Waratah Cup Round of 16 (Thursday Update)

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Thursday evening saw a further two teams conclude the round of 16 which all but settled the matches for the 2014 Waratah Cup Quarter Finals.

Blacktown City FC 2 Marconi Stallions 0

At Lilys Centre, Blacktown City FC defeated the Marconi Stallions 2-0 with goals scored in each half.

The energetic Matt Lewis got on the scoresheet early in the first half while Travis Major continued his goal scoring exploits up front which all but ended the Stallions run in the Waratah Cup.

Parramatta FC 3 Macarthur Rams 0

In the all SUPA IGA NPL NSW Mens 2 affair at Melita Stadium, Parramatta FC proved too slick for the Macarthur Rams with a 3-0 victory.

A double from Frank Martey and one from Daniel Rezo secured a quarter-final spot for Frank Cosentino’s team.

Bonnyrigg WE 1 Manly United 2

Extra time was needed for Paul Dee’s men to cause an upset as the Northern Beaches side secured a 2-1 win after the match ended 1-1 in normal time.

Manly United hit the lead early in the first half via Scott Balderson before David Vrankovic equalised in the second half.

With five minutes remaining Alex Canak had an ideal chance to secure passage into the next stage but missed his spot kick.

Extra time and Manly United held their nerve with a goal right at the death via Nathan Sim to secure a big win for the club.

South Coast Wolves 0 Sutherland Sharks 0 (1-1 aet/4-3 pen)

The howling Wolves continued its revival in the Cup with a nail biting 4-3 win on penalties against Sutherland Sharks at Hooka Creek Park.

The match ended 0-0 but it was extra time were the drama unfolded.

The Sharks scored first in the second half of extra time via Adamos Pierretis but it wasn’t to be the last action of the evening as former Sharks player Matt Bailey converted from the spot in the 120th min to send the match to penalties.

The home side held their nerve and got through 4-3 on penalties much to the delight of the home fans.

Fraser Park 1 Sydney United 58 FC 8

IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 and NPL 2013 Champions Sydney United 58 FC became the first club to progress to the quarter-final stages of the Waratah Cup with a comfortable 8-1 victory over SUPA IGA NPL NSW Mens 2 side Fraser Park at Lambert Park on Tuesday evening.

Sydney United 58 FC coach Mark Rudan played a full strength side and their class showed with new recruit Alec Urosevski grabbing a brace as well as Kaz Patafta, while Mitchell Stamatellis, Stejpan Paric, Mark Cindric, Robbie Mileski and skipper Luka Glavas also got on the scoresheet.

Hussein Akil was the sole goalscorer for Fraser Park.

The winners of these fixtures will then move to the much anticipated Quarter-Final stages of the Cup on the 21st of May.

The four winners of these matches will qualify for the inaugural FFA Cup while the four losing teams will play off each other for the three final spots.

Football NSW will be there to give you live updates, reports and photos of the Cup’s next stage.

Sans Souci 0 Northern Tigers 3

The only ‘association side’ left in Waratah Cup contention and ultimately a crack at the inaugural FFA Cup, Sans Souci met SUPA IGA NSW Mens 2 outfit Northern Tigers at Peakhurst Park on a freezing evening and went down gallantly 3-0.

It was always going to be an uphill struggle for the battlers and they found themselves under the pump almost from the kick-off when David Cain went down the left but over hit his cross to the back stick.

Souci should have hit the front in the third minute when Nicholas Baresic was set free with two defenders and the ‘keeper to beat, catching them wrong footed and attempted to go around the gloveman when a dink over the top would have sufficed as the preferred option.

Stuart Page got his hand to the ball but it fell straight back to Baresic who scuffed his second chance and the opportunity waned.

Northern Tigers, sitting third in the Mens 2 division, then set about the task and had Sans Souci under pressure for much of the half.

Matthew West received a stern talking to from referee Murray Wilson for dissent after being brought down and from the free-kick the Tigers went close through Cain who curled the ball just wide of the angle and bar in the 12’ minute.

Liam McConaghy had a shot blocked on the line a minute later as Souci rode their luck and they should have hit the front nine minutes later when West saw his header well saved by Emre Cicekdag between the sticks.

Sans Souci were competing well however the extra fitness and pace was the telling factor in attempting to bring the Tigers to heel.

Mitchell Smith for the home side had the task of marking his counterpart Jamie Craig midway through the half, a match-up that would prove worthy viewing.

Skinning Craig down the right it took a full length save from Page to cut out the cross with Baresic open on the far post.

Aram Tayebi had his shot palmed away by Cicekdag as the Tigers turned the screws but on the half-hour the visitors thought they had finally cracked the opener.

Luke Dawson was running away from goal when Jason Pitcher brought him down inside the box and the Tigers had a penalty.

Tayebi took it left-footed but having beaten the ‘keeper it rebounded back into play, off the upright with two team mates rushing in to slot it home, Wilson correctly awarded an indirect free-kick as no Souci player had touched the ball.

It was a let-off but not for long when West slipped the ball through to Liam McConaghy, making no mistake, to slot home with his right instep whilst Souci’s Nathan Gaynor was sidelined requiring treatment to a head wound.

Tayebi then set up West whose effort was expertly touched on to the bar by Cicekdag but the good work was undone in the 43’ minute after a Sam Rudner shot was deflected into goal by Dawson to make it 2-0 on the night just before the break.

It could have been three after terrific interplay between McConaghy and West set-up Jamie Craig to narrowly slide the ball past the post.

Cicekdag was subbed at the break for James Drahalivas through injury but Sans Souci took the fight to their opponents.

The long throws of Tigers’ Ryan Batley was causing panic in the Souci defence, landing the ball anywhere from the front stick to the penalty spot with almost consummate ease, and raised a few hairy moments for the home side.

They tried to redress the balance by changing formation and in the 49’ minute a free-kick from Young had Page darting about his line to bat away but the rebound fell to Jacob Giovenco and in keeping with their luck to date, the ball bobbled just as he was to shoot and again it flew past the post.

In tit-for-tat fashion, Drahalivas had to be alert to keep out a header from Batley in a rare Tigers attack although a quick break again should have seen the visitors extend their lead.

Dawson slipped his marker and set up Tayebi whose shot beat the ‘keeper but momentum had taken Dawson into the goal, the ball rebounding off him on the line so in an offside position.

Sans Souci substitute Timothy Cullen saw his looping half-volley tipped acrobatically around the post by Page in the 61’ minute before the Tigers upped their work rate once more to kill the game off.

They effectively sewed up the tie, dashing the hopes of Sans Souci, with 3’ minutes remaining after another substitute in Brayden Cheng, on the pitch for less than 2’ minutes, found the net from good work by Shervin Adeli who put him through.

Three goals on the night for Northern Tigers didn’t do justice to the toiling efforts of the locals who were never out-played but lacked that little spark of fitness and control in a wonderful night of cup tie football.

Sadly, depending on your colours, the dreams of the last remaining Association side had come to an end but were still alive for their visitors as Tigers coach Jason Eager stated to Football NSW.

“We expected a tough game tonight and knew they would step up against a team a few levels above them.

“We knew it would be physical and that we needed to get on top early but it took a bit longer than we wanted in getting the first goal to be honest and that kept them in the game.

“To their credit in the second-half they just kept coming so it was the tough game we knew we would get.”

The fitness and skill level seemed like it did the trick for the visitors as the Tigers coach stated to Football NSW.

“Yes that was a factor but we created plenty of opportunities but couldn’t put them in the back of the net for a while.

“We were getting in our own way and hit the post from the spot but we always had faith and just had to be patient and I think that was the key factor really.”

The dream lives on for Northern Tigers who now head to the Quarter-Finals but a spirited Sans Souci coach, Clint Harrod was proud of his team’s effort in the Cup.

“We said before the game we knew their speed and sharpness on and off the ball would probably prove costly for us at the end of 90’ minutes.

“The boys fought hard and we changed our formation from our normal style to combat that and we competed in the first-half but copped a couple of sloppy goals toward the end of it.

“That cost us a bit and we went to the break a little deflated after working so hard.”

No-one can fault the additional effort of the second period when Sans Souci really took the game their guests.

“We started strongly after the break and the effort was there and I cannot ask for much more from my players.

“Everyone connected with the club is extremely proud of them for getting this far in the competition.”

Footnote: Special mention to the tremendous crowd at Peakhurst No.5 and to referee Murray Wilson and his Assistants Lance Greenshields and last minute stand in Wayne Lenardon, all of whom contributed to a good old fashioned cup tie.

Match Stats

Sans Souci FC 0

Northern Tigers 3 (Liam McConaghy 35, Luke Dawson 43, Braden Cheng 87)

Wednesday, 7th May 2014 Peakhurst Park No 5, Peakhurst

Referee: Murray Wilson Assistant Referees: Lance Greenshields & Wayne Lenardon

Sans Souci FC: 1.Emre Cicekdag (50.James Drahalivas 46), 2.Jason Pitcher, 3.Ryan Harrod, 4.Nathan Gaynor, 10.Dimitris Hartofilis, 11.Mitchell Young, 14.Jacob Giovenco (32.Steven Thorsby 65), 16.Pablo Morales (37.Emilio Kalotinis 65), 18.Apostolos Nicolaou, 24. Nicholas Baresic (Jeremy Joseph 57), 33.Mark Thorsby (7.Timothy Cullen 57)

Substitutes not used: Nil

Yellow Cards: Nil

Red Cards: Nil

Northern Tigers: 1.Stuart Page, 3.Luke Dawson, 4.Michael Rolston, 5.Sam Ruder (12.Braden Cheng 85), 9.Liam McConaghy (7.Mitchell Smith 75), 10.Shervin Adeli, 14.Ryan Batley, 17.Aram Tayebi, 18.Matthew West (11.Daniel Stuart 69), 20.David Cain, 36.Jamie Craig

Substitutes not used: 40.Harry Devenish-Moires (g/k), 6.Alex Denning

Yellow Cards: Nil Red Cards: Nil

-By Micky Brock

Hakoah Sydney City East 3 v Granville Rage 1

The State League One battle at Hensley Athletic Field saw the home side Hakoah Sydney City East post a 3-1 victory over the Granville Rage on Thursday evening to book a Quarter Final match up against IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 side Blacktown City FC.

Things started pear shaped for the home side as Zac Watters opened the scoring for the visitors.

Mark Mcalpine equalised for Hakoah in the 22nd before Brad Walker put them in front just before half-time.

The Rage battled courageously but Hakoah added a third and it was all she wrote as the club moved one step closer to an FFA Cup spot.

Sydney Olympic 6 v St George 0

It was one way traffic as IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 side Sydney Olympic trounced fellow IGA NPL NSW Mens side St George FC 6-0 at Belmore Sports Ground on Thursday.

Harris Gaitatzis opened the scoring for the Blues in the 35th min and that’s how the match stayed before the break.

The second half was a whole different story as Grant Lee’s men turned the screws on to roll in five goals in the final thirteen minutes of the match.

In form attacker Evan Kostopoulos bagged a hat-trick while Go Shirai and Chris Godoy Bascur got in the act in what was an emphatic end to the match.

The Blues have now set up a tasty clash against Sydney United 58 FC for a precious FFA Cup spot.

Round of 16 Results

Fraser Park 1 v Sydney United 58 FC 8

Sans Souci 0 v Northern Tigers 3

South Coast Wolves 0 v Sutherland Sharks 0 (1-1 aet/4-3 on pens)

Blacktown City 2 v Marconi Stallions 0

Parramatta FC 3 v Macarthur Rams 0

Bonnyrigg WE 1 v Manly United 1 (1-2 aet)

Hakoah Sydney City East 3 v Granville Rage 1