North Queensland Fury 0-2 Newcastle Jets: Jets climb to 7th place on A-League ladder

Photo: Newcastle Jets climb to 7th on A-League ladder [PlessPix]

North Queensland Fury 0-2 Newcastle Jets (Topor-Stanley 77, Petrovski 90+3)

Ref: K Ams

Central Coast Mariners 4-0 Sydney FC: Mariners move into 3rd spot after humiliating the reigning champions

Central Coast Mariners 4-0 Sydney FC

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Central Coast Mariners moved into 3rd place on the A-League ladder with a fine 4-0 win over 8th-placed Sydney FC at Bluetongue Stadium this evening.

Sydney were completely outplayed and trailed by 3-0 midway through the first half. It was 4-0 17 seconds into the second half and that was the ball game.

The Mariners’ Adam Kwasnik and Matt Simon were deadly in attack, while Patricio Perez made a long-awaited comeback from injury during the second half.

Terry Antonis and Dmitri Patratos went close to scoring for Sydney, the latter hitting the crossbar in the second period, but the reigning champions’ defence was atrocious as the Mariners attacked down the flanks and destroyed their opponents.

Alex Brosque was an absentee for Sydney because of injury, while defender Stephan Keller stayed on the bench.

The Mariners hit the front after just 29 seconds when Mustafa Amini released Simon down the right and his low cross was swept home by Kwasnik, who was making a rare start.

It was 2-0 in the 5th minute when Rose and Kwasnik combined down the left and presented Simon with a simple goal.

In the 24th minute, Simon set up Kwasnik for the Mariners’ third after a fluffed clearance by Hayden Foxe and that was the end of the visitors’ hopes.

Seconds after the resumption, an attack down the left by the Mariners resulted in Sebastian Ryall putting a cross from Simon past his own keeper to complete the scoring and the humiliating demise for Sydney.

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Central Coast Mariners: Ryan - Bojic (Doig 67), Wilkinson, Zwaanswijk, Rose - McGlinchey, Griffiths (Hutchinson 78), Amini (Perez 62), Bozanic - Simon, Kwasnik (Sub not used: Henderson)

Booked: Amini

Goals: Kwasnik 1, 25, Simon 5, Ryall 46 og

Sydney FC: Necevski - Cole, Foxe, Ryall, Sung-Hwan - Antonis, Musialik (Moriyasu 40), Gann (Danning 62), McFlynn - Bridge, Petratos (Subs not used: Keller, Reddy)

Booked: Ryall, McFlynn,

Att: 7,160

Ref: M Breeze

Melbourne Victory 3-3 Brisbane Roar: A-League leaders steal late equaliser

Photos: Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick refused to blame the referee for the equalising goal; Melbourne Victory's Rodrigo Vargas collected his fourth yellow card in this match; Matthew Kemp, back after a long absence through injury, scored an own-goal [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory 3-3 Brisbane Roar

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A controversial goal three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match enabled A-League leaders Brisbane Roar to draw 3-3 with 6th-placed Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park in Melbourne tonight.

Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos fielded a ball outside the left-hand side of his penalty area and ran back into the box before punting the ball upfield. Reinaldo beat Kevin Muscat to the ball in the air and glanced it on for Matt McKay to hare at goal. Michael Petkovic blocked McKay’s initial shot, but the ball rebounded off Victory defender Rodrigo Vargas and into the path of McKay, who stroked it into an empty net to make it 3-3.

It was an unfortunate incident for referee Peter Green, who was in charge of his 69th A-League game. Nevertheless, it should probably have been the assistant referee near the incident who should have flagged. He didn’t, and the goal stood.

Melbourne should have scored first when, in the 9th minute, Archie Thompson crossed from deep on the right and Robbie Kruse’s back-header found Marvin Angulo free at the far post, but he fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

The visitors gradually gained command and they took the lead on the half-hour following a corner on the right by McKay. The ball found Thomas Broich wide on the left and his inviting cross into the centre was glanced past his own keeper by Matthew Kemp, who was under pressure from Solorzano, who might have scored anyway had Kemp not touched the ball.

A minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half, it was 2-0 when Smith headed McKay’s corner at goal. Petkovic turned the ball against the bar, but Solorzano hit home the rebound with his left foot.

Victory were not down and out, however, and they made a remarkable comeback in the second half and scored three times to almost snatch the three points.

Kruse pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute after Hernandez slipped the ball through to him into the box and the former Brisbane player fired past Theoklitos, who once played for Victory.

Archie Thompson made it 2-2 in the 70th minute, heading home Hernandez’s cross from the left after a neatly worked one-two from a corner.

Thompson might have another three minutes later after a brilliant Melbourne counter-attack and a pass to the right by Hernandez, but he fired into the side-netting.

Kruse capped a fine display when he gave Victory a 3-2 lead 13 minutes from the end. Hernandez’s free-kick from just outside the box was parried by Theoklitos and Kruse was on hand to loop the ball over the keeper and into the far corner of the net from 6 metres.

But, the visitors claimed a late controversial goal which had Victory captain Kevin Muscat and Archie Thompson, in particular, seething.

Victory coach, Ernie Merrick, blamed his defence rather than the referee for allowing Brisbane to get the ball forward and score.

There was a bit of argie bargie after the game, including Muscat’s shove on Brisbane’s goalkeeping coach, but things eventually settled down and the teams left the pitch.

Brisbane are 7 points clear of second-placed Adelaide City after now going 15 games without defeat, while Victory are a point adrift of city rivals and 5th-placed Melbourne Heart.

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Melbourne Victory: Petkovic - Broxham (Sukhat 46), Muscat, Vargas, Kemp - Celeski, Brebner (Ferreira 80), Angulo - Kruse (Dugandzic 82), Hernandez, Thompson (Sub not used: Mattei)

Booked: Muscat, Vargas, Hernandez

Goals: Kruse 63, 77, Thompson 70

Brisbane Roar: Theoklitos - Franjic, DeVere, Smith, Susak (Mundy 62) - Nichols (Brattan 72), Paartalu, McKay - Barbarouses, Solorzano (Reinaldo 74), Broich (Sub not used: Redmayne)

Goals: Kemp 30 og, Solorzano 45+1, McKay 90+3

Att: 11,886

Ref: P Green

Friday night A-League result

Photo: Melbourne Victory's Matthew Kemp returned after a long lay-off through injury and scored an own-goal [PlessPix]

Melbourne Victory 3 (Kruse 63, 77, Thompson 70) drew with Brisbane Roar 3 (Kemp 30 og, Solorzano 45+1, McKay 90+3)

Att: 11,886 (AAMI Park)

Ref: P Green

State junior coaches announced

Photos: FFT CEO John Boulous said FFT are committed to talent identification in the State; Kurt Reynolds will supervise the State coaches; Andy Tye (second from right in front row) in his Metro days; Michael Edwards will assist in the mentoring of State coaches; Scott Gallacher is coach of the Boys' under-14s [PlessPix]

The Football Federation Tasmania State squad coaches for 2011 have been announced.

Dale Itchins is coach of the boys’ under-13s and Scott Gallacher coach of the boys’ under-14s.

Anthony Alexander will coach the girls’ under-13s, Bob Nicholson the girls’ under-14s and Andrew Tye the girls’ under-15s.

Kurt Reynolds, the Northern Development Officer, will oversee the technical direction and mentoring of these coaches and he will also work in conjunction with Michael Edwards and Dean May, the NTC program coaches for females and males, respectively.

The under-13 boys’ State team program will now be full time and players selected will not be able to join or play for a club.

The selected players will train for two or three sessions a week and play a game each week of the regular season in an appropriate Southern-based roster.

They will train and play as a team in preparation for their national championships, which have been moved to Coffs Harbour in September and October and which will be held in conjunction with the Under-14 national championships.

The under-14 boys State team program will be a full-time program, while the boys’ under-15 State team program had been cancelled because there will no longer be a national championship for the age group.

The girls’ under-13 State team program will remain as a part-time program and players will be able to join clubs after the national championships in Canberra in April.

The State coach will work with the club that a player chooses to join in order to ensure that they are playing at an appropriate and challenging age group and in their identified position.

The State under-14 and under-15 girls’ teams programs will remain full time.

“These State and regional development squad programs to be formed in 2011 will underpin and provide a larger pool of talented players for selection in the Tasmanian National Training Centre male and female programs,” said Football Federation Tasmania CEO, John Boulous.

“Players identified through the State and regional development programs will have the opportunity to continue their development and identification opportunities in the NTC male and female program which includes the NTC Challenge.

“The NTC will also be able to facilitate appropriate identification and training opportunities with Hyundai A-League Youth and W-League clubs for talented players.

“The NTC Challenge serves as the national identification tournament for the most talented under-15 and under-16 players.

“It has been deemed that this competition will stand alone as the identification tournament for talented players in this age group.

“FFT are committed to entering our best children in the Boys’ Under-13 and 14 and Girls’ Under-13, 14 and 15 National Championships, which develop a larger pool of players for selection in National and Tasmanian NTC squads and the subsequent opportunities this presents at Hyundai A-League Youth and W-League level.

“FFT will continue to explore opportunities to ensure our talented players receive as many opportunities to develop and be identified as possible.

“FFT are committed to increasing the pool of talented players and coaches with the State.”