Gritty Bankstown hold on at Marconi Stadium

Marconi had so many chances to win but didn’t, while Bankstown - severely deplete through injury - made the most of their opportunities. And, as the old cliché goes: ‘That’s football.’

Indeed it was at Marconi Stadium and after the match the Bankstown City player-coach Peter Tsekenis couldn’t hide his delight.

“I am definitely delighted and it was a credit to the boys,” he said.

“I thought we had a slow start and were unlucky with the first goal.

“We battled away and Marconi came at us and they had us on the ropes for a while.

“However, the boys showed some character to come back and, at the end of day, we still had nine players unavailable which is huge for us and therefore full credit to the boys who did the job especially away from home.”

In the 6’ minute of play a lovely cross from Abbas Al-Hilfi found Ben Vidaic, but unfortunately for the Stallions his powerful finish was turned away for a corner by a diving Andrew Bazi in goal.

The home side’s supporters didn’t have to wait too long because in the 12’ minute Richard Luksic scored a classic own goal in a sliding attempt to deviate the ball away from a Marconi attacker after a nice cross from Alexander Canak.

It was harsh for captain Luksic who was certainly trying to do the right thing by his side.

The Marconi faithful had hardly finished clapping when Vidaic tucked away into the bottom right corner of the net a second goal.

It was all too easy for the former Sydney FC striker who was given far too much time and space by the Bankstown defence.

It was all one-way traffic at this point and it appeared that there was very little that the visitors could do to stem the flow of the game.

Vuko Tomasevic found Al-Hilfi on the left and his precise cross was met by an unmarked Vidaic who tried to volley it home, but was unsuccessful in controlling the ball and it sailed over the crossbar.

Marconi were relentless and it was again the Al-Hilfi and Vidaic combination that sent shivers through the Bankstown defence, but the latter could only test the goalkeeper from the former’s cross and nothing eventuated despite a spill from Bazi.

Bankstown at this point were totally outgunned by the pace of the Marconi team and Kader Toure thought that he would try his luck from just outside the box only to shoot over the intended target.

However, in the 37’ minute it all changed for Bankstown when Suad Ameti sent a free-kick into the box from the left and Tsekenis, with a nice header, steered the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net to bring the visitors right back into the game.

In the 39’ minute Al-Hilfi set charge from the halfway line towards the Bankstown goal, but he was denied by an out-coming Bazi who dispossessed him of the ball.

Right on the stroke of half-time Luksic with a powerful strike from some 30-metres almost squared the ledger, but his excellent attempt was just wide of the goal.

Marconi entered the arena after the break with even more determination even though a lot of credit must also go to Bankstown who continually thwarted the Stallions.

Al-Hilfi tested Bazi once again in the 51’ minute and backed up his effort with another brilliant attempt three minutes later to no avail thanks to some more brilliant goalkeeping.

At the other end Ibrahim Haydar danced his way past two Marconi defenders, but was denied by a very good save from James Chronopoulos who turned the ball away for a corner. From the following corner kick Hussein Salameh fired in a rocket that only narrowly went over the goal.

It was another corner in the 61’ minute that led to Marconi’s downfall: Alexander Canak blocked the ball with his hand and it was a clear penalty.

Salameh made no mistake from the spot to completely send Chronopoulos the wrong way.

Canak, however, tried to make up for his error shortly afterwards but could only find the side netting and in the 83’ minute he narrowly missed the goal with a delightful shot after an equally delightful run.

Hussein Akil, who had only been on the field for about half an hour, was given his second yellow card in the 85’ minute for a foul on Toure and there could be no argument with Mr Alex Glasgow’s spot-on decision to send him early to the sheds.

Marconi couldn’t capitalise on their numeric advantage even though right on the stroke of fulltime they almost stole a victory when Tim McGowan entered the box flying onto a brilliant through ball from Al-Hilfi, but once again Bazi was there to prevent the home side from snatching a win.

After the game Marconi coach Lee Sterrey was philosophical and still rather upbeat despite the draw:

“I think our first-half was really good and we could have scored more than two, but to give away soft goals was disappointing,” he stated.

“Their first goal was from an in-swinging free-kick and their second from a penalty.

“There’s absolutely nothing we can do about a penalty, but I think overall our quality of football was at another level.

“People in the TeleChoice Premier League know what we are about but, at the end of day, we need to keep clean sheets even though we had enough chances tonight to win the game 3-2, 4-2 or even 5-2.”

Match Stats

Marconi Stallions 2 (Richard Luksic (own goal) 12’, Ben Vidaic 14’)

Bankstown City Lions 2 (Peter Tsekenis 37’, Salameh Hussein (pen) 61’)

Saturday, 21^st March, 2009

Marconi Stadium, Bossley Park

Referee: Alex Glasgow

Assistant Referees: Daniel Dewhurst, Cameron Bruce

Marconi Stallions: James Chronopoulos; Umut Tokdogan, Adel Eljamal, Vuko Tomasevic, Alexander Canak, Graziano Trimboli (Tim McGowan 68’), Ali Al-Hilfi, Kader Toure, Ben Vidaic (Erick Anabalon 68’), Nahuel Arrarte (Wade Oostendorp 88’), Andrea Merenda.

Substitutes Not Used: Daniel Ott and Cem Akili

Yellow Cards: Trimboli 67’, Eljamal 73’

Bankstown City Lions: Andrew Bazi; Ibraham Haydar, Shane Webb, Peter Tsekenis, Richard Luksic, Brett Studman, Steve Liavas (Hussein Akil 52’), Suad Ameti, Ian King (Shannon Burgin 78’), Hussein Salameh, James Monie (Tallan Martin 82’).

Substitutes Not Used: Matthew Pressello and Alan Hamka

Yellow Cards: Akil 78’

Red Card: Akil 85’

Player Ratings:

3 - Ali Abbas Al-Hilfi (MS)

2 - Hussein Salameh (BC)

1 - Alex Bazi (BC)

-By Joe Russo

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