A League 2015/16 - Week 1 Review

The A League is back for its eleventh season and in a piece of marketing genius the powers that be lined up a huge clash to start with, well at least they might have done if they had thought about it, instead we got Western Sydney Wanderers v Brisbane Roar at Pirtek Stadium. Not that my sneering would put off the excellent support that Wanderers enjoy at home and over fourteen thousand diehards turned out to welcome the dawn of the new season.

The first half opened in spectacular fashion when Roar took the lead after just seven minutes. There appeared little danger when Wanderers defender Brendan Hamill tried to lift the ball back to his keeper under pressure from new singing Jamie MacLaren. However he got under the ball and woefully under hit the pass to leave the former Perth Glory striker clear on goal, he made no mistake as he lifted the ball over  the advancing Wanderers keeper Andrew Redmayne.

Six minutes later Wanderers got back on level terms through Mitch Nichols, Scott Jamieson played Nichols in through the inside left channel and he coolly curled the ball low past Michael Theo to find the far corner.

Ten minutes later Roar took the lead again this time through Daniel Bowles. Roar have recruited experienced Spanish midfielder Corona to fill the boots of departed Luke Brattan and he made his first dividend on the investment with a well flighted corner to the near post where Bowles met the delivery with a downward header. Jamieson did all he could on the line to try to prevent the goal but his efforts were in vain.

Roar scored a third in the thirty fourth minute when MacLaren notched his brace, another Corona corner (try saying that after a few cold ones) delivery to the centre of the goal was nodded down and fell kindly for MacLaren just three yards out to slot home.

Nichols tried to claw a goal back just a minute later but saw his effort ruled out by the officials. Little of note happened otherwise until the seventieth minute when Thomas Broich set Brandon Borrello up with a shooting chance from the edge of the box that Redmayne proved equal to. Wanderers came close in the eighty third minute when Nichols robbed Dimitri Petratos to feed Romeo Castelen but Theo was on his toes to save.

So a disappointing start to the campaign for Wanderers, they have work to do on defending set pieces but on the positive side they will point to a dominant performance from Castelen in the second half and missed half chances for new striker Fedorico Piovaccari which if taken could have put a different complexion on the game. For Roar this unexpected win will definitely boost confidence and in the shape of MacLaren they might just have found the consistent goal threat they have missed so badly since they lost Besart Berisha to Melbourne Victory.

Next up came the eagerly awaited clash of Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory at the Adelaide Oval in front of over nineteen thousand punters. The game somehow finished 0-0 but with more clinical finishing it would have been anything but.

At the midpoint of the first half Besart Berisha was released by Fahid Ben Khalfallah one on one with Reds keeper John Hall, unusually his first touch was awful and allowed Hall to gather. Five minutes later a Dylan Murnane cross from the left just eluded the attempt of the totally unattended Berisha to bring the ball under control. Hall had already decided that Berisha hadn’t a hope of reaching the ball and had left his goal unattended to collect the ball from what he assumed was going to be its trajectory.

On thirty six minutes Adelaide notched their first effort when Sergio Cirio gave Marcello Carrusca a sight of goal but he drove just wide of the post. Three minutes before the break Gui Finkler also drove just off target from around twenty yards when he was set up by Oliver Bozanic.

Victory started the second half strongly and you would have been forgiven for putting the housekeeping on them scoring. Five minutes in Finkler played Kosta Barbarouses in on goal in the inside right channel but Hall tipped his effort away to safety. Six minutes later Barbarouses had a goal correctly disallowed for offside and just two minutes later struck the base of the post from around twenty one yards.

On sixty minutes Berisha found himself through with only the keeper to beat again after a ball from Bozanic, as he prepared to pull the trigger Osama Malik produced a wonderful last ditch tackle to deny him. Three minutes later Barbarouses played in Finkler in the inside right slot, again Hall beat away the shot to keep the scores level.

Five minutes after that Daniel Georgievski found himself in space behind the Reds backline but his pull back across the six yard box found no takers. A minute later Leigh Broxham collected a second yellow to leave Victory facing the final twenty minutes or so with ten men. They did a professional job and apart from a ninety second minute effort from Cirio that Danny Vukovic turned away they were largely untroubled.

So honours even but Kevin Muscat will fell that on another day Berisha would have got at least a double and his team would have been handy enough winners. The Reds look a little bit light up front where Eli Babalj struggled to make an impact they will be looking for Bruce Djite to return.

Saturday’s entertainment began with Central Coast Mariners playing host to Perth Glory at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, the home team running out 3-2 winners in front of just over eight thousand fans. The scoreline flattered Glory who covered themselves in anything but glory but their visits to Central Coast have brought just a single victory in fifteen attempts now so maybe we should have expected this.

Ex-Cork City man Roy O’Donovan tested Ante Covic in the first minute but the Perth custodian was equal to the task. Just two minutes later Glory had a goal disallowed as Guyon Fernandez had his close range effort ruled out when Richard Garcia centred from an offside position. Mariners came roaring back and Covic had to beat away an effort from Nick Fitzgerald in the fourth minute.

The opening goal duly arrived in the ninth minute, Storm Roux advanced down the right, laid the ball off to Fitzgerald on the edge of the box who in turn fed Fabio Ferreira twelve yards out. His effort with the outside of his foot rebounded off of Covic into O’Donovan from whom it rebounded into the goal. Perth mustered a burst of energy to try to get back on level terms, Dino Djulbic had a tame header straight at Liam Reddy and Diego Castro made a hash of a half chance after good work by Nebojsa Marinkovic and Chris Harold.

Glory did level in the twenty third minute Josh Risdon escaped into space down the right and when he crossed to the centre of the box Richard Garcia stooped low to head back across Reddy and find the bottom corner. 

Mitch Austin featured in the next two notable sequences, first his left wing cross was cleared to Fitzgerald on the edge of the box who drove just wide of the post. Then Covic made a complete hash of trying to gather a deflected effort with the loose ball falling to Austin who rashly drove wide from ten yards to bring the curtain down on the first half.

Thirteen minutes in to the second half Mariners went ahead with a penalty earned and despatched by Ferreira after Fernandez had hauled him down. The following minute with confidence brimming Ferreira backed the Glory defence up with a series of step overs before shooting on target for Covic to turn away for a corner. When the corner found Austin he centred to Fitzgerald to shoot narrowly wide with the aid of a deflection.

Not to be deterred Mariners kept pushing on and were rewarded with a third goal in the sixty seventh minute. Ferreira fed Roux on the right hand side of the box who went down under a clumsy challenge from Anthony Golec. The Portuguese winger Ferreira confidently slotted the spot kick to the top left corner to give the home team a 3-1 lead.

In fairness to Glory they didn’t fold and had their best spell of the match after conceding the third, Castro blasted over the top from 12 yards in the seventy ninth minute, two minutes later Reddys goal was threatened by a Risdon cross.

Mariners nearly had a fourth in their next attack when Covic had to save an O’Donovan effort with his feet after good approach play by Ferreira. Reddy pulled off a lovely save in the eighty eighth minute to deny Risdon and was called into action again two minutes later to tip over from Sidnei Sciola and again two minutes after that to save from Castro.

In the last minute of added time Glory did claw one back when a corner from the right was headed clear to the edge of the box where Mitch Oxborrow hit a woefully inaccurate effort that was deflected back on target and home by a neat side foot volley from Gyorgy Sandor.

So Perth head back west after yet another fruitless trip to the home of the Mariners, perhaps the brightest spots for them would be the promising form shown by Risdon and the second half sub Sciola. Mariners looked good going forward and constantly threatened with wide deliveries from Austin and Roux, Ferreira looked excellent and Nick Montgomery controlled midfield before his ageing frame was withdrawn.

Saturday’s entertainment was concluded at Allianz Stadium when Sydney FC played host to Melbourne City in front of a little over seventeen thousand fans. The game ended even with a 1-1 draw as two of the fancied teams for the title played out an entertaining affair.

Sydney opened brightly with Milos Dimitrijevic curling a ninth minute free kick around the wall but just ahead of the inrushing posse so that Thomas Sorensen could gather. In the sixteenth minute City took the lead against the run of play, Jaques Faty dwelled on the ball to allow debutant youngster Wade Dekker to nip in and knock the ball to Bruno Fornaroli on the left hand flank, the Uruguayan played a simple return ball to set Dekker free and he easily beat Vedran Janjetovic at his near post to put the visitors ahead.

Eight minutes later Filip Holosko called Sorensen into action with a twenty yard drive after a chest down from Milos Ninkovic. The formula for the City opener was nearly repeated in the twenty ninth minute when Robert Koren nipped the ball away from Faty to play Hernan Espindola into space in the inside right channel but the youngster blazed wide of the near post from 10 yards.

A couple of  minutes later Koren had a very reasonable penalty shout turned down, he won the race to the ball before Janjetovic who made heavy contact with him but the ref was unimpressed with the shout. City went even closer in the thirty fourth minute when a Jason Trifiro free kick from the left was just missed by Erik Paartalu but did flick off the head of Matt Jurman before hitting the bar and being cleared.

The home team threatened five minutes later Dimitrijevic curled in a free kick from the right, Sorensen missed it and Paddy Kisnorbo had to stoop low at the far post to prevent Jurman getting a crucial touch. They weren’t to be denied though and did get level in the third minute of added time,  Brandon O’Neill showed excellent close control to work room to set Alex Brosque free in the inside right slot, his low centre to the far post was tapped home by the waiting Holosko.

Sydney opened the second half as brightly as the first and a lovely back heel from Holosko gave Rhyan Grant room to cross for Brosque, sadly for the Sky Blues skipper the ball was cut out just before he could turn it home. Holosko again proved his worth when he played a through ball to set Shane Smeltz haring in on goal but Sorensen was alert to the danger and swept up outside of his box.

Grant won a tackle before nutmegging Paartalu on the right hand side of midfield, he carried the ball forward before unleashing a curling effort from twenty yards aiming for the far post, Sorensen belied his years to spring full length and turn the ball away for a corner. From the resulting corner George Blackwood planted a free header from eight yards straight at Sorensen. In the last minute of the ninety Sorensen pulled off his best save when Blackwood side foot volleyed toward goal from just seven yards out but the Danish keeper somehow deflected the ball away for a corner.

So honours even and City will be delighted to get away with a point, they were understrength due to a massive injury list but hung in to claim a share of the spoils. Sydney will think that they should have claimed all three points and but for some alert work by Sorensen they probably would have.

The programme of entertainment came to close on Sunday when Wellington Phoenix entertained Newcastle Jets at the Westpac Stadium in front of just a little over six thousand interested parties. The home team threatened first when Roy Krishna threw over a fifth minute corner where Ben Sigmund met the ball with a header only to see it cleared off the line by Cameron Watson.

Five minutes later the Jets fashioned a chance of their own, David Carney crossed from the left to the far post where Milos Trifunovic volleyed the ball into the ground and over the top of the net. Crucially for the home team centre half, skipper and calming influence Andrew Durante was subbed off with a calf injury in the twenty seventh minute. Just three minutes later Jets took advantage of the disorganisation in the Phoenix rearguard, Lee Ki-Je crossed to the near post and Carney was totally unmarked to head home.

Three minutes later Carney swung in another cross from the left to find the head of Daniel Mullen but it was a comfortable catch for Glen Moss in the home goal. Phoenix levelled matters in the second minute of added time, Michael McGlinchey made good progress down the wide left before pulling the ball back to Roly Bonevacia eight yards out to sidefoot home with the aid of a deflection.

The second half opened promisingly for Phoenix when Blake Powell went down under the challenge of Mullen. All too predictably Krishna saw his spot kick saved by Mark Birighitti in the Jets goal. Krishna had a chance to make amends in the fifty eighth minute when he climbed above Ki-Je to meet a McGlinchey cross to plant a header directly at Birighitti from just six yards.

The visitors took the lead in the seventieth minute when Carney provided a beautiful delivery from the right hand corner of the box, the ball landed on the edge of the six yard box and with Moss rooted to the spot Trifunovic knocked home from close range.

Seven minutes later Jets lost their skipper Nigel Boogaard to a second yellow but Phoenix were unable to fashion any chances against ten men until the very end of the game. Vince Lia slapped in an eighty ninth minute effort from the edge of the box that was saved by Birighitti. In the third minute of added time Alex Rodriguez made inroads along the right hand touchline, his centre was lifted across goal but avoided all touches to clear the goal and leave Phoenix pointless.

Phoenix looked a little toothless up front after losing Natahn Burns so will need to find goals from somewhere. They had plenty of possession but seemed all too content to play the ball around in front of the Jets massed defence rather than trying to get in behind them.

It will run contrary to Ernie Merrick’s philosophy but they might consider being a little more direct at times especially out wide. Jets on the other hand will be delighted to claim an opening day win for their new coach Scott Miller after a hard working if unspectacular performance to take all three points back over the ditch.

This weekend’s coming fixtures

Adelaide United v Western Sydney Wanderers

Newcastle Jets v Sydney FC

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City

Brisbane Roar v Central Coast Mariners

Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix