Adelaide Comets record an upset 2-1 win over NPL SA ladder leaders Adelaide Blue Eagles
Adelaide Comets claim upset win over NPL SA ladder leaders Adelaide Blues Eagles, a newly-promoted team moves to equal second and Adelaide City slumps to 11th after a heavy loss. Here’s Messenger Community News’ reports from round seven.
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Adelaide Comets claim an upset win over NPL SA ladder leaders Adelaide Blues Eagles, a newly-promoted team moves to equal second and Adelaide City slumps to 11th after a heavy loss.
Here are Messenger Community News’ reports from round seven in the top flight:
ADELAIDE BLUE EAGLES 1
ADELAIDE COMETS 2
Adelaide Blue Eagles coach Vojo Gluscevic says “stupid mistakes in the middle” cost his team the game in a 2-1 loss to Adelaide Comets at Jack Smith Park on Saturday night.
Comets controlled the first half as a result but were not able to make the most of their chances.
The second half opened up and Blue Eagles took a 1-0 lead with a goal to in-form striker Emanuele Testardi in the 62nd minute.
After scoring a hat-trick last week against South Adelaide, Testardi was on the end of a cross to beat the keeper and score his seventh goal for the season.
The strike moved him equal-top of the goals tally, alongside Raiders’ Terence Carter.
Comets came from behind and scored in the 71st and 90th minutes to take the game 2-1.
Gluscevic said his team struggled to deal with the artificial surface, particularly in the first half.
“Comets are one of the best teams in this competition and the boys took a while to get used to the artificial surface and we were lucky not to give away any goals,” Gluscevic said.
“We controlled the second half but two stupid mistakes in the middle cost us those two goals and that was the difference in the end.”
ABE remained top of the table, despite the loss.
PARA HILLS 0
CAMPBELLTOWN CITY 0
Para Hills coach Barney Smith says his side had the “best Mullen” – in reference to the performance of 17-year-old Isaac Mullen – after a 0-0 draw with Campbelltown City at the Paddocks on Saturday.
Knights’ young gun Mullen upstaged his three cousins, who lined up for Campbelltown,and performed well in front of his uncle, Red Devils coach Joe Mullen.
Smith said after the match Isaac was “best on ground” and he “stood up big time as a 17-year-old for us as a player in the middle.”
Joe Mullen drew on the positive of keeping a clean sheet for the second consecutive week.
“I was really happy with the games of Daniel Mullen and Iain Fyfe down back and it was terrific for our goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet for the second week in a row,” Mullen said.
“I was very proud with the boys and how we were proactive and kept attacking despite Para Hills having numbers behind the ball.
“There were limited opportunities to score but we didn’t take them and so the draw was a fair result in the end.”
The draw meant Campbelltown City slipped from second to fifth after Adelaide United youth, Raiders and Adelaide Comets all won and moved ahead.
ADELAIDE UNITED YOUTH 3
METROSTARS 2
Adelaide United youth staked its claim as a serious contender this season with a 3-2 upset victory over MetroStars at the Parks on Sunday.
Ninko Beric opened the scoring for United after 13 minutes before Thomas Strain levelled the scores before half-time.
Pacifique Niyongabire, who now has six goals in seven appearances, and Carlo Armiento each struck within a minute of each other at the start of the second half to stun Metro.
A Jared Clark own goal in the 89th minute restored some respect to the scoreline for the visitors, who had keeper Isaac Carmody sent off in stoppage time.
The young Reds jumped to equal second, while MetroStars dropped to seventh.
ADELAIDE CITY 0
WEST ADELAIDE 3
Adelaide City conceded three goals and had a player sent off in a tough 3-0 loss to local rivals West Adelaide at the Parks on Saturday night.
West opened the scoring from a set piece in the 59th minute through Thanasis Lesi.
Perry Mitris then scored two goals in a row for West – the first a penalty conversion after a handball inside the area.
City’s Zakariah Waters then saw red after bringing down an opponent illegally and Mitris converted with a great free kick from outside the box.
West coach Steve De Giovanniello said his side “got the win that we deserved”.
“The win … was a huge relief for the club and he players and I am really proud that we stuck in there and got the result we deserve,” De Giovanniello said.
“I felt like we’ve been unlucky this year and the Raiders game was the only one that got away from us, we’ve been really competitive so it’s great to get the win.”
West moved into 10th on the ladder, ahead of the Black and Whites, with the win.
City is now in 11th place.
SOUTH ADELAIDE 3
CROYDON 3
“Ninety minutes and ninety emotions” were the words of South Adelaide coach Ben Dale after a 3-3 draw with Croydon at Polonia Reserve on Saturday.
The Panthers led early in the second half but conceded two straight goals before star midfielder Liam Wooding equalised four minutes from time.
It was their first point of the season on the back of six consecutive losses to begin the campaign.
Dale had mixed emotions, saying he was happy with the draw but disappointed his side let the 2-1 advantage slip.
“Inexperience and lapses of concentration was what hurt us in the end today, to be up 2-1 and concede two second half goals was disappointing,” Dale said.
“Credit to the lads though for fighting and getting the equaliser was character-building and we now have some confidence going into the FFA Cup this week and West Adelaide in a couple of weeks.”
Croydon took the early ascendancy with a goal in the 27th minute but South equalised through Harley Gepp before the break.
Sam Carmichael then made it 2-1 to the Panthers early in the second half with a goal from a set piece.
Nathan Munro struck twice for the Kings to give the home side a 3-2 lead and what looked like the three points.
South kept fighting and Wooding equalised in the 86th minute before Munro netted his third goal.
RAIDERS 2
ADELAIDE OLYMPIC 1
Newly-promoted Raiders moved to equal second following a 2-1 defeat of Adelaide Olympic at the Parks.
The match was tight from the first whistle as both sides worked hard not to concede a goal and scores were locked at 0-0 at half-time.
Josh Mori broke the deadlock just after the restart to hand Raiders a 1-0 lead.
Mori netted a second on 73 minutes before Christos Pounendis scored a consolation goal for Olympic just before extra-time.
Raiders Nik Kuzman refused to get carried away with his team’s early-season form and said it was important for players to maintain their intensity.
“It’s a good start to the season and we are happy so far but it’s too early to call,” Kuzman said.
“It’s too early to get carried away.
“Basically we’re just looking at it week-by-week and seeing if we can get the results each week.
“It was a tough game, Olympic is a good side with good players.
“But it was a pleasing effort from our boys and we are on track, hopefully we can continue our good run.”
Raiders take on MetroStars on April 27, after the league-wide break for Easter.
Kuzman expected another tough battle.
WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE
FFSA NTC 4 Fulham United 4
Adelaide Comets 2 Adelaide University 3
West Adelaide 3 Adelaide City 1
Metro United 2 Salisbury Inter 2
STATE LEAGUE ONE
Western Stirkers 1 Cumberland United 3
Adelaide Victory 0 West Torrens Birkalla 1
Modbury Jets 4 Salisbury United 0
Sturt Lions 4 Playford City 1
Noarlunga United 0 White City 3
Seaford Rangers 6 Fulham United 4
STATE LEAGUE TWO
Eastern United 2 Adelaide Cobras 1
UniSA 0 Adelaide Hills 1
Mount Barker 1 Adelaide University 3
Vipers 4 Modbury Vista 0
Northern Demons 2 Gawler 1
Pirates 2 Cove 0
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