For those talking up Palm Beach, you need to relax. Roar beat the 9-0 in a friendly this week.

Bonnyrigg rampant as Cooma bow out

Bonnyrigg White Eagles players celebrate scoring against Cooma Tigers.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles players celebrate scoring against Cooma Tigers.Saturday, 20 September 2014 - Russ Gibbs, Capital Football Comments
Bonnyrigg White Eagles cruised into the semi-finals of the Playstation 4 National Premier Leagues Finals Series with a thumping 6-1 success over Cooma Tigers at the AIS Athletics Track in Canberra. The NSW League Champions had to come from 1-0 down however before storming to victory with a scintillating second half display to which the Tigers had no answer.
After a cagey opening it was Cooma who took the lead with only ten minutes on the clock. Robbie Cattanach orchestrated it with a defence splitting pass over the top of the White Eagles defence for striker Jordan Lando to run onto. Lando’s first touch appeared heavy but he stretched to reach the ball ahead of the onrushing James Chronopolous and stab his effort past the Eagles’ ‘keeper and into the net.

That seemed to spur on the visitors who were level within twelve minutes. Throughout the match the Tigers’ defence struggled with the aerial threat of the NSW representatives and the goal was a direct result of their inability to compete in the air. Tynan Diaz was the provider, curling in a beautiful delivery which was begging to be headed home and Dylan Fox duly obliged, nodding into the net from close range.

And the Eagles almost had the lead on the half-hour. Another superb free-kick caused havoc in the Cooma defence and was deftly headed past Tigers’ stopper Jack Pettit but, to the relief of the home support, the goal was chalked off for offside. Cooma responded via a long-range Cattanach effort that was pushed away by Chronopolous as the half ended all-square at 1-1.

Bonnyrigg came out firing after the interval and a brace of goals within three minutes of each other swung the momentum of the game inexorably in their favour. From a corner in the 54 th minute Cooma once more failed to deal with the aerial threat and Nikola Zonjic was able to steal in unmarked and head firmly past Pettit from six yards. Two became three within minutes as Arron Peterson took advantage of some hesitant defending to slot home.

By now the White Eagles were showing their power and they went further ahead in the 63 rd minute with a cracking finish. Pettit could only clear a poor back-pass straight to Diaz who coolly picked his spot from thirty metres and cracked a beauty back over the head of the back-pedalling Cooma number one.

There was still more to come from the rampant White Eagles as Peterson was left unmarked on the penalty spot to swivel and pick his spot with nineteen minutes remaining and extend the lead. And the visitors racked up a sixth in the 79 th minute as Peterson turned provider, finding substitute Terik Ercan who in turn laid it on a plate for Alexander Doyle to bring up the half dozen.

Playstation 4 National Premier Leagues – 2014 Finals Series

Cooma Tigers 1 (Jordan Lando 10’)

Bonnyrigg White Eagles 6 (Dylan Fox 22’, Nikola Zonjic 54’, Arron Peterson 57’, 71’, Tynan Diaz 63’, Alexander Doyle 79’)

Statistics

Cooma Tigers: 24. Jack PETTIT, 3. Jordano SAN MARTIN, 4. Iain ELLIOTT, 5. Jeremias IBARRA, 6. Aden JOHNSON, 7. Goran JOSIFOVSKI, 8. Jordan LANDO, 9. Robbie CATTANACH, 10. Dejan SANTRAC (17. Jared TONINI 73’), 11. Stephen DOMENICI (15. Daniel ROBERTS 66’), 16. Phil YARNOLD (21. Sime CELESKI 73’)

Substitutes not used: 12. Domenic COLUCCIELLO, 14. Stefan TODOROSKI

Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1. James CHRONOPOLOUS, 4. David VRANKOVIC (17. Mitchell OSMAND 68’), 5. Chris TADROSSE, 6. Nikola ZONJIC, 8. Alexander CANAK (26. Terik ERCAN 71’), 10. Tynan DIAZ, 12. Dylan FOX, 14. Jordan CRIGHTON (24. Alexander DOYLE 66’), 16. Howard FONDYKE, 19. Arron PETERSON, 21. Bo Hyun CHUN

Substitutes not used: 2. Alexander MANSUETO, 22. Liam GOBBO

Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 3. Jordano SAN MARTIN, 5. Jeremias IBARRA, 7. Goran JOSIFOVSKI, 11. Stephen DOMENICI (Cooma Tigers)

Match Officials: Luke WITHELL (referee), Owen GOLDRICK, Adam POWERS, Gary VANDEBURGT (4 th Official)

Attendance: 288

MetroStars eclipse Bayswater on penalties

Bayswater City keeper Devon Spence secures the ball from a corner.
Bayswater City keeper Devon Spence secures the ball from a corner.Saturday, 20 September 2014 - Jonathan Cook, Football West Comments
MetroStars were taken to penalties by 10-man Bayswater City before booking their place in the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues semi-finals.
Goalkeeper Daniel Godley was MetroStars’ hero as both Sam Mitchinson and Trent Kay failed from the spot for Bayswater as the South Australian side scored a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory following 120 minutes of goalless action.

Western Australian outfit Bayswater were up against it after just 12 minutes when former Melbourne Heart, Perth Glory and Sydney midfielder Jamie Coyne was sent off.

Assistant referee Josh Manella had spotted Coyne’s tangle with Perry Mitris and after discussions with referee Adam Fielding, the younger brother of Bayswater coach Chris Coyne was dismissed.

Mitris almost engineered an extra-time winner for MetroStars but his header crashed against a post, while Adam Bachiller and James Isaia were unable to make the most of their late chances for Bayswater.

Despite the numerical advantage in the rising temperature, MetroStars had found it difficult to break down the home side at Frank Drago Reserve – and when they did find a way in behind, they found goalkeeper Devon Spence in excellent form.

Spence had to be alert to deny Anthony Solagna, Scott Tunbridge and Joseph Polisena as Fabian Barbiero pulled the strings in the middle of the park, while Chris Saldaris started and finished Bayswater’s best move of the first half with a shot that went wide.

Bayswater striker David Heagney screwed wide his chance just six minutes into the second half and then blasted into the side-netting from 25m before Godley denied Declan Hargreaves with a fine save.

Andrew Ciarla’s extra-time attempt was thwarted by Spence to ensure the stalemate was preserved and the match went to a shoot-out.

Adam Van Dommele, Barbiero, Stefan Cali and Mitris all made sure of their penalties to win it for the visitors.

Playstation 4 National Premier Leagues – 2014 Finals Series

Bayswater City 0

MetroStars SC 0 MetroStars win 4-3 on penalties

Frank Drago Reserve, Bayswater WA

Sharks comeback to bite Bears

Jarrod Kyle scores what proved to be the winner for Palm Beach Sharks.
Jarrod Kyle scores what proved to be the winner for Palm Beach Sharks.Saturday, 20 September 2014 - Blake Jarrett, Northern NSW Football Comments
Palm Beach Sharks overcame a 1-0 deficit to advance to the semi-finals of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Finals Series with a 2-1 win over the Weston Workers Bears.
Palm Beach started the better of the two sides, and missed a golden chance to go ahead as Daniel Grzic headed over the bar from a metre out with an open goal looming after Chris Lucas beat Weston keeper James Wand.

Weston finally settled into the game, and in the twentieth minute Garry McDermott headed just wide of the right post. Eleven minutes later skipper Carl Thornton made no mistake, heading in a Nathan Morris free kick to send the Bears into half time with a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes into the second half Palm Beach won themselves a penalty, and consequently a chance to get themselves back into the game. Chris Lucas stepped up and buried a strike into the bottom left hand corner, sending Wand the wrong way.

In the sixty-fifth minute Weston thought they had regained the lead, however Jack Boxell was all that stood between Jye Mckellar and the goal, clearing his shot off the line.

Eight minutes later Palm Beach struck the final blow, as Jarrod Kyle completed the matches scoring, firing a shot into the bottom left hand corner past a stranded Wand.

The win sees Palm Beach progress to the Semi Final, where they will take on Bonnyrigg White Eagles who defeated Cooma Tigers 6-1 earlier today.

PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues - 2014 Elimination Finals

Weston Workers 1 (Thornton 36')

Palm Beach Sharks 2 (Lucas 56', Kyle 73')

Rockwell Automation Park, Weston NSW

South Melbourne strike early to down brave South Hobart

South Melbourne's Jamie Reed's scores from bicycle-kick.
South Melbourne's Jamie Reed's scores from bicycle-kick.Saturday, 20 September 2014 - Damian Gill, Football Federation Tasmania 1 Comment
South Melbourne are through to the Semi-Finals of the PS4 National Premier Leagues Final Series, with an early goal through Jamie Reed enough to see them past a gallant South Hobart at Darcy Street in Hobart.
Chris Taylor’s men started brightly away from home, striking an opener in just the sixth minute. Striker Jamie Reed punished South Hobart for failing to clear the danger, acrobatically finishing off with a bicycle kick from close range after a threatening James Musa header rebounded to the forward off the crossbar.

South Hobart winger Andy Brennan proved a handful for the South Melbourne defence with his pace posing problems to the Victorian’s defence. He very nearly popped home an equaliser for the Hobartians three minutes after South Melbourne’s opener, firing just across the face of goal to the left from an acute angle on the right.

His partner in crime Brayden Mann had a frustrating day at the office, denied a penalty in the 29th minute after he dinked by his marker only to be brought down in the box but to his astonishment play was waved on.

Late in the first half the encounter fired up with tempers flaring on both sides, with both Musa and Brennan shown yellow for poor challenges.

Brennan continued to loom as South Hobart’s most likely goal threat, but failed to find the back of the net, cannoning wide shots on two occasions in the 58th and 59th minutes.

After a great individual opening hour, Stephen Hatzikostas was forced from the pitch through injury after a collision with South Hobart midfielder Hugh Undy saw him helped off the field with a leg injury.

In the 72nd minute, it seemed certain the hosts would be reduced to 10 men, with South Hobart ‘keeper Kane Pierce collecting Milos Lujic, after the South Melbourne forward was put in one on one with the keeper. To the bemusement of the crowd and to the delight of South Hobart, Pierce was shown yellow for his last man professional foul, with officiating Referee Brenton Kopra ruling that full back Liam Scott was back in support.

Brennan looked likely to add to South Melbourne’s frustrations in the 79th minute but failed to finish, burning off his marker with a wonderful turn of speed the South Hobart spearhead squandered a golden chance, failing to test Chris Maynard, firing well wide of goal.

South Melbourne almost increased their advantage a minute later with Lujic forcing a tremendous save out of Pierce, with the gloveman stopping a goal bound shot with an agile effort, denying the Lujic drive with an outstretched boot.

Despite South Hobart’s best efforts, the Victorian Champions ran out deserved winners, with Lujic missing a chance to ice the win in the 95th minute, missing a tap in from close range, firing out of play off the crossbar.

South Melbourne now proceed to face the winner of Bayswater City and MetroStars, South Melbourne were deserved victors and despite leaving empty handed the Tasmanian Victory League Champions South Hobart were far from disgraced in a close contest between the pair at Darcy Street.
Playstation 4 National Premier Leagues - 2014 Finals Series

Elimination Final

South Hobart 0 defeated by

South Melbourne 1 (Jamie Reed 6’)

Darcy Street, South Hobart

Attendance: 800

I'd really like to know the answer to this.

From the NPL comp website:-

The results mean next weekend’s Semi Finals will see Bonnyrigg White Eagles host Palm Beach Sharks on Saturday 27 September 2014 at Bonnyrigg Sports Club, while MetroStars SC will head across the border to face South Melbourne FC on Sunday 28 September.

The venue and kick-off time for the match between South Melbourne FC and MetroStars SC is TBC

Feel sorry for players at the Sharks, the amount of time off they would have had to take to play all these games as of late.

-PB

Thanks mate <3

South Melbourne vs Metrostars - Sunday, 3pm kick-off, Lakeside Stadium.

South Melbourne vs Metrostars - Sunday, 3pm kick-off, Lakeside Stadium.

Bugger, seems I'll miss it.

Hopefully the final will be in Melbourne next week.

I don't. Getting paid to play football and travel across state. It's something you'd dream about as a player.

They aren't getting paid lol.

They all still work day jobs.

-PB

I was under the impression they got paid a small game day wage.

Wouldn't be enough to compensate the amount of leave they have to take off or days without pay.

-PB

-PB

Fuck off PB. Stop photoshopping.

Really happy they got through and with a better crowd than GCU :lol:

Fly into melbourne on the saturday so definitely heading to lakeside on sunday.