glory's season couldn't drop any lower (heh), Kenny Lowe has signed on with the club as the new manager for the next two years.

After ex-manager Alistair Edwards was shown the door for favouring his kiddy-winks over the rest of the team, Lowe took over as interim coach and guided Perth to four wins, four draws and nine losses.

Despite an ordinary performance in his interim period, Perth signed Lowe to a two-year contract and left many alternating from scratching their heads to furiously bashing "lololololololol" into their keyboards.

Lowe won the position ahead of a number of candidates from all over the globe including Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand. Former Central Coast manager Graham Arnold was in the running before pulling out last week.

The decision to appoint Lowe left the man himself in surprise, stating "I'm surprised a little bit. At the end of the day I'm not really high profile. But I think I've got qualities that will allow me to do well.

"I think it's brave of them to give me the job."

Brave is an understatement considering the negative response from Glory fans and A-League supporters alike. Deciding who the best person to run a club should never be decided by fans because, let's face it, most of them wouldn't know what actually makes a good manager. But it can't go unstated how much of a gamble taking on Lowe full-time really is.

Effective, Perth has committed to a guy that had failed to inspire the players and had created more disharmony amongst fans by the end of his interim period. The Glory were winless for 10 games in a row at one stage during Lowe's initial tenure.

As far as experience goes, Lowe is more than experienced enough to be managing a club, but his 10-year involvement in West Australian youth football and knowledge of the A-League counts for little if he can't inspire the players to play a good brand of football.

What Lowe has on his side is a long break to set the team up to play a fresh brand of football before the beginning of the 2014/15 season. However, Glory fans will be wanting to see a vast improvement almost instantly to justify the club's decision to stick with a man who looked to be failing in his position.

We're all for giving him a go, but the criticism is justified considering the 10-game winless streak and the restlessness of Perth fans towards the closing stages of the season.

Having given Lowe a two-year contract, what Perth must now do is stick by Lowe barring a complete breakdown. They have shown him the faith to sign on the dotted line but that's only the beginning of it. The club can't be fickle about its decision and must take full responsibility for the appointment.

Although the decision to sign on Kenny Lowe on a full-time basis may come as a surprise, the fans should give him a chance after a preseason and a fresh start to the season. However, if Lowe fails to inspire the players to play a successful brand of football, it's on like Donkey Kong.

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Victory injury time winner downs Sydney

Melbourne Victory claimed a dramatic 2-1 win in its elimination final over rivals Sydney FC thanks to an injury time winner from Gui Finkler.

With the game destined to enter extra time, the Brazilian’s goal in the first minute of injury time ensured the Victory’s season would last at least another week while ending Sydney’s in the process.

Finkler, who was largely ineffective for the Victory throughout the evening, stepped up when he was needed most to give his sides first win over Sydney for the season.

Victory were desperate to avoid an extra 30 minutes of football with this game sandwiched between two Asian Champions League matches as they now head off to Korea to take on Jeonbuk Motors.

Finkler was inexcusably left unmarked in the penalty box after being played in by a delightful Adama Traore cross for the goal.

It was largely a match that failed to live up to the hype prior to the frantic finish. Matches between these two clubs are usually lively affairs full of drama and intrigue, but this was sadly a dour affair as both sides struggled to get forward.

The home side started brighter than their opposition as they looked to dominate Sydney from the opening. Sydney looked more than happy to sit back and let Victory come to them.

Sydney’s defensive unit was strong from the start, keeping out Victory on numerous occasions. For all their possession Victory struggled to turn it into any meaningful shots on target.

That all changed in the 19th minute when Archie Thompson got free to put the Victory in front. The move started when Pablo Contreras disposed Alessandro Del Peiro and found James Troisi who then put in a delightful to pick out Thompson.

The Victory striker still had a lot to do but managed to stay composed and beat Vedran Janjetovic in the Sydney FC goal to send the parochial home side into raptures.

The goal spurred Sydney into action who immediately went on the front foot in search of an equaliser. Former Victory man Seb Ryall hit the back of the net for the third time this season against his former employees to level the scores in the 33rd minute.

An Ali Abbas through ball played in Ryall who managed to sneak a shot between the legs of Nathan Coe to bring Sydney back in the contest.

Victory finished the half strong as they seemed determined not to enter half time level. Victory couldn’t make the most of five straight corner late in the half leaving both sides to go into the sheds all locked up.

It was a serious change in momentum in the second half with Sydney dominating the last 45. Playing three games in six days appeared to take a serous toll on the hosts as they battled to stay in the contest in the face of some serious Sydney pressure.

Just like on Tuesday night against Guangzhou Evergrande, the Victory had their shot stoper Coe to thank for the result, almost single handily keeping them in the game with some world class saves.

Milos Dimitrijevic and Matt Jurman were both denied by Coe with two stunning saves. Having just won back his place between the sticks for the Victory, Coe was sensational for the home side, producing numerous high quality saves in what has arguably his best showing for the club.

Coe was outstanding against the Asian champions of Tuesday evening and produced another fine performance when his side needed it most.

Sydney had a glorious opportunity to hit the lead in the 75th minute through Ranko Despotovic that went horribly wrong. In his first game back from injury Despotovic could only push his shot wide after getting on the end of an Ali Abbas cross right in front of goal.

The miss proved costly as that proved to be Sydney’s last serious attempt on goal for the match, Finkler’s goal in the dying stages of the match made the Despotovic miss even more diabolical which Sydney into an early start to preseason.

With Victory pushing forward in search of the winner in order to avoid Extra Time, James Troisi’s attempted cross was blocked into the direction of Traore who then found Finkler to score unopposed in the box to seal a famous win.

Sydney’s defence was rock solid all evening until the divisive moment that ended their season. It appeared as though they had turned their focus onto the ensuring period of extra time, which inevitably proved to be their downfall.

Melbourne Victory manager Kevin Muscat was delighted to have avoided Extra Time given his sides challenging schedule.

“I’m not going to hide away from that fact, because an extra half-hour on top of the three games in six days would have been a big ask, but I wouldn’t have put it past the group," Muscat said.

"Without doubt there’s a sheer determination from the players in there.

“Even at the death there, when it could have been easier to walk, there was a sheer determination to go and win a game of football. It’s a big ask, to play three games in six days, a massive ask.

“I’m pleased for many reasons, obviously the dream is still alive, but we’ve had to find a different way to win a football game tonight. I’d suggest it wasn’t a game for the purist, a game where there wasn’t much space and we had to be very switched on in transition.”

Not just witnessing a stunning finish, the crowd at Etihad Stadium also may have watched Alessandro Del Peiro’s final appearance in the A-League. Sydney FC manager Frank Farina was hopeful that won’t be the case after the match.

“He’s been fantastic for Australian football both on the field and off the field, and for Sydney, as a city and as a club, he’s been wonderful. But we’ve got to respect and see what he wants to do with his career and future.

“The football club will always move forward, irrespective of whether one player stays or goes. Nothing is built around one person or one individual. Discussions have to be had.

"I think it will be relatively quick now in terms of discussions and a decision, but that’s up to Alessandro with what he’s thinking. I think he’s most probably going to need a bit of time after this game to settle his head.”

While not the most enthralling match of football ever seen, the finish to the match made up for it to kick start this year’s finals series in spectacular fashion.

Despite your opinions on the merit of a finals series to determine the league champions, you can’t deny the excitement and intrigue an A-League finals series tosses up time and time again, tonight being no different.

Victory’s indifferent season rolls on for another installment next week while the postmortem starts on another season of underachieving at Sydney FC.

Victory will now either play Brisbane Roar or Western Sydney Wanderers away next week as they look to book an unlikely Grand Final appearance



Melbourne Victory: 1. Nathan COE(GK), 2. Pablo CONTRERAS, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Nick ANSELL, 5. Mark MILLIGAN(C), 6. Leigh BROXHAM, 7. Gui FINKLER, 9. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10. Archie THOMPSON, 14. James TROISI, 25. Jason GERIA.

Subs: 20. Lawrence THOMAS(GK), 11. Connor PAIN, 16. Rashid MAHAZI, 17 James JEGGO, 24. Scott GALLOWAY


Sydney FC: 20. Vedran JANJETOVIC(GK), 2. Seb RYALL, 5. Matt JURMAN, 6. Nikola PETKOVIC, 10. Alessandro DEL PIERO(C), 11. Richard GARCIA, 13. Sasa OGNENOVSKI, 16. Joel CHIANESE, 17. Terry ANTONIS, 21. Milos DIMITRIJEVIC, 22. Ali ABBAS

Subs: 1. Ivan NECEVSKI(GK), 4. Ranko DESPOTOVIC, 28. Matt THOMPSON, 29. Alex UROSEVSKI, 34. Aaron CALVER

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Stocky's Scribbles: Flapping in the wind

On a breezy and sometimes overcast day at the Darebin International Sports Center, it was from my inconspicuous sideline I watched the Monbulk Rangers manage to peg back the fast starting NTC Girls to record their maiden win of the SportsMart Women’s Premier League season, a 3-2 result, on Saturday afternoon.

Words and images by Craig Stockdale

I had the prime position to view the goals from Janna Lawson and Beattie Goad early in the match showing positive signs for the young NTC team but as the match progressed, Monbulk’s Nikki Ceeney cleverly chipped two goals high into the back of net with the icing on the cake coming from the talented Melbourne Victory midfielder Emily Hulbert sealing the game for Monbulk in the dying minutes.

Having just stepped off the plane from completing another stage of his UEFA Pro Diploma in the Italian Federation, NTC coach Joe (Pepe) Montemurro had a spring in his step on the back of a good performance last week against Heidelberg as he strode past my vantage point.

Several injuries had impacted the selection process but with youth on his side Montemurro placed faith in his number one keeper Jamie Brown guarding the goal line along with talented defenders Jamee Williams, Jade Feakes, Sky Jensen and Giulia Sepe.

In the kitchen he went with the Taranto twins (Adriana and Melissa) and Edith Fordyce-Croker who were to feed Noel Boersma, Beattie Goad and Janna Lawson up front. The latter two delivered last weeks victory up forward and I was looking forward to seeing them ply their trade again.

As I flapped in the wind at the southern end of the pitch, the NTC Girls were pressing hard on the Monbulk midfield searching for an early mistake – both sides looking to settle a quick score to assert themselves on the match. Monbulk had their chances along with a rattling of the cross bar by NTC forward Janna Lawson that richoted at speed back into play but no score.

Continuing their pressure, the NTC Girls created some deft passages of play through the midfield culminating in a left foot through ball from Beattie Goad that found the running Noel Boersma squirt home a shot that got tangled in the legs of the Monbulk keeper Matika Kamoda and allow Janna Lawson to stroll into the goal and post the first major of the game for the NTC.

Minutes later, Beattie Goad once again gained control of the ball playing number nine and with precision footwork and lightning speed, cut a swathe through the Monbulk defensive line and rounded the goal keeper to finesse a cute left foot tap into the net and post the second major for NTC of the afternoon. WOW – what a start from NTC and all up my end of the pitch.

Now it was at this time that I expected Beattie to acknowledge my presence – maybe cut across and at least perform a dance to celebrate her success with me or even kangaroo box me like a well-known Socceroo does after he scores.

I am about Beattie’s size at 1.53M or 5 feet tall, slim and slender with a shiny yellow and red check coat. Pretty slick looking and perfect I thought but not even a sideways look from Goad as she raced back to the middle of the pitch to resume play. Shattered I was………

The NTC girls continued to play good possession football for the remainder of the half transitioning the ball out of defense and moving it through the midfield for the running forwards to again take shots on goal.

A big opportunity came in the 38th minute mark when a Georgia Alberti through ball saw the running centre back Maddie Stockdale play the ball up the right side of the pitch with the resultant right foot cross floating to the far post where Janna Lawson headed the ball into the ground only to see the Monbulk keeper scramble a great save and deny the NTC their third major for the game.

Several more chances went begging from the boots of the NTC Girls and these chances would be telling on the score line but as we know, it’s not all about the result. The brand of football was excellent to the half-way point and the NTC girls certainly had the better of the possession for the half.

Just as the half time whistle loomed, I peered across the pitch and saw Monbulk’s Nikki Ceeney take advantage of both the gusting wind and a well-placed volley that resulted in a delicate chip over the head of NTC Keeper Jamie Brown and into the top of the net to register the first goal for Monbulk. They were back in the hunt at 2 goals to 1 down.

Having spent the last five years flapping in the wind at Darebin, it brought me great pleasure to see some old faces in the crowd. These faces were not old but the young, talented and attractive faces in the form of the Matildas goal keeper Brianna Davey and her partner in crime, left back Steph Catley.

From my position, I have seen countless runs, crosses and shots on goal from The Melbourne Victory Captain along with the amazing aerial leaps, ground dives and 100 metre drop kicks from the boot of the indefatigable keeper. How good it was to see two of our past NTC Girls make the effort to come out and support the young talent on display and acknowledge my presence – even if it was a wink. J

As the teams paraded past my point for the second half, one sensed that Monbulk would be desperate to register early and tie up the scoreboard. Sure enough, nine minutes into the second half saw Nikki Ceeney again step up for Monbulk and with another incredible shot from outside the box, thwart the efforts of NTC keeper Jamie Brown to register the equaliser into the top left hand corner.

Not much anyone could do about that shot as it was a cracker – two all and plenty of time in the match left for a decider to be netted by either side.

As the wind’s momentum picked up and my coat flapped faster, NTC were pushing hard to register the winner with Beattie Goad, Janna Lawson and Noel Boersma continuing to pepper the goals. The Taranto twins and Edith Fordyce-Croker also had opportunities in front of goal to register the winner but the Monbulk Keeper remained steadfast in defense.

Several Monbulk counterattacks started from the boots of Emma Heckenberg and Emily Hulbert and in the 65th minute mark, the Monbulk captain Alicia McKillen made a great run ending with a one-on-one with NTC Keeper Jamie Brown – this one going to Brown with a wonderful save to deny Monbulk the lead and potentially the win.

The NTC team knew it was now or never and they continued to hammer crosses into the box from both wings but were unable to find a passage to goal. Several attempts were denied by the Monbulk keeper as she was kept very busy by the tirade of attempts from the NTC Girls.

Just as the game looked like it was heading for the draw, up stepped the classy Emily Hulbert for Monbulk. Hulbert pushed forward and pressured the NTC defensive line searching for an opportunity and in the dying minutes of the match, pounced with a right foot blinder from way outside the box that crashed into the cross bar and across the line into the back of the net.

What a game – full of twists and turns and ups and downs for both teams but played in great spirit and with some very good Victorian talent on display.

As the teams cooled down, I was wrenched from the ground by Pete joining my three counterparts in a horizontal position that led me back to the darkness of the storage room behind the canteen.

Once again I had seen some great work from another band of NTC Girls and although the result was not what the majority had wished for, the talent and skills on display were again of the highest caliber right across the pitch.



NTC U17 Girls 2 (Lawson, Goad) defeated by Monbulk Rangers 3 (Ceeney 2, Hulbert) at State Football Centre


NTC U17 Girls: 1. Jamie BROWN (GK), 2. Giulia SEPE, 3. Jamee WILLIAMS, 4. Jade FEAKES, 5. Sky JENSEN, 6. Adriana TARANTO, 8. Melissa TARANTO, 11. Noel BOERSMA, 17. Edith FORDYCE-CROKER, 18. Beattie GOAD, 19. Janna LAWSON

Interchange: 16. Sabahat REXHEP (GK), 9. Lexi ANASTASSIOU, 12. Alexi GARCIA, 14. Madeline STOCKDALE, 15. Georgia ALBERTI


Monbulk Rangers: 1. Marika KAMODA (GK), 5. Aliesha WHETHAM, 17. Eliza JOHNS, 8. Tanya NEWMAN, 10. Jen CAMERON, 4. Emma HECKENBERG, 12. Emily HULBERT, 16. Monique NOGUEIRA, 7. Erin DOUGHTY, 9. Alicia McKILLEN (c), 6. Bec SABER

Interchange: Mia KIRKHAM (GK), 2. Natalie DOOLAN 3. Nikki CEENEY, 13. Dana TAMOS, 14. Amelia PEGG

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Mariners claim A-Champions-League

Defending champions Central Coast Mariners outwitted minor premiers Brisbane Roar 2-0 in Saturday night’s battle of the champions at Suncorp Stadium.

The impressive win cemented third spot and a home elimination final for Phil Moss’ side next weekend, meanwhile the Roar will have two weeks to regain their suave.

The Mariners displayed a disciplined and tactically astute performance nearing their best of the season against a full-strength Brisbane.

Eddy Bosnar made the visitors’ intentions clear early on, pile-driving a free kick that Michael Theo somehow kept out with his hands still in tact.

Pre-game, Roar coach Mike Mulvey warned that his team had put in several “sub-par” training sessions during the week and it transpired onto the field.

The Mariners looked the more dangerous throughout the first half and broke the deadlock on 22 minutes, when in-form Bernie Ibini combined with Storm Roux, who fed former Roar player Nick Fitzgerald to score at the near post.

Ibini was at it again six minutes later, setting up Anthony Caceres who smashed home from outside the box.

Brisbane should have pulled one back before the break, only for Dimitri Petratos to hit the post from point blank range after neat lead-up play by Luke Brattan and Matt McKay.   

A first half of clinical attacking and Roar-like combination play from the Mariners was followed by a measured, counter-attacking approach in the second 45.  

Fitzgerald had the chance to all but wrap up the result within minutes of the restart, but he blasted high as the ball sat up for him inside the box.

Brisbane rarely broke through the Mariner wall, not managing a shot on goal until the 60^th minute – coinciding with a Besart Berisha disallowed goal for offside.

It wasn’t to be for the Melbourne-bound Albanian, as he struck the upright late on, Brisbane’s cutting edge alluding them two weeks out from a home qualifying final.

Mulvey lamented the performance down to the lack of purpose in the game, with Brisbane having already wrapped up the minor premiership three weeks ago.  

“We won the league by a streak and we won it three games ago and we’ve played three dead rubbers,” Mulvey said.

“It’s very difficult to keep aggressive intensity when you know there’s no real reward at the end of the night.

“That’s out of our system now. We won’t lose two on the trot at home.”

Phil Moss on the other hand had every reason to praise his troops, after a team performance Jose Mourinho would have been impressed with.

“We nullified their strengths and exploited their weaknesses,” Moss said

“I’m just so delighted with the way the players stuck to the game plan and executed it.

“Everyone knew their jobs and played it out to almost perfection.”

Central Coast must wait to discover their opponents for next week, with Sydney’s result against Perth on Sunday deciding whether the Sky Blues, Adelaide or Newcastle will finish sixth.

Brisbane Roar: 1. Michael THEO (gk), 2. Matthew SMITH (c), 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 5. Ivan FRANJIC, 7. Besart BERISHA, 11. Liam MILLER (10. HENRIQUE 69’), 13. Jade NORTH, 17. Matt McKAY, 18. Luke BRATTAN (8. Steven LUSTICA 66’), 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Dimitri PETRATOS

Central Coast Mariners: 3. Joshua ROSE, 5. Zachary ANDERSON, 8. Nick MONTGOMERY (c), 9. Mitchell DUKE, 11. Nick FITZGERALD (29. Matthew SIM 70’), 12. Liam REDDY (gk), 15. Storm ROUX, 17. Anthony CACERES, 20. Bernie IBINI, 25. Eddy BOSNAR (6. Brent GRIFFITHS 46’), 28. Glen TRIFIRO (21. Mile STERJOVSKI 80’)

Crowd: 14, 218

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Wanderers deny Kewell winning send off

Western Sydney Wanderers have geared up for a tilt at the title with a come from behind 3-2 win over Melbourne Heart to cruelly deny Harry Kewell a winning farewell from football.

Two goals in the final 10 minutes secured the points for the travelling Wanderers to keep their top two dreams alive, while ruining Heart’s end of season high in the process.

It looked as though the fairy tale was well and alive as Heart went into the 80th minute of play enjoying a well-deserved 2-1 lead.

That ended in a heartbeat, however, as Youseff Hersi and Brendon Santalab both scored to ensure the Wanderers a top two finish.

Kewell was busy all evening for the Heart and while injury limited his time for the club, he was immense in ensuring they would pick up possibly their last outing wearing Red and White.

It was an emotional match in the stands for the home fans as they passionately voiced their displeasure at the possible change of club name and colour once new owners Manchester City take over form next year.

If this was the be the last occasion for the Heart and the red and white, it was given a rousing farewell as they outplayed their finals bound opposition for much of the night in a performance that deserved maximum points.

A guard of honour from both sides greeted Kewell out to the AAMI Park pitch as the fans donned masks in appreciation of the man of the moment.

The Heart started brightly and dictated large parts of the opening. They looked as though they bagged the opener in the 19th minute as Kewell left a pass that played in Mate Dungandzic clean on goal but could only push his shot wide of goal.

However, it was the Wanderers who opened the scoring against the run of play in the 27th minute as Nikolai Topor-Stanley headed home a perfectly timed Shinji Ono free kick to break the game wide open.

Not deterred by going down, Heart got back on level terms in the 34th minute with Orlando Engelaar doing what he does best; scoring screamers from a long way out.

With cries of “shoot” bellowing from the crowd, the big Dutchman duly obliged as he let rip a thunderous shot from outside the box that clipped the edge of the goal frame to sneak past Ante Covic.

The moment everyone came for almost happened in the 62nd minute as Covic cruelly denied Kewell a goal with a breathtaking fingertip save.

The ball fell for Kewell inside the box with his fierce volley looking goal bound until the giant hands of Covic intervened to deny a truly fantastic moment.

Proving the save was no fluke, Covic put in an almost identical save just minutes later to keep out a Jonatan Germano header from the corner.

Western Sydney were offered a lifeline in the 68th minute in the form of a penalty which they didn’t take. Shinji Ono in his last regular season A-League fixture smashed his spot kick against the cross bar to keep the Heart in the match.

The breakthrough came through an unlikely source in the 71st minute with Jason Hoffman putting the Heart in front with a deflected shot that got the better of Covic to give the Heart the lead.

Desperate for a top two finish, Wanderers pushed the Heart in search of an equaliser immediately after falling behind. Attack after attack was quashed from the Heart defence who looked hell bent on giving Kewell the sweetest of goodbyes.

As we all know football can be a cruel game and it proved true as Wanderers killed the game off in five brutal minutes.

Hersi took advantage of a defensive mistake in the 81st minute to draw Western Sydney level before Santalab volleyed home in the 86th minute to round off the visitors comeback win.

A dejected looking Kewell after the match was disappointed with the outcome.

“I was proud of the boys today. Disappointed we didn’t come out with the win. We played well, we created chances. I’ve seen better goals scored against us.

“Of course you always want to do more. I think we scored two great goals. I’m frustrated because I thought we did enough to win the game. Disappointing but that’s football.

“It’s been long, it’s been hard. Just get away and refresh the body. Hopefully they (Heart) can go along and do great things.”

Wanderer’s manager Tony Popovic hailed his side’s ability to come from behind and steal victory.

“Fantastic character shown by everyone in that squad. Players that came on made a difference.

“Its human nature to feel sorry for yourself when you miss a penalty and a minute later concede a goal straight from that. Players knew we had to win that game.

“We stuck at it, we kept pour structure and in the end we scored three goals.”

In some ways it was fitting that Kewell’s career came to an end in such a manner. Despair and bad lack hampered Kewell’s otherwise stellar career, which is exactly what happened this evening.

Thus ends what has been one of the greatest careers any Australian has experienced in football. A career of highs and lows ending in a match full of highs and lows.

Farewell Harry, and thanks for the memories!



Melbourne Heart: 20. Tando VELAPHI(GK), 2. Jeremey WALKER, 3. Robbie WIELART, 4. Orlando ENGELAAR, 10. Harry KEWELL(C), 13.  Jonatan GERMANO, 15. David WILLIAMS, 17. Jason HOFFMAN, 19. Ben GARUCCIO, 21. Stefan MAUK, 23. Mate DUGANDZIC, 24. Patrick KISNORBO

Bench: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE(GK), 6. Patrick GERHARDT, 7 Iain RAMSEY, 8. Massimo MURDOCCA, 16. Aziz BEHICH


Western Sydney Wanderers: 1. Ante COVIC(GK), 3. Adam D’APUZZO, 4. Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY(C), 6. Jerome POLENZ, 8. Mateo POLJAK, 9. Tomi JURIC, 13. Matthew SPIRANOVIC, 17. Youssouf HERSI, 18. Iacapo LA ROCCA, 19. Mark BRIDGE, 21. Shinji ONO

Bench: 20. Jerrad TYSON(GK), 2. Shannon COLE, 7. Labinot HALITI, 10 Aaron MOOY, 11. Brendon SANTALAB

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Season ended for faltering Phoenix

Wellington Phoenix closed the doors to their 2013/14 A-league season after going down by a convincing 4-1 to Melbourne Victory.

The game started with a bang with Victory attacking straight off the center line to slide a goal right past the Phoenix in the first 20 seconds of the match.

With an early lead to Victory the Phoenix seemed to crumble under the pressure with an inexperienced team out on the field including Jacob Spoonley in goal. 

This was only Spoonley's second game in the A-League, his first being the Phoenix' opening game of the season. 

A new player who in this game showcased his improvement from the beginning of the season was Tyler Boyd. In the 13th minute Boyd did some superb work beating one Victory player to take a shot at goal that unfortunately was saved.

Seven minutes later the Phoenix got their first solid chance when a free kick was awarded due to a rough tackle from Ansell on Kenny Cunningham. 

This gave Carlos Hernandez the chance to even it up but unfortunately he hit the kick straight into the defence wall Victory had set up.

Then in the 29^th minute Victory’s attack proved to strong with James Troisi putting a left foot shot straight across into the top right corner of the goal.

Spoonley seemed to be struggling in goal but then in the 39^th minute produced a great save which kept them at the 2-0 bay.

Then Guy Finkler pulled out an amazing run just before half time with Victory all pooling together to get the ball up the field and see them head into half time with a 3-0 lead.  

With the Phoenix down 3-0 it didn’t seem like it could get much worse.

Then, Shaun Timmins was awarded a red card for taking out a Victory player right in front of goal leaving the Phoenix down to 10 players and also giving Victory a free kick to put them even further in front.

Mark Milligan took this opportunity and used it, sending the ball straight into the top right corner putting Victory in a 4-0 lead position.

With play getting sloppy and the Phoenix all but seeming to give up in the final minute of the game Jeremy Brockie reminded everyone why they deserved to be supported next season with an amazing left foot kick heading straight into the top right corner of the goal.

This ended the match on a high and also showed supporters the Phoenix hadn’t given up on themselves, and neither should they when next season comes around.



Melbourne Victory: 1. Nathan COE (GK), 3. Adama TRAORE, 4.Nick ANSELL, 5. Mark MILLIGAN (c) 6. Leigh BROXHAM (C), 7.Gui FINKLER, 9. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10. Archie Thompson, 14. James TROISI,, Leijer, 24. Scott GALLOWAY SUBS: 11. Connor PAIN, 17. James JEGGO, 20. Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 22. Jesse MAKAROUNES, 25. Jason GERIA


Wellington Phoenix: 2.Manny MUSCAT  5.Michael BOXALL 9.Kenny CUNNINGHAM Adams, 11.Jeremy BROCKIE 12.Tyler BOYD  17.Vince LIA, 21. Carlos HERNANDEZ 22.Andrew DURANTE 25.Shaun TIMMINS, 30.Jacob SPOONLEY (GK) SUBS: 1.Glen MOSS (GK), 10.Stein HUYSEGEMS 15.Jason HICKS 23.Matthew RIDENTON, 24.Roy KRISHNA

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Jets ground Reds to keep season alive

The Newcastle Jets have kept their slim A-League finals hopes alive with a heart-stopping 2-0 victory over Adelaide United at Hunter Stadium.

A 90th-minute goal from Adam Taggart sealed the victory for the hosts after Joel Griffiths opened the scoring in the first half to give Jets fans a flicker of hope that their season could extend for another week.

The win moved the Jets up to 36 points level with sixth-placed Sydney but need the Sky Blues to lose to Perth Glory on Sunday afternoon by two or more goals to sneak into the finals on goal difference.

But if the Jets took their chances against Adelaide it could be a far simpler equation.

Adam Taggart and Nick Ward squandered golden opportunities in the second half to extend Newcastle’s advantage and in hindsight it could prove costly if Perth do manage to knock over Sydney on Sunday.

Had the Jets won by three goals they simply would need Perth to beat Sydney but their inferior goals scored column means they need the Glory to cause a huge boilover and win by two goals away from home.

Despite admitting it will be a minor miracle for the Jets to make the playoffs, coach Clayton Zane remained positive about the result regardless if it could be their last match for the season.

“Yeah it was a funny game, early in the second half it was backs against the wall, there was 15-20 minutes there where we couldn’t get hold of the ball,” he said.

“Credit to our players, they didn’t stop, they kept pushing forward, we always looked a threat on the counter attack and from a game that we were hanging onto it could have easily been 3 or 4 nil.”

Zane believed his side only have themselves to blame for putting themselves in a dog fight for a place in the finals but was pleased to at least give themselves a chance of making the top six.

“We could have got that third goal and really piled the pressure onto Sydney but I think already now there will be that element of doubt which will be in the back of their minds,” he said.

“Jobs half done because we’re relying on another one and we shouldn’t put ourselves in this position where we have to rely on that one, but we could only do what we set out to do tonight.”

Adelaide boss Josep Gombau was surprisingly upbeat about the Reds performance and suggested if they had taken their chances it could have been a very different contest.

“The performance I am satisfied that we played a good game its just we couldn’t find the net. We created chances, I think if we scored with one of these the game can change,” he said.

“I am satisfied with the way the team played, we took a risk in the second half, we played three at the back because we tried to score goals to try to win the game.”



Newcastle Jets: 1. Mark Birighitti (gk), 4. Kew Jaliens, 5.Ben Kantarovski, 8. Ruben Zadkovich (c), 9. Emile Heskey, 11. Craig Goodwin, 14. Josh Mitchell, 15. Josh Brillante, 16. Jacob Pepper, 19. Michael Bridges, 21. Sam Gallaway, 20. Ben Kennedy (gk), 22. Adam Taggart, 23. David Carney, 24. Mitch Oxborrow, 27. Nick Ward, 29. Joel Griffiths


Adelaide United: 1. Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 3. Nigel Boogaard, 5. Osama Malik, 7. Jeronimo, 8. Isaias, 9. Sergio Cirio, 10. Marcelo Carrusca, 11. Bruce Djite, 14. Cameron Watson, 16. Daniel Bowles, 17. Awer Mabil, 18. Michael Zullo, 20. Paul Izzo (gk), 21. Tarek Elrich, 22. Fabio Ferreira, 23. Jordan Elsey, 25. Ryan Kitto, 32. Nathan Konstandopoulos

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NPL Victoria: Round Three Wrap

Goals and plenty of them were on the menu in Round Three of the NPL Victoria. South Melbourne stormed to the top of the table while last year champs Northcote are still searching for their first points of the new season, as new boys Ballarat Red Devils and Werribee City enjoyed surprise away wins.

Congratulations are in order for South Melbourne's Milos Lujic with the striker netting the first ever NPL Victoria hat-trick as he put three goal past Green Gully after just 26 minutes.

Port Melbourne 2 (Grossman 15’, Milicevic 59’)

Oakleigh Cannons 2 (Christodoulou 28’, Piemonte 62’)

JL Murphy Reserve

Oakleigh Cannons came from behind on two occasions to deny Port Melbourne their first win for the season to kick off the round on Friday Evening.

Port Melbourne Skipper Chris Grossman got the home side off to a perfect start as he was on the end of a perfect Kamal Ibrihim free kick after just 15 minutes. Evan Christodoulou got in on the captains scoring goals bandwagon as he headed his side back on level terms in the 28^th minute.

Andrew Milicevic gave the home side the lead once more in the 59^th minute with a cracking long range strike, only for Dean Piemonte to again draw Oakleigh level just three minutes later.

Port Melbourne’s search for their first NPL win will take them all the way to Shepparton as they take on new comers Goulburn Valley Suns while Oakleigh return home on Friday night to take on Green Gully.

Bentleigh Greens 1 (McGrath 55’)

Pascoe Vale 1 (Youseff 8’)

Kingston Heath Soccer Complex

A Joseph Youseff header after just eight minutes gave Pascoe Vale the perfect start against last year’s beaten Grand Finalist Bentleigh Greens in the other Friday night fixture.

Despite the early setback, the Greens dominated the match from start to finish and would have been mighty disappointed to only take a point of the match.

Brent McGrath got Bentleigh back on level ground in the 55^th minute with a tidy finish from the one time Socceroo.

Bentleigh will look to make amends for this missed opportunity as they travel west to take on Werribee City on Sunday afternoon, while Pascoe Vale will take on reigning champs Northcote City on Friday night.

Green Gully 3 (Sanders 47’, 49’, R. Vargas 90+1’)

South Melbourne 5 (Lujic 5’, 15’, 26’, Reed 31’, Minopoulos 90+4’)

Green Gully Reserve

In a crazy afternoon of football, South Melbourne climbed to the top of the table as they toppled Green Gully 5-3.

Seven goals, two red cards and the first NPL Victoria hat-trick to South Melbourne’s Milos Lujic capped off a remarkable 90 minutes of football at Green Gully Reserve.

South Melbourne raced to a 4-0 half time lead only for Green Gully to pull themselves together in the second half and amazingly get within one goal of the visitors. The comeback proved to be in vain as Leigh Minopoulos put the result out of reach in the fourth minute of added time.

South Melbourne next take on Hume City as they look to keep their position on top of the standings while Green Gully will take on Oakleigh Cannons away. 

Northcote City 1 (Dekker 57’)

Ballarat Red Devils 3 (Swinton 31', Karras 36', S.Romein 76')

John Cain Memorial Park

Defending champions Northcote City are remarkably still searching for their first points of the season as they were surprisingly held to a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Ballarat.

Two goals in five minutes sent the Red Devils on their way late into the first half with strikes to Dom Swinton and Pat Karras to make it 2-0 after 36 minutes.

Northcote City did manage to strike first in the second half through Wade Dekker in the minute but hopes of a comeback were dashed in the 76^th minute as Shaun Romein secured Ballarat’s second win of the season.

Ballarat will once again be on the road in round four to take on Heidelberg United while Northcote will next face Pascoe Vale.

Dandenong Thunder 1 (Mulcahy 20’)

Hume City 0

George Andrews Reserve

Dandenong Thunder continued their undefeated start to the season with a 1-0 win over the visiting Hume City on Saturday night.

Alan Mulcahy opened the scoring with a cracking long range effort in the 20^th minute which would prove to be the match winner.

Hume City were luckless in front of goal in this match as chance after chance went begging. Content with their one goal lead, Dandenong went into defensive mode after Mulcahy’s goal with their strong defensive effort frustrating Hume.

Hume City host South Melbourne next weekend while Dandenong Thunder will face Melbourne Knights.

Goulburn Valley Suns 2 (Carley 3' pen, 90'+3 pen.)

Heidelberg United 6 (Petrie 16', Heffernan 26', McGough 38', Sheppard 47', 71', Kanakaris 48')

McEwen Reserve

Shepparton hosted another high scoring match with Heidelberg United punishing Goulburn Valley Suns 6-2.

The Suns were dreaming of three points in third minute with Craig Carley converting from the penalty spot to give the home side an early lead.

It was all one way traffic from that moment on however as Heidelberg poured on six unanswered goals in a dominate display.

Three goals in each half did the business for United with Kaine Sheppard bagging a brace.

Goulburn Valley will be at home again next weekend to take on Port Melbourne while Heidelberg will face another regional club as they host Ballarat Red Devils.

Melbourne Knights 1 (McGarry 53')

Werribee City 2 (Cudrig 85', Filipovic 87' pen.)

Knights Stadium

Werribee City are proving to be the surprise packet of the NPL Victoria season as they claimed an upset 2-1 win over Melbourne Knights on Sunday afternoon.

Fresh from defeating Hume City last round, Werribee claimed their second win on the bounce, leaving it late to claim the points.

James McGarry opened the scoring in the 53^rd minute for the Knights with a well-timed header.

As the match drew to its end with the Knights seemingly in control, defender Steven Cudrig bagged his second goal in as many weeks in the 85^th minute to draw Werribee level.

The shocks didn’t end there with Werribee were awarded a penalty in the 87^th minute that ex-Knight Ryan Filipovic converted to give the Bees a surprise win.

Werribee will look to continue their hot form as they host Bentleigh Greens on Sunday afternoon while Melbourne Knights will take on Dandenong Thunder at home.

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Waltzing Matildas outdanced by Brazil

An enthusiastic and vocal crowd of 2,583 turned out in force to support the Matildas on a steamy day in Brisbane. The game was high in skill and attack despite the tropical storm hitting the pitch and forcing many fans to seek shelter high in the stand midway through the first half.

Despite a torrid week of media speculation surrounding a fall out between the playing group and coach Hesterine De Rues, the Matildas put in a spirited performance and showed plenty of heart in the contests for possession. The big problem for the Matildas wasn’t the enthusiasm but their execution.

Playing in conditions that would rival their Asian Cup locale of Vietnam, both teams managed to control the ball well despite the greasy conditions.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) boss David Gallop was in attendance for the first of the two warm matches that are the precursor to the Matildas all important defence of their Asian Cup crown next month.

Sadly all the pre-game talk had been squarely focused on new coach Hesterine de Reus who is now subject of an internal investigation centering on player disharmony following her perceived tough coaching style.

At the post match press conference, de Reus was happy to answer questions on whether the allegations has disrupted her team’s preparation this week. The Dutch coach is very keen to see the matter resolved as soon as possible and sees it as a huge distraction as the team aims to finish strongly with the sole aim of qualifying for the next years FIFA World Cup in Canada.

“I didn’t read anything, I’m totally focused on the job I had to do here.” She said.

The players however were keen to deflect any talk of the alleged squad rift rather preferring to concentrate on what played out on the park against the classy South American side.

Temeka Butt’s tireless running proved a headache for the Brazilians and her combination with Emily Van-Egmond is one to watch closely when they come up against their tough Asian Cup Group opponents Japan.

Elise Kellond-Knight and Kate Gill also impressed after creating plenty of fine attacking runs and will take plenty of heart from matching the skill level of the sixth ranked team in Women’s World Football.

The physicality of the Matildas showed through as they outmuscled their more fancied opponents in many of the contests. There will be no doubting coach De Rues will attempt to fine-tune the set pieces and shooting drills could well be the order of the day as they look to find the net in Wednesday’s match.

Both teams had numerous opportunities in an entertaining first half until a damp pitch slowed the pace but not the enthusiasm as the teams went to the break locked at nil all.

Brazil finally gave the scoreboard attendant something to do in the 67th minute when Debora “Debinha” Oliveira took on Matildas keeper Brianna Davey in a one on one contest to score and briefly silence the large contingent of Australian fans.

The goal seemed to lift the Matildas to find the equaliser as they built more pressure in the dying minutes of the match.

Kate Gill's hot shot from a sharp Kellond-Kinght cross was blocked before Michelle Heyman then pounced on a sloppy back pass only to find her shot miss the target as the match wound down to the final whistle.

The signs are great for the women’s game in this country and the narrow loss will give the team confidence as the continue building momentum.

For now though it is all about Wednesday and for coach Hesterine De Rues a win on the field will do plenty to deflect some of the attention and headlines away from her management methods.


Matildas: Brianna DAVEY; Teigan ALLEN; Clare POLKINGHORNE (C); Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT; Emily VAN-EGMOND; Lisa DEVANNA; Tameka BUTT; Alanna KENNEDY; Steph CATLEY, Katrina GORRY; Michelle HEYMAN

Brazil: Fabiana SIMOES; Bruna BENITES; Andreia ANDRADE; Thaisa MORENA; Tamires GOMES; Debora OLIVEIRA; Miraildes MOTA; Rosana AUGUSTO; Cristiane ROZEIRA; Thais PICARTE; Andressa ALVES

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