Sunday, March 3, 2019

Hobart United beat University in penalty shoot-out marathon


Photo:  Hobart United keeper Alex Dand is beaten by a University penalty [PlessPix]

(Men’s Summer Cup, Division A, KGV Park, Saturday, 2 March 2019)

Hobart United 0
University 0

(Hobart United won penalty shoot-out 9-8)

Ref:  I Jozeljic

Hobart United:  Alex Dand;  Jal David, Riak Dhieu, Joseph Juma, Jackson Khasif, Francis Kenyi, Justin Letiko, Mynionge Kamba, Solomon Lagu, David Nikimaya, Sean Heathorn  (Subs:  Frolis Ahayo, Gelgelo Degu Chulo, Hassan Shabbir, Peter Songa)

University:  Elliot Hoystead;  Stuart Carnaby, Joshua Harris, Sam Howcroft, William Jose, Matthew Ling, Toby MacGregor, Thomas Roach, Kenneth Trac, Patrick Watts, Joe Dickinson  (Subs:  Fergal Connolly, Peter Frank, Matthew Griffiths, Nick Huxley, John McMullen)

Photo:  Hobart United's Francis Kenyi rose to great heights in this match but failed to score [PlessPix]

This was an entertaining match played in intense heat and referee Ivan Jozeljic sensibly had drink breaks midway through each half.  It was one of the few games that went ahead on the day.

Francis Kenyi, with his pace and determined attitude, was Hobart United’s main threat and he had the ball in the net in the first half, but the effort was ruled off-side.

At one stage, he was brought down inside the box by Toby MacGregor, bit the challenge was regarded as a fair one, despite some Hobart United protests.

Photo:  University's Tom Roach clears from United's Riak Dhieu [PlessPix]

MacGregor and Kenyi were involved in a similar situation late in the game, but no penalty was given.  MacGregor departed the immediate scene with a guilty look on his face, but which quickly became one of relief as the referee determined the challenge fair.

Kenneth Trac was University’s main threat and he had three good chances in the opening half but was unable to score.

Tom Roach also mixed it physically but fairly with his opponents and came close to scoring in the opening half, but his effort dropped just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.  He was a force in midfield and his passing was accurate and reliable as he brought team-mates into play.

Photo:  University's Toby MacGregor pressures United's Joseph Juma [PlessPix]

Roach was also unlucky in the second half when his dive at full stretch sent the ball over the bar rather than on target.

Jal David and Joseph Juma were reliable at the heart of the Hobart United defence and goalkeeper Alex Dand produced at least one excellent save in the course of the regulation 90 minutes.

In the closing minutes, United had a free-kick and the ball ended up in the net, but two players were clearly off-side and the goal was disallowed. 

Photo:  University's Kenneth Trac (right) was a constant danger [PlessPix]

The penalty shoot-out looked as if it could go on all night as the teams matched each other with the spot-kicks and the two keepers mirrored each other with saves.

Joe Dickinson scored the first for University, as did Riak Dhieu for United.

The two number 12s, Uni’s Stuart Carnaby and United’s Jal David, then tucked away their spot kicks, followed by Uni’s William Jose and United’s Sean Heathorn to make it 3-3.

Uni keeper Elliot Hoystead scored with his spot-kick and then saved Francis Kenyi’s effort to give the Students the advantage.

This was negated when Kenneth Trac’s effort was saved by Dand and David Nikimaya netted for United.

Photo:  Referee Ivan Jozeljic watches Kenneth Trac evade two United opponents [Plesspix]

It was ironic that the two sides’ danger men in the regulation 90 minutes failed with their penalties.

It was level pegging again after that, with University’s Tom Roach, Peter Frank, John McMullen and Nick Huxley scoring, and United’s Mynonge Kamba, Jackson Khasif, Joseph Juma and Solomon Lagu also converting their spot-kicks to take the score to 8-8.

When Fergal Connolly, who had hit a post for University in the second half of the match, blazed high over the bar with his penalty, it was left to Justin Letiko to score the decider for a jubilant Hobart United squad, to the rapturous applause of their many supporters.

Photo:  University's Toby MacGregor (left) shadows a United opponent [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Andrew Brown is Hobart United's new coach this season [PlessPix]

Photo:  University coach Jake Undy (left), and assistant coaches Lachlan Brown and Jeremy Goddard watching the action [PlessPix]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the NPL was postponed for duty of care, why did any games proceed,

Isn't there a duty of care across all leagues.

Does this show FFT do not care?

Anonymous said...

How long have you been around football?
FT have always had two sets of rules. This is a prime example.