Tigers FC and Gungahlin United played out one of the matches of the season at the Australian Institute of Sport as the pair shared eight goals with the match ending in a pulsating 4-4 draw.
The Gunners were the architects of their own downfall early on, coughing up the opening goal of the match in the thirteenth minute. A miss-placed pass was intercepted by Sam Whithear with the midfielder feeding Nik Taneski. The striker did the rest, cutting inside and curling a finish into the bottom corner.
Gungahlin were forced into a reshuffle wafter losing central defender Julian Smith to injury, and they were exposed early in the second stanza as Taneski stabbed a pass into the path of William Akio, who slotted his seventh goal of the season underneath Aiden Munford in goal.
Trailing by two, Gungahlin responded well as AJ Malauulu exchanged passes with Yoshida Shoki, the latter guiding home an adroit finish to have the deficit. And moments later it was all-square, Giancarlo D’Addario rifling home a low half-volley past a stranded Willem Lejeune.
Incredibly, Gungahlin then went ahead as Shoki smashed home after controlling a Deacon Palombi cross field pass, only for Tigers to equalise after Akio’s cross ricocheted into the net off the luckless Nikola Trajkovski. And Tigers completed their turnaround as substitute Josh Milicevic curled home with ten minutes remaining.
There was still time for more drama as, with Tigers reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Akio, D’Addario curled home a stunning free-kick in stoppage time to level the match at 4-4.
Attention then turned to the second match of the Saturday program as Monaro Panthers took advantage of the Tigers dropped points by moving to within a point of second place with a comfortable 5-3 success over O’Connor Knights at Stryda Park.
The points were virtually Monaro’s by sixteen minutes in, that was all it took for Daniel Barac to weight a sublime chipped finish over the head of young Knights’ goalkeeper Cameron Brown and then send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot after the custodian had felled Phakedi Manda.
Excellent approach work from Ibrahim Obeid led to Michael Jogn adroitly volleying home his third goal in three weeks, but that record was usurped by Connor Mynott-Smith who managed his fifth in five consecutive matches, sliding home at the end of a glorious move.
There was a fourth before half-time as Stephen Domenici stroked home four minutes before the interval, but Knights refused to go away and Jenno Ceruti pounced on a defensive mistake in the second-half to ram home a superbly taken goal to reduce the arrears once more.
Substitute Christian Kreskas made sure that the comeback was stymied with a well-taken one-on-one in the 77th minute before Connor Bill volleyed home from a corner with four minutes to play to end the scoring.
Canberra Croatia went eight points clear at the top of the league table with a 3-1 victory over Quenbeyan City at High Street, the home team ending the match with ten men following the late dismissal of engine-room leader Marko Savkovic to a straight red card.
The visitors went in front on twenty minutes as Thomas James curled home a long range free-kick, but City responded in kind four minutes later as Daniel Roberts clipped a free-kick into the area that Abderrahim Dellahi, unmarked, headed past Sam Brown.
Shortly after Queanbeyan were awarded a penalty after Jack Peraic-Cullen upended Dellahi, but Brown redeemed the situation by diving low to his left to push Misko Naumoski’s spot-kick away.
And Croatia, who had wasted numerous chances and hit the woodwork twice, finally broke through again early in the second-half. Riley Zsuzsa sent in a cross that Maxx Green headed past the otherwise impeccable Nick Middleton for 2-1.
When Samuel Palic left a back-pass short moments after being introduced as a substitute for the home team, Green snatched the chance to score his second, and thirteenth of the NPL season, to secure the win.
A Steve Nealon hat-trick was the highlight for Tuggeranong United as they moved into fourth place in the NPL table, taking advantage of Queanbeyan’s loss, with a 4-1 away win over Yoogali SC at Solar Mad Stadium.
United led through a freakish own goal just before the half-hour, a Cole Falco long throw-in was helped on by Sam Walker, and deflected into his own net by the unfortunate Jacob Donadel who knew nothing about it.
Tuggeranong bragged a crucial second from the penalty spot just before half-time, converted calmly by Nealon, and when Bevan Foxall delightfully flicked on a pass into the path of Nealon who steered home his second thirteen minutes into the second stanza, the points were safe.
As if to make sure Tuggeranong scored again moments later. Another Falco throw caused problems for Luke Armanini in the Yoogali goal, and he could only palm the ball up into the path of Nealon who had the easiest of tasks to tap home his hat-trick goal.
Yoogali pulled one back as Sam Raciti thumped home a loose ball inside the penalty area in the final minute, but it was scant consolation for the home team.
RESULTS
ROUND 18
Saturday 9 August
Tigers FC 4 (Taneski 13’, Akio 46’, Trajkovski 60’ (og), Milicevic 80’) Gungahlin United 4 (Shoki 51’, 58’, D’Addario 53’, 90+2’)
Monaro Panthers 5 (Barac 6’, 16’ (p), Mynott-Smith 30’, Domenici 41’, Kreskas 77’) O’Connor Knights 3 (John 22’, Ceruti 55’, Bill 86’)
Sunday 10 August
Queanbeyan City 1 (Dellahi 24’) Canberra Croatia 3 (James 20’, Green 55’, 76’)
Yoogali SC 1 (Raciti 90’) Tuggeranong United 4 (J. Donadel 28’ (og), Nealon 43’ (p), 58’, 61’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Croatia | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 67 | 21 | +46 | 42 |
| 2 | Tigers FC | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 28 | +12 | 34 |
| 3 | Monaro Panthers | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 51 | 21 | +30 | 33 |
| 4 | Tuggeranong United | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 38 | -13 | 24 |
| 5 | Queanbeyan City | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 31 | -12 | 23 |
| 6 | Gungahlin United | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 28 | 46 | -18 | 19 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 23 | 41 | -18 | 12 |
| 8 | O’Connor Knights | 17 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 29 | 57 | -28 | 10 |
TOP SCORERS
15: Daniel BARAC (Monaro Panthers)
14: Steve NEALON (Tuggeranong United), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
13: Maxx GREEN (Canberra Croatia), Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia)
8: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (O’Connor Knights/Tigers FC), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia)
7: William AKIO (Tigers FC), Yoshida SHOKI (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
6: Nico ABOT (Queanbeyan City), Jenno CERUTI (O’Connor Knights), Stephen DOMENICI (Monaro Panthers), Jayce DOTSON (Yoogali SC)
5: Michael JOHN (O’Connor Knights), Ayumu KIMURA (Gungahlin United), Connor MYNOTT-SMITH (Monaro Panthers), Robert TKATCHENKO (Monaro Panthers)
4: Giancarlo D’ADDARIO (Gungahlin United), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights), Ryan KEIR (Canberra Croatia), Christian KRESKAS (Monaro Panthers), Loick LESPINASSE (Gungahlin United), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC)
3: Darren BAILEY (Yoogali SC), Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Mason DONADEL (Yoogali SC), Stefan DONADEL (Yoogali SC), Phakedi MANDA (Monaro Panthers/O’Connor Knights), Misko NAUMOSKI (Queanbeyan City), Michael PICCOLO (Monaro Panthers / Canberra Croatia), Thomas ROBERTSON (Gungahlin United), Noah STEINACKER (Tigers FC), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Sam WHITEHEAR (Tigers FC)
2: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Gabriel AYUEL (Queanbeyan City), Angus BAILEY (Tigers FC / Gungahlin United), Augustine BANGURA (Tigers FC), Daniel COLBERTALDO (Canberra Croatia), Dylan DEEP-JONES (Monaro Panthers), Abderrahim DELLAHI (Queanbeyan City), FERNANDO Jorquera (Monaro Panthers), Bevan FOXALL (Tuggeranong United), Josh GASPARI (Gungahlin United), Marko JADRIC (Canberra Croatia), Romeo JAMBREK (Tuggeranong United), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Zac LAWRENCE (Tuggeranong United), Jack LEVERETT (Queanbeyan City), Luca MACOR (Monaro Panthers), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Nik POPOVICH (Tigers FC), Danny REID (Yoogali SC), Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia)
1: Connor BILL (O’Connor Knights), Thomas BLAZEVSKI (Queanbeyan City), Seth BONNETT (Queanbeyan City), Isaac DONADEL (Yoogali SC), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Luca FLOREZ (Gungahlin United), Daniel GALIC (O’Connor Knights), Nikola JADRIC (Canberra Croatia), Chistian JUNNA (O’Connor Knights), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Alex-Junior MALAUULU (Gungahlin United), Harry MARTIN (O’Connor Knights), Zac MCLAREN (Monaro Panthers), Nathen MEGIC (Tigers FC), Alessandro PENA (Tuggeranong United), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Sam RACITI (Yoogali SC), Marko RATHOUSKI (O’Connor Knights), Daniel ROBERTS (Queanbeyan City), Joey SEO (Yoogali SC), Michael SOUTHAM (Tigers FC), Ryan STRAUB (Monaro Panthers), Nicholas SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Giuseppe TINE (Monaro Panthers), Daler TOKHIROV (Yoogali SC), Noah VANDERPOL (Queanbeyan City), Hamish WALES (Tigers FC), Riley ZSUZSA (Canberra Croatia)
TOP ASSISTS
18: Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia)
9: Christian KRESKAS (Monaro Panthers)
8: Phakedi MANDA (Monaro Panthers/O’Connor Knights), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
7: Maxx GREEN (Canberra Croatia), Yoshida SHOKI (Gungahlin United)
6: William AKIO (Tigers FC), Stephen DOMENICI (Monaro Panthers)
5: Daniel BARAC (Monaro Panthers), Tony SPASESKI (Canberra Croatia), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC)
4: Darren BAILEY (Yoogali SC), Thomas ROBERTSON (Gungahlin United), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Tigers FC), Kobi YARIYARI (O’Connor Knights)
3: Daniel COLBERTALDO (Canberra Croatia), Josh DE ROSSI (Yoogali SC), Cole FALCO (Tuggeranong United), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights), Jack LEVERETT (Queanbeyan City), Michael PICCOLO (Monaro Panthers), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Nik POPOVICH (Tigers FC), Danny REID (Yoogali SC), Luke STEVENS (Tuggeranong United), Nicholas SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Robert TKATCHENKO (Monaro Panthers), Sam WHITHEAR (Tigers FC), Riley ZSUZSA (Canberra Croatia)
2: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Giancarlo D’ADDARIO (Gungahlin United), Abderrahim DELLAHI (Queanbeyan City), Chaise DONETTO (Yoogali SC), James DRISCOLL (O’Connor Knights), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Bevan FOXALL (Tuggeranong United), Daniel GALIC (O’Connor Knights), Marko JADRIC (Canberra Croatia), Loick LESPINASSE (Gungahlin United), AJ MALAUULU (Gungahlin United), Connpr MYNOTT-SMITH (Monaro Panthers), Josh PEDERSEN (Tuggeranong United), Marko RATHOUSKI (O’Connor Knights), Robbie RIMMER (Yoogali SC), Daniel ROBERTS (Queanbeyan City), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia), Noah STEINACKER (Tigers FC), Ryan STRAUB (Monaro Panthers), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia)
1: Samuel ABA (Queanbeyan City), Niko ABOT (Queanbeyan City), Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (O’Connor Knights), Angus BAILEY (Tigers FC), Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Connor BILL (O’Connor Knights), Thomas BLAZEVSKI (Queanbeyan City), Riley BROWN (Gungahlin United), Nikita BYRNES (Gungahlin United), Xabier DAVIES (Tuggeranong United), Bailey DICKENSON (Gungahlin United), Jacob DONADEL (Yoogali SC), Jayce DOTSON (Yoogali SC), FERNANDO Jorquera (Monaro Panthers), Marco GAYER (Monaro Panthers), Matt GRBESA (Canberra Croatia), Romeo JAMBREK (Tuggeranong United), Michael JOHN (O’Connor Knights), Ryan KEIR (Canberra Croatia), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Steven KRESKAS (Queanbeyan City), Luca MACOR (Monaro Panthers), Zac MCLAREN (Monaro Panthers), Harry MARTIN (O’Connor Knights), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Max MELLICK (Monaro Panthers), Joshua MILICEVIC (Tigers FC), Ibrahim OBEID (O’Connor Knights), Deacon PALOMBI (Gungahlin United), Nicholas PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia), Joe PREECE (Yoogali SC), Charlie RAE (Queanbeyan City), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Monaro Panthers), Cassidy SCHLESINGER (Tuggeranong United), Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Giuseppe TINE (Monaro Panthers), Kristian TOKIC (Queanbeyan City), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United)
