Three goals in seven second-half minutes helped Canberra Croatia to the top of the table on Friday evening as they trounced Gungahlin United 4-0 at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.
Ryan Keir went closest in the opening half-hour of the contest, his header forcing a reflex save from Aiden Munford, the Gunners stopper reacting sharply to palm a header over the crossbar from a corner.
Gungahlin thought they had broken their goal drought when Sam Thomson converted a Yoshida Shoki pass ten minutes before the break, only to be denied by the offside flag. And such is the way football often works, Croatia struck soon afterwards.
Nick Pratezina’s run was halted by a challenge inside the box, the ball falling perfectly for Keegan Vucetic who crashed in his shot off the inside of the post. And that set up the second-half goal rush.
Thomas James’ lofted cross eluded everyone to double the lead in the 48th minute, before the forward cracked in a strike from a Vucetic lay-off at a free-kick. James then laid on a goal for Maxx Green at the end of a quick counter as Croatia hit their groove in a fourth straight victory.
Tigers FC came from 0-2 behind with two minutes of regulation time remaining to secure an unlikely looking point at the AIS, their match with Tuggeranong United ending in a 2-2 draw.
United broke the deadlock midway through the first-half with a classic counterattack. A long ball from the back allowed Romeo Jambrek to lay off to Xabier Davies who played a precise return pass into the oath of Jambrek who powered home a finish from outside the penalty area.
It took until fifteen minutes from time for the second goal of the match and, critically, it went the way of the visitors. Awarded a penalty, the in-tom Steve Nealon did not look like missing and drilled home a low right-footed spot-kick to double the Tuggeranong lead.
The comeback began when Sam Whithear pulled one back from the penalty spot, and Tigers earned their draw with a fine stoppage time goal from Nik Taneski, the striker firing into the top corner after a wonderful run and cut back by Archie McGregor.
O’Connor Knights finally clicked into gear as they roared to a comprehensive 6-0 victory over an outgunned Queanbeyan City at O’Connor Enclosed, the Knights winning for the first time this season.
It was the Knights who struck first and in somewhat straightforward fashion. A right-wing corner from Kobi Yariyari was met at the far post by Jenno Ceruti who struck a crisp, first time volley into the net.
Queanbeyan were still very much in the match until a Knights burst in first-half stoppage time. Firstly, James Driscoll fed Phakedi Manda down the left flank and the winger cut in, then out, to rifle a shot high into the roof of the net.
Seconds later, Michael John was found by Yariyari after City had turned over ball close to halfway, and the experienced striker rattled in the third. When Micheal Adams coolly converted a penalty eight minutes into the second-half for 4-0, the Knights resurgence was complete.
There was more to come for the rampant Knights, Ceruti notching on a second from an Adams pass, whilst Harry Martin steered home a sixth following excellent work on the flank from Manda.
Monaro Panthers secured a fourth win from four matches with a routine 3-0 win over Yoogali SC at Stryda Park in a week in which both clubs were in Hahn Australia Cup Qualifying action.
A scorcher from Fernando gave the Panthers the lead as the Chilean got on the end of a cross from Giuseppe Tine, the attacker doing well down the right flank and delivering to the far post where Fernando lashed a first-time half-volley across Michael Di Paoli and into the top corner.
Yoogali were tough to break down and kept the Panther honest throughout, however it was the hosts who got the crucial second goal twelve minutes from time when Stephen Domenici met a Christian Kreskas cross to loop a header over Di Paoli.
And Monaro wrapped it up in stoppage time. Luca Macor swept a corner routine in from the top of the area where Domenici volleyed at goal. Di Paoli saved well, but the loose ball was turned home from close in by substitute Daniel Barac for his sixth NPL goal of the season.
FIXTURES
ROUND 4
Friday 2 May
Gungahlin United 0 Canberra Croatia 4 (Vucetic 38’, James 48’, 51’, Green 55’)
Saturday 3 May
Tigers FC 2 (Whithear 88’ (p), Taneski 90+3’) Tuggeranong United 2 (Jambrek 22’, Nealon 75’ (p))
O’Connor Knights 6 (Ceruti 6’, 68’, Manda 45+1’, John 45+2’, Adams 52’ (p), Martin 79’) Queanbeyan City 0
Monaro Panthers 3 (Fernando 39’, Domenici 73’, Barac 90+1’) Yoogali SC 0
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Croatia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | +17 | 12 |
| 2 | Monaro Panthers | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 | +16 | 12 |
| 3 | Tigers FC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 7 |
| 4 | Tuggeranong United | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 5 |
| 5 | O’Connor Knights | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 3 |
| 6 | Gungahlin United | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 2 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 2 |
| 5 | Queanbeyan City | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | -11 | 2 |
TOP SCORERS
6: Daniel BARAC (Monaro Panthers)
4: Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
3: William AKIO (Tigers FC), Stephen DOMENICI (Monaro Panthers), Jayce DOTSON (Yoogali SC), Steve NEALON (Tuggeranong United), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia)
2: Darren BAILEY (Yoogali SC), Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Jenno CERUTI (O’Connor Knights), Maxx GREEN (Canberra Croatia), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Michael PICCOLO (Monaro Panthers), Nik POPOVICH (Tigers FC), Robert TKATCHENKO (Monaro Panthers), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia), Own GOALS
1: Nico ABOT (Queanbeyan City), Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (O’Connor Knights), Augustine BANGURA (Tigers FC), FERNANDO Jorquera (Monaro Panthers), Nikola JADRIC (Canberra Croatia), Romeo JAMBREK (Tuggeranong United), Michael JOHN (O’Connor Knights), Luca MACOR (Monaro Panthers), Phakedi MANDA (O’Connor Knights), Harry MARTIN (O’Connor Knights), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Alessandro PENA (Tuggeranong United), Michael SOUTHAM (Tigers FC), Ryan STRAUB (Monaro Panthers), Nicholas SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Nim TANESKI (Tigers FC), Giuseppe TINE (Monaro Panthers), Sam WHITEHEAR (Tigers FC)
TOP ASSISTS
6: Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia)
4: Christian KRESKAS (Monaro Panthers)
3: Stephen DOMENICI (Monaro Panthers), Maxx GREEN (Canberra Croatia), Robert TKATCHENKO (Monaro Panthers), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
2: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Daniel BARAC (Monaro Panthers), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Michael PICCOLO (Monaro Panthers), Nik POPOVICH (Tigers FC), Nicholas SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Kobi YARIYARI (O’Connor Knights)
1: William AKIO (Tigers FC), Angus BAILEY (Tigers FC), Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Thomas BLAZEVSKI (Queanbeyan City), Xabier DAVIES (Tuggeranong United), Jacob DONADEL (Yoogali SC), James DRISCOLL (O’Connor Knights), Marko JADRIC (Canberra Croatia), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Phakedi MANDA (O’Connor Knights), Joe PREECE (Yoogali SC), Danny REID (Yoogali SC), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia), Tony SPASESKI (Canberra Croatia), Noah STEINACKER (Tigers FC), Luke STEVENS (Tuggeranong United), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Giuseppe TINE (Monaro Panthers), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia), Sam WHITHEAR (Tigers FC)
