Photos (Top to Bottom): Christian's Leno Taglieri (left) and DOSA's Jayden Hey; Christian's Mathew Sly (right) tackles DOSA's Michael Langshaw; Christian's Tim Wierenga clears upfield; DOSA's John Visentin is booked by Mr Ambler; Mathew Sly goes for a header with DOSA's Jayden Hey while DOSA's Richard Korn (No. 11) awaits the outcome; Christian's Scott Nicholson clears ahead of DOSA's Michael Langshaw; Christian's Mathew Sly gets in a header at goal; DOSA's Stephen Swift threads a pass through the Christian defence; Christian's Mathew Sly scores his first penalty of the match; DOSA's Jayden Hey rises for a header; DOSA's Jayden Hey races clear with the ball; Christian's Angus Livingston (centre) is surrounded by DOSA's Jeremy Parry and Michael Langshaw; Christian's Leno Taglieri (right) fails to cut out John Visentin's cross; DOSA's Jayden Hey shuts down Christian's Leno Taglieri
Northern Suburbs DOSA 5-7 Christian United
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The referee failed to turn up for this Division One bottom-of-the-table match and the official who had been in charge of the reserve curtain-raiser had to do a second game in succession.
There was one official assistant referee, while a Christian United substitute had to run the other line.
The two Division Four games played on either side of the Showgrounds pitch that this game was played on also did not have any officials, which, understandably, caused a lot of grumbles from the players.
They said they pay their registration fees and yet seldom get officials.
Ashley Page almost put Christian in front after just four minutes when he hit a free-kick centimetres wide of the target.
DOSA settled down after that and they led 3-0 with just 26 minutes gone.
In the 13th minute, a cross by John Visentin enabled Stephen Swift to head home and give DOSA the lead.
In the 18th minute, Mark Wakefield was somewhat lucky to score from the penalty spot as the ball rolled between the keeper’s legs. But, they all count and it was DOSA 2, Christian nil.
In the 26th minute, another cross from John Visentin was powered home by Jayden Hey to make it 3-0 for the home side.
Page missed a marvellous chance to peg DOSA back when he was clean through in the 32nd minute, but he somehow blazed over the bar.
He made amends three minutes later. Mathew Sly chased a through ball and keeper Justin Farrugia just got a hand to it and prevented Sly from scoring.
But, Sly’s momentum enabled him to catch the ball before it rolled out for a corner and he cut it back to Page, whose chip from the left of the box deceived Farrugia, who had recovered his ground by this time, and dropped into the far corner of the net to make it 3-1.
Christian pulled another goal back in the 39th minute when Tim Wierenga crossed from the right and Sly headed the ball down for Leno Taglieri to smash it home.
The closing minutes of the first half were frantic, with Christian’s Isaac Gwolo missing a good chance from the left and DOSA’s Wakefield placing a back-header over the bar.
As the game went into stoppage time, Sly volleyed a cross from Page wide of the target.
A minute after the resumption, David Visentin’s dangerous shot was tipped over the bar by Christian’s keeper, Steven Dixon.
In the 52nd minute, superb goalkeeping by Farrugia kept DOSA’s lead intact as he turned Taglieri’s left-wing cross onto the bar. The ball rolled along the top of the bar before dropping out of play for a corner.
DOSA conceded a penalty in the 56th minute for handball and Sly scored with a low shot to Farrugia’s left to make it 3-3.
In the 67th minute, DOSA were dealt a huge injustice when substitute Wilson Lumago scored. He was at least three metres off-side when the ball was played through to him, but he was allowed to continue and he scored easily to put Christian in front.
DOSA’s players were livid and captain John Visentin was cautioned after he got no satisfaction from the referee and then ran to the club linesman to voice his disapproval.
In the 69th minute, Farrugia grabbed Sly as he chased a ball to the left side of the box and Mr Ambler had no choice but to award another penalty, which Sly despatched with ease, again to Farrugia’s left, to make it 5-3 for Christian.
Farrugia was booked for the indiscretion and shortly after he dislocated a finger and required treatment for some minutes.
John Visentin pulled a goal back for DOSA from Derrick Parry’s cross from the right in the 72nd minute.
Three minutes later, Sly had the ball in the net from Taglieri’s corner, but the goal was disallowed for a push by an attacker on a defender.
Taglieri, who seemed to be everywhere, set up another goal in the 79th minute as Angus Livingston converted his left-wing cross to make it 6-4 for Christian.
With eight minutes remaining, Wakefield netted his second penalty of the game and there was just one goal separating the sides.
But, two minutes later, Tim Wierenga headed home a throw-in from the irrepressible and omnipresent Taglieri to give Christian a match-winning 7-5 lead.
Christian finished with a flurry as Farrugia was forced to make a marvellous save from Sly in the 85th minute and concede a corner.
From the corner, Farrugia again denied Sly, while Wierenga hit the post with his shot.
Three minutes from the end, Christian again forced a corner and Page hit the post with a powerful drive.
The brave Farrugia was then finally replaced by Jeff Whitty, who comfortably saw out the remaining minutes of this goal feast.
The win lifted bottom-side Christian to within a point of second-last DOSA and the destination of the wooden spoon is still in doubt, but it will go to one of these sides.
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· Northern Suburbs DOSA striker, Mark Wakefield, said:
“I thought after half-time we were pretty ordinary.
“I don’t know what happened. We stopped talking and we stopped running as hard, and I won’t say anything about the refereeing.
“We dropped our heads after that [the off-side goal] and you could see it from where I was, so that doesn’t say much.
“I guess that’s what happens when it’s a Sunday and there’s no other games on and we get one referee, plus Rex [Natoli].
“The first penalty was horrible. I scuffed it and I don’t know how the keeper let it go through his legs.
“The second one was better. I hit it sweetly and to the left and I didn’t think he was going to save it.
“But, the first one was very ordinary. It was the worst penalty I’ve ever taken but somehow it managed to go in.”
· Christian United coach, Tony New, said:
“A goal fest.
“At 3-0 down I thought we were finished.
“We haven’t won many. It was only our second win, so we don’t even know what to sing.
“Our hope is to finish above the wooden spoon and we have two more games, so if we win them both we would do it.
“But, it’s a tall order. We’ve got Beachside next week and then Hobart United in our last game.
“So, that’s our aim, but we have to learn how to win first.
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Northern Suburbs DOSA: Farrugia (Whitty 87) - Korn, Swift, J Visentin, Hey - D Visentin, Butt, Langshaw, J Parry - Wakefield, D Parry (Richardson 86) (Substitutes not used: Natoli, Alumbulwe)
Booked: J Visentin, J Parry, D Parry, Farrugia
Goals: Swift 13, Wakefield 18 pen, Hey 26, J Visentin 72, Wakefield 82 pen
Christian United: Dixon - Mrzyk, Nicholson, New, T Wierenga - Gwolo (Lumago 50), Taglieri, Livingston, Page - Whayman, Sly (Substitutes not used: Kim Dae-Won, J Wierenga)
Booked: Gwolo
Goals: Page 35, Taglieri 39, Sly 56 pen, Lumago 67, Sly 69 pen, Livingston 79, T Wierenga 84
Ref: D Ambler
2 comments:
Walter - from what i've seen this year, some div i games do only get two officials for seniors & reserves. As for div 4, if the small minority of players who abuse the officials would just shut up, then maybe referees would be happy to attend their games. I've seen some Div 2 & Div 3 games this year and the same applies. The standard of play is average, yet the players expect the ref to put in a 'World Cup' performance every week!! I have also run up and down the sideline with a flag. Let me tell you it's not as easy as it looks keeping level with a fast moving defense for 45 minutes, let alone the whole game. Some of these teams need to wise up with offside, especially if a club person has the flag!
Love those match reports & photos Walter...are you covering the Tassie teams that are going to the World Masters in Sydney this October?
Div 2&3 - fast moving defence ??
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