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A-League: HAL 7 (2011 - 2012 Season)
'Chasing Pack Beginning To Reel In Brisbane!'
Reigning Hyundai A-League champions Brisbane Roar extended their unbeaten run to 34 games on November 13, but they are slowly but surely being caught by the chasing pack after a terrific rearguard action by Wellington Phoenix frustrated the league leaders at Suncorp Stadium.
The visitors deserved the point they earned from this 1-1 draw, despite feeding on crumbs from the rich man’s table in terms of possession. Besart Berisha’s unchallenged header after just twelve minutes threatened an onslaught, and an amazing flurry on the half-hour left the 16,428 present wondering how Brisbane hadn’t doubled their advantage - Issey Nakajima-Farran hit the post in the middle of this onslaught.
Eight minutes before half-time, and totally against the run of play, Wellington equalised through Tim Brown, and led by captain Andrew Durante and goalkeeper Tony Warner, they managed to stave off everything Brisbane could throw at them throughout a riveting second spell.
Sydney FC moved into second spot on the table, three points behind the leaders, thanks to a 1-0 win at Perth Glory, which was earned on the stroke of half-time through a Mark Bridge goal which owed much to the brilliance of Nick Carle, who turned Josh Risdon inside out before delivering the cross which broke the hearts of the 9,046-strong crowd at NIB Stadium.
Carle wasn’t the only source of Perth’s frustration, however. Sydney ‘keeper Liam Reddy produced a string of fine saves to keep the home team at bay, with seemingly everything but the kitchen sink thrown at Sydney’s goal as the home team bid to stave off a third successive defeat.
Try as they might, they could find no way through, with the crossbar coming to Reddy’s rescue eleven minutes from time as Adam Hughes’ thunderous free-kick threatened what would have been a deserved Perth equaliser.
The previous incumbents in second spot, Newcastle Jets, were once again beaten on the road - their seventh successive defeat on their travels - as they slumped to a 3-0 hiding at the hands of bottom-placed Melbourne Heart, who delighted the 5,914-strong crowd at AAMI Park with a fine second half display.
Following a scoreless first half in which both teams had chances to break the deadlock, it was the home team who opened the scoring through Fred half-way through the second spell, a goal which owed much to the fancy footwork of substitute Eli Babalj.
Mate Dugandzic mercilessly punished an awful Tarek Elrich back-pass to double their advantage seven minutes later, and Aziz Behich iced the cake with a sumptuous third goal, turning Ben Kantarovski this way and that before bending a beauty beyond Ben Kennedy to wrap up Melbourne’s first win of the campaign.
10,521 fans piled into Bluetongue Stadium hoping to see Central Coast Mariners overcome Melbourne Victory. But the visitors, the league’s draw specialists, earned their fourth stalemate in six games thanks to a scoreless draw, although they certainly rode their luck in the process!
The Mariners twice came within inches of breaking the deadlock on the half-hour, initially after Roddy Vargas cleared a Michael McGlinchey shot off the line. The ball flew straight to Daniel McBreen, whose header crashed against the underside of the bar and bounced down.
Melbourne ‘keeper Lawrence Thomas flicked the ball to safety with the home team claiming the ball had crossed the line. It had, but not fully - the officials must have been eating their carrots throughout the week to call that one spot on!
There were numerous other opportunities in an entertaining match, most of which went the way of the home team, but their failure to convert any of them meant the Mariners squandered the chance to make it three successive league wins this season.
Adelaide United kicked off the round by downing fellow strugglers Gold Coast United 2-1 in front of 6,368 fans at Hindmarsh Stadium, where all the goals were scored in a twelve-minute spell half-way through the second half.
Another quality goalkeeping display from All Whites custodian Glen Moss kept the visitors in contention until the 57th minute, when Zenon Caravella broke the deadlock against his old club, but ten minutes later parity was restored when James Brown’s deflected shot wrong-footed Eugene Galekovic.
Gold Coast were still celebrating their equaliser when Iain Ramsay restored Adelaide’s advantage two minutes later with the sweetest of curling efforts, and it proved enough to fire the South Australians up the table, despite the visitors’ late rally in which they vainly sought a share of the spoils.
The team from the area which will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games - wouldn’t it be good to have football among the sports at that event? - kick off seventh round action in the A-League on Friday evening when entertaining fellow strugglers Melbourne Heart.
A trio of Saturday evening matches kicks off with the first A-League game to take place at New Zealand’s biggest sports venue, with Wellington taking on Adelaide at Auckland’s 50,000-capacity Eden Park.
Later that evening, Newcastle, at Ausgrid Stadium, and Sydney, at the Sydney Football Stadium, respectively entertain Brisbane and Central Coast, while the lone Sunday evening encounter sees Perth travelling to Etihad Stadium to take on Melbourne Victory.
Details: Hyundai A-League, Round 6:
Adelaide United FC 2 (Zenon Caravella (57), Iain Ramsay (69)) - Gold Coast United FC 1 (James Brown (67)); HT 0-0
By Jeremy Raune, from NZ
Details: National Youth-League, Round 4:
11 Nov 2011 - 4:00pm - Central Coast Mariners 6 - Melbourne Victory 0 - Pluim Park, Central Coast
Details: Westfield womens W-League, Round 4:
Newcastle Jets FC 1 (Tara Andrews 86’) - Sydney FC 4 (Kylie Ledbrook 47’, Thea Slatyer 55’, Caitlin Foord 64’, Heather Garriock 75’)
Saturday 12 November 2011 - Adamstown Oval, Newcastle - Local kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Casey Reibelt
Newcastle Jets: Melissa BARBIERI (gk), Alanna KENNEDY (Alexandra HUYNH 77’), Nicola BOLGER, Gema SIMON (Hannah BREWER 65’), Linda O'NEILL, Tara ANDREWS, Emily VAN EGMOND, Lisa DE VANNA (Rhali DOBSON 46’), Monnique KOFOED, Stacey DAY, Ariane HINGST
Sydney FC: Allison LIPSHER (gk), Teresa POLIAS, Renee ROLLASON (Rachael SOUTAR 80’), Estelle JOHNSON, Servet UZUNLAR, Heather GARRIOCK, Sarah WALSH (Chloe LOGARZO 64’), Kylie LEDBROOK, Teigen ALLEN, Thea SLATYER, Brittany WHITFIELD (Caitlin FOORD 52’)
Canberra United FC2 (Ashleigh Sykes 24’, Taryn Hemmings 39’) - Melbourne Victory FC 1 (Kendal Fletcher 78’)
Saturday 12 November 2011 - McKellar Park, Canberra - Local kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Kate Jacewicz
Canberra United: Lydia WILLIAMS (gk), Caitlin COOPER, Ellie BRUSH, Caitlin MUNOZ, Michelle HEYMAN, Nicole SYKES, Ashleigh SYKES (Kahlia HOGG 69’), Sally SHIPARD, Ellyse PERRY, Taryn HEMMINGS, Jennifer BISSET (Hayley RASO 46’)
Melbourne Victory: 1. Brianna DAVEY (gk), 2. Rebekah STOTT, 3. Maika RUYTER-HOOLEY, 4. Kendall FLETCHER, 5. Danielle JOHNSON, 6. Rita MANKOWSKA (Gulcan KOCA 71’), 7. Stephanie CATLEY, 8. Ashley BROWN (Catlin FRIEND 74’), 10. Jodie TAYLOR, 15. Amy JACKSON, 16. 13. Katrina GORRY
Adelaide United FC 1 (Marijana Rajcic 76’) - Brisbane Roar FC 2 (Clare Polkinghorne 38’, Ashley Spina 63’)
Saturday 12 November 2011 - Burton Park, Adelaide - Local kick-off: 4pm
Referee: tba
Adelaide United: Kristi HARVEY (gk), Ruth WALLACE, Anna GREEN, Abby ERCEG, Racheal QUIGLEY, Leanne SLATER (Grace FRENCH-KENNEDY 70’), Marijana RAJCIC, Donna COCKAYNE (Daniela DI BARTOLO 80’), Georgia MACRI (Ashleigh GUNNING 61’), Nenita BURGESS, Katherine EBBS
Brisbane Roar: Hoshimi KISHI (gk), Laura ALLEWAY, Karla REUTER, Clare POLKINGHORNE, Brooke SPENCE, Joanne BURGESS (Ellen BEAUMONT 90’), Ashley SPINA, Tameka BUTT, Vedrana POPOVIC, Sasha MCDONNELL (Catherine CANNULI 78’), Emily GIELNIK (Lana HARCH 71’)
Substitutes not used: Monique NELSON (gk)
Yellow cards: Nil
Perth Glory FC - Bye
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