Eagles fail to gain fourth spot after losing to Zebras

Photos (Top to Bottom): The Zebras' Ben Crosswell gets a head in ahead of Eagles captain Chris Wass; Eagles' Michael Anderson starts an attack in midfield; Eagles' Michael Anderson gets in a pass before Zebras' Paul Cairns can intercept; Eagles' Andrew Clark and Adam McKeown get the better of a Zebras opponent; Zebras' Jayden Welch races away from Eagles' Andrew Clark; Former Zebras David Cox performs in front of the Zebras bench; Eagles' David Cox (left) and Zebras' Ricky Self vie for a header; Eagles' Ben Whitehall anticipates a challenge from Zebras' Kurt Engels; Zebras' Kurt Engels rises above Eagles' Michael Anderson; Zebras' Jonathon Ladic heads for goal; A midfield battle between Eagles' Mark Page (left) and Zebras' Ben Crosswell; Eagles' Mark Page tries to stop Zebras' Jonathon Ladic; Zebras' Andrew Telega (right) heads at goal; Zebras' Jayden Welch outjumps Eagles' Andrew Clark; Eagles' Ben Whitehall (left) tangles with Zebras' Jayden Welch [PlessPix]

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (Clare Street, Sunday, 8 August 2010)

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New Town Eagles 2 (J Clamp 20, B Whitehall 55)

Tilford Zebras 3 (S Kent 29 og, B Crosswell 70, 90+2)

HT: 1-1 Att: 80 Ref: P Galloway

New Town Eagles: Pitchford - Clark, Kent, Wass (Menzie 70), Page - Whitehall, Hudson, Anderson, Cox - McKeown, Clamp [Substitutes not used: Holmes, Davey, Minty]

Tilford Zebras: Voss - Fagg, Muller, Telega, K Engels - Self, Ladic, Cairns, Welch - Crosswell, Walsh [Substitutes not used: Macgregor, Hall, L Engels]

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Fifth-placed New Town Eagles missed the chance to finish fourth when they succumbed to a goal in stoppage time against second-placed Tilford Zebras to lose 3-2 at home at Clare Street.

It was a huge blow for Eagles. They conceded an own-goal which made it 1-1 and then conceded a penalty in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford beat out Ben Crosswell’s spot-kick, but Crosswell smashed home the rebound. The cards were obviously stacked against Eagles.

Both sides hit the woodwork and both squandered excellent chances in what was a very close contest.

Eagles were missing Alex Leszczynski, which meant that former Zebras player David Cox got a start.

The homes side started like a house on fire and in the 4th minute Adam McKeown slipped the ball through to tall striker Jacob Clamp, whose shot lacked power and the ball rolled towards goal and came back off the right-hand post.

A minute later, McKeown got onto the end of a Ben Whitehall corner, but his header was directed straight at keeper Jason Voss.

The Zebras’ first chance came in the 7th minute, but Jayden Welch chipped over the bar from an acute angle on the left.

Two minutes later, midfielder Paul Cairns volleyed straight at Pitchford.

Voss was forced to come to the Zebras’ rescue in the 11th minute, clearing a square pass across the box by Clamp, who had beaten Andrew Telega on the left, before McKeown could reach the ball.

In the 20th minute, Jonathon Ladic sent in a powerful rising shot from the right that just cleared the Eagles bar.

The home side took the lead in the 21st minute and again it came from excellent service from Whitehall, who has been in outstanding form in recent games. He sent over a cross from deep on the right and Clamp, whose great-uncle Eddie Clamp played for England, outjumped Voss to head home.

Zebras drew level 8 minutes later through a huge piece of luck, Welch’s shot taking a massive deflection off Shane Kent and leaving Pitchford helpless.

In the 33rd minute, Pitchford denied Welch, while at the other end, a goal-bound header by Clamp was headed off the line by Kurt Engels.

Within two minutes of the resumption, Pitchford had to get down to a dangerous shot from Ladic, while seconds later, McKeown almost dispossessed Voss in the other penalty area but the Zebras defenders managed to clear.

In the 50th minute, another deep cross from the right by Whitehall almost resulted in an Eagles goals as Henry Fagg could not hold McKeown, but the Eagles striker shot over the bar.

Five minutes later, obviously tired of seeing his team-mates squandering his precise and inviting crosses, Whitehall took it upon himself to have a go. He raced half the length of the pitch down the right and rifled home a brilliant low shot that rocketed into the net to give Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

Pitchford kept Eagles’ lead intact in the 65th minute when he dived full-length to his left to turn out a Dwayne Walsh header from Ladic’s chip into the box.

Zebras again drew level in the 70th minute when Welch hammered a shot against the left-hand upright and Ben Crosswell netted from the rebound.

Voss did well to catch McKeown’s chip in the 77th minute, while in the 90th minute, Ladic again showed his powerful shooting when he crashed a tremendous shot against the underside of the bar, the ball bouncing down and back into play.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Kent was adjudged to have pushed Walsh in the back while going for a cross and Mr Galloway indicated a penalty, which Pitchford saved. But, the alert Crosswell was first to the rebound and netted with ease to give the visitors a 3-2 victory.

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· New Town Eagles coach, George Krambousanos, said:

“To be honest with you, I think we could have come away with a point. It should have been a point. That wasn’t a penalty. But, I’m not going to take anything away from Patrick. He’s the referee and he called a penalty.

“I think the lads scored first and scored a couple of good goals. They scored their goals, a deflection the first one, and they hit the woodwork a couple of times.

“We had our chances. I’m very disappointed. The lads and myself worked hard this week to win this game and it’s just a pity that we couldn’t get a point out of it.”

· Tilford Zebras coach, Romeo Frediani, said:

“I think the boys played quite well. There were some really good patches of play there when we transferred from one side to the other.

“A few more goals would have been nice. I mean, Jonathon Ladic’s shot at the end was unstoppable.

“But, that didn’t go in, and then to finish off with a penalty...a harsh way to lose for Eagles, But, I’ll take three points.

“[As for the penalty] I think the guy jumped over the top of him, but I didn’t really see it, but as far as I know, he went over the top.

“[Next week] I think we’ll just keep playing the way we have been with the players that I have been. There’s no point in resting players at this time of the year. At the start of the season, yeah, maybe you could, but not now.”