Eagles and Hawks Goalless at Memorial Park
- Allan Eedy
- Jul 1, 2017
- 4 min read
Southside Eagles 0 Mt Gravatt 0 HT: 0-0 Played at Memorial Park
A game between two teams who, while desperate not to lose, did not create enough to win. Good opportunities were few and far between although both teams had a couple of clear chances which they could not take advantage of. The match was a 100 miles an hour for the first fifteen minutes with neither team managing to string any long series of passes together. The only potential chance of note came after nine minutes when a good move down the left side began with Adam Street putting Cameron Bretag away but his cross was blocked and when he sent the rebound back in, Hawks keeper Dennis Wanders gathered. As players got over the initial burst, the tempo slowed and Southside Eagles began to assert some superiority and began moving the ball around at the back. On 21 minutes, one move ended with a cross from the right by Christian Lopez-Vito reaching Jacob Mengotti who hit it well on the volley but straight at Wanders. A few minutes later, an Eagles free kick from the right was punched away by Wanders but straight to Bretag whose shot beat the keeper but came back off the right hand post. Eagles continued to press and had half chances with the best of these a shot from 25 yards by Mengotti that just went wide of the post. Mt Gravatt started coming back into the match and, 38 minutes in, Brandon Hewitson beat the off-side trap on the left but the cover defence came across and in the process fouled him. The resultant free-kick was wasted as the ball was sent well past the back post and out for a goal kick. Two minutes after that Hewitson passed the ball to Connor McAuley who laid it off for Zach Avarakis but his tame shot went wide of the goals. Eagles then could have created an opportunity with Regan Roulston through on the right but his cross was too far in front of James Nilsen as he ran in towards the Hawks’ goal. When it looked like that was the end of the action for the half, in added time, Roulston was penalised for a tackle from behind on a Mt Gravatt player and Referee Ashley Beecham produced a Yellow Card. Roulston had already been cautioned in the 18th minute for another tackle, resulting in him heading to the showers early. With the man advantage, Mt Gravatt started the second half brightly and pressured Eagles. But they were unable to turn that advantage into opportunities until the 59th minute. A ball from Daniel Morcus on the left came to McAuley who cut inside, but his left foot shot went narrowly wide of the post. Eagles were relying on long throws by Street as their main weapon, but none of these managed to cause any serious concern in the Mt Gravatt defence. From one throw, the ball was cleared and Hawks’ Nicholas Carson made a long run down the left on the counter attack but his squared ball into the Eagles’ area was cleared. In the 72nd minute, a Hawks corner from the right reached McAuley but he volleyed over the bar. Four minutes later Eagles had a chance when Scott Cowden was loose 25 yards out but his shot went wide of the post. Mengotti nearly caught Wanders out with seven minutes left when he shot early from 30 yards out. The Hawks’ keeper managed to get behind the ball which bounced in front of his dive to push it away for a corner. 84 minutes in and an Eagles’ corner from the right caused concern in the Hawks’ area with a stabbed shot going goalwards but a Hawks’ defender was on hand to clear it off the line. Mt Gravatt could then have won it at the end as a corner from their right produced a goalmouth scramble with an Hawks player connecting with a shot that Eagles’ keeper Matthew Tubbs managed to get a fingertip to, which was enough for the ball to skim the crossbar. Both sides would have preferred the full compliment of points in their quest for a finals’ position, but, on the balance of play, a draw was probably the fair result.
Coaches Reactions:
Roger Hunter (Southside Eagles): “I am happy with the result. 45 minutes with ten men is always tough. It was a strong character performance from the team and we probably could have won it at the end with that chance cleared off the line. We were relying on our set pieces in the second half as we thought they would be our best opportunity. Even with the draw, the league is so tight. We’ve still got to play teams above us, so if we can take points off them we’re back in it.” Gerry Sutherland (Mt Gravatt): “We tried to be a bit more direct in the second half and create opportunities. However, our passes in the final third just let us down. To their credit, they played well and held on with ten men. They scrambled well and won more 50/50s than we did, they were a bit more intense in the second half. We’ll just keep battling away, if we keep on working hard, things will come our way. It’s not for the lack of effort as the effort is always there. We’ve just got to find ways to create chances and finish them.”
Team line-ups
Southside Eagles: Tubbs (GK), Roulston (sent off 45+2'), Spall (60’), Porch, Mengotti, Nilsen, Cowden, McCoy (75’), Lopez-Vito, Bretag, Street,
Subs: Johnson (60’), Schafer (75’)
Mt Gravatt: Wanders (GK), Jasch, Wilson, Neill, Snowdon, McAuley, Hewitson, Carson, Morcus (73’), Pickham, Avarakis (73’)
Subs: O’Brien (73’), Celebicanin (79’) REFEREE: Ashley Beecham
