PLAYSTATION 4 NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUES: CANBERRA
MATCHDAY 15

Wednesday 20th July
CU Academy 7 (Sam Whithear 45’, David Carder 52’, Joshua Gulevski 62’, Lachlan Griffiths 65’, Bul Juach 67’, Nicolas Felizzi 89’, Mate Barisic 90+1’) Woden-Weston FC 1 (Tim Dehelean 90+3’)
(Hawker Football Centre)

By William Bremner

On a surprisingly mild July evening CU Academy continued their recent good form beating cellar dwellers Woden-Weston FC 7-1 in what, eventually, became a one sided affair. In a relatively benign opening stanza the young United side did enough to be in front but were not so dominant that the fireworks of the second half could have been predicted. Indeed the first half scoring was begun and simultaneously completed almost on the stroke of half time as San Whithear touched home at the near post following a fast right hand side break. 

The second half was barely ten minutes old when David Carder collected a through ball before finishing emphatically passed Josh Wade in the Woden goal. From that point on the hill became a mountain for the away team and there was little in their play that suggested they might meet the challenge. 

Three goals in four minutes from Josh Gulevski (64th) Lachlan Griffiths (67th) and Bul Juach (68th) meant the game was over as a contest even if the scoring was not. By this stage Woden-Weston FC were a well beaten outfit but to their credit did not throw in the towel and in substitute Brady Nixon they found some quality in the final third. His first involvement was an attempted flick on that troubled the home team defence before they cleared. His last involvement was to play a lovely defence splitting pass that put Tim Dehelean through on goal in the last minute and the lanky striker finished with some aplomb. 

Before that Woden's night had got worse when midfielder Chris McEwan was dismissed for an indiscretion on 76 minutes; David Rodriguez had added a sixth in the 89th and Mate Barasic had made it seven seconds later meaning the late reply was scant consolation for the southern suburbs outfit. 

CU Academy have shown dramatic improvement as a team in the latter part of the season and there will be quite a few teams pleased they don't have to meet them again before seasons end. For Woden-Weston FC there is some light at the end of the tunnel if they look to give some of their exiting youngster’s game time and experience useful for 2017 if not for now. 

CU Academy: 1. Sam BROWN, 4. Antoni TIMOTHEOU, 6. Patrick O’ROURKE, 7. Joshua GULEVSKI, 9. Sam WHITHEAR, 12. Elie DARWICH, 14. Niko UJDUR, 15. Lachlan GRIFFITHS, 16. Bul JUACH, 17. Tony MADAFARRI, 18, 20. David CARDER
Substitutes used: 3. Nicolas FELIZZI, 5. David RODRIGUEZ, 21. Mate BARISIC
Woden-Weston FC: 1. Josh WADE, 2. Arok THON, 3. Adam DE FRANCESCHI, 4. Bradley OLIVERA, 6. Christopher MCEWAN, 7. Goran MILUTINOVIC, 8. Tim DEHELEAN, 9. Daniel DI-SALVATORE, 10. Matthew WATERS, 11. Jarryd CLIFTON, 15. Roy ROMEO
Substitutes used: 12. Brady NIXON, 14. Anton HOSHOVSKY, 16. Daniel GRAHAM
YELLOW CARDS: 11. Jarryd CLIFTON (Woden-Weston FC)
RED CARDS: 6. Christopher MCEWAN (Woden-Weston FC)

Saturday 23rd July
Belconnen United v Woden-Weston FC – Match Postponed 

Sunday 24th July
Canberra FC v Gungahlin United – Match Postponed 

Canberra Olympic 2 (Robbie Cattanach 56’, Oliver Wiederkehr 81’) Tuggeranong United 0
(O’Connor Enclosed)

By David Jordan

Canberra Olympic kept themselves in the hunt for the PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues: Canberra Championship on Sunday with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Tuggeranong United. Goals to Robbie Cattanach and Oliver Wiederkehr in the second half helped see off a spirited Tuggeranong challenge on a fresh afternoon at O’Connor.

In a first-half devoid of clear-cut opportunities, Olympic coach Frank Cachia was struck a blow just six minutes in with Victor Yanes forced from the field. Yanes appeared to injure his leg as he pulled the trigger from outside the box, and was replaced in midfield by Adam Rogic. With neither side able to force an opening through the crowded midfield, players were restricted to shooting from distance to no avail. Both Angelo Konstantinou and Tuggeranong keeper Josh Lagudah were forced into saves from distance, but neither were overly challenged in the opening forty-five.

Olympic were presented with their first real chance of the afternoon just eight minutes after the break, but after having three shots saved or blocked, eventual scorer Cattanach blazed his loose ball effort into the stratosphere. But just three minutes later, Cattanach had his goal, breaking into the box before stepping inside his defender slotting calmly past Lagudah in goal.

Now in the lead, Olympic claimed the ascendancy, beginning to press the visiting defence with darting runs and through balls as they looked to break the game open. The home side came close twice with twenty minutes to go, as Michael Reeve grazed the crossbar with an attempted cross, before Olympic were awarded a handball as Jeremy Habtemariam’s shot cannoned into Liam Highmore’s arm.

A fantastic save from Lagudah held out Philippe-Bernabo Madrid’s effort, but a defensive calamity led to Olympic doubling their lead in the 80th minute. Miscommunication between Lagudah and his defensive line saw a poor clearance fall to the feet of Oliver Wiederkehr, and the substitute used his first touch of the ball to deftly chip Lagudah and seal the match for Olympic.

Canberra Olympic: 20. Angelo KONSTANTINOU, 2. Tim BOBOLAS, 3. Josh CALABRIA, 5. Phil YARNOLD, 6. Jeremy HABTEMARIAM, 8. Bernard RENE, 9. Philippe BERNABO-MADRID, 10. Robbie CATTANACH, 11. Michael REEVE, 16. Jordan TSEKENIS, 99. Victor YANES
Substitutes used: 7. Pat ROSS-MAGEE, 12. Adam ROGIC, 22. Oliver WIEDERKEHR
Tuggeranong United: 1. Josh LAGUDAH, 3. Dom SZRAKITY, 6. Aiodan BEATMAN, 7. Nikoloas KALFAS, 8. Daniel ROBERTS, 9. Aaron CASHMAN, 10. Emilio KISTA, 11. Jacob AYUEL, 13. Tim ANDERSON, 14. Andrew SLAVICH, 15. Liam HIGHMORE
Substitutes used: 2. Jack GRADY, 5. Marshal SMYTH, 16. Reece GURNEY
YELLOW CARDS: 2. Tim BOBOLAS (Canberra Olympic), 11. Jacob AYUEL, 15. Liam HIGHMORE (Tuggeranong United)
RED CARDS: Nil

Monaro Panthers 0 Tigers FC 6 (Stephen Domenici 8’, 61’ 65’, Nicolas Abot 55’, 83’, 86’)
(Duncan Oval, Googong)

Tigers FC remained top of the PS4 NPL ladder, and significantly buffered their goal difference in the process, as they roared to a 6-0 victory over Monaro Panthers in Googong with Stephen Domenici and Nicolas Abot both claiming hat-tricks. Arguably, if it wasn’t for some poor finishing and some outstanding goalkeeping from Nathan Alferink in the Panthers goal, the Tigers would have hit double figures in a performance worthy of a champion side.

The visitors stated their intent from the off and Domenici should have put them ahead in the second minute, shrugging off a challenge and advancing on goal, only to scuff his effort wide of the post. The forward went close again minutes later as he took the ball wide of Alferink but, from an acute angle, struck the outside of the post. It wasn’t to be long before he made up for his misses though putting Tigers ahead in the 8th minute. Jeremias Ibarra found space out wide and delivered a superb low ball into the area for Domenici to tap into the net at the back post. 

The Tigers were rampant going forward and could have made it two when Domenici was in on goal again but when presented with a chance to shoot six metres from goal inexplicably chose to pass to Abot who was unable to convert. At the other end Mark Shields may have done better when turning his man, rather than hitting a shot straight at Jakob Cole, the rebound which was belted over the bar by Ed McCarthy.

Leading by a goal at the break Tigers finally netted the strikes their dominance deserved in the second half. Abot got his name onto the score-sheet ten minutes into the second half with a viciously swinging cross that eluded Alferink, who was unable to prevent the ball going in, the goal given by debutant assistant referee Carlina Mullet who spotted the ball had crossed the line. 

Domenici bagged his second in the 61st minute, dancing past two challenges to bury a finish low into the corner after Alferink had brilliantly denied Abot, and the same player completed his treble, and netted his 21st goal of the season, with an exquisite chip after breaking the Panthers offside trap. 

Alferink had previously denied Dejan Santrac, Daniel Barac and Abot with sensational saves as Tigers FC threatened to run riot. Domenici was withdrawn with fifteen-year-old Niko Blaskovic introduced into the fray for a debut, but the goal threat did not dissipate. Abot made it 5-0 in the 83rd minute, executing a 45 metre chip over the stranded Alferink for one of the goals of the season before claiming a share of the match ball three minutes later, blasting a first-time effort that Alferink allowed to slip through his fingers. 

Monaro Panthers: 21. Nathan ALFERINK, 3. Jarrad BAIN, 5. Chris RUIZ, 6. Alan MURPHY, 7. Daniel FELLIZZI, 9. Ohio ASIKHIA, 10. Mark SHIELDS, 11. Darian MCGARRY-WATSON, 12. Tony SPASESKI, 13. Ed MCCARTHY, 16. Lachlan HUNTER 
Substitutes used: 4. Conor MCLACHLAN, 17. Michael PICCOLO, 20. Caleb CULLEN-RUA
Tigers FC: 22. Jakob COLE, 2. Nahuel GUERREO, 3. Milan POPOVICH, 4. Ala MOBEDI, 5. Dejan SANTRAC, 6. Brad MOORE, 7. Julian BORGNA, 8. Jeremias IBARRA, 9. Daniel BARAC, 10. Nicolas ABOT, 17. Stephen DOMENICI
Substitutes used: 11. Niko BLASKOVIC, 12. Hussein FUREJE, 13. Jared TONINI
YELLOW CARDS: Nil
RED CARDS: Nil

TABLE

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LEADING SCORERS 
21 Stephen DOMENICI (Tigers FC)
12 Jason UGRINIC (Belconnen United), Nicolas ABOT (Tigers FC)
11 Thomas JAMES (Canberra FC)
8 Philippe BERNABO-MADRID (Canberra Olympic), Joshua GULEVSKI (CU Academy)
7 Sam SMITH (Belconnen United), Domenic GIAMPAOLO (Canberra FC), John ROBERTS (FFA COE)
6 Daniel BARAC (Tigers FC)
5 Aisosa IHEGIE, Dustin WELLS (Belconnen United), Jordan TSEKENIS (Canberra Olympic), Rahmat AKBARI (FFA COE), Nikolaos KALFAS (Tuggeranong United)
4 Josip JADRIC (Canberra FC), Jeremy HABTEMARIAM (Canberra Olympic), Bul JUACH, Tomas KRKLEC, Sam WHITHEAR (CU Academy), Ed MCCARTHY (Monaro Panthers), Bryce BAFFORD, Jaidon SELDON (FFA COE), Andrew SLAVICH (Tuggeranong United), Matthew WATERS (Woden-Weston FC), Own GOALS
3 Ivan PAVLAK (Canberra FC), Daniel FABRIZIO (CU Academy), Louis D’ARRIGO, Mark MORIC (FFA COE), Mitch STEENBERGEN (Gungahlin United), Darian MCGARRY-WATSON, Mark SHIELDS (Monaro Panthers), Alex OLORIEGBE, Dejan SANTRAC (Tigers FC), Marco GAYER (Tuggeranong United)
2 Nikolas POPOVICH, Jonathan REIS*, Toby RICHTER (Belconnen United), Nikola BARISIC (Canberra FC), Robbie CATTANACH, Daniel COLBERTALDO, Nathen MEGIC (Canberra Olympic), Niko UJDUR (CU Academy), Jacob ITALIANO, Mirza MURATOVIC, Ben OBST, Marc TOKICH (FFA COE), Alex MOSCARITOLO, Marcial  MUNOZ, Liam WALSH (Gungahlin United), Daniel FELIZZI, Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Monaro Panthers), Nahuel GUERRERO, Jeremias IBARRA (Tigers FC), Domenic COLUCCIELLO, Emilio KISTA (Tuggeranong United), Bensah AFIABO, Daniel DI-SALVATORE, Goran MILUTNOVIC (Woden-Weston FC)
1 Taylor BEATON, Matt GRBESA, David KEMP, Goran MUKEVSKI, Cameron REINHART (Belconnen United), Aidan BRUNSKILL, Izach CLEMENTS, Robbie DEELEY, Kye EDWARDS, Ian GRAHAM, Ryan KEIR, Misko NAUMOSKI (Canberra FC), Tim BOBOLAS, Angelo KONSTANTINOU, Tom MCLACHLAN, Michael REEVE, Oliver WIEDERKEHR, Victor YANES (Canberra Olympic), Mate BARISIC, David CARDER, Nicolas FELIZZI, Lachlan GRIFFITHS, Ridwan HANNAN, Tony MADAFFARI (CU Academy), Lachlan BROOK (FFA COE), Frano BLAZEVIC, Nathan DUCK, Jack GREEN, Christian JUNNA, Jason O’DWYER (Gungahlin United), Martin DENG, Michael PICCOLO (Monaro Panthers), Tim ANDERSON (Tuggeranong United), Julian BORGNA, Osman FOFANAH, Alan GASTON, Goran JOSIFOVSKI, Milan POPOVICH (Tigers FC), Sam SHADBOLT Tuggeranong United), Tim DEHELEAN, Ben GRIEG, Tom HIRST (Woden-Weston FC)

*1 goal for Tuggeranong United

Photo: Canberra Times