The Capital Futsal League title chase moved up a notch as South Canberra Swift gave their goal difference a boost as they saw off Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 18-1 at the Canberra Futsal Centre on Friday evening.
Power had started well, forcing the Swift into defensive action, but one slide-rule ball allowed Ryan Straub in behind and he made no mistake in opening the scoring. It wasn’t until midway through the half that the Swift asserted their dominance though as Jambrek and Paesler scored in quick succession.
James Benivento, in the Power goal, was in inspired form making a string of improbable saves, however he was helpless as the Swift found their groove, Alessandro Pena (twice), Doug Woodiwiss, Macro Gayer, and a Jamie Robinson own goal making the points all but secure by half-time.
There was no let-up after the interval as the Swift continued the goal trail with Jambrek bagging a brace of fierce free-kicks amongst the free-flowing Swift attacks, finally ending up with a club record score of eighteen to their name.
West Canberra Lightning held off a spirited ANU Apex wo claim an important win as they cling on to hopes of a top of the table finish with Nik Popovich claiming a hat-trick in an 8-4 success.
A close-fought opening first-half saw both teams create opportunities, ANU Apex goalkeeper Callum Baran the busier of the two custodians, forced into making a string of fine saves as the Lightning buffeted his goal with a wave of shots from long-range, but there was little he could do to repel the goals that beat him.
Popovich struck the opener in the fifth minute, showing quick-feet to create space and unleashing a venomous hit across Baran and into the top corner. Cohen Smith bundled home the equaliser, but a wonderfully composed, chipped finish from Popovich restored the lead.
Nicholas Subasic bagged the third with a crisp drive after excellent approach work from Ashley Blount, however a goal from Braulio Melo seconds after the restart brought the game back into the balance. The teams continued to trade goals until Lightning upped the intensity to et four in quick succession and shake off their opponents for the win.
A last-minute goal from Jayde James-Ward gave UC Stars a narrow 4-3 win over North Canberra Fire in an excellent match to round off an astonishing match.
A rip-roaring encounter was played at a great pace, and it was the Stars who made the initial breakthrough as Harry Billington rocketed home his first of the evening, only for Elliot Alberto to bring the Fire level with a fine solo finish after he ghosted past a couple of attempted Stars challenge.
The Stars made further inroads though as they regained the lead through a second Billington goal, and they were to increase that advantage before half-time as Phakedi Manda was on hand to turn the ball into the net from close range whilst, at the other end, the woodwork denied Fire on multiple occasions.
There was better luck for the Fire in the second-half, as they suddenly switched the flow of the match as Elie Darwich and Riley Brown struck to level the scores at 3-3 with six minutes to play. Both teams had chances to snatch it, bit it was James-Ward who did so at the death.
RESULTS
South Canberra Swift 18 (Straub 2’, Jambrek 11’, 24’, 31’, 32’, Paesler 11’, 29’, 38’, Pena 13’, 19’, 38’, 39’, Woodwiss 15’, Gayer 15’, 25’, 39’, Robinson 16’ (og), Shore 36’) QP Power 1 (Fox 27’)
West Canberra Lightning 8 (Popovich 5’, 15’, 32’, Subasic 19’, 36’, Gaspari 27’, Blount 33’, Basser-Silk 35’) ANU Apex 4 (Smith 8’, 28’, 29’, Braulio Melo 21’)
North Canberra Fire 3 (Alberto 12’, Darwich 27’, Brown 34’) UC Stars 4 (Billington 7’, 17’, Manda 18’, James-Ward 40’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | South Canberra Swift | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 22 | +33 | 15 |
| 2 | UC Stars | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 23 | +21 | 15 |
| 3 | West Canberra Lightning | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 26 | +5 | 10 |
| 4 | North Canberra Fire | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 19 | +5 | 4 |
| 5 | ANU Apex | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 42 | -22 | 3 |
| 6 | QP Power | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 58 | -42 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
14: Romeo JAMBREK (Swift)
9: Anthony GIORGI (Stars)
8: Luca MACOR (Stars)
7: Marco GAYER (Swift), Jackson PAESLER (Swift), Alessandro PENA (Swift), Patrick SHORE (Swift)
6: Riley BROWN (Fire), Nik POPOVICH (Lightning), Nicholas PRATEZINA (Stars), Cohen SMITH (Apex)
5: Phakedi MANDA (Stars), Braulio MELO (Apex), Michael SOUTHAM (Lightning), Nicholas SUBASIC (Lightning)
4: Ben BASSER-SILK (Lightning), Joe MERMINGIS (Power), Ryan STRAUB (Swift), Own GOALS
3: Harry BILLINGTON (Stars), Stephen DOMENICI (Lightning), Josh GASPARI (Lightning), Jayde JAMES-WARD (Stars), Zac PEELGRANE (Apex), Marko RATHOUSKI (Fire), Doug WOODIWISS (Swift), Ethan YUEN (Fire)
2: Keiren ALLEN (Power), Cale BROWN (Stars), FERNANDO (Swift), Elie DARWICH (Fire), Andrew FOX (Power), Sherab GUO-YUTHOK (Apex), Maxx GREEN (Fire), Zac IGLESIAS (Stars), Alan KAPCHANGA (Power), Nathen MEGIC (Lightning), Bruno MELO (Apex), Pedro PEREIRA (Power), Ryan STRAUB (Swift), Samuel THOMSON (Fire)
1: Elliot ALBERTO (Fire), Ashley BLOUNT (Lightning), Jonathan CIMINELLI (Fire), Damian COLORADO (Power), Callum COOK (Power), Marcus CRISPE (Swift), Connor FALUSI (Apex), Luca FLOREZ (Fire), Brett FORWARD (Lightning), Daniel FULTON (Lightning), Brandon HAWKER (Fire), William MANALO (Stars), Angus MURRAY (Stars), William NESS (Power), Angelo NGUYEN (Stars), Ibrahim OBEID (Fire), Andre OLIVIERA (Power), Michael RINAUDO (Stars), Tony SPASESKI (Swift), Jake WILSENER (Stars)
