.gif "Sack Attack: An A-League Webcomic")
Round 4 was highlighted by Canberra Olympic's 4-0 demolition of FFA COE, the academy's first loss of the season; the win moving Olympic up into third place. Elsewhere, Belconnen United got away with an important 2-0 win away from home against Tigers FC, and Gungahlin United and Monaro Panthers collected their first wins of the season.
 |
FFA COE 0
Report by Nick Amies: Three goals in the first 15 minutes set up a comfortable win for Canberra Olympic against the FFA Centre of Excellence at O’Connor Enclosed on Sunday. The 4-0 defeat was the COE’s first of the season and despite controlling possession for large periods of the match they never looked like threatening Angelo Konstantinou in goal for Olympic. The match started at a frenetic pace, with both sides pressing hard to gain the upper hand. Olympic would make the breakthrough inside ten minutes thanks to Robbie Cattanach when the striker beat COE goalkeeper Brandon Ospiov to a long ball before calmly finishing into an empty net. The early goal clearly rattled the visitors and smelling blood, Olympic struck again just minutes later. This time Cattanach was the provider, dropping between the defence and midfield before releasing Phillippe Bernarbo-Madrid down the right flank. The Olympic number nine was unerring with his finish, doubling his side’s lead and increasing his tally for the season to six. It was now Bernarbo-Madrid’s turn to make an assist as the early rout continued in the 14th minute. In a quick Olympic transition, the number nine crossed to Callum Smith at the back post, who volleyed home in emphatic fashion to score his side’s third. Olympic began their search for a fourth and Bernabo-Madrid was a constant threat with his speed on the right. The attacker created several chances, but a couple of saves from Ospiov and some unlucky finishing prevented the 22-year-old from finding a second.
The COE eventually emerged from their early slumber and started to control the rhythm of the match. Fullbacks Malcolm Ward and Zac Speth started to overlap on the flanks and create numbers going forward, but Olympic’s defence was vigilant and players were always on hand to avert danger. Cameron Joice had the visitors’ best opportunity when picked out in the box by Speth, but two lunging Olympic defenders deflected the striker’s shot over the bar. Olympic looked to start the second half the way they did the first and Tom McLachlan went close just minutes after the restart, sending his shot agonisingly wide from outside the area. Cattanach almost set up Bernarbo-Madrid for another goal moments later, but once again the number nine rolled his shot wide. The COE were consistently looking to play at a high tempo and a quickly taken free-kick created an opening for Tony Vidmar’s side. Jamal Reiners popped up in the area with the ball, but once again a desperate lunge from an Olympic defender stopped the shot making its way to the back of the net. A quickly taken corner then created another chance as Charlie Devereux played the ball into the area, but Joice somehow put the ball wide from the edge of the six-yard box. Cattanach was still pulling the strings in attack for Olympic, this time releasing Smith down the left side. The number 14 produced a thunderous shot, but it wasn’t quite good enough to beat Ospiov in goal. At the other end substitute Peter Kekeris was creating opportunities from the flanks but Tony Vidmar’s side could not find a way through the resilient Olympic defence. The home side finally scored their long-awaited fourth in the final minutes as Michael Reeve was fouled in the box, winning his side a penalty kick and earning defender Aaron Reardon a caution. Cattanach was clinical from the spot, firing into the right side of the goal with before Ospiov had a chance to react. Olympic had a chance for a fifth in stoppage time, but Reardon halted the home side’s counter-attack with a cynical challenge that saw him sent off with a second yellow. Olympic now move above the COE on the table with seven points and will go into Friday’s match against Woden-Weston full of confidence. Meanwhile, Tony Vidmar’s side must brace themselves for another difficult fixture as they welcome Belconnen to the AIS on Saturday.
Tigers FC 0
Belconnen United 2 (Aisosa Ihegie 15’, Jason Ugrinic 62’ (pen))
Belconnen United has continued their excellent start to the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues season with a commanding 2-0 victory away to League Champions Tigers FC at Nijong Oval. The Blue Devils scored once in each half to ensure that they climbed to second on the league ladder after four rounds with nine points, a decent return after negotiating a tricky set of fixtures to start the campaign. The Tigers, perhaps with last weekend’s remarkable 5-7 loss to Canberra FC in the back of their minds, were visibly tighter in defence this week with Gaby Wilk surely having drilled his team in their defensive responsibilities at training. Whilst it worked in the main they were still culpable after conceding the opening goal of the match on fifteen minutes. Matt Grbesa created it, whipping in a superb cross that was begging to be converted. Young striker Aisosa Ihegie, who is in top form of late, met the cross with a thumping header to register his third goal of the season and continue his rapid ascension as a striker of real promise. The Tigers response was predictable as they surged on to the attack looming for their twin goal threats of Alex Oloriegbe and Lucas Montana as often as possible. Montana, the spearhead, held the ball up well to bring others into play but was well marshalled by the Blue Devils defence led by the outstanding Grbesa and the under-rated Jack Blackley. Leading by the solitary goal there was still a chance for the Tigers to respond but Belconnen gave themselves breathing space with a second in the 62nd minute. Awarded a penalty for an infringement in the area, Jason Ugrinic slotted home from the spot for his first goal of the season and one that ultimately allowed the Blue Devils to see out the final quarter of the match in relative comfort.
Tuggeranong United 1 (Zac Munster 56’ (pen))
Monaro Panthers 3 (Mark Shields 10’, Chris Ruiz 12’, Daniel Hearle 90+1’)
Monaro Panthers staged a smash and grab raid on Tuggeranong United on Sunday afternoon, gate-crashing United’s home ground and collecting three priceless points to leave the Westfield FFA Cup heroes marooned at the foot of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues competition after four rounds. This was always likely to be a hefty battle with so many intriguing sub-plots throughout the field with siblings Harry Pettit and Tomas Ruiz lining up for the home side against their brothers Jack Pettit and Chris Ruiz on the opposite side. And it was the Panthers’ half of the sibling rivalry that was to leave with smiles on their face. Monaro got off to a flier as two former Tuggeranong crowd favourites combined to hush the home support. Matt Menser, whose two goals won Tuggeranong the 2013 Federation Cup, cracked a low shot at goal that ‘keeper rowan Forbes-Shepherd could only parry into the path of Mark Shields and the Panthers’ predator side-footed home from close range in the 10th minute. Two minutes later the visitors were in dreamland as Chris Ruiz met a corner with a thumping header that flashed into the net to double the Panthers lead. This stung Tuggeranong into action and Sam Shadbolt, moved into a wide midfield position following an injury to the luckless Lorenzo Giannini, forced Jack Pettit into a save with a firm strike after being teed up by Zac Munster. Trailing at the break, Tuggeranong was gifted a way back into the match when Pettit clumsily felled a United attacker in the box allowing Zac Munster to claim his first of the season from the resultant penalty. This lifted the home side who enjoyed their best spell of the match but, in chasing an equaliser, were always susceptible to the counter. And it was from a counter that the Panthers sealed the points. Anthony Giorgi broke away to square for substitute Daniel Hearle who bundled the ball just over the line before it was cleared. The assistant awarded the goal and, with it, the Panthers claimed a vital win.
Gungahlin United 3 (Stephen Domenici 60’, Shane Murray 80’ (pen), Michael John 90+6’)
Woden-Weston FC 1 (Andrew Slavich 4’)
Gungahlin United toasted a first ever PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues victory on Sunday afternoon as they came from behind to defeat Woden-Weston FC 3-1 at Gungahlin Enclosed. Goals from Stephen Domenici, Shane Murray and Michael John gave the Gunners a maiden success at this level but they were definitely made to work hard for the points by a Woden-Weston team that appears to be growing in confidence each week. Indeed, it was the visitors who got off to a flying start taking the lead after only four minutes. Andrew Slavich, who was provider for the opening goal in Round 3, took the chance to put his name on the score-sheet himself this week with his first for the club. Gungahlin should have levelled midway through the half when they were awarded a penalty but Dustin Wells, usually so reliable from the spot, sent his effort wide of the post. The hosts went into half-time trailing and it took them until an hour to draw level. Stephen Domenici, who looks to be slowly getting back to his best, netted it – his second of the season. Woden-Weston FC refused to lie down and they were unfortunate to fall behind with ten minutes to play when the home team was given a second penalty. Shen Murray too the responsibility this time and, fresh from his Westfield FFA Cup Qualifiers dead-ball masterclass against Narrabundah in midweek, made no mistake. Miro Trninic’s team looked for an equaliser to get back into the match but were caught cold in the sixth minute of stoppage time as substitute Michael John rammed home his first goal for Gungahlin to make it 3-1 and ensure a merry after-match party for the Gunners.