Walter Pless on Football

By Walter Pless

Metro-Claremont have appointed Ahmad Abdaltam as their new Premier League coach for the 2008 season.

Abdaltam, who is from Sudan, played professionally in Greece and Egypt.

He has played in Tasmania with Hobart Olympic, Juventus and Glenorchy Knights and has coached the Knights and Juventus.

Metro finished last season as the wooden-spooners and survived a promotion-relegation play-off over two legs against Division One champions Beachside to retain their Premier League status.

Abdaltam replaces Matthew Gasparin, who has been in charge of Metro for the past two seasons.

Abdaltam said he would try and bring several experienced players to the club to form the nucleus of next year’s side.

Meanwhile, Premier League outfit University have appointed Scott Gallacher from NSW as their new senior coach for next season to replace Matthew Shaw, who is moving interstate.

Gary Slicer will be the reserve-team coach, while Les Richardson will coach the under-19s and the Premier Women’s team.

“I have been involved with soccer for the past forty years or more as a player and then as a coach,” said Gallacher, who is from Scotland.

“I first started coaching about twenty years ago and gained my licence as a senior coach ten years ago.

“In the past ten years, the first eight were spent coaching with Hills United Soccer Club, which is a representative club in the NSW State Super League.

“In this capacity I coached all age groups and during this time I took one year out to coach Castle Hill Premier League.

“I moved to Tasmania a year ago and have been involved with the Glenorchy Knights club and coached The Friends’ School first team.”

By Walter Pless

______________________________________________________

Metro-Claremont survive in the Premier League despite losing 1-0 to Division One champions Beachside in this second-leg match in the promotion-relegation play-off at KGV Park.

Metro won the first leg 3-1 last Sunday at North Chigwell and, therefore, win 3-2 on aggregate.

Beachside complained that the Football Federation Tasmania rules for the play-off give them victory on away goals, but anywhere else in the world, it’s the aggregate score that counts and this will undoubtedly be so at the end of the day.

Beachside dominated this match and could easily have won by more than enough goals to make any arguments about the rules superfluous.

But, Metro defended resolutely and created some excellent chances of their own.

Metro’s best chance of the first half came in the 13^th minute when Aaron Marney was given time and space to control the ball inside the box, but the youngster side-footed the chance wide of the right-hand post.

Beachside has even better opportunities, however, but were denied by poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Neil Biggar.

In the 11^th minute, Sebastian Milford blazed over the bar when he should really have hit the target, while in the 27^th minute, Sam Howarth shot straight at Biggar.

In the 31^st minute, Milford took advantage of a rare error by Terry Kent to cut inside and shoot, but Biggar blocked with his feet. Milford also had Jacob Kavanagh unmarked to his left and as pass to him may have been more effective.

A terrible back-pass by Marney led to Beachside’s goal in the 35^th minute. Marney collected the ball in midfield and inexplicably tried to pass it back to the edge of his own box.

Milford gratefully accepted the pass and knocked the ball to Kavanagh, whose shot was parried by Biggar, but only to Milford, who scored with ease.

Eight minutes after the resumption, Shane Kent made a good run down the left but finished with a tame shot straight at goalkeeper Michael Soszynski.

Beachside suffered a major set-back in the 71^st minute when defender Anthony Grzinic was sent off after having won a free-kick. He made his feelings known to the Metro player who had fouled him and the assistant referee signalled for referee Mr Gadd.

After a brief consultation, Mr Gadd brandished the red card. He said later Grzinic was sent off for using foul and abusive language towards an opponent.

Beachside still managed to attack and in the 72^nd minute, Milford’s header almost put Kavanagh and Jonathon Greenwood through on goal, but the alert Biggar intercepted.

Metro, with a one-man advantage, managed to launch a few dangerous counter-attacks and, in the 94^th minute, found themselves in a three against one situation in attack. Adam McKeown’s shot, however, was turned wide for a corner by Soszynski.

From the corner, Metro created two more chances, but McKeown and Jason Dawes were thwarted in quick succession by the post and by Soszynski.

Mr Gadd blew the final whistle in the 95^th minute and it was the Metro supporters who went wild.

______________________________________________________

• Beachside coach, Tony Kavanagh, said:

“It came down to a little bit of luck, and we needed just a little bit of luck today.

“We did enough to win. We stuck to our game plan and everyone played well and nobody let us down.

“Just a little bit of luck. I thought we were dealt with pretty harshly on the send-off and it cost us the promotion.”

• Metro-Claremont coach, Matthew Gasparin, said:

“It was a tough game, but credit to our boys today. We battled for the full ninety minutes.

“Our soccer was pretty ugly for most of the game, but we battled hard.

“I feel a bit sorry for Beachside. They had a week and a half of good soccer, so commiserations to them.”

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Beachside (1-2-5-2): Soszynski - Holmes - Grzinic, Johnson - MacDonald, Greenwood (Klasen 65), Howarth, Davis, Westland - Kavanagh, Milford.

(Subs not used: Dae Won, Gardner, Reason)

Booked: Milford

Sent-off: Grzinic

Goals: Milford 35

Metro-Claremont (1-3-4-2): Biggar - T Kent - Dutton, Chaffey, Curran (Herring 87) - Marney, McKeown, Rahni, Dawes - Guma (Hope 65), S Kent.

(Subs not used: Saunders, Kaden)

Booked: Chaffey, Dutton, Dawes, S Kent

Att: 350

Ref: D Gadd

By Walter Pless

Premier League-Division One Promotion/Relegation Play-off, 1^st Leg, North Chigwell, Sunday, 9 September 2007.

Metro-Claremont 3 (McKeown 9 pen, Guma 28, Chaffey 90)

Beachside 1 (Milford 52)

Match officials Michael Thain, Kim Barker & Steve Fagg

HT: 2-0 Att: 250 Ref: K Barker (Assistants: S Fagg, M Thain)

Metro-Claremont (1-2-5-2): N Biggar - T Kent - D Chaffey, R Dutton - J Dawes (J Saunders 79), A McKeown, S Hope, M Rahni, P Curran - E Guma, A Marney [Substitutes not used: A Herring, A Cooke, T Kaden] [Coach: M Gasparin]

Beachside (1-3-4-2): M Soszynski - A Holmes - S Johnson, B Davis, K Dae Won (A Reason 70) - A Grzinic (S Howarth 59), J Westland, B Klasen (J Greenwood 43), T Sherman - J Kavanagh, S Milford [Substitute not used: S MacDonald] [Coach: A Kavanagh]

Metro-Claremont breathed an audible and collective sigh of relief when central-defender Darrin Chaffey headed home Phil Curran’s corner in the final minute to give the home-side a 3-1 win over Division One champions Beachside in this promotion-relegation play-off at North Chigwell.

The result puts Metro in a commanding position as they fight for their Premier League survival.

The return leg is at KGV Park next Saturday. Beachside had to give up their home-ground advantage as their Sandown Park pitch has already been stripped of the goalposts and the ground prepared for athletics.

Beachside clear

Beachside coach, Tony Kavanagh, does not mind the change of venue because he believes the good surface at KGV will suit his team.

The talk for much of the week before this game was about ‘team stacking’. Beachside were accused of it when they signed South Hobart midfielder Bernhard Klasen on the Friday before the match.

Counter-accusations were levelled at Metro because of the signing of midfielder Mohand Rahni from Hobart United.

Neither claim carries much substance. Klasen has hardly played in South Hobart’s Premier League side this season and his appearances in the club’s lower-league sides were limited because of injury. Indeed, he limped off just before the interval in this game with a strained hamstring. His contribution up until then has been negligible and he must be in doubt for the return leg.

Beachside’s Ben Davis watches the outcome of an aerial tussle

Rahni was signed many weeks ago by Metro, and well before they knew they would be in the relegation play-offs.

It was all a storm in a teacup, according to Beachside coach, Tony Kavanagh.

Metro were without striker and captain, Shane Kent, but the experienced Terry Kent returned from suspension and lined up at sweeper. He was excellent in the first half, but his game fell below expectations in the second period as Metro had their backs to the wall and threatened to crumble.

Kim Dae Won played for Beachside, first at left-back and then in midfield. The Korean, who is in his 40s and has experience in the NSL and in the Korean top flight, showed some wonderful close ball skills when confronted by strong physical challenges, but his passing, especially over distance, sometimes left a lot to be desired.

Metro led 2-0 at the interval and appeared comfortable, but Beachside came back strongly in the second half and pulled a goal back early in the half to make for a tense finish.

While the last-minute goal will prove invaluable for Metro as they go into the return leg at KGV Park with a two-goal advantage, Beachside will be pleased that they at least scored an away goal.

Beachside goalkeeper, Michael Soszynski, received a nasty cut to the chin in a collision with Metro’s Edward Guma in the 39^th minute and play was held up for five minutes while the keeper received treatment.

                       
Soszynski with bandaged jaw and saving at the feet of Metro’s Guma

Soszynski saw out the game, however, and made a crucial save in the second half in a one-on-one situation with Guma.

Beachside’s Tom Sherman missed two good chances in the second half as Metro started to give the ball away in midfield, but both efforts flashed wide of the far post.

An Adam McKeown penalty, awarded for Sam Johnson’s foul on Guma in the 9^th minute, gave Metro the perfect start, while Guma headed the second into an empty net in the 28^th minute after Soszynski could only beat out McKeown’s ferocious shot.

Sebastian Milford scored for Beachside with a cracking shot in the 52^nd minute after Metro keeper Neil Biggar did well to parry a stinging low drive from substitute Jonathon Greenwood.

As the game wore on, Beachside looked satisfied with a one-goal deficit going into the second leg, but Metro’s supporters in the large crowd went wild when Chaffey popped up in the last minute with a vital third goal for the home side.

Soszynski thwarts Metro’s Darrin Chaffey

“That third goal was a God-send and it certainly sets us up for next week,” said Metro coach, Matthew Gasparin.

“It would have been pretty nervy if we’d stayed at 2-1.

“But, credit to Beachside. I thought they really battled well.

“They started well early in the first half, while in the second they really took it up to us.

Metro’s Stuart Hope & Aaron Marney challenges the Beachside defence

“We panicked a fair bit and we were very undisciplined, but next week’s another ball game and we’re looking forward to it.

“At half-time we felt pretty confident. That’s probably one of the most frustrating things about it.

“At half-time we spoke about just making sure we kept disciplined. We were determined and we shut their space down nice and early as we did in the first half.

Injured duo Bernhard Klasen and Michael Soszynski

“It fell away a bit, but credit again to Beachside. They took it up to us and they deserved to win Division One, that’s for sure.”

Beachside coach, Tony Kavanagh, said: “It was a scrappy affair and we could have done a little bit better.

“I thought we did enough to score some goals, but we could have done a little bit better.

“The third goal was a blow. We don’t normally concede goals from corners because we’re normally strong in the air.

“But, we left someone free and paid the price.

             
Beachsides’s Jonathon Greenwood in action

“We were always in the game at 2-1. I thought we were always in the game. I never thought we were out of it. Even in the first half going 2-0 down, I never thought we were out of it.

“I had confidence in the boys, but it just didn’t come.

“We had our chances in the second half. It’s been the same all year. We scored 60 odd goals and could have trebled that. We’ve just got to put our chances away.”

Metro’s Aaron Marney takes on Sam Johnson while Jonathon Greenwood looks on

METRO-CLAREMONT		BEACHSIDE
18	Goal Attempts	15
7	Shots on Target	5
9	Corners	6
10	Fouls Committed	15
4	Off-Sides	3
0	Yellow Cards	1 (Westland 88)
0	Red Cards	0

Metro-Claremont:

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
Rahni	3	1
McKeown	5	2
Chaffey	2	1
Dawes	3	1
Guma	2	2
Curran	2	0
Saunders	1	0

Metro’s Darrin Chaffey (extreme right) heads home to make it 3-1

Beachside:

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
Sherman	4	1
Klasen	2	0
Holmes	1	1
Grzinic	1	0
Milford	3	2
Greenwood	1	1
Kavanagh	2	0
Davis	1	0

Darrin Chaffey heads home the all important goal 

By Walter Pless

Division One champions Beachside have signed South Hobart’s experienced utility player, Bernhard Klasen, on the eve of their promotion-relegation clash with Premier League wooden-spooners Metro-Claremont.

The sides meet at North Chigwell on Sunday in the first leg of the play-off, and again next Saturday at KGV Park in the crucial second leg.

Klasen was a match-winner in his prime, but injury has restricted his senior Premier League appearances this season, although his reading of a game, his technical prowess and his ability at free-kicks still make him dangerous.

Beachside’s other trump cards could be youngster Jacob Kavanagh and experienced goalkeeper Michael Soszynski.

Soszynksi has shunned the top flight in recent years and openly expressed his disdain for it, so now will be his chance to prove his mettle again.

Beachside’s players and coach Tony Kavanagh have watched Metro in recent weeks and will be well aware of what they will be facing.

Metro, whose Premier League future is at stake, must win convincingly tomorrow on their home turf, but they will have to improve their finishing.

Last weekend, in their final league match, Metro created numerous chances in the opening half against University but trailed 1-0 at the break before eventually losing 3-1.

They cannot afford similar lapses this time.

The return of the experienced Terry Kent at sweeper after a one-week suspension is a bonus for Metro, but it is in the goalscoring department that they will need to sharpen up.

Metro coach, Matthew Gasparin, admits to tension in the Metro camp and said that training had been less than impressive, with numerous absentees due to injury or illness.

“Veteran goalkeeper Neil Biggar and experienced defender Royston Dutton have the ‘flu and, if they can’t play, Troy Kaden will go in goal and Andrew Herring will come in to the side,” Gasparin said.

Defender Darrin Chaffey has a back injury, striker Aaron Marney has a neck problem, and midfielders Adam McKeown and Mohand Rahni have leg injuries.

“On the positive side of the ledger, the return of Terry Kent is good news,” said Gasparin.

“He has provided great penetration going forward since his stint as sweeper started some time ago.

“His cool head and impeccable ball skills will prove a handful for Beachside.”

Surprisingly, Gasparin said his team may adopt a defensive approach in an attempt to suss out Beachside’s capabilities and exploit these in next week’s return leg.

This could be a recipe for disaster as Metro need to establish their dominance in the home leg.

The women’s State premiership will be decided at Mitsubishi Park in Launceston on Sunday when northern champion Launceston City takes on southern title-winner Nelson Eastern Suburbs.

Nelson will be without the suspended defender Nicole Hale, who was sent off last weekend in the 3-1 win over Clarence United in the State-wide Cup final.

These two sides are perennial opponents at this level and the game should be very close.

Nelson won 3-2 when the sides met last season, but home-ground advantage may just tip the balance in City’s favour this time.

By Walter Pless

Premier League, Olinda Grove, Saturday, 1 September 2007

Roysten Dutton slides in to thwart University’s Matthew Shaw

University 3 (Shepherd 28, Proud 61, 89 pen)

Metro-Claremont 1 (S Kent 65 pen)

HT: 1-0 Att: 70 Ref: I Colhoun (S Pitchford 70)

University (1-3-4-2): Winter - M Andrews - Manaka (Teale 84), Fletcher, J Andrews - Mills, Richardson, Shepherd, Shaw (Matsuo 95) - Proud, Stockdale (Merry 55) [Substitute not used: Kirkham] [Player-Coach: M Shaw]

Metro-Claremont (1-2-5-2): Biggar (Kaden 71) - Chaffey - Curran (Gasparin 81), Dutton - Dawes, McKeown, Hope, Rahni, Marney (Lawler 61) - S Kent, Guma [Substitute not used: Herring] [Player-Coach: M Gasparin]

Metro’s Mohand Rahni wins the ball against University’s Colin Shepherd

Metro-Claremont ran riot in the first half of this replay of the earlier league meeting between the sides but trailed 1-0 at the break through a goal from a free-kick by Colin Shepherd in the 28^th minute.

The goalmouth action in the 7^th minute summed up Metro’s day. Adam McKeown’s low shot was turned against the inside of the left-hand post by Ashley Winter and the ball rebounded across the goal to the far post, where Edward Guma incredibly hit the bar from four metres.

In the 13^th minute, Stuart hope’s header looped onto the top of the crossbar and Winter caught the ball as it came down. The ball looked suspiciously over the line as Winter clutched it to his chest, but play continued.

It was all Metro and in the 24^th minute Shane Kent squandered a good chance by shooting straight at the goalkeeper.

Two minutes later, a great ball forward by Darrin Chaffey found McKeown and Kent through the defence together, but Kent chipped over the goalkeeper and wide of the target.

Matthew Shaw evades a tackle by Metro’s Darrin Chaffey

Matthew Shaw had the ball in the Metro net in the 27^th minute, but the effort was ruled off-side.

A minute later, Shepherd put the Students in front.

In the 34^th minute, Winter had to dive to turn Kent’s free-kick wide as Metro’s bad luck continued.

Julian Proud made it 2-0 in the 61^st minute when he converted Shaw’s low cross from the left.

Metro keeper Neil Biggar takes a corner

Metro earned a penalty for handball in the 65^th minute and Kent netted to make it one goal the difference.

That was the signal for Troy Kaden to replace Neil Biggar in the Metro goal in preparation for next weekend’s promotion/relegation play-off with Beachside, who won the Division One title the same afternoon by beating Christian United 2-1.

Referee Ian Colhoun suffered a calf injury at this point and was replaced by senior assistant referee Stephen Pitchford, while University official John Parry took the flag.

A change of referees and a quick check on the time before resuming

University’s Taka Manaka was stretchered off in the 80^th minute with a leg injury and replaced by Brook Teale.

In the 89^th minute, University were awarded a penalty and goalkeeper Ashley Winter came up to take it. Kaden saved his spot-kick by diving to his left.

Mr Pitchford ordered the kick to be retaken and Proud made no mistake, sending Kaden diving to his left while the ball went straight down the middle.

Reserve goalkeeper Ryo Matsuo then came on in place of Matthew Shaw and went in goal, while Winter moved into the attack.

He had one shot in open play, but that was straight at Kaden.

Manaka down but not out

The three points were just reward for University, who had won the initial game 5-1 before a timing discrepancy led to the replay.

University finished in seventh place and Metro last.

“Well, its over,” said University’s player-coach, Matthew Shaw. “We were terrible in the first half at times.

“We just opened up the gates and said “Here, have a shot’.

“They just didn’t seem to want to stick it in the net. They had an open goal at the top of the six-yard box. You should score them every time, but we were kind of grateful they didn’t.

“In the second half we had a little bit more control, but still, we took our chances and they didn’t.

“If you don’t take them, you pay the price for not taking them.

Metro captain Shane Kent confronted by a University defender

“We’ve had games like that this year.”

Metro goalkeeper, Neil Biggar, said: “I think it was a good hit-out for next week, actually.

“Having the week off would have done more harm than good, I think.

“We created more opportunities today than I think we had for half the season and we got one goal for it, and that was a penalty.

“Sometimes it happens like that.

Metro’s substitute keeper Troy Kaden takes a free kick

“We’re quite confident for the game against Beachside. We got one goal today, but if we create half as many chances next week, we’re going to score goals. We have to score goals.

“We’re not worried about them. We’re only worried about us.”

Biggar said he did not know whether he or Troy Kaden would be in goal against Beachside.

He said it was good to see Kaden back because he was the future of the club and that the 20 minutes he played in this game were important.

Metro’s Jason Dawes tackles Colin Shepherd

UNIVERSITY		METRO-CLAREMONT
13	Goal Attempts	17
10	Shots on Target	6
2	Corners	6
14	Fouls Committed	15
6	Off-Sides	5
1 (Stockdale 53)	Yellow Cards	2 (Rahni 47, S Kent 72)
0	Red Cards	0

University:

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
Stockdale	2	1
Proud	4	2
Shepherd	1	1
Shaw	2	2
Richardson	1	1
Winter	2	2
M Andrews	1	1

Metro’s Troy Kaden saves Ashley Winter’s penalty

Metro-Claremont:

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
McKeown	5	1
Guma	2	1
Dawes	1	0
Hope	1	1
S Kent	8	3

University’s Julian Proud scores a penalty to make it 3-1

By Walter Pless

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Metro-Claremont lost a game they could easily have won and, as a result, finished at the bottom of the southern Premier League ladder, even though they have a game against University still to play.

They will face Beachside in the home-and-away promotion/relegation play-off on 9 and 16 September.

Beachside took out the Division One title the same afternoon by downing Northern Suburbs-DOSA 3-2 at Sandown park, just a few kilometres up the road from Kelvedon Park.

 
Taroona kickoff against Metro Saturday 25.8.07

To give Taroona credit, they fought back well from a goal down at the break and were worth their 3-1 win in the end as they were going from strength to strength as the second half progressed.

Taroona have, therefore, survived their first season in the top flight. They lost coach Matthew Rhodes three-quarters of the way through the season and his replacement, Greg McVeigh, did the trick in keeping the