Miscellaneous Games

Western Australia v Inglewood United

Written by Brett Klucznik

Played : January 21, 2001 Venue : unknown

Western Australia
Corey Hugo, Troy Bernard (Aaron Cole 60), Aaron Cole (Scott Broadley 43), Steve MacDonald (Doug Ithier 43), Todd Howarth (Paul Cooke 30), Craig Surtees (Jamie Kuzmanovic 60, Steve MacDonald 78), Jamie Kuzmanovic (Todd Harnwell 30), Steve White (Todd Howarth 60), Sandy Robertson, Kevin Correia (Louis Parkinson 60), Louis Parkinson (Trim Morgan 30)
Goals : Morgan 54, 72, Parkinson 74, Ithier 84 4 - 0 Inglewood United
Oliver Taseski (Jordan Conti 60), Keith Taylor (Daniel Arias 30 (Anthony Arnold 60)), Jason Godfrey (Davorin Svirac 60 (Gary Friedman 68)), Davorin Svirac (Mark Craft 30), Michael Bushby (Ryan Fredericks 30), Andy Cornwall (Keith Taylor 60), Anthony Danze (Sean Kilkelly 60), Sean Kilkelly (Stefan Smilijanic 30), Scott Campbell (Michael Bushby 60), John Bartolomei (Peter Mrdja 30 (Matt Aitken 60)), Dale Wingell (John Bartolomei 60 (Paul Baczynski 68))

Referee : Arthur Papas
Attendance : 75

Western Australia continued their preparation for the up-coming friendly international against Red Star Belgrade with their only competitive hit-out against a very young and comparatively inexperienced Inglewood United side on the weekend. State coach Paul Wormley rested midfielder Scott Devine and goalkeeper Alan Dunlop due to niggling injuries, while Todd Harnwell has only recently re-commenced his pre-season after a calf complaint. Inglewood coach Steve Parkinson took the opportunity to rest ten first team regulars, giving the clubs youngsters and new signings the opportunity to show their wares in what Parkinson expected to be a pressure situation. The Inglewood coach would experiment with his 21-man travelling party over the course of the match, fielding what amounted to a youth side with only two players over the age of 20 taking to the field for the clubs first outing of 2001.
Played over three 30 minute periods, the match saw with the State team dominate from the opening, effortlessly moving the ball around in the middle of the park to set-up wave after wave attack. But for all W.A.'s creativity and endevour, the Inglewood defence were always on hand to clear any danger and effectively limit the number of shots W.A. could muster when within scoring range. It wasn't until the 10th minute that we saw either 'keeper tested - Inglewood defender Davorin Svirac almost putting the ball past his own 'keeper from close range but thankfully Oliver Taseski was on top of his game and moved quickly to save his side the embarrassment of an early own goal.
It was beginning to look as though pre-match expectations of State team walk-over would come true as the W.A. midfield took control of the contest with Steve White and Sandy Robertson in sparkingly form. With all the play taking place in their half, Kevin Correia met a curling Steve MacDonald cross from the right in the 13th minute, forcing Taseski to concede the corner by paddling the ball over the bar. Five minutes later Todd Howarth slotted to Louis Parkinson who was charging into a congested area only to fire over from 14 metres. A long-range drive from Howarth which skimmed the wrong side of the bar ended the period in which W.A. were continually thwarted by their own poor finished.
Inglewood started the second period with more confidence and carved out several promising moves inside the opening ten minutes, only to be let down by some very sloppy work in attack. With their defence turning the ball over with relative ease, it wasn't long before the back-four were again in the thick of the action as the midfield conceded possession by taking far too long to do anything constructive with the ball against a far more experienced side. On the occasions the ball did make it to the forward line, the strikers often took on one opponent too many and ended up losing the ball without so much as sighting goal.
After about ten minutes on the back foot, W.A. came back into the game and flexed their midfield muscle once again to have Inglewood's defence under almost constant pressure. The teenage backline of Ryan Fredericks, Jason Godfrey, Daniel Arias and Mark Craft weathered the storm well and kept their more fancied opponents at bay with a determined showing. Trim Morgan sent a perfectly weighted cross in the direction of Todd Harnwell at the far post, only for Arias to pop up and head the ball to safety. A minute later Harnwell returned the favour to pick out Morgan but this time it was Craft that intercepted and knocked the ball out of the dangerzone. In the 45th minute Paul Cooke did all the hard work to set-up Correia inside the area, he expertly turned his marker to find Taseski in fine form and pull off a sprawling save to keep the ledger even. The State side should have taken the lead after 48 minutes when Harnwell sent a low cross into the area which caught Inglewood ball-watching, only for those in W.A. colours to be doing likewise as it passed along the top of the 6-yard box and across the by-line.
As the second third drew to a close Inglewood tightened up considerably at the back to restrict the space in which their opponents could operate, and began to get forward themselves with some regularity. Scott Campbell put the ball into the side netting, but their best chance came in the 51st minute when Anthony Danze waltzed his way past three opponents only to have his shot blocked off the boot by a defender. Both teams were having a hard time breaking down the opposing defence and fighting hard for space in attack, but an 54th minute lapse in concentration at the back allowed W.A. to finally take the lead. Craft looked to switch play in defense only for his cross-field pass to spray off the side of his boot, Morgan intercepted, chested the ball down and then drilled it past Taseski from the top of the penalty area. And two minutes later it was almost 2-0 but Cooke shot disappointingly after a fine run.
The final period saw Cooke continue where he left off, racing onto a long ball from Aaron Cole and taking it to the by-line before cutting it back into the area where Harnwell's blast was deflected out. From the resulting corner, Cooke nodded it down to White who bundled the ball over the line only to have the goal disallowed for off-side. W.A. stepped up the tempo with 20 minutes remaining and they were rewarded with three goals against a fast tiring Inglewood team. In the 72nd minute some good lead-up by Cooke and Howarth saw Morgan double the margin, and two minutes later it was 3-0 when Parkinson was released down the right, turned an opponent on the corner of the 18-yard box and curled the ball around Taseski and tuck inside the far post. Morgan almost added a fourth in the 78th minute when he sent a powerful diving header narrowly over the bar from a spot-on Robertson cross.
It wasn't all one-way traffic, however, and Inglewood had their best two chances of the game within the space of a few minutes. A mis-kick by Corey Hugo - who was having a very relaxing day in goal - was collected by Michael Bushby who in turn played it short to Matt Aitken. With the W.A. 'keeper well out of position and the goal Aitken's mercy, the young striker pushed the ball the wrong side of the upright as Hugo struggled to get back between the posts. A few minutes later the State defence failed to deal sufficiently with an in-swinging corner, the ball fell to Anthony Arnold at the top of the area but he drove it wide as defenders raced in to challenge.
Three-nil up, W.A. were not finished. Cole knocked the ball short to Cooke in the 84th minute, the midfielder ran it half the length of the pitch and past two defenders before crossing from close to the by-line - Doug Ithier charged into the area unmarked to send diving, bullet-like header past Taseski from close range which left the young 'keeper with absolutely no chance. In the remaining six minutes Taseski twice prevented the margin from blowing out even further - making a fantastic reflex save to deny Morgan, then smothering at the feet of Parkinson after he'd rounded two defenders. A few minutes later and the final whistle was welcomed by players on both sides who had endured the warm conditions, high humidity and a distinct lack of breeze.
Pre-match a 4-0 scoreline in favour of the State side was not out of the question, but considering they way they went about the win, it did rather flatter their performance especially when you consider the relative inexperience of their opponents. W.A. dominated the game as expected, but rarely looked like running away with it once proceedings got underway. Robertson was an inspiration in midfield with his fine distribution of the ball, while Parkinson proved a handful for a defence which will this season be his own. There were also impressive displays from central defender Cole, Cooke on the left flank and midfielder White. But overall, to say that the teams performance today was disappointing would be an understatement, and coach Wormley will be looking for a much improved effort against Red Star in a week's time. For Inglewood teenager Danze was the standout player, showing his quality in the middle of the park which underlined just why he is part of the current Under-17's national side. Goalkeeper Taseski had a great game and prevented the State side from scoring on several occasions, while Godfrey and midfielder Keith Taylor were the other players to shine in an Inglewood side that, due to the continual rotation of players and experimentation with positions, never really got out of first gear.
W.A. winger Paul Cooke was one of few State players to shine in this match.
Footnote - The "West Australian" newspaper reported that Kevin Corriea scored W.A.'s opening goal, but from my vantage point I'm sure it was Morgan that bagged it. Then again I could be wrong ... it's been known to happen!

Played : January 21, 2001				Venue : unknown
Western Australia Corey Hugo, Troy Bernard (Aaron Cole 60), Aaron Cole (Scott Broadley 43), Steve MacDonald (Doug Ithier 43), Todd Howarth (Paul Cooke 30), Craig Surtees (Jamie Kuzmanovic 60, Steve MacDonald 78), Jamie Kuzmanovic (Todd Harnwell 30), Steve White (Todd Howarth 60), Sandy Robertson, Kevin Correia (Louis Parkinson 60), Louis Parkinson (Trim Morgan 30) Goals : Morgan 54, 72, Parkinson 74, Ithier 84	4	-	0	Inglewood United Oliver Taseski (Jordan Conti 60), Keith Taylor (Daniel Arias 30 (Anthony Arnold 60)), Jason Godfrey (Davorin Svirac 60 (Gary Friedman 68)), Davorin Svirac (Mark Craft 30), Michael Bushby (Ryan Fredericks 30), Andy Cornwall (Keith Taylor 60), Anthony Danze (Sean Kilkelly 60), Sean Kilkelly (Stefan Smilijanic 30), Scott Campbell (Michael Bushby 60), John Bartolomei (Peter Mrdja 30 (Matt Aitken 60)), Dale Wingell (John Bartolomei 60 (Paul Baczynski 68))
Referee : Arthur Papas Attendance : 75
Western Australia continued their preparation for the up-coming friendly international against Red Star Belgrade with their only competitive hit-out against a very young and comparatively inexperienced Inglewood United side on the weekend. State coach Paul Wormley rested midfielder Scott Devine and goalkeeper Alan Dunlop due to niggling injuries, while Todd Harnwell has only recently re-commenced his pre-season after a calf complaint. Inglewood coach Steve Parkinson took the opportunity to rest ten first team regulars, giving the clubs youngsters and new signings the opportunity to show their wares in what Parkinson expected to be a pressure situation. The Inglewood coach would experiment with his 21-man travelling party over the course of the match, fielding what amounted to a youth side with only two players over the age of 20 taking to the field for the clubs first outing of 2001. Played over three 30 minute periods, the match saw with the State team dominate from the opening, effortlessly moving the ball around in the middle of the park to set-up wave after wave attack. But for all W.A.'s creativity and endevour, the Inglewood defence were always on hand to clear any danger and effectively limit the number of shots W.A. could muster when within scoring range. It wasn't until the 10th minute that we saw either 'keeper tested - Inglewood defender Davorin Svirac almost putting the ball past his own 'keeper from close range but thankfully Oliver Taseski was on top of his game and moved quickly to save his side the embarrassment of an early own goal. It was beginning to look as though pre-match expectations of State team walk-over would come true as the W.A. midfield took control of the contest with Steve White and Sandy Robertson in sparkingly form. With all the play taking place in their half, Kevin Correia met a curling Steve MacDonald cross from the right in the 13th minute, forcing Taseski to concede the corner by paddling the ball over the bar. Five minutes later Todd Howarth slotted to Louis Parkinson who was charging into a congested area only to fire over from 14 metres. A long-range drive from Howarth which skimmed the wrong side of the bar ended the period in which W.A. were continually thwarted by their own poor finished. Inglewood started the second period with more confidence and carved out several promising moves inside the opening ten minutes, only to be let down by some very sloppy work in attack. With their defence turning the ball over with relative ease, it wasn't long before the back-four were again in the thick of the action as the midfield conceded possession by taking far too long to do anything constructive with the ball against a far more experienced side. On the occasions the ball did make it to the forward line, the strikers often took on one opponent too many and ended up losing the ball without so much as sighting goal. After about ten minutes on the back foot, W.A. came back into the game and flexed their midfield muscle once again to have Inglewood's defence under almost constant pressure. The teenage backline of Ryan Fredericks, Jason Godfrey, Daniel Arias and Mark Craft weathered the storm well and kept their more fancied opponents at bay with a determined showing. Trim Morgan sent a perfectly weighted cross in the direction of Todd Harnwell at the far post, only for Arias to pop up and head the ball to safety. A minute later Harnwell returned the favour to pick out Morgan but this time it was Craft that intercepted and knocked the ball out of the dangerzone. In the 45th minute Paul Cooke did all the hard work to set-up Correia inside the area, he expertly turned his marker to find Taseski in fine form and pull off a sprawling save to keep the ledger even. The State side should have taken the lead after 48 minutes when Harnwell sent a low cross into the area which caught Inglewood ball-watching, only for those in W.A. colours to be doing likewise as it passed along the top of the 6-yard box and across the by-line. As the second third drew to a close Inglewood tightened up considerably at the back to restrict the space in which their opponents could operate, and began to get forward themselves with some regularity. Scott Campbell put the ball into the side netting, but their best chance came in the 51st minute when Anthony Danze waltzed his way past three opponents only to have his shot blocked off the boot by a defender. Both teams were having a hard time breaking down the opposing defence and fighting hard for space in attack, but an 54th minute lapse in concentration at the back allowed W.A. to finally take the lead. Craft looked to switch play in defense only for his cross-field pass to spray off the side of his boot, Morgan intercepted, chested the ball down and then drilled it past Taseski from the top of the penalty area. And two minutes later it was almost 2-0 but Cooke shot disappointingly after a fine run. The final period saw Cooke continue where he left off, racing onto a long ball from Aaron Cole and taking it to the by-line before cutting it back into the area where Harnwell's blast was deflected out. From the resulting corner, Cooke nodded it down to White who bundled the ball over the line only to have the goal disallowed for off-side. W.A. stepped up the tempo with 20 minutes remaining and they were rewarded with three goals against a fast tiring Inglewood team. In the 72nd minute some good lead-up by Cooke and Howarth saw Morgan double the margin, and two minutes later it was 3-0 when Parkinson was released down the right, turned an opponent on the corner of the 18-yard box and curled the ball around Taseski and tuck inside the far post. Morgan almost added a fourth in the 78th minute when he sent a powerful diving header narrowly over the bar from a spot-on Robertson cross. It wasn't all one-way traffic, however, and Inglewood had their best two chances of the game within the space of a few minutes. A mis-kick by Corey Hugo - who was having a very relaxing day in goal - was collected by Michael Bushby who in turn played it short to Matt Aitken. With the W.A. 'keeper well out of position and the goal Aitken's mercy, the young striker pushed the ball the wrong side of the upright as Hugo struggled to get back between the posts. A few minutes later the State defence failed to deal sufficiently with an in-swinging corner, the ball fell to Anthony Arnold at the top of the area but he drove it wide as defenders raced in to challenge. Three-nil up, W.A. were not finished. Cole knocked the ball short to Cooke in the 84th minute, the midfielder ran it half the length of the pitch and past two defenders before crossing from close to the by-line - Doug Ithier charged into the area unmarked to send diving, bullet-like header past Taseski from close range which left the young 'keeper with absolutely no chance. In the remaining six minutes Taseski twice prevented the margin from blowing out even further - making a fantastic reflex save to deny Morgan, then smothering at the feet of Parkinson after he'd rounded two defenders. A few minutes later and the final whistle was welcomed by players on both sides who had endured the warm conditions, high humidity and a distinct lack of breeze. Pre-match a 4-0 scoreline in favour of the State side was not out of the question, but considering they way they went about the win, it did rather flatter their performance especially when you consider the relative inexperience of their opponents. W.A. dominated the game as expected, but rarely looked like running away with it once proceedings got underway. Robertson was an inspiration in midfield with his fine distribution of the ball, while Parkinson proved a handful for a defence which will this season be his own. There were also impressive displays from central defender Cole, Cooke on the left flank and midfielder White. But overall, to say that the teams performance today was disappointing would be an understatement, and coach Wormley will be looking for a much improved effort against Red Star in a week's time. For Inglewood teenager Danze was the standout player, showing his quality in the middle of the park which underlined just why he is part of the current Under-17's national side. Goalkeeper Taseski had a great game and prevented the State side from scoring on several occasions, while Godfrey and midfielder Keith Taylor were the other players to shine in an Inglewood side that, due to the continual rotation of players and experimentation with positions, never really got out of first gear. W.A. winger Paul Cooke was one of few State players to shine in this match. Footnote - The "West Australian" newspaper reported that Kevin Corriea scored W.A.'s opening goal, but from my vantage point I'm sure it was Morgan that bagged it. Then again I could be wrong ... it's been known to happen!