Photos (Top to Bottom): Zebras on the attack; Zebras defending a corner; Lions keeper Jason Voss can only hold his head after Crosswell scored; Voss saves the day for the Lions; Bevan floays over a dangerous corner for the Lions.Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League, Lightwood Park, Sunday, 3 May 2009
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Kingborough Lions United 2 (McDonald 2, Freeman 16)
Tilford Zebras 5 (Welch 8, 19, 81, Crosswell 32, Self 69)
HT: 2-3 Att: 120 Ref: S Collins
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Kingborough Lions United: Voss - Palmer, Iseli, D Pearce, Wells - Bevan, White, Marchioli, R Hinkley - McDonald (T Pearce 30), Greg Freeman (Kerr 82) [Substitutes not used: Bremner, Leamey] [Coach: Geoff Freeman]
Tilford Zebras: Kaden - Fagg, Telega, Smith, Pace - Brazendale, Cairns, Self, Welch - Walsh, Crosswell [Substitutes not used: Connolly, F Lapolla, Hall, Mainella] [Coach: N Lapolla]
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Kingborough Lions United started aggressively and took the lead after only two minutes.
Greg Freeman beat his marker down the left and chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and towards the far post, where Tom McDonald outfoxed Brayden Pace and scored, crashing heavily into the upright as he did so.
He required treatment and managed to play on for half an hour before being replaced by Trent Pearce.
In the 4th minute, Ben Crosswell rounded goalkeeper Jason Voss on the right of the box and rolled the ball towards goal, but Damien Pearce got back in time to clear.
Zebras equalised in the 8th minute through Jayden Welch. The youngster was put through on the left and cut inside before scoring from 20 metres, the ball bouncing awkwardly just in front of Voss and zipping past the keeper and inside the far post.
The Lions fought back and, in the 11th minute, McDonald beat Ryan Smith for speed on the left but finished with a shot into the side-netting.
Three minutes later, Ricky Self released Aaron Brazendale down the right and, after cutting inside and setting himself up for a strike at goal, he shot into the side-netting.
Kingborough regained the lead in the 16th minute following a corner. Marc Iseli flicked the ball on towards the far post, where the irrepressible Freeman nodded home.
The lead was again short-lived. In the 19th minute, Welch again made ground down the left and again beat Voss with a low shot that flashed past the keeper and lodged inside the far post.
In the 32nd minute, the Zebras finally got their noses in front with a wonderful piece of improvisation by Crosswell.
He got on to the end of a high diagonal ball from the right to the left and delivered to the edge of the box. He saw Voss coming off his line and, without hesitation and demonstrating excellent technique, lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper and into the net.
Midway through the second half, Self unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 metres that went in off Voss’s right-hand post to give the Zebras a two-goal cushion.
The visitors were playing some delightful football, characterised by outstanding one-touch passing and clever runs into space.
Kingborough had no answers and Welch completed his hat-trick and snared the Zebras’ fifth goal in the 81st minute, controlling a cross from the right and blasting the ball past Voss.
The win put Zebras on top of the ladder, two points ahead of second-placed South Hobart.
It is early days yet, but on this form, the title is now clearly the Zebras’ to lose.
In Welch, they have unearthed a real gem and he will complement the attacking skills of Crosswell and Walsh to make Zebras an even more formidable opponent to all teams.
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- Kingborough Lions United coach, Geoff Freeman, said:
“It was an interesting game.
“Early on, I think, we caught them on the hop a little bit and managed to create some opportunities.
“Until Tom McDonald went off, I thought we looked like a chance to score every time we went forward.
“It was a big loss for us, and not to make excuses, they’re a very good side.
“At 3-2, I thought we were always a chance. And then, Ricky Self - and he was the quality player in the game; it was a cracking goal that he scored - but it wasn’t just the goal that he scored, but he was one of the only players willing to dribble and take people on.
“And, having Crosswell up front as well gives them a little bit more quality than perhaps we had on the day.
“We got into good crossing opportunities but didn’t really make them count.
“The quality just wasn’t quite there. That was the difference. We battled hard but we just weren’t good enough.”
- Tilford Zebras coach, Nick Lapolla, said:
“Maybe you were right, it was going to become a goal feast.
“They came out at us and they got a couple of goals which I thought were basic mistakes at the far post.
“But, after that, I thought we had the majority of play and it was just a matter of time before they[the goals] started coming.
“I mean, we had a good attacking force with young Jayden [Welch] getting three goals and taking the emphasis off Crosswell and Walsh.
“A good effort all round.”
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- STATISTICS
KINGBOROUGH TILFORD ZEBRAS
9 Goal Attempts 15
5 Shots on Target 11
4 Corners 7
4 Fouls Committed 8
2 Off-Sides 1
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
Kingborough Lions United:
PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
McDonald 1 1
Marchioli 1 0
R Hinkley 1 1
Freeman 1 1
D Pearce 3 1
T Pearce 1 0
White 1 1
Tilford Zebras:
PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Crosswell 3 2
Welch 3 3
Brazendale 3 2
Fagg 2 1
Self 3 2
Walsh 1 1
8 comments:
Score could have been alot worse if not for Mark Iseli in defence, he was awesome in the first half!!
completely agree Sub, Iseli was superb for most of the game. he hassled crosswell all day. crosswell started to get the better of him as the game wore on, but that is more a reflection on ben than iseli. The only downside i noticed on Iseli was his distribution, which was often misdirected. But it amazes me how he has not been rewarded with rep honours in previous seasons.
As for the title being Zebras to lose, a bit premature i think. There are still 13 tough matches for all still to come.
Sub and Ginger - Marco is the best defender going around, I don't say that lightly either, he did not have a great day distribution wise, but no one on our team did. Marco has been picked in every squad for the last 2 or 3 years (he is only 19 I think) but he does not really have the desire to get involved. Marco is great and it is a luxury to have him as a man marker.
Agree with your comment about distribution. Not taking anything away from crossa but he was only really on top when he was playing off the other centre back. Clinical finishing by Self and Crossa, pure class.
Ginger
Iseli has been selected in representative sides but has always declined to participate. It's his decision.
When I said it's the Zebras' title to lose, I meant exactly that. There may well be 13 tough games ahead, but they would have to lose one to let South back in front. And that's if South win all their games. If everything remains equal and South win all their games and Zebras win all their games, it's the Zebras' title.
Of course, it is early days and both sides may yet slip up and let someone else in, but I'd rather be in the Zebras' current position than South's.
anyone know if another tasmanian youth team is being put together this year for some a-league matches?
Walter, what is your email address?
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