Eagles Climb Into Promotion Spot
Southside Eagles 3 (Falco 9, 40' pen; Bretag 71') Moggill 1 (Stacey 89')
HT 2-0
Played at Memorial Park
Southside Eagles climbed into second spot on the Capital League 1 ladder after a scrappy 3-1 success over Moggill on Saturday evening. Scenes were very different at Memorial Park compared to midweek's Westfield FFA Cup encounter against Brisbane Strikers, with a vastly reduced crowd in attendance to see the side knocked out but not disgraced by Strikers, face fellow cup casualties Moggill, who themselves had departed the Westfield FFA Cup on the same night against higher division opponents Lions FC. The effort from both sets of players had certainly taken it's toll with this clash proving a real challenge for weary bodies. Both sides grateful for facing each other after their midweek battles. Moggill started the brighter with speedy Japanese import Kisuke Uga with a chance in the 2nd minute but it would be Eagles to hit the front first minutes later. Josh Falco receiving the ball in acres of space after Referee Carl Harper had played a good advantage following a foul on David Maclot. The Eagles striker dispatching a powerful low drive across Thomas Sullivan in the Moggill goal and into the bottom right corner. Sam Chesterfield forced Eagles keeper Matt Tubbs into a save shortly after the quarter hour mark but despite Moggill looking the better side, they largely failed to test Tubbs. The hosts increased their advantage late in the half. Moggill's Robbie Griffiths the guilty party when conceding a penalty after seconds earlier conceding a free kick in a dangerous area, and being cautioned in the process. Falco stepping up to send Sullivan the wrong way to make it 2-0. Tubbs was called upon shortly after to keep out Nicholas Whitehouse's effort being the visitors best chance of the half. The hosts threatened first in the second term with Maclot forcing a good save from Sullivan before Michael Thomas blasted the follow up well over. Moggill quickly responded and were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when Whitehouse again produced a good effort that cannoned off the crossbar shortly before the hour. The visitors were then reduced to 10 men minutes later. Sam Petit, booked earlier in the half for dissent, was shown a second yellow for clumsily bundling over his opponent near the Eagles bench. With the man advantage, Eagles started to dominate. Daniel Arrow next to go close to putting the game out of reach for the visitors when his dipping shot bounced awkwardly on the worn Memorial Park surface before Sullivan did well to adjust and tip over. Sullivan reacted well again, punching clear with the ball goal bound directly from the resulting corner.
Eagles did however seal the game with less than 20 mins remaining. Sub James Nilsen (above) doing well to hold up the ball near the goal line before delivering a near post cross for Cameron Bretag, who slipped the ball home between Sullivan and his near post. Maclot, who'd worked tirelessly throughout, was denied by Sullivan who produced a superb double save to first tip away the midfielder's powerful strike and then block Nilsen's follow up. With time running out, the visitors were denied again by the woodwork. James Cobley's effort from wide, beating Tubbs but not the bar. Moggill did find a consolation shortly before added time. Substitute Adam Stacey with a powerful half volley that Tubbs looked to have covered, only for the ball to squeeze between the gloveman's hands and deny him a deserved clean sheet. He could perhaps be forgiven for switching off for the final moments of the game after a big week for his side. With Referee Harper's final whistle and results elsewhere going Eagles way, they find themselves in the second promotion spot in Capital League 1. Moggill coach Jamie Lowndes could find himself sidelined after confronting Referee Harper after the final whistle. Quite what he had to complain about was puzzling as his side were in the end, second best and were it not for the efforts of Sullivan between the sticks, his side would have faced a much heavier defeat. Southside Eagles face a tough away trip next round to fellow title rivals North Star whilst Moggill will hope to bounce back from the week's activities with the visit of fellow mid-table side Brisbane Knights. FB Media Player Of The Match: #28 Jacob Mengotti - Southside Eagles. Very tough to split this week but with Mengotti bossing the Eagles defence after a tough battle in the week against Brisbane Strikers, and quelling the threat of speedy Moggill frontman Kisuke Uga, he just gets the nod. But very close and worthy of a mention is David Maclot who was involved in most of the Eagles attacking forays and was unlucky not to bag himself a goal on the night. Team line-ups Southside Eagles: Tubbs (gk), Arrow, Bretag, Falco, Foy, Maclot, McCoy, Mengotti, Taylor, Thomas, Spall. Subs: Cowden, Lapez-Vito, Nilsen, Warren (rgk). Moggill: Sullivan (gk) (booked 15'), Chesterfield (Booked 59'), Cobley, Griffiths (Booked 39'), Morrow, Petroechevsky, Petit (Sent off 64'), Roome, Uga, Whitehouse, Beyers. Subs: Buckingham (rgk), Roberts, Umeki, Stacey. FB Media Match Stats. Possession: 1st Half 49% - 51% / 2nd Half 55% - 45% Overall Possession: 52% - 48% Shots on target: 5 - 4 Shots off target: 6 - 8 Free kicks: 18 - 13 Offside: 3 - 2 Corners: 3 - 4 Yellow Cards: 0 - 4 Red Cards: 0 - 1 Referee: Carl Harper
