Sunday Premier League round 6 review

[Karmann Ghia]

Round 6 Premier Division Review
May 23, 2011

MATCH OF THE DAY

Parafield Gardens vs Elizabeth Vale

ELIZABETH Vale has blown the Premier division title race wide open with a stirring 4-2 win over Parafield Gardens at Bradman Oval.

The game started in driving wind and rain and top of the table Parafield lost star midfielder Jarred Foster in the first minute when he limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and was replaced by Johnny Velasquez.

Both sides struggled to create chances in the tough conditions until the Vale found the opener in the 25th minute when a free kick was played into the back post by Dave Westall picking out Mark Burbridge who looped his header over the helpless Gardens keeper Anthony Stam.

Parafield showed their champion status to level the scores within two minutes of going behind.

Paul Ebomo did well on the right wing before picking out John Foat who moved the ball onto his right foot before clinically hammering the ball home form 20 yards.

The Vale were matching the home team with Michael Francis looking dangerous on the right and they nearly grabbed the lead just before the break when Westall’s shot hit the cross bar as the teams went to the break at 1-1.

Gardens opened the second half looking more dangerous with both Michael Brooks and Andy OcConnell missing half chances but the Vale continued to press with Burbridge the architect for the visitors.

The Vale regained the lead in the 75th when a ball came in from the right wing finding Francis who brought it down well before composing himself and slotting it home.

Gardens almost answered immediately again when a Foat snap shot cannoned off the cross bar.

The Vale were in dream land again in the 83rd minute when Francis got on the end of some fine interplay from Chris Nicholls and Burbridge to slot home his second goal of the day.

Gardens refused to lie down and within a minute they grabbed a lifeline at 3-2 when a Brooks shot could only be blocked by Andy Kokot before Brooks followed up to score and set up a dramatic last five minutes.

The Vale had battled so hard they deserved the win and that was guaranteed in stoppage time when Burbridge played in Nicholls who lobbed the out coming Stam to send the traveling Vale support wild.

Vale coach Aaron Westervelt was pleased with the win “We played really well; we contested well and played with intensity. Gardens have been the bench mark so it just shows what we can do”.


West Beach vs Elizabeth Grove

A last gasp own goal has secured West Beach their first point of the season after a 1-1 draw with Elizabeth Grove at Lockleys Oval.

West Beach went into the game on the back of last weeks Challenge Cup exit to Saturday team Allstars Utd and they started brightly in the gloomy conditions.

Both sides created some chances and it looked like they would go to the break deadlocked at 0-0 until the Groves Lindsay Cooper got on the end of a through ball before beating two defenders and chipping the keeper to send the Peckers to the break 1-0 up.

West Beach must have been thinking here we go again as the Grove keeper Steven Doolan produced some fine saves to keep the home team out.

With only minutes left the Peckers seemed to have the points wrapped up until an Andrew Dunne shot took a deflection and skidded inside the post to make it 1-1 and send the West Beach faithful wild.

West Beach coach Josh Hilditch had mixed feelings after the game “Initially I was disappointed that we didn’t win because I thought we outplayed them but on reflection we are just happy to get a point”.

West Beach faces Parafield Gardens next week “We know they are a great team but we need to stick to our guns and our system. We look forward to it”.

Grove Chairman Justin Foster was disappointed his team couldn’t hold on to all three points “I thought we created enough chances to deserve the win but I just thought we didn’t work hard enough up front and in the end it was disappointing to concede a late goal”.


Fulham vs Elizabeth Downs

ELIZABETH Downs got back in the winners list with a convincing 4-1 win over Fulham at Collins Reserve.

On a day when conditions required players to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in the Downs Daniel McKenna did just that in a man of the match performance.

It was McKenna who opened the scoring when he got on the end of a Nathan Day free kick to head home at the back post.

The Downs doubled their lead with another set piece ball played in from Day and this time Scott Morrison was on hand to head home and the game was all but over on 25 minutes when a Graeme Armeni cross was again headed home by McKenna to make it 3-0.

After the break Fulham’s Anthony Petracaro gave Fulham a life line with a well taken free kick from just outside the box to make it 3-1.

Any thoughts of a Fulham win were put to bed when McKenna played Armeni through and he took the chance with style to give the Downs a well deserved 4-1 win.

The Downs went into the game having drawn its last two league games and also losing last week in the Challenge Cup to 2nd division Macedonia but coach Alan Mottram could sense his team were still positive during the week “The boys were really positive at training and their was never a feeling of doom and gloom around the place”.

Mottram was happy with the performance “To be honest I felt we handled the conditions a little better than Fulham and I thought McKenna was outstanding today”.

Fulham team manager Gary Coppola was disappointed after the game “In patches we played well but we gave away soft goals with the three headers”.


Pontian vs Para Hills East

PONTIAN has moved to the top of the table after a come from behind 3-2 win over Para Hills East at Ferryden Park Reserve.

Para Hills East came into the game with six points from their two away games this season and after 18 minutes they look like making it three wins from three away from home as they stormed to a 2-0 lead.

They opened the scoring in the 8th minute thanks to a Joey Howlett own goal and ten minutes later the deadly Chris Miller was on hand to double the lead with a fine header.

In tough conditions and trailing 2-0 you need a team with character to fight back and Pontian showed just that when the dangerous Anthony Matteo received the ball on the 18 yard box before turning and striking a cracker into the top corner.

Pontian had an opportunity to draw level on the half hour when Matteo was taken down and a penalty awarded but Junior Kamara’s spot kick was well saved by Easties keeper Dave Whittaker.

Just before the break Pontian drew level and it was Howlett making up for his own goal with a wonder strike from 30 yards to send the home team to the break on a high.

After the break Pontian found it hard to break Para Hills East down and Easties Miller missed a couple of one on one opportunities but just as it looked like the points would be shared Pontian’s Matteo was on hand in the dieing minute to slot his second and send the home fans into raptures as their team goes top of the league.

Pontian coach George Kargiotis was proud of his charges “They didn’t drop their heads and the group we have believe we can always score. It was a real slog today and now we are really looking forward to next week against the Downs”.

For East coach Ryan Mogg lessons must be learnt “First half I thought Pontian were the better side but I thought in the second we had some really good chances and while it’s disappointing to lose the lesson has to be that you must take your chances”.


Salisbury Florina vs Ingle Farm

TWO second half goals have secured a valuable three points for Ingle Farm after a 2-0 win over Salisbury Florina at Underdown Park.

Ingle Farm were coming into the game after a shock Challenge Cup exit at the hands of division three opposition MSSC Blue Eagles and coach Paul Simpson was looking for a response.

In the first half he got that as the Farmers looked dangerous and create many chances but as has been the tail of their season they couldn’t take them and at the break the teams remained locked at 0-0.

New Florina coach Trevor Elliott was hoping to build on his first game in charge when Florina held the Downs to a 0-0 draw away from home but in the 55th minute Ingle Farm struck.

Farmer’s midfielder Evan Emmanuel stuck a fine shot from 30 yards which beat Florina keeper Jamie Hart to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Florina pushed hard to find an equalizer and with 10 minutes remaining the game was still in the balance before two Farm substitutes combined to seal the points.

Simpson brought on son Ricky Simpson and Luke Air and it was Simpson who crossed a ball in which Air brought down before slotting it home for the visitors.

Paul Simpson was delighted with the result “To be honest we were on top for most of the game. It was good not to concede any goals either”.

Simpson was also happy with his teams response to last weeks shock cup exit “We sat down during the week and had a good chat, there were a few home truths spoken and today the boys responded well with a good all round effort”.



P
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d
pts
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Round 7

ELIZ DOWNS


PONTIAN


ARGANA PARK

INGLE FARM


FULHAM


WALKLEYS PARK

ELIZ VALE


SALS FLORINA


ELIZABETH VALES GROUND

WEST BEACH


PARAFIELD


LOCKLEYS OVAL

ELIZ GROVE


P/HILLS EAST


DAUNTSEY RESERVE

[WASHED UP]

cheers for the reviews

[Karmann Ghia]

There on the amateur league website SAASL

funny thing these reports are up before the results and tables are updated!

[sirstevieg]

Obviously a different guy who puts the review up.


Also i imagine its quite a bit of time putting all results from every divison up & goalscorers.

[Redders]

Great read.

Is this guy in regular touch with representitives from each club? His information is pretty accurate regarding the timing of goals scored,the players setting up the goals and goal scorers.

[pecker]

Great read.

Is this guy in regular touch with representitives from each club? His information is pretty accurate regarding the timing of goals scored,the players setting up the goals and goal scorers.

Lairdy makes contact with a rep from each club about 1 hour after the games to get there description of the game, he also attends 1 game each week.

[Outlaw 2.0]

It's a great initiative as long as all clubs co-operate, how long until a club is on the end of a drubbing and all they want to come up with is "no comment"

[BADA BING]

excellent initiative , should be more of it

[Scrumdidliumpcious]

It's a great initiative as long as all clubs co-operate, how long until a club is on the end of a drubbing and all they want to come up with is "no comment"

speaking of which apparently there was 1 team on the weekend that had no comment

[Gardensgoon]

It's a great initiative as long as all clubs co-operate, how long until a club is on the end of a drubbing and all they want to come up with is "no comment"

speaking of which apparently there was 1 team on the weekend that had no comment

2 actually!
no comment? Or no comment printed? ;)

[Scrumdidliumpcious]

play 20 seconds and still get ya name in the review hey star midfielder lol

[geezer]

It's a great initiative as long as all clubs co-operate, how long until a club is on the end of a drubbing and all they want to come up with is "no comment"

speaking of which apparently there was 1 team on the weekend that had no comment

yeh Nuggy apologises, he was tied up with a photo shoot