Gungahlin United toasted a first ever PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues victory on Sunday afternoon as they came from behind to defeat Woden-Weston FC 3-1 at Gungahlin Enclosed.
Sunday 3rd May
Canberra Olympic 4 (Philippe Bernabo-Madrid 10’, Robbie Cattanach 12’, 88’ (pen), Callum Smith 14’)
FFA COE 0
Three goals in the first 15 minutes set up a comfortable win for Canberra Olympic against the FFA Centre of Excellence at O’Connor Enclosed on Sunday. The 4-0 defeat was the COE’s first of the season and despite controlling possession for large periods of the match they never looked like threatening Angelo Konstantinou in goal for Olympic.
The match started at a frenetic pace, with both sides pressing hard to gain the upper hand. Olympic would make the breakthrough inside ten minutes thanks to Robbie Cattanach when the striker beat COE goalkeeper Brandon Ospiov to a long ball before calmly finishing into an empty net. The early goal clearly rattled the visitors and smelling blood, Olympic struck again just minutes later.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Saturday 2nd May
Tigers FC 0
Belconnen United 2 (Aisosa Ihegie 15’, Jason Ugrinic 62’ (pen))
Belconnen United has continued their excellent start to the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues season with a commanding 2-0 victory away to League Champions Tigers FC at Nijong Oval. The Blue Devils scored once in each half to ensure that they climbed to second on the league ladder after four rounds with nine points, a decent return after negotiating a tricky set of fixtures to start the campaign.
The Tigers, perhaps with last weekend’s remarkable 5-7 loss to Canberra FC in the back of their minds, were visibly tighter in defence this week with Gaby Wilk surely having drilled his team in their defensive responsibilities at training. Whilst it worked in the main they were still culpable after conceding the opening goal of the match on fifteen minutes. Matt Grbesa created it, whipping in a superb cross that was begging to be converted. Young striker Aisosa Ihegie, who is in top form of late, met the cross with a thumping header to register his third goal of the season and continue his rapid ascension as a striker of real promise.
Sunday 3rd May
Tuggeranong United 1 (Zac Munster 56’ (pen))
Monaro Panthers 3 (Mark Shields 10’, Chris Ruiz 12’, Daniel Hearle 90+1’)
Monaro Panthers staged a smash and grab raid on Tuggeranong United on Sunday afternoon, gate-crashing United’s home ground and collecting three priceless points to leave the Westfield FFA Cup heroes marooned at the foot of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues competition after four rounds.
This was always likely to be a hefty battle with so many intriguing sub-plots throughout the field with siblings Harry Pettit and Tomas Ruiz lining up for the home side against their brothers Jack Pettit and Chris Ruiz on the opposite side. And it was the Panthers’ half of the sibling rivalry that was to leave with smiles on their face. Monaro got off to a flier as two former Tuggeranong crowd favourites combined to hush the home support. Matt Menser, whose two goals won Tuggeranong the 2013 Federation Cup, cracked a low shot at goal that ‘keeper rowan Forbes-Shepherd could only parry into the path of Mark Shields and the Panthers’ predator side-footed home from close range in the 10th minute.
Gungahlin United 3 (Stephen Domenici 60’, Shane Murray 80’ (pen), Michael John 90+6’)
Woden-Weston FC 1 (Andrew Slavich 4’)
Goals from Stephen Domenici, Shane Murray and Michael John gave the Gunners a maiden success at this level but they were definitely made to work hard for the points by a Woden-Weston team that appears to be growing in confidence each week. Indeed, it was the visitors who got off to a flying start taking the lead after only four minutes.
Andrew Slavich, who was provider for the opening goal in Round 3, took the chance to put his name on the score-sheet himself this week with his first for the club. Gungahlin should have levelled midway through the half when they were awarded a penalty but Dustin Wells, usually so reliable from the spot, sent his effort wide of the post.
Click here for the details from all of the matches.