Photos (Top to Bottom): The captains, Lee Mason (No. 8) and Alexis Bull, toss; Olympic's Michael Bulis takes in two University defenders; Olympic captain Lee Mason has a shot; University's Iain Fletcher stops Michael Bulis; Olympic's Chris Tsimiklis crosses despite the attentions of University's Johnathon Merry and Rory McCallum; Bulis can only watch the ball in the air; University's Damien Bones (left) and Rory McCallum have Olympic's Aaron Percy in two minds; Olympic's Adam Hedge is confronted by University's Ben Hewson
Hobart Olympic 3-4 University
___________________________________________________
Hobart Olympic had neither their first-choice keeper, Dmitri Nester, nor his understudy, Stratos Plomaritis, available for this match and they chose to use the under-19 team’s keeper, Valandis Matsouris.
The youngster was probably at fault for at least two of the four goals and was replaced just after the hour mark by an outfield substitute, George Kalis.
Kalis had little to do as University rarely entered their opponents’ half in the second period.
University forced only one corner and Kalis had to extend himself just once. He injured himself in the process of going down to catch a cross, but he recovered after treatment and played on.
In the dying seconds of the game, and with Olympic needing just one more goal to earn a draw, Kalis came up for a corner and managed a tame shot at goal.
It is to be hoped that replacing Matsouris has not dented the youngster’s ambitions and self-confidence.
University hit the front in the 9th minute when Aaron Hindmarsh’s high cross from the left was caught in the swirling wind and dropped into the net, despite Matsouris getting a touch.
In the 17th minute, Alexis Bull played Rory McCallum through and he easily beat Matsouris to make it 2-0.
The third goal was just as easy. A long clearing kick by Hamish Peacock found Damien Bones and he put McCallum through for his second goal.
A minute later, it was 4-0 as two Olympic defenders hesitated and allowed Bull to score on the stroke of half-time.
The second half was one-way traffic and Olympic brought Dipendra Kunwar on for Jamie Walker on the hour and changed goalkeepers two minutes later in an attempt to retrieve what was a bleak situation.
After several glaring misses, a faint glimmer of hope appeared 16 minutes from the end when Adam Hedge chipped Peacock after Aaron Percy’s pass to reduce the deficit to just three goals.
It still seemed as if there was a mountain to climb, but when Hedge netted his second, after Lee Mason’s initial shot had been blocked, the possibility of a come-back appeared real.
Three minutes from the end, Kunwar made it one goal the difference and University were teetering on the brink.
Hedge almost completed his hat-trick with the last kick of the match, but the ball hit the post and was then cleared by a desperate University defence.
It was a great revival, but selection mistakes and poor finishing ultimately cost Olympic.
University are still standing on the brink of relegation, but they have taken a huge step towards possible safety.
____________________________________________________
· Hobart Olympic coach, Farrell Shaw, said:
“In the first half, poor young Valandis.
“They got two goals. I mean, the high one, maybe he should have got to it, and the near post one he should have got, too.
“The two later goals were a bit disappointing. We sort of switched off.
“In the second half, we came out and proved what we can do.
“We kept them in their own half and we were just unlucky not to get the last one in the dying seconds there.”
· University coach, Scott Gallacher, said:
“The first half was good.
“In the second half, we ran out of legs.
“But, we played on Thursday night and a few of the guys were still suffering from the flu.
“We had about five or six guys suffering the flu on Thursday for the Clarence game in a bit of a hiding.
“Coming back like that today is pretty good. It shows a bit of spirit, a bit of commitment from the boys.
“They haven’t given up all year.
“Believe it or not, we’re still in it.
“It’s not in our hands, but it puts a bit of pressure on New Town to perform.”
__________________________________________________________
Hobart Olympic: Matsouris (Kalis 62) - Lebski, P Tsakiris, Percy, Tsimiklis - Walker (Kunwar 60), Mason, Richardson, C Tsakiris - A Hedge, Bulis (Substitutes not used: Larzabal, E Tsakiris)
Booked: Lebski 67
Goals: Hedge 74, 79, Kunwar 87
University: Peacock - Besley, Fletcher (Madden 70), Merry, Andrews - Hewson, Bones (Jones 78), Hindmarsh, King - Bull, McCallum (Substitutes not used: Burgess, Wilkinson)
Goals: Hindmarsh 9, McCallum 17, 44, Bull 45
Att: 50
Ref: S Collins
No comments:
Post a Comment