West Sydney Berries increased their lead to two points at the top of Super League after winning at Hills Brumbies 3-2.

A loss by Spirit FC on Saturday night saw them overtaken by Macarthur Rams and Blacktown Spartans while St George returned to the top five for the first time in a month.

Dulwich Hill continued their good recent form, taking another point in a 1-1 draw at Granville Rage, ss they moved further away from the basement.

Feature Match of the Week

Macarthur Rams v Sydney University

Macarthur Rams had to work very hard to take the points against Sydney University but they managed to hang on late, coming away with a 2-1 win to move to second spot on the table.

This was a match which started at a ferocious pace and which maintained a high level of commitment from start to finish. There was little doubt that both sides wanted the three points, the Rams to keep up the pressure on the frontrunners while Uni are desperate to finish in the finals. And as the season starts to enter the final stages, there is little room for error.

Uni started the better and dominated the opening proceedings. Liam McConaghy had the first chance of the game after just ten minutes but his left footed shot lacked sufficient power to cause any real concern. But it was a sign that Uni’s most dangerous option was looking the part.

McConaghy had a further opportunity just a few minutes later and which led to an even better chance for Kendo Takushima. Takushima hit the ball superbly and it looked like it was goal bound but Josh Barrett, was equal to the task, diving and turning the shot away.

But despite the Uni pressure and chances, it was the Rams who got the first goal of the game. Keeper Trinity Allen brought down Chris Gomez in a challenge for the ball and a spot kick was awarded. It was an unfortunate circumstance for Uni, with the ball seeming to have been off loaded a fraction earlier. But Craig Cooley wasn’t going to pass up that opportunity, and the Rams skipper put the ball away with ease.

The Rams didn’t maintain that lead for long though. And it was McConaghy who did the damage. A defensive slip allowed the ball to run for McConaghy who charged at the Rams defence before expertly drawing Barrett and rounding the keeper. The Uni striker did well to continue on, as the Rams defence closed in, scoring the equaliser with aplomb.

Uni almost took the lead ten minutes after that, when a Simon Turner header just cleared the bar and then James O’Rourke tried his luck from distance. The shot was on target too but again Barrett made an excellent save.

It was a scramble of a goal, though an excellent buildup, which put the Rams back in front. With just four minutes to the break, the tall Steve Lloyd got the final touch from right in front, bundling the ball over the line, after a superb defence splitting pass cut out the Uni back.

The match turned a little scrappy in the second period, with the Rams perhaps shading it early. Josh Ford had a great chance to make it three for Macarthur, his long run down the middle not quite getting the reward it deserved while McConaghy could have drawn Uni level with a snapshot.

It became desperate as Uni piled on the pressure, searching for that all important equaliser. The Rams defended solidly, keeping most chances to long range. Uni did claim boisterously for a penalty after Andre Carle was brought down, but the claim was turned away.

Matt Sadler, on for the last five minutes, could have sealed it for the Rams but shot straight into Allen’s arms, in the dying moments. But it wasn’t to be crucial, as despite Uni’s searching and searching, that second equaliser just wasn’t going to arrive.

“I thought we deserved a point,” stated Uni’s John Calleja. “We played very well, especially in the first half, and I am very proud of the way we went”.

“The second half was a little scrappy perhaps, but I thought that the penalty claim was a chance. OK, it might not have been in the box, I’m not sure, but it was certainly a foul, and even a free kick from there would have been a good chance”.

But the loss does not put an end to Uni’s finals chances.

“It’s not great but we really need to get at least a win from our next two, against Spirit and then Berries”, he finished.

For Claudio Canosa, the game wasn’t a classic.

“The pitch was a bit bumpy and it made it a little difficult to control the ball. We normally like to pass it around but it was not possible much today”.

“And maybe after we scored too, we didn’t take control. We lack a bit of experience to settle things down and once Uni equalised, they took over. And it would have been nice to have that bit of a gap towards the end, when the pressure is on, of an extra goal. But, of course, I am still happy with the three points”.

Macarthur Rams 2 (Craig Cooley 21’ pen, Steve Lloyd 41’) v Sydney University 1 (Liam McConaghy 25’)

3 July 2011

at Lynwood Park

Referee: Jim Nicolaou

Assts: Patricia Villagomez and Blayne Whiteman

Macarthur Rams: 20. Josh Barrett 2. Craig Cooley (c) 3. Emanuel El Ali (14. Ryan Marchant 76’)18. Peter Halstead 21. Callum Fleming 6. Josh Ford 7. Alan de la Cuadra (22. Matt Sadler 85’) 8. Alvaro Malmierca 11 Daniel Duarte 10. Chris Gomez (17. Chris Godoy Boscur 80’) 13. Steve Lloyd.

Subs not used: 4. Goran Ljuboja 20. Ben Needham

Coach: Claudio Canosa

Sydney University: 1. Trinity Allen 10. Matt Demetriou 3. Simon Turner 4. Nils Justine 16. Mitchell Lensink (14. Andrew McCrouther 84’)  5. David McMurray (c) 2. James O’Rourke 7. Leon Pirello (17. Chris Shelston 74’) 8. Kendo Takushima 9. Liam McConaghy 15. Andre Carle

Subs not used: 11. Yaw Billy 12. Hugh Solomans 31. Jesse Shewin 

Coach: John Calleja

Central Coast v Blacktown Spartans

This fixture was switched from Pluim Park to Francis Park due to the rain-affected pitch at the Coast and the result could potentially end up scuppering Central Coast’s finals hopes.

They had looked good for the money though having a 3-2 lead until the final ten minutes. Despite an early goal for the Spartans via the boot of Simon Zahra, the Coast gained the upper hand before half time when Michael Simmonds equalised after twenty one minutes and then Matt Mitchell got his first of a double, with a penalty, just before half time. 

In a see-sawing game, Zahra brought the Spartans level seven minutes after the break with the game’s second penalty before Mitchell again gave the Coast the lead with around a quarter of an hour left.

But Zahra again drew the Spartans level with yet another penalty, awarded for handball, before Todd Macrae, following a corner, put the Spartans in front, at just the right time.

“The game could have gone either way’, said Ben de Hann. “Though it was not an intensive game, and it was a little bit lethargic, to be honest”.

“But we were without a number of players, such as Glen McPherson and Luke Infanti (both suspended) and Tom Spencer (injured) so the win is enough”.

Peter Preston was not happy with some of the decisions surrounding the match, although he was not taking anything away from the Spartans.

“The first penalty [of Blacktown’s] definitely wasn’t a penalty although the second one was. And I thought with our penalty, they could have got a red card as he was the last man, but he went unpunished, apart from the penalty, of course.”

“But credit to the Spartans, they came at us pretty hard in the second half. They hung in there and got the result. We were pretty average against them in the first round but I thought we were good value this time, maybe if we were a bit mentally stronger, we could have hung on. We were up 2-1 and then 3-2 and so it is disappointing to lose from there. But we didn’t defend set plays and that was it”.

Central Coast FC 3 (Michael Simmonds 21’ Matt Mitchell 45’pen, 76’) Blacktown Spartans 4 (Simon Zahra 6’, 52’pen, 79’pen, Todd Macrae 89’) at Francis Park 

St George v Spirit FC

The second switch in venue for the weekend saw St George lose home ground advantage when their match against Spirit FC was switched to Christie Park but the change didn’t affect the Saints as they came away with an important 2-1 win.

After a scoreless first half, St George swept to a two goal lead in the space of three minutes midway through the second period, Blake Ricciuto and Jordan Figon both getting their first goals of the season. A penalty scored by Daniel Cunningham in added time was not enough for Spirit.

The result has seen a turnaround in fortune for the two clubs, the victory being St George’s second away win in a row against fellow finals contenders while Spirit’s loss means that they have picked up only one point from the past four games.

St George FC 2 (Blake Ricciuto 71’ Jordan Figon 73’) Spirit FC 1 (Daniel Cunningham pen 92’) at Christie Park

Northern Tigers v Fraser Park

Northern Tigers got all the points they needed defeating the visiting Fraser Park 3-1 to creep to seventh spot on the ladder, still remaining in close range of the finals positions.

They went two goals up inside the half hour, Adam Hett scoring from the second attempt after his initial shot struck the crossbar and Max Glanville returned to the scorer’s charts with his first of the game after thirty minutes.

Troy Eedy, off the bench, reduced the arrears as Fraser Park worked to get back into the game, but a second to Glanville, and the Tigers’ third, made sure of the points, with just two minutes left.

“It wasn’t one of our better performances,” explained Jason Eagar “though we were more clinical in the final third with some better quality. Our defence was fine as usual, that is not a problem”.

“But the win keeps us in there and, at this point in time, we’ll take the three points”.

Northern Tigers 3 (Adam Hett 16’, Max Glanville 30’, 88’) Fraser Park FC 1 (Troy Eedy 72’)

Hills Brumbies v West Sydney Berries

West Sydney Berries maintained first spot on the ladder after defeating Hills Brumbies by 3-2 at Lily Homes Stadium.

While the Brumbies did take the lead, through Brendan Mitrovich, a ten minute spell towards the end of the half put the Berries in the driving seat.

Jack Sobczyk got the first before John Tsironis and then Dimitri Zakilas scored in quick succession to give the competition leaders a comfortable advantage.

A late goal by Dragan Savic, after good work from Lord Darkoh, brought it back to 3-2 but there was too little time to claw back a third.

“We really have to stop switching off”, said Mark Abi-Arrage. “We have done it too many times this season, we have to keep our concentration. We play some good football and we created the chances again. But that is the difference and why they are top, because they make you pay”.

“But I am still very proud of the team. We took it to them and as long as we keep doing that, we have got a future. I am upbeat as are the boys and I am sure we will get there”.

Hills Brumbies 2 (Brendan  Mitrovich 22’ Dragan Savic 86’) West Sydney Berries 3 (Jack Sobczyk 35’ John Tsironis 40’ Dimitri Zakilas 44’)

Granville Rage v Dulwich Hill

The good results continue to come the way of Dulwich Hill, this time leaving Garside Park with a share of the points in a 1-1 draw against Granville Rage. And if Dully manage to steer clear of relegation, they will owe a great deal of thanks to Steve Donevski.

The striker got on the scoresheet for the third week in a row, ensuring that Dulwich Hill picked up their seventh point from their past nine. Not a bad return for a side who were struggling a month ago.

They had to come from behind though, Nenos Bobo giving the Rage the lead just after half time, in his first start for many weeks.  But on the hour mark, it was Donesvki who got his name on the scoresheet again, his seventh of the season.

“We made a stupid mistake and it cost us”, said a disappointed Mauricio Islas.

“They probably didn’t have too many chances but got the one they needed. We battled away but the ball just wouldn’t go in for us today”.

Granville Rage 1 (Nenos Bobo 49’) Dulwich Hill 1 (Steve Donevski 61’)