Josh Gulevski struck four times as Tigers FC moved to the top of the nascent league table with a comprehensive 7-1 hammering of a hapless West Canberra Wanderers at the Australian Institute of Sport.
The Tigers hit-man took his season tally to five in the opening two matches as the hosts followed up their opening day win over the Monaro Panthers at the Riverside Stadium with a performance that ripped the Wanderers apart, and led to a plethora of goals, the majority of which came after the interval.
Gulevski netted twice in the opening twenty minutes, volleying in after only six minutes, and then thumping a sweetly struck shot beyond the reach of Wanderers’ shot-stopper Alex Connell to double the lead.
With a two-goal cushion at the break, the Tigers were able to slip into their groove and when Hristjan Tanoski danced his way past a couple of tackles to lash home the third, there was no way back for the Wanderers. Gulevski rapped in the fourth twelve minutes later to complete his treble.
Nik Taneski added the fifth, there was a first senior Tigers goal for Jake Bishop to bring up the half-dozen and Gulevski smashed in his fourth to complete the rout. The late strike from Riley Brown, as spectacular as it was, was of scant consolation to the Wanderers, even though it was their first goal of the campaign.
Goals in each half from Luca Florez and Lasse Olrik made sure that Canberra Olympic continued their winning start to the season with a 2-0 win over O’Connor Knights in the BBQ Derby at O’Connor Enclosed.
In a bright and entertaining encounter, both teams created numerous chances, but it was Olympic, who hadn’t conceded in the first two matches of the season, who took theirs to confirm the victory. Although quite how the Knights didn’t breach the Olympic defence is the question Miro Trninic might well be asking this week.
Winger Phakedi Manda, who scored the Knights goal in the 1-1 stalemate with Canberra Croatia in Round 1, was presented with two gilt-edged opportunities to open the scoring for the visitors, but passed up both, slicing the second wide of a gaping goal when he really ought to have done better.
The two goals were the end product of some superb approach play. For the first Alen James intercepted a wayward clearance from Knights custodian Seb Arranz, Thomas James taking Alen James pass and feeding a slide-rule pass into the path of Florez who slipped his shot into the net for his fourth of the campaign.
The points were secured in the second half in the 66th minute. Nathen Megic found Nik Popovich at the near post and the forward helped the ball across goal for centre-back Olrik who tapped in at the far post from close range.
League Champions Canberra Croatia crushed Tuggeranong United at Kambah 2, coming from a goal down to net six unanswered strikes and claim a fourth point from two matches. Tuggeranong had led midway through the first-half when midfielder Euan Peterkin pounced on a loose ball inside the Croatia area to arrow his finish low beyond Sam Brown.
It was a lead they held until three minutes into stoppage time when the returning Stephen Domenici controlled and fired home for 1-1. When the same player coolly slotted in a penalty three minutes into the second half the match was turned on its head.
After that Croatia were in firm control of proceedings. Jason Ugrinic swept in the third, on the end of an astute pass from Franc Greco, before Kaz Patafta lashed home an outrageous free-kick from wide out. Another free-kick from Patafta led to the fifth, James Benivento unable to hold the swerving shot and Daniel Barac prodding home, before Ugrinic rounded off the win with a tap-in late on after Greco set him up inside the area.
A scintillating solo strike from Connor Mynott-Smith gave Monaro Panthers their first win of the season as they won by the odd-goal in five defeating Gungahlin United 3-2 at the Riverside Stadium.
Mynott-Smith’s match-winner was a thing of beauty, collecting a pass inside the Gunners half, twisting Jack Green inside and out, advancing across the area and drilling a sweet strike high into the top corner.
It was a goal worthy of winning any match and eased Monaro into the lead after a match that had more twists and turns than your average rollercoaster. Panthers had hit the front midway through the opening stanza as Adam Neou found Micheal John inside the box and he flicked into the empty net against his former employers.
Gunners’ response was top drawer, and they equalised a dozen minutes later as Sam Habtemariam found space to sweep a shot past Jordan Thurtell. And Gungahlin were ahead just before the interval via a wonder strike of their own. Awarded a free-kick some 25 metres from the goal, Josh Gaspari curled a stunning effort over the wall and into the corner to send the visitors into the changing rooms in front.
The Panthers were looking at a second defeat in succession but hit back when Mynott-Smith met a Jack Ellwood cross to level, before his moment of inspiration won it for the home team.
RESULTS
Saturday 15 April
Tigers FC 7 (Gulevski 6’, 19’, 64’, 83’, Tanoski 52’, Taneski 70’, Bishop 73’) West Canberra Wanderers 1 (Brown 90’)
Canberra Olympic 2 (Florez 37’, Olrik 66’) O’Connor Knights 0
Tuggeranong United 1 (Peterkin 21’) Canberra Croatia 6 (Domenici 45+3’, 48’ (p), Ugrinic 65’, 90+2’, Patafta 77’, Barac 89’)
Monaro Panthers 3 (John 23’, Mynott-Smith 52’, 70’) Gungahlin United 2 (Habtemariam 35’, Gaspari 42’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Tigers FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 6 |
| 2 | Canberra Olympic | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 6 |
| 3 | Canberra Croatia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 4 |
| 4 | Gungahlin United | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| 5 | Monaro Panthers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
| 6 | O’Connor Knights | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 0 |
| 8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | -11 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
5 Josh GULEVSKI (Tigers FC)
4 Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic)
2 Stephen DOMENICI (Canberra Croatia). Maxx GREEN (Gungahlin United), Connor MYNOTT-SMITH (Monaro Panthers), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Jason UGRINIC (Canberra Croatia)
1 Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jake BISHOP (Tigers FC), Riley BROWN (West Canberra Wanderers), Elie DARWICH (Canberra Olympic), Josh GASPARI (Gungahlin United), Jack GREEN (Gungahlin United), Sam HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Micheal JOHN (Monaro Panthers), Phakedi MANDA (O’Connor Knights), Ed MCCARTHY (Tigers FC), Lasse OLRIK (Canberra Olympic), Jackson PAESLER (Gungahlin United), Kaz PATAFTA (Canberra Croatia), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Nik POPOVICH (Canberra Olympic), Hristjan TANOSKI (Tigers FC), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United), Own GOALS
