ANU FC outlined their statement of intent for the Capital Premier League with a resounding 4-0 defeat of Yoogali SC to start the 2022 season in some style at Hawker Football Centre as the second tier of the local competition got underway.
Having cruised into the Australia Cup Quarter Finals at the expense of fellow CPL outfit Weston-Molonglo FC last weekend on the back of a nine-goal clean-sheet victory, Talal Safar and his team continued where they had left off, by scoring twice in each half to send Yoogali back to Griffith pointless.
The irrepressible Chase Deans got them off and running, having the honour of scoring the first goal of the new CPL campaign after only twelve minutes, and it was barely a dozen minutes later that he added a second to put ANU FC in total control. Nick Hope netted the third three minutes into the second half with Monte Grace wrapping up the success with then fourth later.
Over at High Street, Queanbeyan City were made to work exceptionally hard for an opening day win in a match of two penalties against Brindabella Blues. The hosts were awarded the first and Vasko Petrovski made no mistake from the spot just before the half-hour mark to put Goran Josifovski’s side in front.
New signing David Garcia, a Guatemalan U23 international who spent last season in the U23 set-up at the Colorado Rapids, comes with some reputation and he showed just why by doubling Queanbeyan’s lead in the second half. A late strike from the spot by returning Brindabella Blues goal-machine Curtis Schaeffer gave the Blues hopes of snatching a point, but they were unable to find an equaliser.
White Eagles may have lost their Australia Cup encounter with Queanbeyan City, but they got their CPL season off to the perfect start by claiming the three points in a six-goal thriller at Woden Park against Wagga City Wanderers. The interstate visitors were gritty competitors and proved tough to shake off for the Eagles who had to fight for the entire ninety minutes for the victory.
Goals from Kenrick Beuth and Cuneyt Caglar sandwiched a strike from Wanderers’ Jacob Ochieng in an entertaining first forty-five minutes as the Eagles led 2-1 at the break. Ed McCarthy cracked in the third to put some daylight between the teams, but Logan Flanagan brought Wagga back into it with eighteen minutes remaining.
Eagles couldn’t rest easily until they restored their two-goal cushion in the 83rd minute with a debut goal from new signing Zac Lawrence, the fleet-footed forward having made the move from Brindabella Blues in the off-season.
The second fixture of the weekend scheduled for Woden Park was postponed as the pitch for the Tuggeranong United against Weston-Molonglo FC clash was deemed unplayable by the match officials.
CPL: ROUND 1 RESULTS
White Eagles 4 (Beuth 19’, Caglar 34’, McCarthy 60’, Lawrence 83’) Wagga City Wanderers 2 (Ochieng 29’, Flanagan 72’)
Queanbeyan City 2 (Petrovski 29’ (p), Ramos 67’) Brindabella Blues 1 (Schaeffer 81’ (p))
ANU FC 4 (Deans 12’, 24’, Hope 48’, Grace 70’) Yoogali SC 0
Tuggeranong United v Weston-Molonglo FC – Postponed