Walter Pless on Football

By Walter Pless

Intrastate Representative Match, Aurora Stadium, Launceston, Sunday, 15 July 2007

North 3 (Compagne 23, McKenna 56, Crosswell 67)

South 5 (Roach 18, 60, Brown 44, Smith 62, Lapolla 77)

HT: 1-2 Att: 4,000 Ref: K Barker

Match officials for North v South

North (3-5-2): M Pooley (G Innes 56) - T Hingston, S Wilson, J Compagne (C Eaves 51) - B Eaves, K

Douglas, D Schipper (P Oosterloo 73), K Johnson (T Claxton 52), B Crosswell - C McKenna, T Skene (S Howe 46) [Coach: T McGinn]

South (4-4-2): F Mainella (N Pitchford 46) - J Begovic, R Smith, N Robinson (A Telega 65), H Fagg - T Roach, J Ladic, B Gasparinatos (B Beecroft 52), J Fielding (J Lo 56) - A Brazendale, D Brown (D Lapolla 75) [Coach: E Kelly]

This was a fine exhibition of football on a glorious day in Launceston.

It seems that the sum of the parts are much better than the individual parts as both representative teams excelled themselves and individuals played at a level higher than they tend to do for their club sides.

A Bobby Eaves corner 

The excellent surface may also have had something to do with it, as may the attendance. It’s not often that these players parade their skills in front of 4,000 people.

Daniel Brown typified the point. His form for

South Hobart has been mediocre at best, but in this company he showed some fine touches and he scored an excellent goal. If only he could finish like that for his club side.

Brown had an early scare when he committed a foul in only the 5^th minute and Mr Barker accidentally brandished the red card. He quickly put it away and flashed the yellow, much to the relief of Brown and the South bench.

Ladic creates width

The general quality of the shooting and passing was better than one sees week in, week out, in the respective Premier Leagues.

Tom Roach’s second goal was well-struck and Janko Begovic also hit a pile driver that Innis did well to turn over the bar.

Both chances were set up by Jonathon Lo, who was outstanding after coming on as a substitute for Josh Fielding in the 56^th minute.

Gallagher Innis had a difficult time after coming on in goal for Marshall Pooley early in the second half and almost made some terrible blunders, although he also made a couple of good saves.

Mainella is injured

South goalkeeper Frank Mainella was injured in the first half and did not reappear for the second. This will be a worry to Tilford Zebras, who have now lost two games in a row and who face Clarence United next weekend.

Pitchford prepares to replace mainella

This match was the curtain-raiser to the A-League clash between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United.

The sides will meet again at the end of the season in a home-and-away series.

South took the lead in the 18^th minute following John Compagne’s foul on Daniel Brown in midfield.

Jonathon Ladic floated the free-kick towards the far left-hand post, where Tom Roach stooped to head past Pooley.

Compagne atoned for his error in the 23^rd minute by moving up at a corner and nodding home Toby Skene’s accurate ball into the box.

McKenna changes point of attack 

Brown went close in the 31^st minute from Ladic’s pass and he then put South ahead a minute before the interval with a low shot inside the right-hand post after being put through by Billy Gasparinatos.

North came out fighting in the second half and Derek Schipper put Bobby Eaves through on the right in the 53^rd minute, but he shot wide when he might have scored.

Robinson stops a North attack

Chris McKenna drew the North level three minutes later when he volleyed home a corner, conceded by Josh Fielding.

South substitute Jonathon Lo had an immediate impact when he came on in the 56^th minute and he teased the opposing defence mercilessly and created some wonderful openings.

North catch South square

His superb defence-splitting pass on the hour enabled Roach to score his second goal. Roach hared in from the right and struck a splendid first-time shot in off the far post to put the South 3-2 ahead.

In the 62^nd minute, Lo fed Janko Begovic, again on the right, and the defender’s powerful shot was well saved by Innis, who dived to block and turned the ball over the bar.

Tom Roach crosses into the box

But, the corner proved eventful and South’s central defender Ryan Smith smashed the ball home from 12 metres to give the visitors a 4-2 lead.

Ben Crosswell, who was proving a tricky customer for the South, pulled a goal back for the North in the 67^th minute when he outran two defenders after a long clearance out of defence and stroked a low shot past Nathan Pitchford.

North move out of defence through Johnson

Substitute Daniel Lapolla had only been on the field for two minutes when he made it 5-3 for the South with a marvellous chip over the goalkeeper from 35 metres with virtually his first touch of the ball

The game was an examplary advertisement for the game in Tasmania.

Teams congratulate each other at the completion of the match

NORTH		SOUTH
17	Goal Attempts	11
8	Shots on Target	7
5	Corners	8
6	Fouls Committed	13
2	Off-Sides	5
0	Yellow Cards	2 (Brown 5, Brazendale 61)
0	Red Cards	0

Northern players leave the field

North: 

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
B Eaves	4	0
Douglas	1	0
Crosswell	3	1
Compagne	1	1
McKenna	5	3
Skene	1	1
Claxton	1	1
Oosterloo	1	1

South:

Southern players warm down after the match

 

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
Roach	5	3
Brazendale	1	0
Brown	2	1
Begovic	1	1
Smith	1	1
Lapolla	1	1