Tuggeranong United recorded a fifth comprehensive win of the season to keep up the pressure on the league leaders Queanbeyan City as they ruthlessly dismantled Wagga City Wanderers 6-1 at Greenway Enclosed in the Capital Premier League.
Fast starts have been a common theme for United in 2022 and they started off with a bang again, scoring three times inside the opening twenty minutes. Ben Anderson scored the first, in rather fortuitous fashion, before Sam Walker and Dylan Berkrey added strikes to almost kill the game in the opening quarter.
Luke Stevens, inevitably, scored against his former club to make it four and a second half brace from Mark Richards had United in a comfortable place with just under twenty minutes to play. Wagga did get some reward, a stunning free-kick from Kyle Yeates in stoppage time reducing the deficit, but by then Tuggeranong were home and dry.
ANU FC rediscovered their form at just the wrong tome for promotion chasing White Eagles, the University side coming from behind to claim a valuable 2-1 victory at Hawker Football Centre and rekindle their hopes of a title push.
A seventh goal of the season from Eagles hit-man Cuneyt Caglar had put the home side in front midway through the first half, inevitably scoring against his former club and, with the lead still intact at the break, the Eagles were on course for a fourth win in six matches this season.
However, a brace of goals in four minutes, between the 68th and 72nd, ensured that ANU FC fought back and won the points. Max Mottl struck the first, bringing the sides back on level terms before Chase Deans won it with his fifth goal of the season in all competitions, sealing the win with eighteen minutes left to play.
Queanbeyan City meanwhile recovered from the disappointment of their midweek Australia Cup exit at the hands of NPL side O’Connor Knights to sweep aside bottom-of-the-table Weston-Molonglo FC with a 5-1 success at High Street.
It was an extraordinary game of four penalties in which Queanbeyan skipper Vasko Petrovski was on target twice from the spot before the break, as was midfield schemer Nik Noveski who banged home his spot0kick eleven minutes after the restart.
Noveski went on to score a second goal, a screamer that gave the Magpies custodian no chance in the 93rd minute with Andrew Sellers adding gloss to the scoreline as the scoreboard mounted in stoppage time.
Weston-Molonglo did manage to get amongst the goals, Chris McEwan netting from the penalty spot when the score was 3-0, but it was another chastening afternoon for the Magpies who are four points off the pace at the foot of the ladder.
RESULTS
Saturday 14 May
Queanbeyan City 5 (Petrovski 6’ (p), 36’ (p), Noveski 56’ (p), 90+3’, Sellers 90+4’) Weston-Molonglo FC 1 (McEwan 63’ (p))
White Eagles 1 (Caglar 23’) ANU FC 2 (Mottl 68’, Deans 72’)
Sunday 15 May
Yoogali SC 1 (Piva 88’) Brindabella Blues 2 (Ward 41’, Host 78’)
Tuggeranong United 6 (Anderson 3’, Walker 17’, Berkrey 20’, Stevens 40’, Richards 61’, 71’) Wagga City Wanderers 1 (Yeates 90+2’)
TABLE
P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
1 | Queanbeyan City | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +12 | 18 |
2 | Tuggeranong United | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | +23 | 15 |
3 | White Eagles | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +7 | 10 |
4 | ANU FC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | +2 | 9 |
5 | Brindabella Blues | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 7 |
6 | Wagga City Wanderers | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 7 |
7 | Yoogali SC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -9 | 4 |
8 | Weston-Molonglo FC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -22 | 0 |