A goal of truly world class proportion lit up the opening night of the Men’s National Premier League as Roko Strika scored from sixty metres to seal a dominant Monaro Panthers performance, the Riverside Stadium bearing witness to a stunning strike to round off a 3-0 win over Canberra Olympic.
Strika set aim from ten metres inside his own half with fourteen minutes remaining, executing the perfect finish a la David Beckham, a powerful, arcing, effort that had the perfect trajectory to loop over stranded Olympic custodian Sebastian Usai who could only look on and admire, as did the healthy crowd in attendance.
It was rough on Usai who had earlier denied Strika thrice, the first a save pushing an effort onto the crossbar at 2-0, and the third a wondrous point-blank block from close range, in between beating away a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area.
Panthers had earlier got their campaign off to a flying start netting after only 89 seconds. Christian Kreskas floated over a magnificent corner that was met by a thumping header from centre-back Adam De Franceschi that flashed into the net for only his second ever NPL strike.
And it got better for the hosts only five minutes later as Ben Basser-Silk pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area to confidently drive home from eight metres. Olympic responded with a blocked shot from Sam Roestbakken, and a flashing drive just past the post from Harry Truman, but it was Monaro’s night underlined by Strika’s goal.
A five-star showing from new signing Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu ensured Gungahlin United began the 2024 season in convincing style as the American striker scored five times in the Gunners 6-0 rout of Tuggeranong United in the only fixture to survive the Saturday washout.
It was a miserable afternoon for Tuggeranong at Hawker Football Centre as they saw Head Coach Mitch Stevens sent off early in the piece and, having conceded twice in quick succession following going behind to an 18th minute Ahmed-Shaibu spot-kick, given for a foul on Michael Katsoulis, Tuggeranong never recovered.
Gunners new goalkeeper Aidan Munford even saved a penalty from usually reliable Tuggeranong marksman Sam Walker on an afternoon to forget for the visiting team who trailed 4-0 at the interval.
Ahmed-Shaibu added to his opener three minutes after Katsoulis made it 2-0, and the striker completed his treble a minute before the break. There was no reprieve for Tuggeranong in the second-half, Ahmed-Shaibu striking twice more to end with a nap-hand and secure a statement win for Gungahlin to begin the new campaign.
Grand Final winners Canberra Croatia ruined Yoogali SC big day with a convincing 3-0 victory in the home team’s first-ever NPL fixture at Solar Mad Stadium in front of a passionate home support.
Croatia netted early as Thomas James found Keegan Vucetic in space and the winger dinked a delightful finish over the advancing Michael De Paoli, opening the scoring in the third minute, and the visiting team wasted numerous chances to establish a bigger lead.
Santiago Lupino was denied by De Paoli’s foot, Atiya Waraga shot wide when well-placed, and Vucetic saw a firm shot blocked by De Paoli as Croatia threatened to run riot. The closest they came to adding a second was when Thomas James thumped a bullet of a shot back off the Yoogali crossbar, the goal shaking in its foundations.
Croatia eventually made it 2-0 five minutes into the second-half, Michael Piccolo sweeping home a fine finish inside the area at the end of an incisive counter-attack that caught Yoogali out of shape and sealed the points in stoppage time as a clearance fortuitously bounced off the back of substitute Nick Pratezina to flash into the net.
Yoogali chances were few and far between, Isaac Donadel seeing a header clutched by Jason Matesa late on, but the visitors custodian was relatively untroubled all afternoon.
The scheduled fixture between O’Connor Knights and Tigers FC was postponed due to inclement weather conditions and will be replayed at a later date.
RESULTS
ROUND 1
Friday 5 April
Monaro Panthers 3 (De Franceschi 2’, Basser-Silk 7’, Strika 76’) Canberra Olympic 0
Saturday 6 April
O’Connor Knights v Tigers FC – Match Postponed
Gungahlin United 6 (Ahmed-Shaibu 18’ (p), 35’, 44’, 65’, 85’, Katsoulis 32’) Tuggeranong United 0
Sunday 7 April
Yoogali SC 0 Canberra Croatia 3 (Vucetic 3’, Piccolo 50’, Pratezina 90+3’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Gungahlin United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 3 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 3 | Monaro Panthers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 4 | O’Connor Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Tigers FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Canberra Olympic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 8 | Tuggeranong United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
5: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
1: Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Adam DE FRANCESCHI (Monaro Panthers), Michael KATSOULIS (Gungahlin United), Michael PICCOLO (Canberra Croatia), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia), Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia)
