National Premier Leagues: Capital Football
Round 13 – Review

Thursday 17th July
Canberra City 5 (Misko Naumoski 4’, 55’, Sam McDonald 17’, Gimale Essacu 51’, 70’) Tuggeranong United 3 (Muad Zwed 7’, Zac Munster 67’ (pen), Ethan Munster 88’)
Canberra City recorded their first win of the NPL season as they put a huge dent in Tuggeranong United’s hopes for a top four spot with a surprise, but well-merited, 5-3 victory at Gungahlin Enclosed in a midweek catch-up game. City was worthy victors looking sharper and hungrier to every ball against a surprisingly lacklustre and lethargic Tuggeranong. There were stand-outs across the park for City, in particular winger Luke Gibson and central defensive pairing David Dexter and James Perry with Valentine Ugwumba enjoying a fine match in midfield. City went ahead in the 4th minute as Misko Naumoski took advantage of a punched clearance to curl home a delightful top-corner finish. Muad Zwed quickly restored parity only for Gibson to turn his marker inside out and cross to the far post where Sam McDonald expertly volleyed into the corner. City increased the lead after the break as Gimale Essacu swept home at the end of a breakaway before Naumoski added his second, pouncing on a loose ball to coolly slot past Forbes-Shepherd. United defender Matt Menser then saw red for a second yellow card offence before Zac Munster pulled one back from the spot. Essacu made the game safe for City with his second, a stooped header, in the 70th minute making substitute Ethan Munster’s debut first grade goal largely meaningless. Just reward for City’s perseverance and determination in what’s been a tough year.
Canberra City: 33. James WARD, 3. James PERRY, 4. David DEXTER, 6. Adam DOBELL, 7. Gimale ESSACU, 8. Luke GIBSON, 10. Misko NAUMOSKI, 12. Aidan LEES, 13. Sam McDONALD, 15. Jeremy HEGARTY, 17. Valentine UGWUMBA
Substitutes used: 9. Ben DOYLE, 11. Deng Aleer DENG
Tuggeranong United: 20. Rowan FORBES-SHEPHERD, 2. Cameron DOHERTY, 3. Jonathan REIS, 5. Chris RUIZ, 6. Sean KIDDEY, 7. Matt MENSER, 8. Tim STEWART, 10. Muad ZWED, 11. Zac MUNSTER, 13. Sean MUPRHY, 14. Daniel COLBERTALDO
Substitutes used: 4. Ethan MUNSTER, 9. Michael GURNEY
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 6. Adam DOBELL, 8. Luke GIBSON, 11. Deng Aleer DENG (Canberra City), 2. Cameron DOHERTY (Tuggeranong United)
RED CARD: 7. Matt MENSER (Tuggeranong United)
Match Officials: Luke Withell (referee), Bruno Kehl, Tom Wodzinski

Saturday 19th July
Woden Valley 1 (Marco Gayer 42’) Canberra FC 5 (Adam Spaleta 16’, Alex Oloriegbe 31’ (pen), John Gibson 34’ (og), James Field 45’, Anthony Giorgi 90’)
Canberra FC moved top of the National Premier Leagues: Capital Football league table, albeit ahead of Cooma Tigers Sunday afternoon clash with Monaro Panthers and having played a game more than Belconnen United, as they saw off Woden Valley 4-1 in an away game played at their home venue of Deakin Stadium due to the unplayable pitch at Kaleen Enclosed. The match was as good as won by half-time as FC took the game by the scruff of the neck, opening the scoring through a deflected Adam Spaleta shot in the 16th minute and adding a second from the penalty spot in the 31st, Alex Oloriegbe netting after Julien Renard was penalised for handball. John Gibson was unfortunate to turn in the third FC goal after Jason Denham had saved Daniel Bennett’s shot, the ball rebounding off the Woden skipper and rolling in, before Marco Gayer got one back, looping a header over Jakob Cole after an under-hit back-pass from Aidan Brunskill. James Field added Canberra FC’s fourth on the stroke of half-time, slotting home after Denham had denied Oloriegbe. The match petered out after the break with chances rare at either end. FC took the opportunity to give a first team debut for teenager Anthony Giorgi close to full-time and the youngster rounded out the match with a superb solo effort, dancing into the area and finishing with aplomb.
Woden Valley: 1. Jason DENHAM, 3. Sam OSSATO, 4. David JENKINS, 5. John GIBSON, 7. Regan WALSH, 10. Romeo ROMEO, 12. Mitch STEENBERGEN, 13. Marco GAYER, 15. Zach HARRIGAN, 19. Liam WALSH, 23. Andrew SLAVICH
Substitutes used: 14. Julien RENARD, 22. Owen STEER, 28. Michael IRELAND
Canberra FC: 22. Jakob COLE, 2. Benjamin VAN MEURS, 7. Aaron EVANS, 8. Ian GRAHAM, 10. Alex OLORIEGBE, 13. Daniel BENNETT, 16. Matt GRBESA, 17. Aidan BRUNSKILL, 18. Alex TILLEY, 19. Adam SPALETA, 20. James FIELD
Substitutes used: 5. Anthony GIORGI, 9. Philippe BERNABO-MADRID, 11. Marko VRKIC
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 4. David JENKINS, 15. Zach HARRIGAN (Woden Valley), 13. Daniel BENNETT (Canberra FC)
Match Officials: Matt Cropper (referee), Alex McConachie, Duncan McLaren

Sunday 20th July
Canberra City 1 (Misko Naumoski 10’ (pen)) FFA COE 0
Canberra City recorded a second victory within the space of four days as they followed up their midweek win against Tuggeranong United, their first of the campaign, with a second, defeating FFA COE 1-0 at Gungahlin Enclosed thanks to a 10th minute penalty from Misko Naumoski. Naumoski calmly converted from the spot to register his third goal in two matches with what ultimately proved to be the decisive moment of the encounter. There’s no doubt that City deserved their win once more having gained a degree of confidence in shaking the monkey off their back on Thursday night and they played with a freedom and style seldom seen this term by the men in yellow. Defensively, City was sound once more with James Perry and David Dexter marshalling the area in font of goalkeeper James Ward to great effect and denying the FFA COE the clear cut opportunities that they craved. City created chances themselves with the free-running Gimale Essacu causing issues to the FFA COE defence and Luke Gibson once more underlying his importance to the squad with some barnstorming runs down the wing. Maximum points from their last two matches has lifted City to within a point of Woden Valley in eighth and in with a chance of lifting themselves off the bottom of the ladder and avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon.
Canberra City: 33. James WARD, 3. James PERRY, 4. David DEXTER, 6. Adam DOBELL, 7. Gimale ESSACU, 8. Luke GIBSON, 10. Misko NAUMOSKI, 11. Deng Aleer DENG, 12. Aidan LEES, 15. Jeremy HEGARTY, 17. Valentine UGWUMBA
Substitutes used: 9. Ben DOYLE, 14. Daniel DI-SALVATORE, 16. Chris McEWAN
FFA COE: 20. Perry FOTAKOPOULOS, 3. Henry DAVIES, 5. Zachary SPETH, 6. Joe CALETTI, 7. Daniel MASKIN, 10. Jamie DIMITROFF, 15. Zak WATERS, 17. Nicholas PANETTA, 21, Jamal REINERS, 22. Cameron JOICE, 23. Kosta PETRATOS
Substitutes used: 9. Nicholas D’AGOSTINO, 14. Solomon MONAHAN-VAIIKA, 24. Jackson BANDIERA
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 17. Nicholas PANETTA (FFA COE)
Match Officials: Luke Withell (referee), Allyson Flynn, Matt Rynne

Cooma Tigers 5 (Stephen Domenici 24’, 44’, Julian Borgna 32’, 79’ Jordan Lando 72’) Monaro Panthers 2 (Darian McGarry-Watson 55’, Josh Calabria 76’)
Cooma Tigers roared to the top of the National Premier Leagues: Capital Football league ladder as they saw off the visiting Monaro Panthers with a 5-2 win at Nijong Oval. The Tigers knew that the three points would send them top of the pile and they duly obliged taking the game to Monaro and leading 3-0 at the interval to virtually ensure top spot by the half-time whistle. The hosts took the lead in the 24th minute as livewire Stephen Domenici netted his first of the afternoon and it wasn’t long before they were celebrating a second as Julian Borgna made it 2-0 only eight minutes later. Cooma has been in superb form of recent weeks and wrapped up a ninth win in succession when Domenici gabbed his second, and tenth of the campaign, just before half-time. It was much better second half performance from Monaro who fought back into the contest when Darian McGarry-Watson reduced the deficit ten minutes after the resumption, but that only kicked Cooma up another gear and Jordan Lando, summoned from the substitutes bench, restored the three-goal lead with eighteen minutes left on the clock. Josh Calabria then brought Monaro back to 2-4 but the leaders had the last laugh when Borgna notched his second of the day and completed a 5-2 win with the Tigers run showing no sign of stopping.
Cooma Tigers: 1. Jack PETTIT, 2. Aidan JOHNSON, 3. Jordano SAN MARTIN, 4. Iain ELLIOTT, 5. Dom COLLUCIELLO, 6. Cristobal SOZA, 7. Goran JOSIFOVSKI, 8. Julian BORGNA, 9. Jeremias IBARRA, 10. Dejan SANTRAC, 11. Stephen DOMENICI
Substitutes used: 12. Jordan LANDO, 13. Sime CELESKI
Monaro Panthers: 1. Rory LARKIN, 2. Lewis BATES, 3. Sam LAVELLA, 4. Alex HOLLIS, 5. Jacob CULLEN-RUA, 6. Andrew MYSSONSKI, 7. Darian McGARRY-WATSON, 8. Josh CALABRIA, 9, Adrian CANIZARES, 10. Ed MCCARTHY, 11. Martin DENG
Substitutes used: 1. Nathan ALFERINK, 12. Daniel HEARLE
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 2. Lewis BATES (Monaro Panthers)
Match Officials: Richard Naumovski (referee), Delfina Dimoski, Jose Izurieta

Canberra Olympic 4 (Mark Shields 14’, 35’, 38’, Daniel Barac 32’) Tuggeranong United 1 (Daniel Colbertaldo 71’)
Canberra Olympic boosted their own finals hopes and put a dent in Tuggeranong United’s aspirations of a place in the top four with a convincing win at O’Connor Enclosed. Four first half goals, including a hat-trick for former United striker Mark Shields, had Olympic home and dry by the interval and, despite a better performance from the visitors after the interval, the damage had already been well and truly done. Olympic were ahead in the 14th minute as Shields rose to head into the top corner, but it was a three-goal burst in six minutes that decided the result. Daniel Barac was first onto the score sheet showing hunger and desire to stretch and reach a cross ahead of Rowan Forbes Shepherd in the Tuggeranong goal, flicking his finish into the net off the underside of the crossbar. But Shields wasn’t far behind. Barac pounced on a mistake by Michael Gurney in defence and was hauled down by the United defender. Referee Sam Nixon played the advantage and Shields advanced to coolly flick past the ‘keeper for his second. And the forward had the match-ball two minutes later as he reacted fastest to an attempted headed clearance to nod over Forbes Shepherd from a tight angle, the ball looping into the net. Daniel Colbertaldo’s flicked header was scant consolation for Tuggeranong in the second half.
Canberra Olympic: 1. Angelo KONSTANTINOU, 5. Nathan TIDMARSH, 6. Jeremy HABTEMARIAM, 7. Robbie DEELEY, 8. Josh GASPARI, 9. Daniel BARAC, 10. Mark SHIELDS, 12. Adam ROGIC, 13. Marcin ZYGMUNT, 14. Callum SMITH, 17. Nick BOBOLAS
Substitutes used: 11. Oliver WIEDERKEHR, 15. Michael REEVE, 99. Victor YANES
Tuggeranong United: 20. Rowan FORBES SHEPHERD, 2. Cameron DOHERTY, 3. Jonathan REIS, 5. Chris RUIZ, 6. Sean KIDDEY, 7. Mark DI BITONTO, 8. Tim STEWART, 9. Michael GURNEY, 10. Muad ZWED, 11, Zac MUNSTER, 14. Daniel COLBERTALDO
Substitutes used: 4. Tomas RUIZ, 13. Sean MURPHY, 15. Harry PETTIT
Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 99. Victor YANES (Canberra Olympic), 2. Cameron DOHERTY (Tuggeranong United)
Match Officials: Sam Nixon (referee), Owen Goldrick, Nia Southwell

TABLE

LEADING SCORERS
12 Alex OLORIEGBE (Canberra FC)
10 Daniel BENNETT (Canberra FC), Mark SHIELDS (Canberra Olympic), Robbie CATTANACH, Stephen DOMENICI (Cooma Tigers)
9 Jason UGRINIC (Belconnen United)
8 Dustin WELLS (Belconnen United), Goran JOSIFOVSKI (Cooma Tigers)
7 Robbie DEELEY (Canberra Olympic)
6 Tom McLACHLAN (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
5 Goran MUKEVSKI, Michael TAURASI (Belconnen United), Misko NAUMOSKI (Canberra City), Philippe BERNABO-MADRID, Domenic GIAMPAOLO (Canberra FC)
4 Gimale ESSACU (Canberra City), Aaron EVANS (Canberra FC), Julian BORGNA (Cooma Tigers), Peter KEKERIS (FFA COE), Josh CALABRIA, Thomas JAMES (Monaro Panthers), Daniel COLBERTALDO (Tuggeranong United)
3 Adam SPALETA (Canberra FC), Daniel MASKIN, Jamal REINERS (FFA COE), Darian McGARRY-WATSON (Monaro Panthers), Michael JOHN, Jon TOOLE, Muad ZWED (Tuggeranong United), Lukas COLE (Woden Valley)
2 Jack BLACKLEY, Aisosa IHEGIE (Belconnen United), Michael REEVE, Callum SMITH (Canberra Olympic), Ian GRAHAM, Josip JADRIC (Canberra FC), Daniel BARAC (Canberra Olympic), Jordan LANDO (Cooma Tigers), Daniel ARZANI, Kosta PETRATOS (FFA COE), Deng PADIET, Pepe VARGA (Monaro Panthers), Marco GAYER, John GIBSON, Andrew SLAVICH, Regan WALSH (Woden Valley)
1 Taylor BEATON, David KEMP, Marty RAINES (Belconnen United), Adam DOBELL, Sam McDONALD (Canberra City), James FIELD, Anthony GIORGI, Ryan KEIR (Canberra FC), Nick BOBOLAS, Daniel FULTON, Josh GASPARI, Oliver WIEDERKEHR (Canberra Olympic), Lianel LAUPER (Cooma Tigers), Nicholas D’AGOSTINO, Charlie DEVEREUX, Jamie DIMITROFF, Kye ROWLES, Zak WATERS (FFA COE), Kamal AHMED, Martin DENG (Monaro Panthers), Sean KIDDEY, Harry PETTIT, Ethan MUNSTER, Zac MUNSTER (Tuggeranong United), Tom HIRST, Conor NOLAN, Mitch STEENBERGEN (Woden Valley)