NPL1 Round 13 Wrap
Belconnen United 2 (Michael Taurasi 50’, 90+2’) def. Canberra FC 1 (Jason Ugrinic 51’)
By Tim Warren
In what shaped up to be a huge match in the context of both sides top-four hopes, the match of the round certainly didn’t disappoint.
Belconnen United recorded a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Canberra FC at McKellar Park on Saturday afternoon, thanks to Michael Taurasi’s 92nd minute winner.
The victory means that the Blue Devils have once again moved into the top-four on 16 competition points, with tight-fought race for finals set to come down to the wire.
The loss also places an increased level of pressure on the visitors, with Canberra FC sitting in sixth position after 13 rounds and requiring a strong run home if they want to feature in finals football in 2019.
With a lot at stake in terms of ladder position, neither side wanted to make an early mistake, causing both sides to take a reserved approach in the opening period of the game.
The best goal scoring opportunity of the first half fell to Canberra FC’s Ryan Keir in the 38th minute, who squandered his clear-cut chance by heading the ball over the bar from only metres out from goal.
It was a frustrating first half from Keir’s perspective, the midfielder failing to find the back of the net just minutes earlier when his low-driven shot was well stopped by Belconnen keeper Deakin Jewell.
The second half started with faster intensity and desire than the first, shaping the game into a more attacking and end-to-end game.
Belconnen were the first team to strike in the 50th minute when Taurasi claimed the opening goal of the game by turning the ball into the net following a corner.
However that sparked Canberra FC into action, and they quickly found the equaliser just two minutes later when Jason Ugrinic curled a wonderful strike into the top-left corner past a diving Jewell.
As the second half played out and full-time lingered it appeared that the two teams would share the points, with both sides failing to find the go-ahead goal.
But he complexion of the match changed when Canberra FC’s Daniel Subasic was sent from the pitch for ten minutes with a temporary dismissal after arguing with the referee over a disallowed goal.
Canberra FC looked to have found the winner in the 85th minute when a superb header found the net following a corner, however the goal was quickly overturned for a foul in the leadup, sparking Subasic’s protests.
The drama reached another gear in the 92nd minute when Taurasi reclaimed the lead for Belconnen in the final seconds of the match.
The home side received a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box, which was quickly taken and that caught the visiting backline out as Taurasi strolled into the box and tapped the ball home past keeper Sam Brown.
Belconnen once again have another crucial top four match-up next weekend as they host Gungahlin United at McKellar Park, while Canberra FC will be looking to record a win against Woden-Weston at Melrose.
Monaro Panthers 1 (Josh Gulevski 64’) def. by Gungahlin United 2 (Zac Barbatano 28’, Michael John 54’)
Gungahlin United snapped a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory at Riverside on Saturday, closing the gap to the third place Panthers to just a point.
United took the lead just before the half hour mark thanks to good work from Jack Green, who danced through the midfield and slipped a ball through to Zac Barbatano and he made the most of the opportunity to fire across the keeper and in.
The lead doubled nine minutes into the second half and the adventurous Green was again at the heart of the move for the visitors.
He stood up his defender on the left edge of the box before driving past them, and whipped a low cross in to the six-yard area that Michael John reacted quickest to, and got the crucial touch to put his side ahead by two goals.
Monaro would not lie down though and ten minutes later they cut the lead in half through in-form forward Josh Gulevski.
He played the ball out to Ben Basser-Silk out wide who cut back in and fed the ball to Gulevski, and he did well to place an effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area and pull them back into the match.
They could not claw the full deficit back though, and will look to rebound when they host Canberra Olympic at Riverside on Saturday. Gungahlin meanwhile will take on Belconnen United at McKellar Park with both sides now on 16 points.
Tigers FC 3 (Mark Shields 27’, Own Goal 85’, Hussain Fureje 90+3’) def. Woden Weston 0
Tigers FC did what they needed to at Nijong on Sunday, scoring once in the first half and twice late to see off Woden-Weston and retain their lead at the top of the NPL1 ladder.
The hosts struck the woodwork early but didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal when Mark Shields struck just before the half hour mark.
A Tigers attack down the right culminated in a cross that found the head of Shields and his effort gave Willem Lejeune no chance as Tigers took the lead.
Tigers controlled the game for the most part, but didn’t extend their lead until the final eight minutes when Lejeune did not deal with a set piece from the left that snuck across the line.
And deep in stoppage time the result was left in no doubt through Hussain Fureje, as he was fed in by Shields to tuck a finish into the corner and put Tigers up by three goals.
Tigers now head to Griffith to take on the Rhinos, while Woden-Weston play host to Canberra FC and need a win to boost their dangling finals chances.
Canberra Olympic 3 (Stephen Domenici 18’, Nik Popovich 28’, Andre Jancevski 90+2’) def. Tuggeranong United 1 (Regan Walsh 31’)
A lovely team move created the first goal, with Jay Kelly breaking through the middle and finding Domenici, who with his back to goal dinked it off to Popovich and rolled off his defender to receive the return ball and fire it past Wiseman.
Moments later he had the chance to score from the spot after Andre Jancevski was bundled over but fired wide as Wiseman stayed central.
The hosts doubled their advantage 28 minutes in when a free-kick was swung in, and Nathen Megic headed it down for Nik Popovich to ghost in behind the defence and fire it home first time past the stranded Wiseman.
United pulled one back two minutes later as the frantic pace continued, Regan Walsh scoring from the spot after Rory Larkin clattered into an attacker but not long after a chance to draw level from the penalty spot went begging when Nick Faust cleaned out Aisosa Ihegie, and this timeWalshstruck the post and couldn’t control the rebound as Olympic escaped.
The hosts maintained their lead to head into half-time 2-1 up and extended it in the second half, as Jancevski latched onto a lay-off from Domenici in stoppage time to seal the victory and keep pace with Tigers FC at the top.
It means Frank Cachia’s side remain five points behind Tigers with a game in hand and are close to assuring a top-two finish, while Tuggeranong are now four points off the top four heading into their final five games.
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