1997/1998 Season Round 15 Results written by Thomas Esamie
Played (10/01/1998) Marconi Stadium Referee : B Hugo, Crowd : 6367
Marconi-Fairfield Ante Covic, Mark Babic (Luke Tomich 87), Mario Ansaldi (Christian Care 75), Domenic Longo, Luke Casserly, Brad Maloney, Francis Awaritefe, Brendan Renaud, Pan Keun Kim, Vlado Zoric, Gabriel Mendez Goal : Maloney 31	1	-	1	UTS Olympic Bob Catlin, Paul Carter, Ante Juric, Norman Tome, Peter Tsekenis, Brett Emerton, Jean Paul de Marigny (sent off 70), Elias Augerinos (Kain Rastall 85), Danny Barbalace, Huseyin Bayhan (Eric Hristodoulou 72), Steve Eagleton Goal : A Juric 21
These sides battled each other for the title of Sydney's worst performed side. Fittingly it was a draw. Juric's opener came from a defensive error and a neat put away which wrongfooted the keeper. Marconi were quick to reply with an Awaritefe cutback, a Mendez dummy and a Maloney shot. There are enough reports here to paint a clearer picture. De Marigny was sent off in the second half having first committed a handball and then bringing down Mendez for the second yellow.
Match report by 'Forza' Fred Legget Match report by David Borella Match report by Julian Farrell
Played (10/01/1998) Falcons Park Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 4385
Gippsland Falcons Jim Kourtis, Clayton Bell, Claudio Canosa (Doug Marcina 33), Manny Gotis, Tony Sekulic (Joe Tricarico 58), Mark Foy, Willie Hastie, Levent Osman, Nick Tsaltas, Archie Thompson (Billy Mitroulas 79), Nick Palamaras Goal : Tricarico 62	1	-	2	Melbourne Knights Joe Didulica, Ante Kovacevic, Ivan Jolic, Ransford Banini, Andrew Marth, Tom Pondeljak (Mijo Trupkovic 78), Ivan Kelic (Ice Kutlesovski 78), Zeljko Susa, Dragi Nastevski, John Didulica, Ante Deak Goals : Pondeljak 23, Kutlesovski 87
Tom Pondeljak, somewhat bereft of alternatives, tried his luck with a shot to the near post from wide in the penalty box and it paid off. After the break the Falcons pressed harder and having been on for only a matter of minutes Tricarico's innocuous shot straight at the Knights keeper paid unexpected dividends. Perhaps Didulica was put off by Tricarico's red boots but as be bent down to scoop up the ball it only deflected off his arm, rolled through his legs and trickled over the line. As it turns out it didn't cost the Knights any league points (bit of a shame since that would make it much funnier) because the Iceman headed in unmarked near the end after Deak contrived a neat cross.
Played (11/01/1998) Bob Jane Stadium Referee : G Connolly, Crowd : 7827
South Melbourne Michael Petkovic, Steve Iosifidis, Fausto de Amicis, David Clarkson (Steve Panopoulos 72), Paul Trimboli (Frank Catalano 79), Michael Curcija, Bill Damianos, Goran Lozanovski, Tansel Baser, John Anastasiadis (Vaughan Coveny 18), Robert Liparoti Goals : Damianos 1, 71, J Anastasiadis 10, Trimboli 23, Coveny 76	5	-	1	Brisbane Strikers Clint Bolton, Glen Gwynne, Chris Zoricich, Nick Meredith, Frank Farina, Sean Cranney (Gary Blackford 66), Rod Brown, Kasey Wehrman, Mark Battistin (Matt Bell 27), Chay Hews, Andrew Packer (Wayne Knipe 72) Goal : Brown 26
A quick free kick almost from kickoff and Curcija cannoned the Lozanovski cross into the upright before it hit Damianos who, inadvertently, put it into the net. It hurts when the other side can score by accident. Souths were just too good and a clinical Rod Brown finish was only a minor blip in South Melbourne's unerring march to victory.
Match report by Alan Clark
Played (11/01/1998) Brandon Park Referee : E Brazzale, Crowd : 7604
Wollongong City Adam Brodbeck, Alvin Ceccoli, Robert Stanton, Jason Connolly, Matthew Horsley (Noel Spencer 79), Anthony Surjan, Michael Reda (Sonny Sevin 31), Scott Chipperfield, Tony Perinich, David Huxley, Esala Masi Goals : E Masi 18, 34	2	-	1	Adelaide City Jason Petkovic, Bradley Armour, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Angelo Costanzo, Damian Mori, Bradley Hassell (Mark Yates 78), Dino Mennillo (Nick Sabljak 46), John Gibson, Kris Trajanovski (Michael Brooks 59), Scott Thomas Goal : Tobin 23pk
A wonder run from Horsley almost resulted in an unexpected Wollongong lead before Esala Masi blasted home that lead-taking goal from a Ceccoli cross which briefly defied control before Masi got a decisive boot to it. Adelaide were level again when Scott Thomas was actually running out of the penalty box to retrieve the ball. Connolly did very well to bring him down from behind before he left that fabled 18-yard box. Still Alex Tobin never misses a penalty, well at least not at club level. Tobin then turned villain as he was doing his bit in the "let's pass the ball around at the back for a while" routine. He turned his back and got a very weak touch on the pass meant to go all the way to the keeper. Eventually it went a lot further as Masi, who was bearing down on Tobin, overtook him and put the ball into the net. Tobin did himself no favours by trying to excuse his actions with physical movements which said "Oh damn, I think I've done my hammy" nice one Alex, pull the other one, it has bells on it. I'm not sure they actually played a second half.
Played (11/01/1998) Parramatta Stadium Referee : C Diomis, Crowd : 3878
Sydney United Zeljko Kalac, David Barrett, Velimir Kupresak, Joe Vrkic, Peter Bennett (Mario Jerman 70), Marcus Philips (Jacob Burns 46), Paul Bilokapic, Robert Hooker, Abbas Saad, Mile Sterjovski, Jason Culina Goals : Bilokapic 22pk, 90, L Wilson 45+og, J Culina 53	4	-	1	Canberra Cosmos Tony Giannasca, Andrew Roberts, Andrew Ravanello (Michael Musitano 61), Ante Moric, Gordon Hunter, Norman Kelly, Peter Buljan, Lindsay Wilson (Ivan Zelic 61), Dale Wingell (sent off 43), Toplica Popovich, Tristrim Morgan (Ilija Prenzoski 46) Goal : Buljan 78
Canberra had some good chances to open the scoring, Morgan doing well, but Sydney opened the scoring when Wingell challenged Saad in the penalty area for a high ball. Things went poorly for Wingell who followed this up with a crude tackle and was sent off for his second yellow card. Sydney went further in front when Saad seemed to hit the net from an impossibly tight angle until replays revealed Lindsay Wilson deflected the ball inside the keepers near post. Jason Culina was fed by Saad to let the young Culina cause more grief to his father who was sitting on the Canberra bench before Peter Buljan cleaned up the scraps from a free kick and score off the inside of the far upright. Bilokapic then pulled out a party piece by scoring directly from the corner with only a flapping Giannasca getting a touch on the ball as it flew in.
Match report by William Dearie
Played (11/01/1998) Hindmarsh Stadium Referee : W Dade, Crowd : 2410
Adelaide Sharks Frank Mikuletic (off injured 80), Alex Castro, Con Kokkinoplitis, Nathan Day, Jose Iriarte (Jim Tsekinis 23), Pablo Cardozo, Paul Pezos, Jamie Perin (Andrew Borghetto 55), John Cutillo, Pedro Oliveira (Corey Artone 60), Bill Misailidis Goals : Cardozo 61, 90+, Artone 90++	3	-	1	Newcastle Breakers Liam Baker, Matthew Austin, Shane Pryce, Todd McManus, Robert Ironside, Peter Ritchie, Mark Wilson, Clayton Zane (Liam McGuire 90+), Jason Bennett, Shaun Edwards (Glenn Sprod 46), Matthew Lowe Goal : Lowe 47
Cardozo was supposedly on the next plane to Vienna but he left a calling card in Newcastle despite Matt Lowe getting the better of the Adelaide keeper early in the second half. Cardozo redressed the balance by heading in from a Castro cross before reversing the balance entirely with a long range winner. Artone just added the cream with a neat curling shot to make it 3-1 at a very full time whistle. Also Frank Mikuletic was taken off injured 10 minutes from the end, hence so much injury time, and Paul Pezos stoof in the goals because all 3 subs had already been used.
Played (11/01/1998) Perth Oval Referee : M Sheilds, Crowd : 14687
Perth Glory Anthony Franken, Gavin Wilkinson, Vinko Buljubasic, Gareth Naven, Scott Miller, Slobodan Despotovski, Samson Siasia, Scott Halpin (Michael Garcia 60), Danny Hay, Anthony Carbone, Troy Halpin	0	-	0	Carlton Dean Anastasiadis, Robert Trajkovski, Sean Douglas (David Della Rocca 65), Andy Vargas (Marcus Stergiopoulos 54), Lubomir Lapsansky, Andy Vlahos, Simon Colosimo (Alex Josefovski 71), Vince Grella, John Markovski, David Cervinski, Mark Atkinson
Troy Halpin's first game for his new club was a lesson in pain as Perth created a glut of chances and should have won on the balance of play but Carlton held firm and kept out the hosts time after time. Carlton also created some chances but fate was not so cruel as to allow any of those chances to go in.