NPL SA, State League One and State League Two round one match reports 2020
A promoted side got a shock first up, the reigning champions won a heart-stopper while there was a 7-2 thumping in the second tier. Check out the reports from every season opening match.
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SA soccer’s Premier League returned on the weekend and it did not disappoint.
Reigning premier Campbelltown City left it late but won a heart-stopping season opener, while there were upsets and a 7-2 thumping in the second tier.
Here are The Messenger’s reports from the opening round of the top flight, State League One and State League Two.
ADELAIDE CITY 3
CUMBERLAND UNITED 0
Adelaide City showed it is not planning on another campaign battling relegation after dispatching promoted club Cumberland United 3-0 at Adelaide City Park.
Recruit Perry Mitris hit a brace and Nicholas Bucco opened the scoring from the penalty spot for the Black and Whites, who won just five matches in 2019.
Anthony Ture won the penalty for City after he went down following a coming together with Foxes skipper Jack Schoen.
Bucco had no trouble from the spot, hitting it straight down the middle past diving keeper Luke Schoen.
But Mitris, who signed from West Adelaide in the off-season, provided the pick of the goals in the 36th minute when he chested the ball down and hit it flush with his left into the back of the net.
Bucco then squared the ball for Mitris to net his second not long after half-time.
City is likely to face a sterner test away to Adelaide Blue Eagles next Monday night, while Cumberland hosts MetroStars at A.A Bailey Reserve.
CAMPBELLTOWN CITY 3
ADELAIDE BLUE EAGLES 2
New Campbelltown City coach Phil Stubbins paid tribute to his mentor, good friend and ex-Red Devils leader Joe Mullen after the reigning champions came from behind to defeat Blue Eagles 3-2 in an absolute thriller in Premier League soccer’s opening match on Friday night.
Marc Marino scored a brace for the Red Devils but Antony Piscioneri grabbed the three points for the hosts with a 89th-minute winner at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre.
“Joe Mullen has not only done a wonderful job for this club but he has been a great mentor and friend to me and I really enjoyed working with him,” Stubbins said.
“We started slowly last night and full credit to the Blue Eagles, however it was great that we were able to come from behind and get the three points.”
Blue Eagles controlled the first half and made a great start with ex-Red Devil Yohei Matsumoto opening the scoring in the fourth minute.
The visitors took a 1-0 lead into half-time before City equalised with a goal in the 61st minute after Marino finished off a nice combination play.
Blue Eagles hit the lead in the 67th minute after Evan Kounavelis converted a penalty but Marino equalised again for the Red Devils.
Piscioneri found the winner with a great finish from another combination play.
Blue Eagles coach Vojo Gluscevic was disappointed with his side after they blew a golden chance to cause an upset against last year’s champions.
Gluscevic said skill errors at crucial moments were costly.
“We controlled the majority of the game but you have to play a full 90 minutes against quality sides like Campbelltown City,” Blue Eagles coach said.
“You can’t afford to make costly errors like that in defence or you will get punished in this competition and that is exactly what happened.”
MODBURY JETS 1
ADELAIDE COMETS 0
Newly-promoted Modbury Jets provided one of the shocks of the opening round by upsetting 2019 grand finalist Adelaide Comets 1-0 at Smith Partners Stadium.
Last season’s State League One runners-up got off to a dream start back in the top flight thanks to a 40th-minute strike from Kur Kur.
The young Jets attacker finished cooly after a Comets clearance fell to him just outside the box.
The visitors were unable to hit back in what was a sometimes tense affair.
It is not a result new Comets coach Barney Smith would have wanted to begin his reign and the club will need to up its game for this Saturday night’s tough fixture away to Olympic.
The Jets will play back-to-back home fixtures when they host Para Hills in round two on Friday night.
PARA HILLS 2
CROYDON KINGS 1
Croydon Kings coach Ang Costanzo was left frustrated after his team lost 2-1 to Para Hills in Premier League soccer’s opening round at the Paddocks on Saturday.
The Kings boss felt his team controlled the game and deserved to take away a point, but weren’t good enough in the end.
“We dominated possession in the first half but we couldn’t capitalise and that was very frustrating after we had a very good pre-season,” Costanzo said.
“It was not up to the standard that we set ourselves and we now need to work hard on the track.
“We did fight back at the end of the game and we probably deserved a draw but we didn’t take our opportunities and you have to take your chances in the Premier League.”
Para Hills went up 1-0 in the 34th minute with a goal freakish goal from close to the halfway line by Stephan Travaglione which floated over the head of Croydon keeper John Hall, who was caught out of position.
It was 2-0 in the 56th minute after the hosts scored again from a similar situation when Logan Marley-McFall chipped Hall.
Nathan Munro gave the Kings some hope when he scored a brilliant volley goal in the 75th minute after Adam Martinello’s shot was stopped.
However the home side managed to hold on to secure the three points.
ADELAIDE UNITED YOUTH 3
RAIDERS 0
A Binyam Kebede brace propelled Adelaide United Youth to an impressive 3-0 win over Raiders at the Parks on Saturday.
Kebede struck either side of the break and Jai King added a third in the 76th minute in a strong performance from the Young Reds.
It was a far from ideal start for Raiders and it does not get any easier in round two with defending champion Campbelltown City travelling to the Croatian Sports Centre on Friday night.
But United will take a stack of confidence from the result.
Kebede took advantage of a stagnant Raiders defence to slot home his first, finding himself in the right spot after a throw in was headed into the box.
He then took advantage of rising A-League star Mohamed Toure’s driving run down the wing followed by a low ball into the box to net his second.
King finished the match off by beating the keeper one-on-one after he was fed with a great through ball, which split the Raiders defenders.
METROSTARS 0
ADELAIDE OLYMPIC 3
Adelaide Olympic made sure MetroStars did not start their 25th anniversary season in happy fashion by thumping them 3-0 at TK Shutter Reserve on Saturday night.
Ioannis Simosis, Fausto Erba and Christos Pounendis scored for the visitors, who again look likely to be around top places this year.
Greek striker Simosis got Olympic off to a dream start 19 minutes in when he slotted a terrific controlled volley from a Kristin Konstandopoulos cross.
Captain Pounendis made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Metro’ Fabian Barbiero handled the ball in the box and Erba finished the match off with a third following a counter-attack.
STATE LEAGUE ONE
West Torrens Birkalla coach Chris Goddard hailed his side’s State League One opening round win as one of the best the team has been involved in after it thrashed Adelaide Victory 7-2 at Jack Smith Park on Friday night.
The Birks boss was over the moon as Melad Ahmed scored a hat-trick, William Brace hit a brace and Thomas King and James Polli also found the back of the net.
“We played really well, Adelaide Victory weren’t as bad as the 7-2 scoreline suggested, they just weren’t great defensively and we exploited it well.” Goddard said.
“The boys played well to their strengths and the new midfield worked really well and that was really pleasing.
“Last year we would create opportunities but we didn’t take our chances but against Victory that was the big difference I noticed and hopefully this continues all season.”
Birkalla will be looking to continue winning ways this Friday night away against Sturt Lions at West Beach.
It shapes as an intriguing contest with the Lions desperate to get three points following a 3-2 loss against South Adelaide at O’Sullivan Beach Sports Centre.
Sturt thought it had rescued a point after fighting back from two goals down with strikes in the 70th and 73rd minutes.
But Panther Jordan Watson had other plans, scoring his second of the day in the 83rd minute to break the Lions hearts.
New South coach Andrew Calderbank praised the character of his side after the Panthers marked their return to State League One with the thrilling victory
“The boys showed real character to dug deep and get the win after Sturt equalised in the 73rd minute, in previous years we might’ve lost these sort of games,” Calderbank said.
“Sturt are a very good club and they really challenged us, credit to them for taking it up to us.”
West Adelaide adapted well to life in the second division when it thrashed Playford City 4-0 at Ramsay Park.
Hellas, relegated to State League Two after last season, went into half-time 0-0 before Yasmin Sudic bagged a brace and Ricardo Da Silva and Nicholas Stefanopoulos scored in the second-half rout.
White City left it late but got off to a good start under new boss Damian Mori with a 3-2 win at home against Adelaide Hills.
The Warriors were down 2-0 after 17 minutes but fought back before Hayden Walter netted the winner in the 92nd.
In other results, Ben Takos struck in the 80th minute to give Fulham United a 1-0 victory over Seaford Rangers and two penalties were converted as Western Strikers drew 1-1 with Vipers.
White City 3 Adelaide Hills 2
West Torrens Birkalla 7 Adelaide Victory 2
Western Strikers 1 Vipers 1
South Adelaide 3 Sturt Lions 2
Playford City 0 West Adelaide 4
Fulham United 1 Seaford Rangers 0
STATE LEAGUE TWO
Pirates 4 Pontian Eagles 2
Modbury Vista 4 Northern Demons 1
Adelaide Cobras 2 Noarlunga United 1
Eastern United 3 Adelaide University 3
Mount Barker 1 Salisbury United 2
Cove 2 Gawler 0