1996/1997 Season Round 11 Results written by Thomas Esamie
Played (20/12/1996) Brandon Park Referee : B Hugo, Crowd : 3467
Wollongong City Adam Brodbeck, Alvin Ceccoli, Gary van Egmond, Matthew Horsley, Sonny Sevin, Lujpco Naumovski (Tony Perinich 11 (Michael Kariamis 57)), Michael Reda, Neil Harlock, Nick Joseski, Richard Lloyd, Anthony Surjan (Martin Bourke 79) Goals : Perinich 50, Horsley 81	2	-	1	Canberra Cosmos Danny Milosevic, Paul Dee, David Milin (James Baxter 69), Richard Watson, Michael Garcia, Norman Kelly, Lachlan Armstrong (Tony Lemezina 58), John Koch, George Sorras, Ante Juric, Rodrigo Moreno Goal : Lemezina 79
Tony Perinch battled for the ball in the area, lunged out and looped the ball over Milosevic's head and into the net. The Wollongong keeper bettered this by carrying the ball outside the penalty area as he leapt for a high ball and could only watch Tony Lemezina slam the ball just under the crossbar. Canberra looked to be heading for the draw when the home side had a ball into Canberra's area punched to Matt Horsley's feet and his long range drive was deflected into the goal by Nick Joseski.
Played (20/12/1996) Breakers Stadium Referee : M Breeze, Crowd : 4225
Newcastle Breakers Liam Baker, Shane Pryce, Glen Sprod, Robert Ironside, Scott Thomas, Clayton Zane, Troy Halpin, Todd McManus, Andy Roberts, Jason Bennett (Liam McGuire 85), Matt Austin Goals : Pryce 68, Zane 70, Bennett 74	3	-	1	Sydney United Zeljko Kalac, Robert Trajkovski (Damir Cvetko 69), Velimir Kupresak, Tony Popovic, Mark Babic, Robert Enes, Kresimir Marusic, Ante Moric (Aytek Genc 68), Ante Milicic, David Zdrilic, Paul Bilokapic Goal : Milicic 54
Upset of the round started out as expected with United taking the lead through Ante Milicic just after halftime wth due credit to David Zdrilic. Then the Breakers struck back when a Clayton Zane drive was turned away for a corner by Kalac who fumbled the catch from the subsequent cross to see Shane Pryce turn and shoot in a flash. Zane was again involved when he was fouled by Kupresak to the right of the penalty area and was left completely unmarked to head home the cross from Pryce. Finally Jason Bennett scored a freaky goal when he cut into the penalty area only to see the ball run on too far to Robert Enes. Enes tried to sidefoot the ball to a teammate but Bennett had continued his run, stuck out a foot at the crucial moment and the ball curled in.
Played (21/12/1996) Suncorp Stadium Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 4194
Brisbane Strikers Graham Ross, Glen Gwynne, Gary Phillips, Frank Farina, Rod Brown (Chris Slater 74), Danny Wright, Troy Cranney, Mark Battistin, Andrew Brayshaw, Kasey Wehrman, Reece Tollenaere (Jeremy Harris 80) Goals : Farina 6, 49, Battistin 24pk, Slater 79, Wehrman 83	5	-	2	Collingwood Warriors Frank Juric, Dean Fak, Carlo Talladira, Andrew Vlahos, Kimon Taliadoros (Peter Di Iorio 83), Ernie Tapai, Mark Silic, Brian MacNicol, George Jolevski (Joe Vrkic 59), Alan Scott, Aleksandr Pryhodko (sent off 68) Goals : Vlahos 19, 36
Farina struck home from a tight angle only to see Vlahos score beyond Ross' reach to cancel the advantage. Farina then earned his side a penalty and again Vlahos equalised. Back to Farina who headed home brilliantly and this time Vlahos could not reply. Instead returnee from a trip to UTS Olympic, Chris Slater, and newly selected Australian Youth squad member, Kasey Wehrman, put the game beyond Collingwoods reach.
Played (21/12/1996) Lakeside Stadium Referee : E Brazzale, Crowd : 7896
South Melbourne Michael Petkovic, Nick Orlic, Alex Kuzmanovic, Con Blatsis, Jason Polak, Vaughan Coveny (Daniel Allsopp 88), Paul Trimboli (Steve Iosifidis 64), Fausto DeAmicis, Bill Damianos, David Clarkson, Ivan Kelic (Michael Curcija 82) Goal : Coveny 63	1	-	0	Perth Glory Vincent Matassa, Craig Naven, Gavin Wilkinson, Vinko Buljubasic, Gareth Naven, Scott Miller, Paul McVittie, Paul Strudwick, Slobodan Despotovski, Vasili Kalogeracos, Dale Wingell
Vincent Matassa and Michael Petkovic ruled the day here and the only a Coveny effort from a cross by Ivan Kelic was beyond Matassa's power to defend.
Played (21/12/1996) Marconi Stadium Referee : G Connolly, Crowd : 10334
Marconi-Fairfield Bob Catlin, Matthew Bingley, Luke Casserly, Andrew Harper, Craig Foster, Brad Maloney, Dominic Longo, Sean Babic (Andrew Ravanello 74), Francis Awaritefe (Eric Hristodoulou 89), Paul Souris (Robert Stanton 85), Vlado Zoric Goals : Babic 11, 74, Awaritefe 32, Harper 65, Maloney 90	5	-	1	UTS Olympic Tony Franken, Adam Ciantar, David Barrett, Peter Tsekenis, Carlos Gonzales (Abbas Saad 46 (Elias Augerinos 72)), Alistair Edwards, Brett Emerton (Ralph Bove 62), Kris Trajanovski, Norman Tome, Nick Meredith (sent off 78), Milan Blagojevic Goal : Tome 60
The Stadium played host not only to the usual figures in this local derby but Daniele Massaro (Marconi hope to have him make appearances as a guest player), Joseph Blatter and several ARL bigwigs looked on. Sean Babic got a beatuiful pass from Vlado Zoric which looped and stopped over the defensive line and he in turn looped it over the keeper. Babic then drew a mistake from Tony Franken which Fancis Awaritefe cleaned up for goal #2. I guess the selection of Babic by Venables in the January internationals is being repaid. Olympic got a lifeline from Norman Tome who had been missing his oppertunities all day until a dipping volley deceived Catlin. Marconi knew it would be their day when Harper was awarded a goal with a shot that was cleared acrobatically but only after it crossed the line. Then Olympic captain Meredith was sent off for a second yellow card for a tackle on Awaritefe having earlier been booked for shirt(short) tugging. Babic and Maloney both scored from deflected shots to end the day.
Played (22/12/1996) Hindmarsh Stadium Referee : W Dade, Crowd : 3780
Adelaide City Jason Petkovic, Bradley Armour, Mark Yates, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Angelo Costanzo, Bradley Hassell, John Gibson, Michael Musitano (Travis Dodd 75), Michael Brooks, Mark Brazzale (Kosta Salapasidis 67) Goals : Musitano 46, 53, Brooks 51, 69	4	-	1	Gippsland Falcons Jim Kourtis, Doug Marcina, Marcus Stergiopoulos, Steve Mangos (Manny Gotis 54), Nick Palamaras, Mark Foy, Eddie Krncevic, Alex Duric (Hugo Giminez 81), Esala Masi (Manoa Masi 54), Clayton Bell, William Hastie Goal : Foy 12
Kiwi Mark Foy's goal gave the Falcons a 1-0 halftime lead but Adelaide changed their stripes (if you'll pardon the pun) and became a goalscoring machine in the second half. Most of the threat came from Michael Brooks and within 6 minutes of the restart Adelaide were leading. Musitano got in on the act too and between them he and Brooks ripped the Falcons to shreds.
Played (22/12/1996) Somers St Stadium Referee : M Shield, Crowd : 3970
Melbourne Knights Joe Didulica, David Cervinski, Zoran Markovski, Andrew Marth, Joe Simunic (Mijo Trupkovic 82), Lubomir Lapsansky, Ice Kutlesovski, Tom Pondeljak, Ante Kovacevic, Ivan Duzel (Josip Biskic 68), Ransford Banini (Joe Caleta 30) Goals : Kutlesovski 7, 89, Simunic 44, Pondeljak 77	4	-	0	West Adelaide Nathan Wildy, Hamilton Thorp, Robert Slager, Robert Hooker, Alex Castro, Ross Aloisi (Con Kokkinoplitis 76), Pablo Cardozo (John Cutillo 46), Nathan Day, Frank Tibaldi, Jim Tsekinis, Corey Artone (Richie Alagich 54)
Ice overhead kicked a nodded on throw in to open the scoring for the Knights and despite a Banini injury the Knights didn't look back as Judas Simunic got a second chance from the penalty spot from a partial save by the keeper, the call for the penalty coming from the linesman. Pondeljak headed the ball into the net and Kutlesovski rounded the keeper for goals 3 and 4 for the Knights which helps the Knights move away from the stragglers on the table.