An eleventh goal of the season from Cooper Heagney set league leaders Tigers FC on the way to a 2-1 win over Monaro Panthers in the National Premier League under-23 clash at the Australian Institute of Sport.
The goal from the Golden Boot leader, finally broke the deadlock in a tight contest, the Panthers keeping the free-scoring leaders quiet for large parts of the match until Heagney struck.
Five minutes later Marcus Crispe made it 2-0 for the Tigers who were to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points ahead of the later kick off over at Deakin Stadium. Mitchell Jervis-Hamilton pulled one back for Monaro, but Tigers had done enough.
That lead was reduced by one when the two teams below Tigers in the table, Canberra Croatia and O’Connor Knights fought out a 0-0 stalemate at Deakin Stadium, a result which saw them lose ground on the pacesetters.
Chances were at a premium in the counter, but both went close in the second stanza, the Knights striking the post late on, but neither team could find a way through, and the pair had to settle for a point each.
Yoogali SC and Queanbeyan City had to share the points at Solar Mad Stadium in a 1-1 draw that featured fifteen cards, no fewer than five of which were red, Queanbeyan seeing two sent off and Yoogali three.
Both goals were scored early as Fabina Cacopardo opened the scoring in the third minute. The away side were on terms three minutes later as Daniel Obst equalised before the card spree.
Chaise Donetto, Dominic Galluzzo, and Lucas Signor were dismissed for the home team, Shanil Jessy and Xavier Bonnett following for Queanbeyan.
The scheduled fixture between Gungahlin United and Tuggeranong United at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval on Friday evening was postponed.
RESULTS
ROUND 8
Friday 30 May
Gungahlin United v Tuggeranong United – Match Postponed
Saturday 31 May
Tigers FC 2 (Heagney 50’, Crispe 55’) Monaro Panthers 1 (Jervis-Hamilton 67’)
Canberra Croatia 0 O’Connor Knights 0
Sunday 1 June
Yoogali SC 1 (Cacopardo 3’) Queanbeyan City 1 (Obst 6’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Tigers FC | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 12 | +22 | 22 |
| 2 | O’Connor Knights | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 10 | +6 | 17 |
| 3 | Canberra Croatia | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 13 |
| 4 | Tuggeranong United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 10 |
| 5 | Monaro Panthers | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 9 |
| 6 | Gungahlin United | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 9 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 23 | -12 | 8 |
| 8 | Queanbeyan City | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 22 | -12 | 2 |
TOP SCORERS
11: Cooper HEAGNEY (Tigers FC)
6: Anthony ANTONIAK (Tuggeranong United), Leo DONALD (Tuggeranong United)
5: Zachary ILIJOSKI (Tigers FC)
4: Elliot ALBERTO (Tigers FC), Thinley DORJI (Tigers FC), Jebediah JEFFERY (Canberra Croatia), Marko RATHOUSKI (O’Connor Knights)
3: Kaide CASTLE (Yoogali SC), Stefan DONADEL (Yoogali SC), James GODDING (Canberra Croatia), Ayham NASSER (Monaro Panthers), Fabian OLIVARES (Gungahlin United)
2: Samuel ABA (Queanbeyan City), Joshua AMOAH (Tigers FC), Daniel ANDERSON (O’Connor Knights), Seth BONNETT (Queanbeyan City), Zachary COLSON (Tigers FC), Rocco DI PLACIDO (O’Connor Knights), Alexander EVANS (Queanbeyan City), Daniel GALIC (O’Connor Knights), Jack JANKE (O’Connor Knights), Mitchell JERVIS-HAMILTON (Monaro Panthers), Owen LEARMONTH (Canberra Croatia), Darcy MIDDLETON (Canberra Croatia), Sebastian MUNOZ (Gungahlin United), Niko PERINOVIC (O’Connor Knights), Leo VANDERPOL (Monaro Panthers)
1: Zia BAIRD (Monaro Panthers), Daniel BARBATANO (Queanbeyan City), Xavier BONNETT (Queanbeyan City), Tanatswa BVIRAKARE (Tigers FC), Fabian CACOPARDO (Yoogali SC), Stephen CERNI (Gungahlin United), Kye COSSETTINI (Tigers FC), Marcus CRISPE (Tigers FC), Sivamsh DEEVI (Gungahlin United), Ethan DONETTO (Yoogali SC), Aleksandar DORDEVIC (Queanbeyan City), Ivan DZAJA (O’Connor Knights), Jack ELLWOOD (Monaro Panthers), Dominic GALLUZZO (Yoogali SC), Luka JUKIC (Canberra Croatia), Joshua KEENAN (Yoogali SC), Jacob KITE (Gungahlin United), Marcus LAU (Gungahlin United), Ivica MAJETIC (Canberra Croatia), Mohammad MAZRAEH (Tuggeranong United), Joseph MIKAHEL (Monaro Panthers), Ahmed MUBAIDEEN (Tigers FC), Daniel OBST (Queanbeyan City), Nicolas PULCIANI (Tigers FC), Samuel RACITI (Yoogali SC), Andrija RAKIC (Canberra Croatia), Anthony RAKIC (Canberra Croatia), Abdin SAID (Tuggeranong United), Ali SOHANI (Monaro Panthers), Josip UJDUR (O’Connor Knights), Own GOALS
