Eagles claim first league win of season to move into fourth place

Photos (Top to Bottom): Taroona on the attack; The match officials enter the arena; Eagles supporter Bogdan Dora offers advice to coach George Krambousanos; Eagles' Steve Louden outjumps Taroona's Hugo Luttmer for a header; Taroona's Hugo Luttmer grabs a bit of shade under the ball; Eagles' Mark Page wins a header; Some fancy ball skills in midfield by Taroona's Marcus Atkinson; Eagles' Mark Page gets in ahead of Taroona's Duncan Carey; Eagles' Ethan Menzie (left) goes for the ball with Taroona's Jack Elliott; Eagles' goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford thwarts Taroona's Toby Dove; Eagles' Andrew Clark (left) jostles with Taroona's Hugo Luttmer for possession [PlessPix]

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (Clare Street, Saturday, 3 April 2010)

______________________________________________________

New Town Eagles 3 (A Leszczynski 14, A McKeown 33, 37)

Taroona 1 (M Atkinson 62 pen)

HT: 3-0 Att: 90 Ref: I Jozeljic

New Town Eagles: Pitchford - Page, Wass, Louden, Clark - Whitehall, Menzie, Kent (Vernon 85), Anderson - Leszczynski, McKeown [Substitutes not used: Hadfield, Pope] [Coach: George Krambousanos]

Taroona: Nettlefold - Tubb, Johnson, Schaap, Elliott - Duncan Carey (Macgregor 75), Wyatt (Darragh Carey 55), Atkinson, Dove - Hamilton, Luttmer [Substitutes not used: Horgan, Hortle] [Coach: Ben Horgan]

________________________________________________________

New Town Eagles had much of the early play, but rarely tested the Taroona defence.

Taroona had the first real chance when, in the 8th minute, Ben Schaap directed a header, following a corner, wide of the target.

Eagles then took a hold on the match and started to penetrate the visitors’ defence and create some good chances.

In the 12th minute, Alex Leszczynski beat the advancing goalkeeper to the ball and lobbed it at goal, but the ball bounced inside the 6-yard box and then missed the far right-hand post by centimetres.

Two minutes later, Leszczynski had better fortune when he scored the opening goal with a fine free-kick from just outside the left-hand side of the box. He placed his shot around the wall and goalkeeper Richard Nettlefold did not move as the ball flashed into the net.

Eagles were making good progress down both flanks and their second goal, in the 33rd minute, came from the left. Adam McKeown chased a ball down the left of the box and shot just as Jack Elliott tackled him. The ball was only partially blocked and it deceived Nettlefold before rolling into the net to make it 2-0 for the home side.

Four minutes later, Alex Leszczynski cleverly dummied Ben Whitehall’s free-kick from deep on the right and McKeown volleyed home for his second goal of the game and Eagles’ third.

Eagles almost had a fourth early in the second period, but McKeown drove his shot into the side-netting.

Taroona pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute when Eagles keeper Nathan Pitchford conceded a needless penalty. Pitchford blocked Garry Hamilton’s initial shot and, as the ball came back to Hamilton in a crowded goalmouth, he rushed out and up-ended the Taroona striker before he could shoot again.

Marcus Atkinson easily tucked home the spot kick to reduce the arrears.

Taroona fought hard for the rest of the match without making any real progress, while Eagles should have scored in the 77th minute when Leszczynski slipped the ball through to Ethan Menzie, who had only the goalkeeper to beat, but he shot straight at Nettlefold.

Taroona brought on Darragh Carey and Hamish Macgregor and adopted a more offensive formation, but Eagles held out for what was an ultimately comfortable win, their first of the league season, which pushed them up into fourth place.

Taroona are level on points with Eagles but are fifth on the ladder.

_________________________________________________________

· New Town Eagles coach, George Krambousanos, said:

“I had a good feeling. The boys trained excellently on Tuesday and Thursday.

“I watched Taroona in a couple of games and, to be honest, and with all due respect to Taroona, I just had that feeling that we could beat them, and we did beat them.

“In the second half we slowed down a bit, so, in a way, there were two halves. We had an excellent first half, and Taroona had an excellent second half.

“But, at the same time, they scored a penalty and we could probably have had another two.

“Congratulations to both clubs. My boys did well. All the best to Taroona for the 2010 season.”

· Taroona coach, Ben Horgan, said:

“We just got smashed in the first half. We made too many defensive errors.

“All three of the goals could really have been dealt with by the defenders, but we just made a hash of it.

“The second half was a better effort, but you can’t afford to give away so many easy goals early on in the game.

“I don’t think there was a whole lot more quality in the second half from us, but we were slightly better defensively. It wasn’t a sparkling second half. We did pick up a little bit.

“The boys were embarrassed by the first half so they wanted to at least put in some sort of effort to atone for it.”