1997/1998 Season Round 26 Results written by Thomas Esamie
Played (12/04/1998) Belmore Sports Ground Referee : M Breeze, Crowd : 2032
UTS Olympic Bob Catlin, Adam Ciantar, Ante Juric, Scott Baillie, Norman Tome, Peter Tsekenis, Derek Poimer, Chris Kalantzis (Elias Augerinos 46), Kimon Taliadoros (Leo Carle 46), Walter Ardone, Ben Willard (Nick Carle 72) Goals : Tome 51, 83	2	-	2	Newcastle Breakers Brad Swancott, Glen Sprod, Shane Pryce, Todd McManus (Doug West 46 (Mark Wilson 87)), Peter Ritchie, Clayton Zane, Reece Tollenaere (Fouad Umlie 63), Jason Bennett, Matthew Lowe, Leo Langone, Eddy Bosnar Goals : Tollenaere 12, Langone 60
A square ball in front of the UTS goal found an umarked Tollenaere who had no trouble poking the ball home and from there on the match see-sawed. Tome got the match back to level with a direct free kick stopped only by the inside of the net as he struck the ball methodically past Newcastle's wall and keeper. Leo Langone headed in from a Zane cross only to find his potentially match winning goal cancelled out with Tome again the thorn in Newcastle's side.
Match report by Chris Dunkerley
Played (12/04/1998) Brandon Park Referee : M Shield, Crowd : 6337
Wollongong City Brett Hughes, Alvin Ceccoli, Robert Stanton, Matthew Horsley, Anthony Surjan, Sasho Dimoski (Jason Connolly 71), Scott Chipperfield, George Souris, Tony Perinich, Sebastian Sinozic, Kosta Salapasidis (Esala Masi 85) Goals : Ceccoli 19, Horsley 59	2	-	2	Sydney United Andrew Crews, David Barrett, Velimir Kupresak, Richard Plesa, Joe Vrkic, Stuart Munro, Peter Bennett (Michael Santolab 69), Mark Rudan (Jason Culina 46), Robert Hooker, Abbas Saad (Mario Jermen 60), Mile Sterjovski Goals : Vrkic 83, Sterjovski 89
The Wolves got their first goal after a comical series of headers from a corner, Ceccoli managed to be credited with the goal after United's attempt to clear the line resulted in the ball hitting the underside of the bar and going in (even further?)....hmm. The Wolves got 2 goals in front after a cross from Surjan was only barely met by Matt Horsley, however it was enough to be the difference between just wide of the far post and just inside. Wollongong needed those two goals as United came back late in the game with a soft goal to Vrkic after Hughes stopped an earlier shot from a free kick. Then with barely any time left a speculative long ball was missed by Brett Hughes and caught him out of position for the subsequent cross back in and the far post header which went into goal despite defenders scrambling back to help out.
Played (12/04/1998) Bob Jane Stadium Referee : E Brazzale, Crowd : 8725
South Melbourne Michael Petkovic, Nick Orlic, Vaughan Coveny, Paul Trimboli (David Clarkson 65), Bill Damianos, Con Boutsianis (Steve Panopoulos 46), Goran Lozanovski, Tansel Baser, John Anastasiadis (Michael Curcija 65), Robert Liparoti, George Goutzioulis	0	-	5	Carlton Dean Anastasiadis, Sean Douglas (Marcus Stergiopoulos 65), Con Anthopoulos, Kresimir Marusic (Vlado Mirkovic 75), Andrew Vlahos (Alex Josefovski 70), Simon Colosimo, John Markovski, David Cervinski, Mark Atkinson, David Della Rocca, Marco Bresciano Goals : Vlahos 23, Markovski 30pk, 39, Marusic 62, Bresciano 89
South Melbourne rested a lot of the players who would face a suspension for any indisgression during the course of this, essentially inconsequential (for them), game. As such it was always likely Carlton would win, them chasing second place on the ladder, just not so convincingly. Brescianos alertness in midfield saw him steal the ball, break clear and eventually shoot for goal. The shot was parried into the path of Vlahos who scored easily. A virtually impossible turn inside the box, with two defenders in close attendance, by John Markovski gave Baser no option but to bring him down. Penalty and card for Baser. Markovski was much more spectacular with the 3rd Carlton goal where he put a free kick straight into the net with a poetic curling shot. In the second half Marusic helped himself to a goal from Douglas' cutback with a shot across goal, going in off the inside of the far post. The excellent Bresciano made it 5 with a blast from inside the area after Souths had again lost the ball in their own third due to the rainy, slippery conditions.
Match report by Alan Clark
Played (12/04/1998) Marconi Stadium Referee : B Hugo, Crowd : 4872
Marconi-Fairfield Ante Covic, Mark Babic, Domenic Longo, Luke Casserly, Darren McDonald (Christian Care 57), Brad Maloney, Zeljko Babic, Francis Awaritefe (Sang Chul Yoon 64), Brendan Renaud (Mike Smith 59), Pan Keun Kim, Vlado Zoric Goals : Babic 24, Awaritefe 44, Zoric 50, Renaud 53, Maloney 65	5	-	0	Melbourne Knights Joe Didulica, Ante Kovacevic, Ivan Jolic, Ransford Banini, Dragi Nastevski, Tom Pondeljak, Ivan Kelic (Damon Collina 72), Alan Davidson (Ice Kutlesovski 46), John Didulica, Zoran Markovski, Mijo Trupkovic
Who'd have thought there'd be 2 5-0 drubbings in one round, particularly in this game when a spot in the playoffs was up for grabs, with Marconi being able to afford a draw. In the end they didn't get a draw. Babic's determination to first beat Nastevski to the ball and then winning a contest with Didulica for ownership of the ball was rewarded with a goal from a very narrow angle. Before halftime Awaritefe managed to finally score a goal from a header thanks to a pinpoint cross from Luke Casserly. I suspect it was his first for the season... Marconi went on with it after the break Zoric heading into an empty net after Banini inadvertently headed the ball on at the near post stranding his keeper. Zoric then supplied a pass to Renaud who blasted his way past the keeper with his left foot and an accurate shot. The 5-0 came with Sean Babic squaring a ball to Maloney coming from deep and shooting from right in front. Didulica did get a touch, but not enough to prevent the goal.
Match report by Fred Leggett
Played (12/04/1998) Falcons Park Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 1700
Gippsland Falcons Jim Kourtis, Clayton Bell, Claudio Canosa, Doug Marcina, John Hutchinson, Mark Foy (Zlatko Mihajlovic 81), Archie Thompson (Paul Byrne 89), Brian MacNicol, Joe Tricarico, Billy Mitroulas, Peter Di Iorio (Nick Tsaltas 73) Goal : Tricarico 41	1	-	0	Adelaide City Jason Petkovic, Bradley Armour, Mark Yates (Dino Mennillo 58), Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin (Travis Dodd 39), Angelo Costanzo, Damian Mori, John Gibson, Kris Trajanovski (Bradley Hassell 58), Michael Brooks, Scott Thomas
A win for Adelaide would give them second place but Gippsland did Carlton a big favour when Tricarico headed in a low, hard cross to the near post. Frank Arok's farewell at Gippsland a winning one, and it is no less than the former Socceroo coach deserves.
Played (12/04/1998) Hindmarsh Stadium Referee : C Zetter, Crowd : 1655
Adelaide Sharks David Miller, Frank Tibaldi, Branko Milosevic, Con Kokkinoplitis, Corey Artone, Richie Alagich, Nathan Day (Andrew Borghetto 72), Alex Duric (Jim Tsekinis 68), Lou Hristodoulou (John Cutillo 80), Bill Misailidis, Aaran Westervelt Goals : Artone 56, Borghetto 90+	2	-	1	Brisbane Strikers Clint Bolton, Glenn Gwynne, Chris Zoricich, Craig Williams, Sean Cranney, Rod Brown (Andrew Brayshaw 46), Mark Battistin (Royce Brownlie 75), Jeromy Harris, Stephen Laybutt, Danny Invincible, Wayne Srhoj (Troy Cranney 46) Goal : Invincible 78
In front of a paltry crowd The Sharks won with a late, late goal having led from an Artone goal after he ran half the pitch with the ball when he profited from a defensive error. A thumping half volley from Invincible, one of a few players being given a chance now that the season is lost to Brisbane brought the score back to 1-1. Then the late winner came after a cross from Tsekenis and Borghettos near post toe-poke
Played (13/04/1998) Bruce Stadium Referee : J Tippett, Crowd : 3492
Canberra Cosmos Anthony Giannasca, Paul Dee, Andrew Roberts, Gordon Hunter, Harry James, Michael Musitano, Peter Buljan (Tom Haythornthwaite 46), Lindsay Wilson, Toplica Popovic, Ilija Prenzoski (Shane Lyons 72), Jong Su Kim (Oscar Zamaro 76) Goal : James 57	1	-	2	Perth Glory Anthony Franken, Gavin Wilkinson, Vinko Buljubasic, Gareth Naven, Scott Miller, Paul McVittie, Slobodan Despotovski, Scott Halpin (Vas Kalogeracos 69), Danny Hay, Anthony Carbone (James Afkos 76), Troy Halpin Goals : Despotovski 25, Wilkinson 89
A Halpin looping cross from the goal line was met by Despotovski's head before some goalmouth pinball gave Harry James the equaliser. Late in the game a Perth corner led to another pinball goal for the visitors. Canberra deserving wooden spooners after having promised so much more before the season began. Canberra also fielded young Shane Lyons, the son of Rugby League legend Cliff Lyons.