Queanbeyan City, so often a mainstay in the top half of the Capital Premier League, showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with during the 2022 season as they comprehensively swept aside the traditionally strong ANU FC winning their encounter at High Street by three clear goals.
Both teams had recorded first day victories and entered this match in a confident mood, but it was the home team, spurred on by their usual vociferous home following, that took the lead midway through the first half. New signing Michael Mensah adds power and technique to the group, and he got off the mark for the season with a trademark finish.
The rest of the contest proved to be an evenly matched clash, with ANU FC threatening an equaliser and the hosts keen to double their lead. And it was the latter that finally happened with five minutes left on the clock. Former Tigers FC star Hussein Fureje making it mission impossible for ANU FC.
Abderrahim Dellahi was often on the scoresheet last season, and he made the game secure in stoppage time, bagging the third to stamp an exclamation mark on a result that will have the rest of the division casting nervous glances over the border.
Tuggeranong United, relegated from the NPL last season, began their belated life in the second tier in some convincing style, swatting aside the challenge from Yoogali FC to claim a 4-0 victory that, given some better luck in the final third, may have been more.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic however and Yoogali looked to be a handful when they had possession, threatening the United goal, but unable to find a way through. Tuggeranong did early on, only for Sam Walker to see his goal disallowed for a marginal offside call. Not to be thwarted, it was Walker who finally broke the deadlock eleven minutes into the second half.
Rocked by conceding the opener, Yoogali were fishing the ball out of the nest again a minute later, Patrick Hislop netting his first goal for the club and, from there on in, superior fitness allowed Tuggeranong to dictate the game. Harrison Buesnel added a third with twenty minutes to go and a perfect afternoon was sealed when Luke Stevens made it four with his first league goal in United colours.
Wagga City Wanderers bounced back from a first day defeat with a scintillating 4-2 win over Weston-Molonglo FC on their second visit to Canberra this season. They had to do it the hard way however, coming from a goal down after quarter of an hour, Xavier Graham putting the Magpies ahead, to win the points.
Nashwan Sulaiman brought his team level before the interval with Jake Ploenges continuing his fine recent form to give the Wanderers the edge just before the hour mark. It was a lead that lasted barely two minutes though before Daniel Graham levelled matters up for the home team.
Two goals in the space of a minute was to seal the result in favour of the Wanderers as Jacob Ochieng scored twice with fifteen minutes to play to give Dave Leonard and his team a welcome return to the winner’s circle.
The points were shared at Ipan Park as Brindabella Blues and White Eagles battled out a 1-1 draw with both team’s coming away from the league fixture with claims to be perhaps unhappy, they didn’t claim the maximum return available. Jamie Ward scored for the home team with Zac Lawrence on target for the visitors.
CPL: ROUND 2 RESULTS
Saturday 9 April
Weston-Molonglo FC 2 (X. Graham 15’, D. Graham 61’) Wagga City Wanderers 4 (Sulaiman 35’, Ploenges 59’, Ochieng 75’, 76’)
Brindabella Blues 1 (Ward) White Eagles 1 (Lawrence)
Queanbeyan City 3 (Mensah 21’, Fureje 85’, Dellahi 90+1’) ANU FC 0
Sunday 10 April
Tuggeranong United 4 (Walker 56’, Hislop 58’, Buesnel 70’, Stevens 80’) Yoogali SC 0
Image: Daily Advertiser, Wagga
