There was six of the best for an in-form Tuggeranong United as they hammered Yoogali SC 6-0 upon their return to Kambah 2, recording a fourth National Premier League match unbeaten, and a fifth in all competitions to close in on the top four and a potential finals place.
United were on the front foot on the same day they celebrated their annual Adam Fry Memorial Shield match, the club raising funds for Epilepsy ACT in memory of their State League player who passed away falling an Epileptic episode, and they celebrated in style with a record NPL victory.
Euan Peterkin opened the scoring in the first-half, turning home at the far post in the tenth minute, and Jordan Rezek was on hand to tap into the empty net nine minutes before the break to double the lead. By the time Davaadelger Oktyabri scrambled home the third from close range, it was game over.
There was more to come for the jubilant home side as Jack Leverett struck the fourth and Nic Emanuel finally found the net in an NPL game with goal number five. The forward wasn’t done, and he added a second later to round off a terrific afternoon for the home team.
Gungahlin United continued their unbeaten start to the season with a sixth win in succession as they saw off the challenge of Tigers FC to claim a 3-0 win at the Australian Institute of Sport.
It took the Gunners until midway through the first-half to take the lead, Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu taking advantage of a spill by goalkeeper Jakob Cole to slot home his eleventh goal of the season and give the visitors a valuable lead at the half-way stage of the encounter.
Tigers were hanging in there but conceded a second four minutes into the second-half from a Gungahlin set-piece. The hosts were caught napping off a corner that Ahmed-Shaibu laid back for skipper Jack Green who blasted his shot past Cole to increase the lead.
And the Gunners were able to seal the points late in the piece as Ahmed-Shaibu turned provider again, freeing Augustine Bangura with a through-ball that allowed the winger to skip around the advancing Cole and slot into the empty net to seal a well-deserved victory and keep Gungahlin marching on.
A goal four minutes into stoppage time from substitute Niko Kresic allowed O’Connor Knights to record a fifth win from five games as the home side won the derby clash with Canberra Olympic 2-1 at O’Connor Enclosed.
Kresic bundled home from close range, one of four Knights who were queuing up to get on the end of the delivery into the area from Patrick O’Rourke, which was touched back across goal, Olympic caught napping and seeing all their hard work undone by one momentary lapse in concentration.
It was tough on Olympic who, chasing only a fourth point of the season, had seen their equaliser cancelled in such devastating fashion. Earlier, the Knights had taken the lead shortly before half-time when Micheal Adams calmly converted from the penalty spot after an Olympic defender was penalised for handball.
Olympic were on the back foot at the start of the second stanza but were able to force their way back into contention with a goal from Luca Florez in the 57th minute. Nicholas Subasic played a big part, breaking forward to link-up with the attack and setting up Florez to sweep home.
The Knights went close when James Driscoll struck the top of the bar with a header, whilst Aisosa Ihegie saw three presentable efforts go begging, one of which was superbly saved by Olympic custodian Seb Usai.
A brilliant encounter between Canberra Croatia and Monaro Panthers ended goalless at Deakin Stadium, but not for the want of trying, especially from the home side who could only watch on in frustration as their continued efforts to breach the Panthers defence floundered.
Both Daniel Barac and Atiya Waraga were denied by goal-line clearances from Adam De Franceschi and James Lavella respectively, whilst Zac McLaren also cleared from under the crossbar in the second-half. Earlier, Patrick Mitchell had blocked from Barac who seemed certain to score.
The closest that Croatia came was a magnificent free-kick from substitute Thomas James who struck an effort at goal from thirty metres that cannoned off the inside the post and away to safety with the Panthers goalkeeper, Finn Jurak, clutching at thin air and well beaten.
At the other end a first-time hit from Christian Kreskas, on at the break for Tyson Livermore, whistled past Sam Brown’s left-hand post, whilst defensively Croatia handled the Panthers sporadic breaks. For a mountainous defensive showing, Panthers deserved a point, but Croatia will be scratching their head figuring out how they didn’t win.
RESULTS
ROUND 7
Saturday 18 May
O’Connor Knights 2 (Adams 43’ (p), Kresic 90+4’) Canberra Olympic 1 (Florez 57’)
Tigers FC 0 Gungahlin United 3 (Ahmed-Shaibu 24’, Green 49’, Bangura 64’)
Sunday 19 May
Canberra Croatia 0 Monaro Panthers 0
Tuggeranong United 6 (Peterkin 10’, Rezek 35’, Oktyabri 38’, Leverett 52’, Emanuel 73’, 90+1’) Yoogali SC 0
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Gungahlin United | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 4 | +17 | 18 |
| 2 | O’Connor Knights | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 15 |
| 3 | Monaro Panthers | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 11 |
| 4 | Tigers FC | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 10 |
| 5 | Tuggeranong United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 15 | -2 | 10 |
| 6 | Canberra Croatia | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 13 | +1 | 8 |
| 7 | Canberra Olympic | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 3 |
| 8 | Yoogali SC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 29 | -27 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
11: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
5: Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
4: Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights)
3: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Jenno CERUTI (Monaro Panthers), Davaadelger OKTYABRI (Tuggeranong United), Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United)
2: Augustine BANGURA (Gungahlin United), Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Alen JAMES (Canberra Olympic), Michael KATSOULIS (Gungahlin United), Amilio KISTA (Tigers FC), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Niko PERINOVIC (O’Connor Knights), Michael PICCOLO (Canberra Croatia), Jordan REZEK (Tuggeranong United), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Own GOALS
1: Jack BITANI (Tigers FC), Samson CARR (Tigers FC), Elie DARWICH (Canberra Olympic), Adam DE FRANCESCHI (Monaro Panthers), Joshua DE ROSSI (Yoogali SC), Stephen DOMENICI (Canberra Olympic), Jack GREEN (Gungahlin United), Jeremy HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia), Michael JOHN (Canberra Olympic), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Jack LEVERETT (Tuggeranong United), Tyson LIVERMORE (Monaro Panthers), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Shinzaburo NAKAYAMA (Canberra Olympic), Daniel OLAOYE (Gungahlin United), Jackson PAESLER (O’Connor Knights), Joshua PEDERSEN (Tuggeranong United), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Canberra Olympic), David SESELJA (Canberra Croatia), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Olympic), Julian SMITH (Gungahlin United), Tony SPASESKI (Canberra Croatia), Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Harry TRUMAN (Canberra Olympic), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Gungahlin United)
