Walter Pless on Football

Beachside v Christian United Match Report [Division One Knock-out Cup, Wellesley Park, Saturday, 20 September 2008]

By Walter Pless
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Beachside 1 (Direen 50)
Christian United 2 (Page 15, T Wierenga 39)

HT: 0-2 Att: 50 Ref: N Mele

Beachside: Smee - Frost (Chadwick 60), Grzinic, Box - Depino, Direen, Ikin,, McCarthy, Evans (Christian 64) - Reason, Brown (Gardner 90)

Beachside

Christian United: Nicholson - Noble, T Wiernga, J Wierenga (Dolliver 87) - Walter, Manasseh, Lumago, Livingston, De Deuge (Whayman 60) - Page, Arnold (Dixon 81)

Christian United
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Christian United celebrated their 10th anniversary in style on Saturday by winning the Division One Knock-out Cup with a 2-1 victory over Beachside at Wellesley Park.

Christian had finished second-last in the league and Beachside third, but one wouldn’t have known it in this clash.

Referee Nino Mele tosses the coin for the two captains

Christian were under the pump in the opening stages against a keen and spirited Beachside outfit that was looking to salvage something from the season.

Brad Evans should have done better than to shoot wide for Beachside in the 8th minute as he was well positioned and not under pressure.

In the 14th minute, Christian were again let off the hook when Daniel Frost headed over the bar from close range while unchallenged.

Christian’s David Noble holds off Beachside’s Andrew Reason

Having survived these early scares, Christian hit back and only a fine and brave save by Beachside goalkeeper, Daniel Smee, who plucked the ball from the feet of Ashley Page, prevented Christian from taking the lead.

It would have been an injustice, however, as the referee appeared to hesitate in making a decision and then ignored the Christian foul in midfield which had led to the attack.

Seconds later, Beachside went behind to a goal that looked suspiciously off-side. Page’s shot was blocked by Smee and the ball rebounded to Jesse Arnold, whose pass found Page and he knocked the ball into the net.

Beachside keeper Adam Smee catches a corner

Beachside protested, but it was to no avail. To their credit, they rolled up their sleeves and got stuck back into their task.

They were almost rewarded in the 23rd minute when Adam Direen’s looping header bounced back into play off the right-hand post.

Beachside knew they were in trouble when Christian netted a second goal six minutes before the interval.

Brian Roberts presents the Cup to Tim Wierenga

Beachside blocked a corner from the left, but the ball fell to Arnold, who slipped it inside to Christian captain, Tim Wierenga, who turned and volleyed a magnificent strike into the far corner of the net to make it 2-0.

That was truly a goal worthy of winning a cup final.

The heavens opened up at half-time and the rain was still bucketing down as Christian kicked off the second half with a strong wind behind their backs.

But, it was Beachside who reduced the arrears five minutes after the resumption when Direen’s shot bounced just in front of goalkeeper Scott Nicholson and the ball sneaked past him and into the net.

Christian’s Tim Wierenga closes down Beachside’s Andrew Reason

Beachside should have taken the game to a penalty shoot-out when Michaelangelo Depino was presented with a simple chance at the far post from a corner, but he nodded tamely wide from close range.

Christian created few chances of their own, but they managed to hold on for a satisfying 2-1 win.

Brian Roberts, a former Football Federation Tasmania official, was handed the trophy by FFT’s Kenneth Hansen and Roberts presented it to Christian captain, Tim Wierenga, amid great jubiliation.

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• Beachside’s Daniel Gardner said:

“It was a hard-fought game and we had a lot of possession and probably could have got over the line.

“But, like the whole season in Division One and the Reserves, we don’t put the goals in the back of the net when we have the chance.

“We’ll grab a striker or two next year and we’ll make sure we get them in.”

• Christian United’s Angus Livingston said:

“It was a great win for the boys.

“We had a pretty slow season and we’ve just really worked hard in the last half of the year and put it together.

“We got a bit of momentum and beat the first and second teams on the ladder and today we got a good win, so we’re pretty happy.

“It’s a great way to celebrate the tenth anniversary. It’s good to see the club is still going strong ten years after we started.

“We’ve got a good young group of guys and, hopefully, we can build on this next year.”

• Christian United president, Trevor Catherall, said:

“I thought it was fantastic.

“We had a really rough season. It’s been slow, we’ve been unlucky, and we’ve beaten the top three teams.

“It couldn’t get much better than that.

“It’s just a chance to get out there and say, ‘Yes, we can do it’.

“It gives the boys a bit of confidence, and the girls, too, because they won.

“Yeah, we’re rapt.”
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STATISTICS

BEACHSIDE CHRISTIAN UNITED
18 Goal Attempts 10
7 Shots on Target 7
7 Corners 2
8 Fouls Committed 13
4 Off-Sides 4
2 (Box 12, Reason 35) Yellow Cards 2 (Arnold 64, Manasseh 80)
0 Red Cards 0

Beachside:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Box 1 1
Direen 4 3
Evans 2 0
Brown 6 2
Reason 3 1
Frost 1 0
Depino 1 0

Christian United:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Page 3 2
Arnold 2 2
Livingston 1 0
T Wierenga 1 1
Manasseh 1 0
Walters 1 1
Whayman 1 1