UC Stars made sure they finished top of the Capital Futsal League table, and in some style, as they won their catch-up match with ANU Apex by a league record winning margin of nineteen goals as Luca Macor and Anthony Giorgi scored seven times each in a remarkable 23-4 success.
What makes the scoreline even more exceptional was that by the fourth minute the Apex led 2-1, goals from an own goal by Luca Macor, and the first of a brace from Braulio Melo putting ANU ahead, cancelling out the equalising goal that had been struck by Nic Dahl.
That was as good as it got on a night to forget for Apex, as Stars hit their stride and by half-time led by 9-3 as Michael Rinaudo scored two, Dahl added his second, James Jayde-Ward netted, and Nick Rathjen completed a first-half treble. Cohen Smith responded for Apex.
The second-half was all about Macor and Giorgi though as the goal-hungry duo bagged with impunity. Macor, who opened the scoring at the recommencement of the contest, ended with seven in the second twenty, a feat matched by Giorgi who added six to his first-half opener. Harry Billington also got in on act in a champions display.
Romeo Jambrek scored six times as South Canberra Swift defeated Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 9-2 at Queanbeyan PCYC on Friday evening, doing enough to almost certainly secure the Golden Boot in the process and close in on the Men’s Capital Futsal League season record of 25 goals in a campaign.
The depleted Power took the game to the Swift, riding their luck at times as Perry Field staged a one man show to deny Jambrek on a hatful of occasions, but taking the lead on the break as Mithun Naven kept his composure to race away and slot beneath the legs of Jaremy Saleh.
Jambrek equalised with a thunderous low finish four minutes later, only for Alan Kapchanga to restore the Power lead, steering in at the far post on a rare Power breakaway. As before, Jambrek levelled, rounding Field to slot home before a penalty slammed home by Jeremy Saleh gave Swift a narrow lead at the break.
After the restart though the Swift began to take command of the contest as Jambrek found the net with regularity moving on to 24 goals for the season, including a venomous free-kick from range. Ryan Straub had eased Swift ahead early in the second-half, whilst Marco Gayer nodded home from a cross late on.
West Canberra Lightning edged ANU Apex in a thrilling encounter to end the season in second place on the table as they won 7-6 at Daramalan College in a Sunday afternoon spectacular.
Lightning dominated from the outset and deservedly took the lead as Michael Southam drove in a rocket from the angle that goalkeeper Gareth Veitch was powerless to stop. And it was two six minutes later as Josh Gaspari broke away and finished confidently in the one-versus-one battle with Veitch.
The Apex fought back into the contest though and managed to level the scores with two goals in five minutes, both taken exceptionally well by Bruno Melo, the second off a tremendous pass from his brother Braulio Melo.
The respite was short-lived though and a couple of quick goals in the final minute of the half, through a far post finish from Ashley Blount, and a goal on a rare appearance for Women’s Head Coach Jason Farrell, shooting in off Veitch’s arm, gave Lightning a 4-2 half-time lead.
The relentless nature did not let up upon the restart as the teams traded goals with Nicholas Subasic and Josh Gaspari netting for Lightning with Braulio Melo and Zac Peelgrane replaying in between times.
A late goal from Bruno Melo, to complete his hat-trick, made for a nervy ending for Lightning who had a Daniel Fulton effort to thank as the winner, the experienced star scoring from range into an empty net which meant Braulio Melo’s excellent first-time finish wasn’t enough for Apex.
League Champions UC Stars warmed up for their semi-final against North Canberra Fire by defeating the same opponents 6-5 in an excellent encounter.
A very entertaining opening stanza saw eight goals scored as Riley Brown put the Fire ahead after seven minutes, only for Luca Macor to equalise a couple of minutes later as he went in search of the goals needed for the Golden Boot.
The game swung in stages, Brad Malone restoring the Fire’s lead only for Nic Dahl to level matters up again within a minute. That precipitated a clutch period for the League Champions who suddenly found another gear, as Harry Billington and Dahl netted in quick succession.
Fire weren’t to be shaken off though and Ibrahim Obeid reduced the errors to a goal, before Macor was on hand to stab home from close range for his second of the afternoon and a 5-3 half-time lead.
The second-half continued in much the same vein as Bailey Sorensen reduced the arrears before Anthony Giorgi was able to add his ninetieth goal of the season and restore the advantage. A comical goal from Malone, stabbing in after a Jamie-Lee Guo clearance had cannoned off Dahl’s face, gave Fire hope, but Stars held on.
RESULTS
ROUND 10
Friday 6 December
QP Power 2 (Naven 3’, Kapchanga 17’) South Canberra Swift 9 (Jambrek 7’, 18’, 28’, 37’, 38’, 40’, Saleh 19’ (p), Straub 22’, Gayer 39’)
ANU Apex 4 (Macor 2’ (og), Braulio Melo 4’, 24’, Smith 17’) UC Stars 23 (Dahl 3’, 16’, Rinaudo 6’, 15’, Giorgi 7’, 21’, 22’, 33’, 34’, 36’, 37’, Rathjen 12’, 19’, 20’, James-Ward 17’, Macor 21’, 23’, 31’, 32’, 35’, 37’, 40’, Billington 24’)
Sunday 8 December
ANU Apex 6 (Bruno Melo 12’, 17’, 38’, Braulio Melo 31’, 39’, Peelgrane 37’) West Canberra Lightning 7 (Southam 3’, Gaspari 9’, 36’, Blount 18’, Farrell 19’, Subasic 22’, Fulton 39’)
UC Stars 6 (Macor 9’, 20’, Dahl 14’, 16’, Billington 15’, Giorgi 27’) North Canberra Fire 5 (Brown 7’, Malone 13’, 33’, Obeid 16’, Sorenson 26’)
Wednesday 11 December
West Canberra Lightning v QP Power
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | UC Stars | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 40 | +56 | 27 |
| 2 | West Canberra Lightning | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 62 | 50 | +12 | 19 |
| 3 | South Canberra Swift | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 82 | 51 | +31 | 18 |
| 4 | North Canberra Fire | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 61 | 40 | +21 | 13 |
| 5 | ANU Apex | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 39 | 97 | -58 | 6 |
| 6 | QP Power | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 23 | 85 | -62 | 3 |
TOP SCORERS
24: Romeo JAMBREK (Swift)
21: Luca MACOR (Stars)
19: Anthony GIORGI (Stars)
14: Riley BROWN (Fire)
11: Marco GAYER (Swift)
10: Ben BASSER-SILK (Lightning), Stephen DOMENICI (Lightning), Braulio MELO (Apex), Alessandro PENA (Swift), Nicholas SUBASIC (Lightning)
9: Jayde JAMES-WARD (Stars), Ibrahim OBEID (Fire), Nik POPOVICH (Lightning)
8: Bruno MELO (Apex), Michael SOUTHAM (Lightning),
7: Harry BILLINGTON (Stars), Jackson PAESLER (Swift), Zac PEELGRANE (Apex), Michael RINAUDO (Stars), Patrick SHORE (Swift), Cohen SMITH (Apex), Samuel THOMSON (Fire), Own GOALS
6: Nic DAHL (Stars), Elie DARWICH (Fire), FERNANDO (Swift), Josh GASPARI (Lightning), Nicholas PRATEZINA (Stars), Ryan STRAUB (Swift)
5: Phakedi MANDA (Stars), Joe MERMINGIS (Power)
4: Nick RATHJEN (Stars), Doug WOODIWISS (Swift)
3: Elliot ALBERTO (Fire), Daniel FULTON (Lightning), Sherab GUO-YUTHOK (Apex), Brandon HAWKER (Fire), Zac IGLESIAS (Stars), Alan KAPCHANGA (Power), Marko RATHOUSKI (Fire), Bailey SORENSON (Fire), Ethan YUEN (Fire)
2: Keiren ALLEN (Power), Ashley BLOUNT (Lightning), Cale BROWN (Stars), Andrew FOX (Power), Maxx GREEN (Fire), Bradley MALONE (Fire), Toby MCPHERSON (Fire), Nathen MEGIC (Lightning), Pedro PEREIRA (Power), Ryan STRAUB (Swift), Jake WILSENER (Stars)
1: Jonathan CIMINELLI (Fire), Damian COLORADO (Power), Callum COOK (Power), Marcus CRISPE (Swift), Dylan DEEP-JONES (Power), Connor FALUSI (Apex), Jason FARRELL (Lightning), Luca FLOREZ (Fire), Brett FORWARD (Lightning), Jamie-Lee GUO (Stars), Joshua HEDDITCH (Power), Clyde HOLO (Apex), Ezequiel INOCHEA (Power), Benji KEOMANIVONG (Power), William MANALO (Stars), Nick MIDDLETON (Fire), Angus MURRAY (Stars), Mithun NAVEN (Power), William NESS (Power), Angelo NGUYEN (Stars), Andre OLIVIERA (Power), Jeremy SALEH (Swift), Tony SPASESKI (Swift)
