Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC are flying high in the PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 1 finals series after week one, reports Matthew Greenlaw.
The White Eagles were too fit and too strong for APIA Leichhardt Tigers FC on Saturday night at Lambert Park, winning 3-1. This coming weekend they will take on Blacktown City.
Goals from Tyan Diaz, Adam Jenner and Robbie Younis proved a mountain too large for Rod Williams’ Tigers to climb, despite the home ground advantage.
The result was a significant turnaround within just a month when Leichhardt dismantled Bonnyrigg 3-0 at Bonnyrigg Sports Club, but a completely deserved one for Brian Brown’s men.
Both sides had disrupted pre-game warm-ups with players from both sides going down with injury.
The White Eagles lost David Vrankovic prior to kick-off, while APIA lost Brett Studman, who was replaced by an undercooked Adam Griffiths, who himself had to be replaced at half-time.
David Fox had hit the post for White Eagles after just four minutes, with a wonderful headed effort, while Diaz had a chance shortly after from a free-kick which he blasted wide.
Diaz wouldn’t be denied at the next time of asking when he picked up the ball just outside of the top right corner of the box. The diminutive winger didn’t need a second invitation, taking one touch and slamming the ball home across the face of goal and past a helpless Ryan Norval.
With the goal advantage and smelling blood in the water, the White Eagles stepped up the pace another notch and might have been 2-0 up had Aaron Peterson been a bit sharper in the 38th minute.
A minute later, Yuta Kokado had robbed his marker and drove at goal only to smash his glorious chance wide of the far post.
APIA responded with a great run from Nathan Elasi but a poor touch forced the forward to hold up his run and attempt to find Corey Biczo, but the ball flashed just wide of the onrushing winger.
The missed chance proved a costly one when Jenner turned on the style just moments later.
Picking up the ball after a needless turnover from Michael West, Jenner glided past Adam and David D’Apuzzo with consummate ease before turning the ball beyond Norval to double the White Eagles’ lead and send the Bonnyrigg boys into the half-time break well and truly in the box seat.
APIA looked a more resolute outfit after the half-time break and pushed hard for a way back into the game, but struggled to turn that forward pressure into clear chances on goal.
They eventually got some reward when Biczo moved into the box with the ball and was felled by an outstretched leg to earn the Tigers a penalty and a way back into the game.
Substitute Nicholas Olsen stepped up confidently, despite having only just been substituted into the game, and took the penalty with great composure to reduce the deficit to one.
From kick-off, the Tigers hunted the ball straight away and broke forward again through Elasi but the chance was eventually wasted.
By the 70th minute, the White Eagles were re-establishing their dominance on the contest, but it had to wait until late on to secure the win.
Olsen, the hero early in the half, turned villain when he needlessly attempted to carry the ball out of defence while mobbed by three White Eagles attackers.
He lost the ball and set the dangerous Diaz on another foray forward, when he was fouled by West in the box.
By now, the White Eagles had introduced Robbie Younis, a somewhat surprising exclusion from the starting XI, and the front man proved his ice cold composure again with a solid penalty.
White Eagles’ coach Brian Brown said he was delighted with the way his side stepped up its intensity for finals football.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“It was a fantastic result and an outstanding performance,” Brown said.[/social_quote]
“I think our work rate was outstanding. We closed them down really well and we took our chances.
“Finals football is a bit different and tonight our boys handled the intensity brilliantly.
“Blacktown vs Bonnyrigg will always be a good game and I’m excited for it. We’ve got plenty of knocks and injuries but nothing too bad.”
