Eagles win first league match

Photos: (Top to Bottom) The captains greet the match officials; Bulis and Wass battle for the ball; Eagles wish each other luck before the kick-off; John Muir and George Krambousanos watch the action; Andrew Clark and Robert Lebski battle it out in midfield; New Town Eagles squad

Forestry Tasmania Premier League, Clare Street, Sunday, 29 March 2009
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New Town Eagles 1 (Gordon 90)
Hobart Olympic 0

HT: 0-0 Att: 120 Ref: C Phillips
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New Town Eagles: Soszynski - Page, Savage, Rybak (Anderson 85), Wass - Vernon (Gordon 74), Clark, Malakoff, Kavanagh - McKeown, Leszczynski [Substitutes not used: Ferrall, Minty] [Coach: G Krambousanos]

Hobart Olympic: Nester - Mohamad, P Tsakiris, Tsimiklis - Lebski, C Tsakiris, Mason, Larzabal (A Hedge 73), Kanakaris - Djekanovic (Kunwar 80), Bulis [Substitutes not used: Kaproulias, Plomaritis] [Coach: F Shaw]
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Hobart Olympic have only themselves to blame for this defeat as they had the game in the bag in the first half but failed to score.

It was New Town Eagles’ first league win and it lifted them to sixth place on the ladder and dumped Olympic to seventh spot.

The relief on Eagles coach George Krambousanos’s face was there for all to see.

He had been devastated by the opening two defeats and he can now see a glimmer of hope on the horizon for his side.

The introduction of goalkeeper Michael Soszynski was a success. He did not have any difficult saves to make and he handled all the shots well.

The introduction of substitute Alex Gordon with 15 minutes remaining was a sensible move as he scored the winner with aplomb in the final minute.

The game should have been all over by then, however.

Olympic had some glorious chances in the first half.

In the 3rd minute, Kostas Kanakaris passed inside to Michael Bulis, whose shot was deflected for a corner.

From Danijel Djekanovic’s corner, Bulis had another shot deflected for yet another corner.

The best Eagles could muster was a long-range shot from the left by Jacob Kavanagh that cleared the crossbar.

Olympic should have scored in the 22nd minute when Bulis brushed aside the challenge of Chris Wass and advanced unchallenged on goal, but he somehow shot wide.

In the 33rd minute, Soszynski got down to a Bulis shot, which he handled with ease.

Another easy chance went begging in the 42nd minute when Kanakaris was presented with a clear shot at goal, but he lifted his effort high over the bar.

Midway through the second half, Eagles had their best chance when Leszczynski’s cross from the left found Jamie Vernon, but he contrived to head an easy chance over the bar.

In the final minute of normal time, Eagles counter-attacked through Andrew Clark down the right. He slipped the ball inside to Adam McKeown, who survived a fierce tackle and knocked the ball wide to Gordon on the left.

Gordon advanced on goal and coolly slotted the ball past the advancing Dmitri Nester and inside the far post for the winner.

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• New Town Eagles coach, George Krambousanos, said:

“As I said prior to the game, they’ve never beaten me as a coach.

“I honestly think the lads are just starting to come right, although we’ve still got four or five players out.

“It was a great effort. We made a few changes and they seemed to work.

“We’re playing in a happy way and we’re scoring goals, and that was good.”

• Hobart Olympic coach, Farrell Shaw, said:

“First half, all us. Second half, pretty even.

“They always looked as if they were going to pinch one.

“We missed far too many chances. I mean, the game should have been over six nil at half time.

“It’s ridiculous. You can’t miss those chances and win games.

“It’s very, very disappointing the way we played in the second half.”
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STATISTICS

NEW TOWN EAGLES HOBART OLYMPIC
8 Goal Attempts 13
1 Shots on Target 7
3 Corners 6
13 Fouls Committed 14
2 Off-Sides 1
1 (Leszczynski 10) Yellow Cards 2 (P Tsakiris 68, Djekanovic 71)
0 Red Cards 0

New Town Eagles:
PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Page 1 0
Kavanagh 2 0
Leszczynski 2 0
Vernon 2 0
Gordon 1 1

Hobart Olympic:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Mason 2 1
Bulis 5 3
Djekanovic 2 1
Kanakaris 2 1
Lebski 1 0
Hedge 1 1