Tilford Zebras v Hobart Olympic Match Report
Premier League,
Tilford Zebras 5 (Lapolla 9, Smith 40, Frediani 67, Thorpe 90, 92)
HT: 2-1 Att: 300 Ref: C Phillips
Tilford Zebras (3-5-2): F Mainella - H Fagg, R Smith, M Connolly - A Brazendale, C Cox, B Pullen (E Nicholson 45), M Falzon, R Self - D Lapolla, R Frediani (J Thorpe 87) [Substitute not used: A Venettacci] [Coach: N Lapolla]
Hobart Olympic (4-4-2): D Nester - Y Mohamad, P Tsakiris, N Vavoulas, C Tsimiklis - B Backhaus, C Tsakiris, P Cairns, F Tracy - D Djekanovic, K Grillas [Substitutes not used: E Lesa, R Lebski, L Southam] [Coach: F Shaw]
They could have had four goals in the opening half, but had only one to show for their efforts.
Tilford Zebras were fragile at the back with three defenders and Olympic found it relatively easy to penetrate until midway through the first half, when Brett Pullen dropped back to make it a back-four. This effectively plugged the gaping holes.
When Pullen was replaced by Eoin Nicholson at half-time because of a groin injury, Zebras reverted to a back-three, but Olympic failed to take advantage.
Olympic took the lead in the 7th minute when Chris Tsakiris released Danijel Djekanovic down the left with a free-kick and his cross was nodded home by Nektar Vavoulas.
Zebras were level 2 minutes later. Romeo Frediani went down when hit in the midriff by a fierce shot and, while everyone looked on, Daniel Lapolla hit a marvellous volley into the roof of the net from 25 metres. Dmitri Nester seemed to flap at the ball and he might have done better as it flashed past close to his body. But, it was 1-1.
Ben Backhaus squandered a great chance to put Olympic ahead again when he glanced a header wide of the far post from Djekanovic’s left-wing cross in the 12th minute.
In the 17th minute, Aaron Brazendale crossed the ball towards the far post from the right and Romeo Frediani steered a delicate header against Nester’s right-hand post. It was a lucky escape for Olympic.
In the 27th minute, Olympic missed two glorious chances within seconds of each other. First, Backhaus’s perfectly timed pass put Kosta Grillas through, but the alert Frank Mainella was able to block with his feet. The ball fell for Djekanovic, who failed to score with the goal at his mercy when he completely missed the ball with his kick.
Two minutes later, Grillas was put through again, but a timely intervention by Henry Fagg saved the day for the Zebras as Mainella could only look on anxiously.
With 5 minutes of the first half remaining, Chris Tsimiklis conceded a corner while under pressure. It was the Zebras’ first corner of the match and they struck pay dirt, Brazendale floating the ball over from the right and Ryan Smith rising above the defenders to head home powerfully and give Zebras a 2-1 lead.
Paul Cairns went close with a long-range shot in the 61st minute, but Zebras extended their lead in the 67th minute when Ricky Self slipped the ball through for Frediani to hammer home from the edge of the box.
In the 75th minute, a ricochet from a Zebras defender put Backhaus through and he put the ball in the net, but Mr Phillips had already blown for a foul by Mark Falzon.
Amid uproar from the Olympic supporters, Djekanovic allayed their fury when he stepped up and curled a superb left-footed free-kick over the defensive wall and into the roof of the net to make it one goal the difference again.
Zebras substitute Josh Thorpe had only been on the field for three minutes when he made it 4-2. Mainella sent a free-kick down the right for Self, whose cross was met by Thorpe ahead of a slow Nester and he nodded the ball down and into the net before the keeper could intercept.
In the 92nd minute, Falzon put Thorpe through the Olympic defence and, although Nester did very well to parry the striker’s initial shot, the ball rebounded to Thorpe, who stroked it home to make it 5-2.
The win put Zebras three points clear at the top, while Olympic stayed second on goal-difference.
Zebras retain their perfect record for the season with four league wins and five Summer Cup victories from nine outings.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Nick Lapolla (Tilford Zebras coach)
“That was one of the worst games we’ve played. I’m not happy with it, but to come away with five goals was great.
“That’s the only good thing about the game.
“All credit to Olympic. They pressured us.
“But, next week is another week.”
Brett Pullen (Tilford Zebras midfielder)
“It wasn’t pretty soccer, but it was good for the crowd. A good finish and we ran it out.
“We couldn’t disown it.
“That’s the sort of soccer we want to be playing week in and week out. We didn’t give in.
“There was a little bit of controversy. It would have been a good game for the spectators and, obviously, it was a good three points for the year.”
Farrell Shaw (Hobart Olympic coach)
“The first half, we played well, but we didn’t take our chances. We took it up to them.
“In the second half, we came out and we changed a few things.
“We pushed them again. They got a good goal and carried on.
“The last two goals flattered them a bit. We were really pushing for an equaliser and pushing men forward. It happens.
“Young Danijel [Djekanovic] played well wide on the left and a few others worked their butts off as usual.
“In the end, we weren’t smart enough. We weren’t really smart enough.”
|
TILFORD ZEBRAS |
|
HOBART OLYMPIC |
|
12 |
Goal Attempts |
9 |
|
9 |
Shots on Target |
6 |
|
5 |
Corners |
5 |
|
23 |
Fouls Committed |
18 |
|
1 |
Off-Sides |
4 |
|
1 (C Cox 77) |
Yellow Cards |
3 (F Tracy 30, C Tsimiklis 64, K Grillas 76) |
|
0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
Tilford Zebras:
|
PLAYER |
GOAL ATTEMPTS |
SHOTS ON TARGET |
|
Lapolla |
1 |
1 |
|
Falzon |
2 |
2 |
|
Frediani |
2 |
2 |
|
Cox |
1 |
0 |
|
Brazendale |
2 |
1 |
|
Smith |
1 |
1 |
|
Self |
1 |
0 |
|
Thorpe |
2 |
2 |
Hobart Olympic:
|
PLAYER |
GOAL ATTEMPTS |
SHOTS ON TARGET |
|
Vavoulas |
1 |
1 |
|
Tsimiklis |
1 |
0 |
|
Backhaus |
1 |
1 |
|
Mohamad |
1 |
1 |
|
Grillas |
2 |
1 |
|
Cairns |
2 |
1 |
|
Djekanovic |
1 |
1 |