Zebras just squeeze home against Olympic

Photo: Hobart Olympic (v Tilford Zebras)

Forestry Tasmania Premier League, KGV Park, Saturday, 21 March 2009
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Hobart Olympic 3 (Kanakaris 26, Bulis 46, Kunwar 87)
Tilford Zebras 4 (Walsh 46, 48, Brazendale 59, F Lapolla 61)

HT: 1-2 Att: 140 Ref: I Colhoun
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Hobart Olympic (4-4-2): Nester - Mohamad, Richardson, P Tsakiris, Tsimiklis - Lebski (Kunwar 80), Mason (Guot 66), C Tsakiris, Kanakaris - Bulis, Larzabal (A Hedge 62) [Substitute not used: Plomaritis] [Coach: F Shaw]

Tilford Zebras (3-5-2): Kaden - Telega, Smith, Connolly - Self (Hall 90), Fagg, Pace, F Lapolla (Engels 80), Brazendale - Walsh, Thorpe (Welch 84) [Coach: N Lapolla]
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This was one of the traditional derbies in Tasmanian football and playing it at 6pm on a perfect evening was certainly a good idea.

After the initial skirmishes in which no side looked superior, a terrible defensive error gave Olympic the lead in the 26th minute.

Chris Tsakiris crossed from the right and confusion between Henry Fagg and Troy Kaden left Kostas Kanakaris to stab the ball home.

It was not until stoppage time at the end of the first half that Zebras scored twice to lead 2-1 at the break.

In the 46th minute, Aaron Brazendale’s corner from the right was nodded down by Ryan Smith for Dwayne Walsh to head home.

And then, in the 48th minute, Smith and Brayden Pace both hit the woodwork following a corner and Walsh was third time lucky from close range, smashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Olympic were level within a minute of the re-start as Kaden could only palm a left-wing cross wide to Robert Lebski, who controlled the ball and slipped it inside for Michael Bulis to hammer home.

Brazendale’s speed in a diagonal run in the 59th minute enabled him to latch on to Josh Thorpe’s pass before the Olympic defenders could react and he swept the ball over the advancing Dmitri Nester and into an empty net to give Zebras a 3-2 lead.

Two minutes later it was 4-2 as Pace had his shot blocked and the ball fell to Fabian Lapolla, who skipped past a defender on the edge of the box to make himself a shooting angle and fired home past Nester.

Kaden was at his best in the 79th minute, saving brilliantly from Bulis’s header after a deep cross from the right by Youssef Mohamad.

Four minutes later, Kaden was at it again, denying Akuel Guot, whose fierce header from Kanakaris’s left-wing cross, seemed a certain goal.

A fracas then broke out in the Zebras’ box and Kanakaris and Tsimiklis were very fortunate not to be sent off. Brazendale went down, but Mr Colhoun saw nothing. He consulted both his assistants, but no action ensued.

Three minutes from the end, Bulis played a marvellous through-ball for the speedy Kunwar to race on to and he beat the advancing Kaden to stick the ball in the net and make it one goal the difference.

Zebras were still dangerous, however, and in the 4th minute of stoppage time, Walsh almost scored, but his shot flew just wide of the far post.

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• Hobart Olympic coach, Farrell Shaw, said:

“Technically, it wasn’t the best game for both teams.

“A lot of passion.

“Their late two goals in the first half are basically what killed the game off, but we came back at them and tried our best.

“Some good inclusions. Young Dipendra [Kunwar] came on and showed a bit of speed, which he’s got, and a nice finish. Good to see.

“There was a lot of passion, but maybe it was the wrong choice of ref. Things were going on for too long and then he tried to stop them and he couldn’t stop them.

“There was gamesmanship going on and both teams were doing it. I’m not saying against us. It was both teams.

“Perhaps a senior referee might have calmed things down a bit earlier on.”

• Tilford Zebras coach, Nick Lapolla, said:

“It was a game we had to win.

“Full credit to the boys for their determination and the way they stuck it out.

“We spoke about a lot of things during the week about self belief and getting back to winning ways.

“Yeah, I’m proud of the boys.

“They did what they had to do and really got stuck in.”

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STATISTICS

HOBART OLYMPIC TILFORD ZEBRAS
10 Goal Attempts 13
5 Shots on Target 8
3 Corners 7
11 Fouls Committed 19
6 Off-Sides 2
2 (Mohamad 55, Hedge 90) Yellow Cards 1 (Pace 71)
0 Red Cards 0

Hobart Olympic:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Tsimiklis 1 0
Bulis 2 2
Kanakaris 3 2
C Tsakiris 1 0
Larzabal 1 0
Kunwar 1 1
Mason 1 0

Tilford Zebras:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Walsh 4 2
Brazendale 4 3
Self 1 0
Telega 1 1
Thorpe 2 1
Smith 1 1