1997/1998 Season Round 20 Results written by Thomas Esamie
Played (01/03/1998) Hindmarsh Stadium Referee : M Shields, Crowd : 2823
Adelaide Sharks David Miller, Alex Castro (Andrew Borghetto 73), Frank Tibaldi, Alex Kuzmanovic, Branko Milosevic (John Cutill 86), Con Kokkinoplitis, Corey Artone, Richie Alagich, Nathan Day (Paul Pezos 90+), Bill Misailidis, Alex Duric Goals : Tibaldi 73, Duric 83	2	-	0	South Melbourne Michael Petkovic, Steve Iosifidis (sent off 63), Fausto de Amicis, Nick Orlic, Con Blatsis, David Clarkson (Vaughan Coveny 67), Steve Panopoulos, Paul Trimboli, Bill Damianos, Goran Lozanovski, John Anastasiadis (Michael Curcija 32)
The Sharks benefitted from a backpass ruling which gave them an indirect free kick inside the penalty box and Tibaldi had no problem lifting the ball over the wall of South Melbourne players and under the crossbar after the ball had ben laid off to him. Having lost Iosifidis to this weekends red card bonanza earlier South Melbourne were again exposed trying to defend a three pronged breakaway in which Duric was the beneficiary of the ball across the face of goal to tap in at the far post.
Played (01/03/1998) Belmore Sports Ground Referee : C Diomis, Crowd : 3338
UTS Olympic Bob Catlin, Adam Ciantar, Ante Juric, Scott Baillie, Norman Tome, Peter Tsekenis, Brett Emerton, Chris Kalantzis (Elias Augerinos 55), Walter Ardone (sent off 75), Kain Rastall (Eric Hristodoulou 46), Nick Carle (Leo Carle 84) Goals : Ardone 12, N Carle 63, L Carle 89	3	-	1	Perth Glory Anthony Franken, Gavin Wilkinson (sent off 50), Gareth Naven, Scott Miller, Slobodan Despotovski, Ernie Tapai, Peter Vukmirovic (Vinko Buljubasic 46), Samson Siasia, Danny Hay, Troy Halpin, Vas Kalogeracos (Scott Halpin 69) Goals : Despotovski 68
Olympic got away with the opening goal with some magic by Ardone who cut in from the sideline, dribbled past some defenders and got the one on one with the keeper after a wall pass and put it inside the far post with the instep. Perth should have equalised, both Halpin and Despotovski with good opportunities. In the second half Gavin Wilkinson was sent off for fouling Emerton (or Tome?) who was through on goal and while he probably meant to do just that I was more offended by the reaction to the decision by the victim (the clenched fist "yes!") than by the foul. Without the towering Wilkinson Hristodoulou got a shot on goal from a cross which was blocked by the keeper but rebounded to Nick Carle who scored easily. The Glory had a brief glimpse of hope with a Despotovski free kick sailing into the net unopposed, however the free kick was given because one of the UTS defenders had not managed to dematerialise into thin air and was penalised for obstruction. Siasia's foul on Emerton was enough cause for a penalty but Tome spooned it over the bar and the Glory still had a chance for the point from a draw. An Ardone foul on Despotovski gave Ardone his marching orders and Scott Halpin a fierce shot at goal which Catlin somehow fisted away. Then Leo Carle pops up at the other end to kill Perths hopes with a well taken shot which only just brushed Frankens fingertips on its way into goal.
Played (01/03/1998) Knights Stadium Referee : B Hugo, Crowd : 5185
Melbourne Knights Joe Didulica, Ivan Jolic, Zoran Markovski, Joey Rajher, Alan Davidson, Andrew Marth, Zeljko Susa, Tom Pondeljak, Ivan Kelic (Ice Kutlesovski 69), John Didulica, Ante Deak (Dragi Nastevski 52) Goals : Pondeljak 18pk, Anastasiadis 66og	2	-	4	Carlton Dean Anastasiadis, Robert Trajkovski, Sean Douglas, Con Anthopoulos, Lubomir Lapsansky, Andy Vlahos (Marcus Stergiopoulos 87), Simon Colosimo, John Markovski (Alex Josefovski 89), David Cervinski (David Della Rocca 89), Mark Atkinson, Marco Bresciano Goals : Markovski 16, 76, Vlahos 23, Anthopoulos 48
No shortage of goals here starting with Markovski finishing off a blocked Colosimo header after a corner kick. Tom Pondeljak converted the penalty awarded from a Cervinski foul to level the scores but Markovski this time turned providor by crossing to Vlahos to head in at the far post thus giving Carlton the half time lead. They extended that lead when Anthopoulos' determined run paid off before Dean Anastasiadis caught a cross only to drop it again in fear of Andrew Marth charging at him. Dean even managed to drop it over the line to save Stabber Marth any effort at all. Finally John Markovski sealed the issue using his (diminished yet considerable) bulk to shield a bouncing ball before booting it in the place all strikers like to put the ball.
Match report by David Arnold
Played (28/02/1998) Suncorp Stadium Referee : G Connolly, Crowd : 3969
Brisbane Strikers Clint Bolton, Glenn Gwynne, Chris Zoricich, Nick Meredith, Sean Cranney (Danny Invincible 54), Troy Cranney, Andrew Brayshaw (Andrew Harper 58), Chay Hews, Jeromy Harris, Stephen Laybutt, Royce Brownlie (Matt Bell 73) Goals : Harris 26, 87	2	-	2	Adelaide City Jason Petkovic, Bradley Armour, Mark Yates, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Angelo Costanzo, Damian Mori, John Gibson, Kris Trajanovski, Michael Brooks (Travis Dodd 78), Scott Thomas Goals : Tobin 52pk, Mori 54
The reigning champions claims that they can still make the finals are becoming ever more muted and failing to win at home in their position is almost a sin. They took the lead when a Trot Cranney cross was headed away by Ivanovic but only to Harris ouside the penalty box who swung his leg at the ball and drove it home. Adelaide City got a penalty early in the second half when Brooks was sandwiched by two defenders chasing a ball which was always going to get to the keeper first. However Brooks fell and Gerry Connolly called the foul, Tobins penalty went into the top left corner and while the commentators gushed about the unstoppability of such a shot Tobins reaction (clenched fists by his side and a little jump) seemed to be one of relief. He'd almost missed. Adelaide rubbed salt into the wound when minutes later Trajanovski ran wide and crossed low to the middle. Glen Gwynne got a touch in trying to block the shot but simply deflected it into the path of Mori. It would have been hard to miss and if Mori was trying then he failed miserably because it went straight in. Had Gwynne missed the ball would have rolled harmlessly away. Brisbane got the late point with a wonderful curving free kick into the area headed in off the post by Harris.
Played (28/02/1998) Marconi Stadium Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 5139
Marconi-Fairfield Ante Covic, Mark Babic, Domenic Longo, Christian Care (Chad Gibson 81), Darren McDonald, Brad Maloney, Francis Awaritefe, Brendan Renaud, Pan Keun Kim, Vlado Zoric, Gabriel Mendez (Song Chul Yoon 81)	0	-	0	Wollongong City Brett Hughes, Alvin Ceccoli, Robert Stanton, Jason Connolly, Matthew Horsley, Anthony Surjan, Scott Chipperfield, George Souris, Tony Perinich, David Huxley (Noel Spencer ??), Kosta Salapasidis (Esala Masi 16 (Raymond Younis 88))
The most interesting thing about this match was that the Wolves complained the new Northern Spirit had a representative in the Wollongong dressing room after the game trying to poach players. The game itself could have been more interesting had the Wolves got a penalty for a handball by Babic on the line rather than a Marconi free kick for Surjan simply standing where the goalkeeper could make himself look clumsy. Overall Marconi had the better opportunities but if you can't make them count....well.
Played (27/02/1998) Topper Stadium Referee : G Leverton, Crowd : 2119
Newcastle Breakers Brad Swancott, Glen Sprod, Matthew Austin, Shane Pryce, Todd McManus, Robert Ironside, Clayton Zane (sent off 49), Reece Tollenaere, Jason Bennett, Doug West, Leo Langone Goals : Ironside 46, Zane 48, Bennett 85	3	-	1	Sydney United Zeljko Kalac, Joe Vrkic, Robert Hooker (Joe Moric 77), Marcus Philips, Abbas Saad, Stuart Munro (Jason Culina 56), Paul Bilokapic, Jacob Burns, Mark Rudan, Nick Bosevski (Mario Jerman 46), Peter Bennett Goals : Phillips 24
Well Sydney United scammed the opening goal with a free kick won near the junction of the penalty box and the goal line. Bilokapic took the kick squaring it to Phillips who simply ran in and hammered the ball in at the near post. Bit sloppy from Newcastle really. Newcastle held out until halftime and a Newcastle throw in early in the second half was headed on to Ironside in front of goal who in turn brought the ball down and slammed it into the net to equalise. Perhaps realising this scoring caper isn't so tough after all only minutes later a raking long ball brought Kalac outside the penalty box but Zane was faster and lobbed the ball over the wandering keepers head and into goal. Zane was justifiably happy and took his shirt off and ran around the ground waving it at the fans. Zane had earlier been booked though and found Greg Leverton waving a red card at him for over celebration. Newcastle managed to hold their own and even managed a late sealing goal when Bennett took over from some neat work by Tollenaere and put the ball past Kalac and into the net via the inside of the near post.
Match report by Chris Dunkerley
Played (02/03/1998) Seiffert Oval Referee : ??, Crowd : 2016
Canberra Cosmos Anthony Giannasca, Paul Dee, Ante Moric, Gordon Hunter, Norman Kelly, Harry James (Damien Brown 68), Peter Buljan, Dale Wingell (Ilija Prenzoski 63), Toplica Popovich, Tom Haythornthwaite, Jong Su Kim Goal : T Popovich 48	1	-	3	Gippsland Falcons Jim Kourtis, Tony Sekulic, Clayton Bell, Manny Gotis, Nick Palamaras, Doug Marcina, Nick Tsaltas, Mark Foy (Levent Osman 78), Brian MacNicol (Zlatko Mihajlovic 82), Joe Tricarico (Archie Thompson 46), Willie Hastie Goals : MacNicol 2, Thompson 55, 75
The last time Canberra played on a Monday night they came away with a huge win, this time they were not so lucky.