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GOALS GALORE AT MARCONI STADIUM
Goals were the order of the day, as Marconi and Manly United played
out an entertaining 3-3 draw on the weekend.
After the match both coaches, while admitting that the match provided
first-class value for money, were somewhat disappointed not to have
secured all three points.
“All our players are disappointed that they haven’t won and that’s a
change in mentality for us," Stallions boss Dave Barrett said.
“We haven’t lost a game in ten weeks and, while that’s not to say we
are winning every week, it means that we are desperate to get the
three points.”
Marconi opened the scoring after only three minutes when Christopher
Nunes tapped in a cross from the left just as the spectators were
getting into their seats.
A minute later Nunes teamed up with Tolgay Ozbey and both charged into
the box, but somehow Brad Swancott managed to thwart their efforts and
keep the ball out for what looked certain to be the Stallions’ second
goal.
Joey Schirripa set up Craig Midgley in the 13’ minute with
a nice ball into the area and the striker evened the balance sheet
with a superb back heel that caught the Stallions defence, and
goalkeeper, off-guard. It was a goal of real opportunism and class.
In the 20’ minute Robbie Cattanach scored Manly’s second
goal with a majestic strike from outside the box and the ball ended up
in the bottom right-hand corner of the net away from an outstretched
James Chronopoulos.
However, Marconi were not about to surrender because Ozbey managed to
equalise in the 28’ minute when he lunged at an Ante Deur cross and
virtually headed the ball out of Swancott’s grasp.
In the 33’ minute Marconi could well have taken the lead again when
Ozbey found Deur and his powerful strike crashed into the underside of
the cross-bar and bounced back into the field of play for Tallan
Martin, to head the ball just wide.
On the stroke of half-time Deur, arguably one of the best players on
the field, nicely put in a cross for Nathan Moulds who, on the run,
with a powerful header sent the ball only centimetres wide of the
intended target.
Moulds was in the thick of things again not long after when he
unfortunately headed a Schirripa cross past his own goalkeeper.
The second-half didn’t live up to the same standard of the first-half
and some scrappy play was evident from both sides.
However, there was nothing scrappy about Marconi’s third goal in the
63’ minute when Ozbey powerfully tested Swancott from outside the
area. The shot-stopper split the ball into the path of the oncoming
Deur who neatly finished.
Marconi had some more chances in the second-half when Ozbey, clearly
the best player on the night, tried his luck in the 70’ minute but was
denied by Swancott - and four minutes later he sent the ball crashing
into the side netting.
The best summary of the game was provided by Stallions mentor Barrett:
“It was a very exciting game – heart attack material defensively –
where we should have been up at half-time, but you can’t concede three
goals at home and expect to win.”
Match Stats
MARCONI
STALLIONS 3 (Christopher
Nunes 3’, Tolgay Ozbey 28’, Ante Deur 63’)
MANLY UNITED 3 (Craig
Midgley 13’, Robbie Cattanach 28’, Nathan Moulds (o.g) 52’)
Venue:
Marconi Stadium
Referee:
Dom Filipovic
Assistant Referees:
Daniel Dewhurst and S. Edeling
Marconi Stallions:
James Chronopoulos; Wade Oostendorp, Nathan Moulds, Luke Casserly,
Tallan Martin (Stefan Donevski 61’), Kain Rastall, Tolgay Ozbey,
Christopher Nunes (Tim McGowan 88’), Nahuel Arrarte, Umut Tokdogan,
Ante Deur.
Substitutes Not Used:
Jason Trifiro, Zachary Cairncross and Cem Akili
Manly United:
Brad Swancott; Adam Israel, Richard Williams (Jamie Garside 78’),
Andrew Mailer, Roberto Hamad, Brad Groves, Cameron Jones, Joey
Schirripa, Pascal Julliard (Sean Bowden 86’), Craig Midgley, Robbie
Cattanach.
Substitutes Not Used:
Rhyss Keane, Michael Lloyd-Green and Caetamo Lima
Yellow Cards:
Rastall 35’, Martin 58’, Arrarte 76’, Casserly 83’
(Marconi), Hamad 9’, Schirripa 53’, Jones 78’, Cattanach 91’ (Manly)
-Courtesy Soccer NSW |
