Congratulations to Balmain Reserves, who have now mathematically won the league, even though it was realistically won at least a month ago. Travelling to play Roosters, who had troubled them a little in the earlier two rounds, the Tigers produced some of their best football of the season, coming from behind to demolish the hapless Roosters by 10 goals to one.
Things didn't look so bright early on though, with a Rooster smashing a free kick "torpedo-like" into the top corner after only five minutes of play. But as we have seen so often this season, the Tiger cubs merely kicked off, ran up the other end, and scored an equaliser almost immediately through Ilias Hatzidavid. Jamie Djambazov popped up to score with a beautiful angled drive across the keeper, and Uri Kaye added to the score with a penalty kick to make it 3-1 before half time. The second half became a bit of a procession and the Tigers banged in goal after goal - Kaye bagged a second half hat trick to end with four and Bracewell and Sowden each grabbed a double.
14 games down, 42 points up, and the question now becomes can this team end the season with a perfect record on 54 points? Hawkesbury travel to Birchgrove this weekend, and with second spot and a playoff place up for grabs, we can be sure that they will not make it the easy for the Tigers.
With title ambitions quickly slipping away, Balmain journeyed to Auburn to face Roosters FC knowing that nothing but a win would be enough to keep them in the race. Roosters had only suffered one loss all season, going down 4-2 in the first round fixture against Balmain. Could they do it? Could they what!
Balmain welcomed back John Buonavoglia from injury, and he came in for the suspended Admir Smajovic in an otherwise unchanged lineup from the team that drew with Bathurst last week. Balmain began well, with Hardwick volleying athletically over the bar, and Richardson having a penalty appeal turned down after being smashed in the box. So it came as a surprise to all when Parelli jumped to win a good header in his own area, tumbled over a Rooster who ducked instead of jumping for the header, and got up to see the referee pointing to the spot in "yet-another-refereeing-baffler". Sometimes you make your own luck though, and justice was well and truly served when Matt Cuthbert pounced like a tiger to deflect the spot kick onto the post and away to safety.
Energised, the Tigers attacked and were soon in the lead. Merlino looked to have scored but the referee pulled up play for an earlier hack on Buonavoglia and awarded a penalty instead. No problem for Johnny B, and it was 1-0 to Balmain. Thereafter, the players, fans, administrators, canteen workers, and anyone else of common sense were treated to, yes, you guessed right, "yet-another-couple-of-refereeing-bafflers". Charging towards goal, Buonavoglia beat a couple with ease before being tackled, shall we say, "agriculturally" by the last defender with any chance of stopping him from scoring. In baffler part one, yellow card was the decision instead of the red that was so obviously deserved. Worse still was baffler part two, where Buonavoglia was red carded for swearing at a totally uninvolved opposition player who felt it necessary to run over and let the referee know that Johnny B was wearing a wedding ring and then try to physically remove it from the injured player's finger. I kid you not.
Being reduced to ten men did not hamper the Tigers' style though, and shortly after Gothe-Snape finished off a flowing move by beautifully popping the ball into the top corner with the outside of his foot to make it 2-0. Half time came and went, with Balmain holding onto the lead against an increasingly frustrated Roosters side who were unable to make any headway, even with the extra man. The game was well and truly over when Richardson got to Gavin Croall's long throw and smashed it past the keeper for 3-0. And just to round off their dominance, Parelli and Hardwick combined for a breakaway fourth goal shortly before full time.
So a 4-0 win puts the Tigers right back in the mix for the top two places and a chance of promotion, not to mention doing wonders for the goal difference. But with other teams all having a game or two in hand, it is still vital that the Tigers keep collecting three points in every remaining match.
After seeing the devastation youtube imparts on our decent quality videos, we've moved everything over to blip.tv. We've even got a nice little video player embedded in our site now.
If you want to watch the videos in even higher quality, you can click the "blip.tv" in the bottom right of the video player to go through to our blip.tv page then click on the individual videos and change the "Play video in alternate format:" selection box.
Enjoy, and thanks to roving camerman Matt Jaffray for his extensive footage.
Three games in seven days, nine points on offer and Balmain needing every one of them to stay in touch with the title race. We take a look back at a week that could make or break Balmain's season in our mega massive never to be repeated once in a season week that was...
First up was the trip to Prospect for what every cliche-parroting football fan calls a "vital six-pointer". Playing in the near-darkness of William Lawson Reserve at night actually seemed to play into Balmain's hands - years of training at Birchgrove Oval had the boys pouncing around the pitch like a blind kung-fu master. Or not, as may be.
The Emperor, referee against Prospect
Anyway, returning from a three match suspension after a run-in with a foul mouthed Bathurst linesman, John Buonavoglia let everyone know he was back, slotting in a first half penalty awarded by none other than The Emperor, who quickly dismissed Prospect's protests by threatening to lightning bolt anyone who argued. With players unable to see from one side of the pitch to the other, the game became a little scrappy, and let me see, my memory's a bit hazy.. aah yes up popped Buonavoglia again well into the second half, drawing in three defenders and unleashing Hardwick down the right with a clever backheel. The ex-ballerina danced into the area and smashed one under the diving keeper's body for 2-0. Prospect knew they were finished and Balmain relaxed, playing some of the best football seen in recent times. There was even time for Uri "the Nator" Kaye to blast one over the top with an open goal at his mercy. Buonavoglia picked up the man of the match award courtesy of the Exchange Hotel and the week had begun well.
Next up came a rescheduled fixture against the battlers of Hawkesbury City. Unable to secure a venue and feeling confident and eager to get the match out of the way, Balmain elected to give up their home advantage and switched the fixture to Hawkesbury's Bensons Lane Reserve. No complaints about the pitch or the lighting there, and Balmain started strongly, dominating the first half hour and taking a 1-0 lead through Lozza "Robin Hood" Merlino. Things were starting to look up as the second half started, but what followed can only be described as a stunning capitulation. Hawkesbury equalised by bundling both the ball and Graeme Shannon into the net after he had saved the Tigers by stopping the ball on the line following a three man defensive blunder. Later, Balmain allowed an all too familiar runaway goal - a ball over the top, striker through, one on one, 2-1, goodnight.
Which brings us to the weekend's "even-more-vital-six-pointer" at home to last placed Bathurst. Coach Kaltenegger rang the changes, bringing in four regulars from Balmain's invincible reserve team in an effort to inject some enthusiasm and a winning mentality. Congratulations must go to Ibrahim Sesay, making his first grade debut from the bench. All looked well as Balmain settled into the game, played some good football, and were confronted with an opposition content to do nought but bang it long straight up the middle. Before I continue, let me say that if you could pick one game to sum up Balmain's season so far, this would be it. About 30 minutes into the game and under little or no pressure, Balmain conceded the meekest of goals. A ball was hit into the box, an airswing and an unmarked striker later, Bathurst scored with their first shot of the match. Visibly deflated, Balmain went through the motions until half time, down 1-0 and looking very much out for the count. A rollicking was what they needed and it was what they got from Coach Kaltenegger, with more than a little help from Dave "Winston" Churchgrill.
A different team emerged in the second half, and they managed to all but utterly destroy Bathurst. Playing a high tempo passing game, with plenty of movement, Craig Andrews and David Parelli bossed the midfield, and Hardwick and Richardson began to cause trouble out wide. Sadly, Admir Smajovic received his marching orders for a second yellow, but there was a silver lining with a Bathurst player marched for running in and headbutting him right in front of the linesman. The equaliser came when Merlino headed Anthony Trieste's free kick back across goal and Dan Ault was on hand to almost touch the ball as two or three Bathurst players bundled it into their own net. This resulted in Bathurst's other shot of the match as they tried to score directly from the kick off.
Balmain created chance after chance but the winner just would not come. Balls fizzed untouched across the six yard box, shots went inches over the top, headers shaved the outside of the post, attackers were blatantly pulled back in the penalty box, and in one amazing sequence Uri Kaye attempted to prove to everyone he is Ronaldinho in disguise by hitting the crossbar twice within five seconds.
Still, Bathurst rode their luck, and emerged with a richly underserved point - one which takes Balmain's destiny out of their own hands. Nothing less than five wins will do for the Tigers now, and even then they will have to rely on other results going their way if they are to rescue a season which has so far promised so much but delivered precious little.
Now if you've read this far then we know what you're looking for, more news on the all conquering reserve team. Well, to tell the truth, they are so good it is boring. They demolished a good Prospect team 5-0 thanks to goals from Kaye (2), Hatzidavid, Emedi, and a Richardson cracker. Then midweek they battled out what was probably their hardest fought win of the season, beating both Hawkesbury and a very partisan local referee 1-0, thanks to a twice taken Sasha Emedi penalty kick. They have now moved to within a point of the title after smashing Bathurst 5-0 on the weekend - Uri Kaye scoring a hat trick including two penalties, with Sowden and Hatzidavid adding the extras.
The Tigers Reserves cannot be overtaken on points, and with a goal difference of 42 it would take an extraordinary turn around for them to lose the title now. However, an unprecedented unbeaten season is within sight, and with the title to secure on Sunday, it should make for an interesting game against Roosters, a team that the Tigers have only managed to beat twice in the injury time this year.
Just confirmation that tomorrow night's fixture is definitely on, but has been moved to Hawkesbury's home ground - Bensons Lane Reserve, Richmond. Kick off times are 6:30pm for reserve grade and 8:15pm for firsts.
Please allow yourself plenty of time to get there in peak hour traffic.
