Monaro Panthers shook off the disappointment of losing the Australia Cup Qualifying Final last weekend by moving to the top of the National Premier League table, dislodging previous incumbents Gungahlin United with a convincing 3-0 victory at the Riverside Stadium.
The home side set out their stall early on, Gungahlin goalkeeper Aiden Munford majestically denying Roko Strika with a stunning save from the forwards header inside the opening ninety seconds of the contest, and it wouldn’t be the only time that the impressive Munford was to be the last pillar of defence.
Gungahlin’s number one turned an effort from Santiago Lupino around the post at the end of a stupendous run from the Argentine winger, and then tipped over a rising drive from the same player as the first half ended goalless, but without the visiting team mustering a single shot on target.
Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu rectified that after the break, although Finn Jurak was equal to his well-struck snapshot, before Panthers hit the lead in unusual circumstances. Christian Kreskas sent over a corner from the Panthers left flank that eluded a crowded penalty area and snuck into the back of the net.
That stunned Gungahlin who responded well but were caught by a wonderful second goal with two minutes to play. Substitute Ben Basser-Silk was pivotal, reacting fastest to a loose ball after Munford denied Strika and sending over a devilish delivery that Strika met with a bullet header from close range for his sixth of the season.
And there would be a cherry on the icing on a sweet cake for Panthers deep into stoppage time. Another substitute, Elie Darwich, caused consternation down the right-side of the Gungahlin defence and squared low for Basser-Silk, unmarked, to slide home the third.
Three goals in a fourteen minute second-half blitz allowed Tigers FC to shake off the challenge of Canberra Olympic in a breathless, end-to-end match at O’Connor Enclosed, the visiting team emerging with the points with a 4-1 success.
Both goalkeepers were in splendid form in an even opening half to the contest, Jakob Cole for the Tigers making three sharp saves, whilst Seb Usai was again at his brilliant best between the posts for the home side, equalling Cole’s trio of saves, but unable to prevent Tigers taking a tenth minute lead.
Tomohiro Ogawa was the scorer, and was key in the build-up, latching onto an exquisite touch from the returning Josh Milicevic and dancing into the area where Usai did well to repel his short. Nik Taneski pounced on the rebound and kept his cool to find Ogawa who took a touch before hammering into the roof of the net.
Olympic’s response was almost immediate. New signing Virgil Moutaud has hit the ground running, and it was from his accurate free-kick that Luca Florez guided a superb header at goal that arced perfectly over Cole and into the top corner to bring the teams all-square at the interval.
The match swung on a penalty in the 57th minute. Nik Taneski robbed substitute Lasse Olrik out wide and advanced into the box being fouled by Izach Clements after he got his shot off. Sam Whithear took the responsibility and smashed the resultant spot-kick down the middle.
Another replacement was to have the next say. Marley Jackson had barely been on the field around a minute before he found space inside the Olympic box, took a touch, and clattered home a fine finish to extend the lead to 3-1 and potentially bury any hopes of an Olympic recovery.
There was still more to come and, fittingly, it was the outstanding Ogawa that was on target again. The Japanese midfield maestro claiming his second of the match with nineteen minutes remaining and sounding out an ominous warning to the rest of the NPL division.
There was heartbreak for Yoogali SC once again, this time as the League Champions O’Connor Knights played their get out of jail free card, securing a massive three points thanks to a stoppage time winner from Micheal Adams, returning from Solar Mad Stadium with a 2-1 victory.
Adams stole in amongst a plethora of black shirts to nod home from close range deep into time added on at the end of the contest to give the ten-man Knights the perfect denouement to the contest, one in which they were forced to play the majority of the second-half with ten men following the dismissal of Lachlan Fields for the second time in 2024.
Fields saw red for a second yellow card offence just four minutes after the resumption of the match following half-time, leaving the Knights hanging on against a home side who had fallen behind in the fourteenth minute, winger Jackson Paesler finding himself free inside the penalty area to sweep home.
That might have set the tone for the fixture, but Yoogali dug in and again were proving to be a tough match-up for the Knights, much as they had done in the previous meeting between the clubs at O’Connor, even more so when they drilled home a late equaliser to throw the cat amongst the pigeons.
Substitute Christopher John was afforded time and space on the left side of the O’Connor defence and advance to shoot low across Seb Arranz and level the scores, sending the home support into delirium. But there was to be one more twist, and Knights skipper Adams provided it with the matchwinner.
Canberra Croatia continued their recent run of good form and welcomed back a former crowd favourite in the bargain, as the home side saw off Tuggeranong United on a strange afternoon at Deakin Stadium, two goals from Daniel Barac helping Croatia to a 3-0 success.
The result was both flattering, and not, at the same time, a paradox that owed much to a match in which both teams had a goal ruled out, and both teams missed from the penalty spot in an open contest.
Tuggeranong started well, Matt Williams diverting a header straight at Sam Brown in the Croatia goal early on, but it was the hosts who went in front following a calamitous error from United goalkeeper Callum Cook. Cook stumbled over a routine back pass, allowing Barac to close him down, nick the ball away, and tap home from around a yard out.
Shortly afterwards Atiya Waraga had the ball in the net again, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, whilst Tuggeranong striker Nic Emanuel thought he had levelled matters when he headed home after Croatia custodian Sam Brown fumbled a corner, only for the officials to rule the ball had swung out of play and back in beforehand.
Waraga eventually did find the second goal, racing away to slide home under Cook, before a madcap second-half that featured three penalties. Tuggeranong were awarded the first, Euan Peterkin felled in the area, only for Davaadelger Oktyabri to see his spot-kick saved by Brown.
At the other end the returning Daniel Colbertaldo was hauled down when advancing on goal, but Waraga hit the post with his penalty, Barac eventually showing all how it should be done by ramming home the third penalty awarded, this one for handball, and seal the points.
RESULTS
ROUND 10
Saturday 15 June
Canberra Olympic 1 (Florez 15’) Tigers FC 4 (Ogawa 10’, 71’, Whithear 57’ (p), Jackson 64’)
Monaro Panthers 3 (Kreskas 64’, Strika 88’, Basser-Silk 90+4’) Gungahlin United 0
Sunday 16 June
Canberra Croatia 3 (Barac 14’, 88’ (p), Waraga 33’) Tuggeranong United 0
Yoogali SC 1 (C. John 85’) O’Connor Knights 2 (Paesler 18’, Adams 90+3’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Monaro Panthers | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 7 | +12 | 20 |
| 2 | O’Connor Knights | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 9 | +7 | 20 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United* | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 13 | +8 | 19 |
| 4 | Tigers FC** | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 8 | +14 | 18 |
| 5 | Canberra Croatia | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 17 |
| 6 | Tuggeranong United | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 22 | -6 | 11 |
| 7 | Canberra Olympic | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 29 | -10 | 6 |
| 8 | Yoogali SC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 38 | -31 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
13: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
6: Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers)
5: Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
4: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Jenno CERUTI (Monaro Panthers), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights), Davaadelger OKTYABRI (Tuggeranong United)
3: Stephen DOMENICI (Canberra Olympic), Alen JAMES (Canberra Olympic/O’Connor Knights), Amilio KISTA (Tigers FC), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United), Own GOALS
2: Augustine BANGURA (Gungahlin United), Joshua DE ROSSI (Yoogali SC), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Michael JOHN (Canberra Olympic), Michael KATSOULIS (Gungahlin United), Tyson LIVERMORE (Monaro Panthers), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Jackson PAESLER (O’Connor Knights), Joshua PEDERSEN (Tuggeranong United), Niko PERINOVIC (O’Connor Knights), Michael PICCOLO (Canberra Croatia), Jordan REZEK (Tuggeranong United), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia), Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Harry TRUMAN (Canberra Olympic), Atiya WARAGA (Canberra Croatia)
1: Jack BITANI (Tigers FC), Samson CARR (Tigers FC), Izach CLEMENTS (Canberra Olympic), Elie DARWICH (Canberra Olympic), Adam DE FRANCESCHI (Monaro Panthers), Axel GARBIN (Yoogali SC), Jack GREEN (Gungahlin United), Jeremy HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Marley JACKSON (Tigers FC), Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia), Christopher JOHN (Yoogali SC), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Chirstian KRESKAS (Monaro Panthers), Jack LEVERETT (Tuggeranong United), Zac MCLAREN (Monaro Panthers), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Shinzaburo NAKAYAMA (Canberra Olympic), Steve NEALON (Tuggeranong United), Daniel OLAOYE (Gungahlin United), Alessandro PENA (Tigers FC), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Canberra Olympic), ROMEO (Gungahlin United), David SESELJA (Canberra Croatia), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Olympic), Julian SMITH (Gungahlin United), Tony SPASESKI (Canberra Croatia), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Gungahlin United), Sam WHITHEAR (Tigers FC), Ryan ZANATTA (Yoogali SC)
*Gungahlin United deducted three points for field an ineligible player in the 3-0 win against Tigers FC
**Tigers FC awarded a 3-0 win, and three points, for Gungahlin United fielding an ineligible player
