National Premier Leagues: Capital Football
Round 2 – Review

Saturday 12th April
Tuggeranong United v Canberra City – Match Postponed

Monaro Panthers 3 (Deng Padiet 45’, Thomas James 52’, 90 (pen)) Canberra FC 7 (Domenic Giampaolo 29’, Aaron Evans 55’, 73’, 74’, Daniel Bennett 58’, Alex Oloriegbe 79’, 82’)
Canberra FC overturned a 2-1 deficit to record a comfortable 7-3 victory over Monaro Panthers at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The result was harsh on the Panthers who were in touch for large parts of the match but fell apart in the latter stages when FC bagged four goals in nine minutes to set the seal on an ultimately comprehensive win. It hardly looked like that would be the outcome after Thomas James craftily slotted the Panthers ahead seven minutes into the second half, following Deng Padiet’s first-half stoppage time equaliser of Domenic Giampaolo’s opener for the visitors, but falling behind just seemed to awaken the slumbering League Champions. Aaron Evans emerged as an unlikely goal hero netting a second half hat-trick, the latter two goals part of that four-goal Canberra FC blitz. Once Evans had equalised James’ strike, FC upped the ante and Daniel Bennett slotted home into an open goal after Domenic Giampaolo unselfishly squared when through one-on-one. Evans was able to complete his treble by the 74th minute to take the score to 5-2 before a late brace from substitute Alex Oloriegbe took the match away from the Panthers. A stoppage time penalty from the lively James, after he was brought down by Jakob Cole, was at least a consolation for the home team who probably deserved more.
Monaro Panthers: 1. Rory LARKIN, 2. Darian McGARRY-WATSON, 3. Saputra BACHSAN, 4. Alex HOLLIS, 5. Lewis BATES, 6. Arok THON, 7. Pater MATHIANG, 8. Adrian CANIZARES, 9. Kamal AHMED, 10. Thomas JAMES, 11. Deng PADIET
Substitutes used: 13. Sam ROESTBAKKEN, 14. Tyler BONNEAU, 15. Sammy ZEMICAEL
Canberra FC: 1. Jakob COLE, 2. Aaron EVANS, 6. Ryan KEIR, 8. Ian GRAHAM, 10. Domenic GIAMPAOLO, 13. Daniel BENNETT, 14. Antonio BARBARO, 15. Jordan LAMB, 17. Aiden BRUNSKILL, 20. James FIELD, 23. Nathan EVANS
Substitutes used: 5. Izach CLEMENTS, 7. Kaz PATAFTA, 99. Alex OLORIEGBE
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 10. Thomas JAMES (Monaro Panthers), 1. Jakob COLE (Canberra FC)
Match Officials: Luke Withell (referee), Thomas Klein, TBC

Woden Valley 2 (Regan Walsh 11’, Andrew Slavich 40’) Belconnen United 4 (Taylor Beaton 2’, Goran Mukevski 14’, Andrew Slavich (og) 33’, David Kemp 88’)
Belconnen United made it two from two at Hawker Football Centre on Saturday evening as they continued their excellent start to the National Premier League Season with a 4-2 win over Woden Valley. The Blue Devils even survived the entirety of the second half with ten men after skipper Taylor Beaton was dismissed for kicking on the stroke of half-time. Earlier the Blue Devils captain had given his team the lead with a contender for goal of the season, collecting a clearance with one touch, swivelling and sending an outrageous half-volley from 35m over the head of Jason Denham and into the net. Woden responded with a cracker of their own, Regan Walsh showing his dead-ball technique with a free-kick that David Beckham would have been proud of, arcing over the wall and dipping into the net in the 11th minute. In a breathless opening Goran Mukevski restored Belconnen’s lead following excellent approach work by Michael Taurasi and Belconnen went further in front when Mukevski’s 33rd minute shot bounced back off the upright and into the net via the shins of Andrew Slavich. Slavich atoned for his unfortunate own goal with a stunning strike of his own, a crisp low effort that thundered into the net off the post, before Beaton’s dismissal ended a rip-roaring half. Woden couldn’t make the extra man tell in the second stanza and a late fourth, from David Kemp, secured another win for the Blue Devils.
Woden Valley: 1. Jason DENHAM, 5. John GIBSON, 7. Regan WALSH, 8. Conor NOLAN, 9. Lukas COLE, 10. Romeo ROMEO, 12. Thomas ZEITLHOFER, 13. Andrew SLAVICH, 14. David JENKINS, 15. Zach HARRIGAN, 28. Dominic SMEDLEY
Substitutes used: 19. Jake WILSENER, 23. Owen STEER
Belconnen United: 1. Ashley COLLINS, 4. David KEMP, 5. Dustin WELLS, 6. David ARRANZ, 7. Taylor BEATON, 9. Goran MUKEVSKI, 10. Michael TAURASI, 11. Jason UGRINIC, 13. Jack GREEN, 14. Milan POPOVICH, 15. Jack BLACKLEY
Substitutes used: 2. Cameron REINHART, 3. Tom McLACHLAN, 8. Zac MAYBURY
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 5. John GIBSON, 8. Conor NOLAN, 28. Dominic SMEDLEY (Woden Valley), 6. David ARRANZ, 10. Michael TAURASI, 15. Jack BLACKLEY (Belconnen United)
RED CARD: 7. Taylor BEATON (Belconnen United)
Match Officials: Sam Nixon (referee), Bruno Kehl, Duncan McLaren

Sunday 13th April
Cooma Tigers 2 (Stephen Domenici 37’ (pen), Robbie Cattanach 64’) Canberra Olympic 3 (Michael Reeve 31’, Mark Shields 46’, Callum Smith 51’)
Canberra Olympic made sure that they took maximum points from their first outing of the season as they defeated Cooma Tigers 3-2 at Hawker Football Centre. With Nijong Oval waterlogged, the match was switched to the synthetic field and it was Olympic who settled the quickest, the visitors taking the lead in the 31st minute. A long ball released Michael Reeve and his delicate lob over the advancing Jack Pettit in the Tigers goal opened the scoring. Cooma replied within six minutes when Stephen Domenici calmly sent Nick Owen the wrong way from the penalty spot and, on the balance of play, it was a deserved leveller. With the teams all-square at the break it took Olympic just fifteen seconds to reclaim the initiative as Josh Gaspari found Mark Shields in the penalty area and the striker stabbed home from twelve metres. Five minutes later Olympic had a third as Callum Smith showed strength and tenacity to brush off a challenge and hammer a half-volley past Pettit for his first goal for the club. Cooma weren’t done though and Robbie Cattanach ensured a tense finale, dancing past a challenge and curling a sublime finish into the bottom corner. Tigers pressed hard for a third to gain a share of the spoils, but a resilient Olympic defence held firm to take the three points.
Cooma Tigers: 1. Jack PETTIT, 2. Phil YARNOLD, 3. Stefan TODOROSKI, 4. Iain ELLIOTT, 5. Dom COLLUCIELLO, 6. Liam HIGHMORE, 7. Jeremias IBARRA, 8. Lianel LAUPER, 9. Robbie CATTANACH, 10. Rishabh SHARMA, 11. Stephen DOMENICI
Substitutes used: 14. Julian BORGNA, 17. Pepe VARGA
Canberra Olympic: 1. Nick OWEN, 2. Marc O’NEILL, 4. Chris NIKITAS, 5. Nathan TIDMARSH, 6. Nick SALLECCHIA, 7. Robbie DEELEY, 8. Josh GASPARI, 10. Mark SHIELDS, 14. Callum SMITH, 15. Michael REEVE, 17. Nick BOBOLAS
Substitutes used: 3. Daniel FULTON, 11. Oliver WIEDERKEHR, 99. Tim WOMACK
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 11. Stephen DOMENICI (Cooma Tigers), 7. Robbie DEELEY, 17. Nick BOBOLAS (Canberra Olympic)
Match Officials: Richard Naumovski (referee), Brett Woodford, Pat Hiolloway

TABLE

LEADING SCORERS
3 Aaron EVANS (Canberra FC)
2 Dustin WELLS (Belconnen United), Alex OLORIEGBE (Canberra FC), Thomas JAMES (Monaro Panthers)
1 Taylor BEATON, David KEMP, Goran MUKEVSKI, Jason UGRINIC (Belconnen United), Daniel BENNETT, Domenic GIAMPAOLO (Canberra FC), Michael REEVE, Mark SHIELDS, Callum SMITH (Canberra Olympic), Robbie CATTANACH, Stephen DOMENICI (Cooma Tigers), Deng PADIET (Monaro Panthers), Jon TOOLE (Tuggeranong United), Andrew SLAVICH, Regan WALSH (Woden Valley), Own GOALS