ASA: In what is certain to be their final season in Australia’s national soccer competition, Parramatta Power has assured themselves and their fans of the chance to win their first National Soccer League title after a clinical and well-deserved 2-0 victory over rivals Perth Glory in the major semi final second leg clash at Members Equity Stadium on Saturday night.
Not only did the comprehensive win seal Power’s spot in a grand final for the first time (6-2 on aggregate to the Power), it also condemned Perth to their first loss at home this season.
An early goal from brilliant wide man Ahmad Elrich (pictured below left) and the sealer from veteran Saso Petrovski on 66 minutes settled the occasion and sparked subsequent scenes of jubilation on the Power bench.
“I am immensely elated with the performance”, Power coach Nick Theodorakopoulos said. “The score speaks for itself and everyone saw for themselves tonight why Parramatta is a special team”.
“For my players, being 4-2 up on aggregate was a psychological advantage, because if it was 5-2, we would have sat back and thought the tie was over.”
“We did the job in style tonight, which is a big bonus”.
Power skipper Alvin Ceccoli said the match tonight was testament to the players’ and coaches’ hard work.
“The effort and hard work everyone has done throughout the year came into fruition tonight”, he said. “We backed ourselves (to win this tie) and we’ve done it”.
Theodorakopoulos also mentioned in the press conference that the club will be making a “surprise announcement” on Monday evening.
Of course, the game had to have some controversy. Perth had two penalty appeals – one in each half – waved away by referee Matthew Breeze and a goal disallowed for offside minutes after the main interval.
A lob into the Power box saw Damian Mori and Power keeper Clint Bolton contest for the ball. Mori was adjudged to have headed the ball on to substitute Adrian Caceres, who duly finished with the easiest of tap-ins. No flag was raised and after the Power players swamped the linesman, Breeze ran over to discuss the matter with the concerned assistant and after a few minutes of deliberation, controversially reversed the goal and awarded the Power a free kick for offside.
Some would argue that the goal would have provided the turning point, but that incident should not overshadow the display the Power exhibited for the away fans tonight.
Bearing the scars of a two-goal deficit going into this match, many were expecting the Glory to mount onslaught after onslaught in the search for a vital early goal, but to the team’s and the crowd’s disappointment, chances of threatening Bolton’s goal were surprisingly scarce.
Much credit for this was due to Parramatta’s three-man defence of Michael Beauchamp, Paul O’Grady and Ceccoli. Their resolute defending really kept the Glory at bay and it forced the home side to settle with speculative chances from difficult positions.
The performance of the back three also helped lay the foundations for a great result, which will no doubt boost their confidence ten-fold when it comes to grand final time on April 4.
With Travis Dodd in for Lucas Pantelis on the left flank and Petrovski replacing the injured Fernando Rech up front, the Power’s formidable starting line-up was ultimately too strong for a Glory side that seemed to lack imagination, determination and motivation.
The opening stages were littered with scheming attempts by both sides to identify key weaknesses in the opposition, which provided some relatively open, end-to-end football. However, neither side could penetrate the rearguard and test the keeper, until the 15-minute mark, when Power drew first blood.
Dodd moved down the left wing before sending in a cross that was not cleared well. The ball then found its way to Ante Milicic in the middle of the box before he headed on to the unmarked Elrich, who came steaming up the right side of the box.
Elrich coolly volleyed home from close range to hand the Glory a psychological blow.
Theodorakopoulos branded Dodd the man-of-the-match, but said it was too early to decide if he would remain in the starting line-up for the grand final.
Many a times throughout the match, Perth were undermanned at the back and the free space within the defence inevitably plotted their downfall when Petrovski struck 21 minutes after the restart.
Like the first leg, the Power found plenty of space across the park, more so when the game wore on as Perth were often reluctant to put their bodies on the line and make some crucial tackles.
11 minutes after Elrich, Peter Zorbas and Milicic combined in a dangerous counter-attack, before the latter shot wide, Elrich bolted through the middle and reached the tip of the box before he laid the ball off to Petrovski on the right. His first-time strike left Perth keeper Jason Petkovic with no chance.
Glory had chances of their own but their finishing let them down. At times, they often ran into dead ends when they attacked. Nick Mrdja struggled to find his feet and Mori looked lost without the influence and partnership of regular partner Bobby Despotovski.
In a well-worked move on 25 minutes, Gary Faria picked up the ball in the middle of the park before finding Brad Hassell nearby. Hassell then switched to Tom Pondeljak (pictured right) – who was starting on the right flank to try and take advantage of the Power’s perceived weakness on their left – on the edge of the box before his nicely struck shot sailed just over Bolton’s bar.
Just one minute into the second half though, Perth should have equalised.
Hassell stormed through the middle before finding Mrdja, who was clear on goal. With defenders in hot pursuit, Mrdja sliced his shot wide with his weaker right foot, and had only Bolton to beat.
Frustration at being two goals behind eventually took its toll on some players, when for the second time in a row, the Glory had another player receive his marching orders.
With just over 15 minutes to go, Hassell turned around and lashed out at Petrovski, who was applying some hard pressure in a tussle for possession in the middle of the park.
At the end of the day, Perth’s inability to put away good chances over the two legs ultimately thwarted their objective of qualifying for the grand final.
“Over the two games, they’ve given us a lesson in finishing,” Glory coach Mich d’Avray said.
“The first goal (tonight) was always going to be vital, and when they scored that, it really dampened the whole atmosphere,” he said.
“We kept on going…(but) their second goal was the final nail in the coffin”.
One positive d’Avray pointed out was the way Hassell played in central midfield as part of a restructured centre line.
“Hassell was comfortable in that position as he doesn’t give the ball away too often. (In regards to) Pondeljak however, it didn’t quite materialise with him”.
Perth now turns their attention to Sunday week at Subiaco Oval, where they will face off against Adelaide United in the preliminary final. Parramatta meanwhile, has a well-earnt week’s rest.
Major Semi Final 2nd leg
PERTH GLORY 0
PARRAMATTA POWER 2 (A Elrich 15′, S Petrovski 65′)
(Parramatta Power win 6-2 on aggregate)
Cautions: M Thompson (PP) 87′
Red Card: B Hassell (PG) 84′
Venue: Members Equity Stadium
Referee: Matthew Breeze
Crowd: 14,023
Minor Semi Final
ADELAIDE UNITED 2 (R Aloisi 71′, R Alagich 105′ pen)
SOUTH MELBOURNE 1 (M Curcija 12′)
(After extra time)
Cautions: A Kovacevic (SM) 105′, L Osman (SM) 105′
Red Card: S Poutakidis (SM) 47’+
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium
Referee: Simon Micallef
Crowd: 16,558