1997/1998 Season Round 01 Results written by Thomas Esamie
Played (3/10/1997) Topper Stadium Referee : M Shield, Crowd : 5022
Newcastle Breakers Liam Baker, Glenn Sprod, Matt Austin, Shane Pryce, Todd McManus, Robert Ironside, Peter Richie, Clayton Zane (Ben Lane 82), Troy Halpin (Mark Wilson 80), Jason Bennett, Doug West (Mick Williams 66) Goals : Zane 9, 11, 25pk, Bennett 79	4	-	2	Adelaide Sharks Nathan Wildy, Paul Pezos (Alex Castro 30), Alex Kuzmanovic, Branko Milosevic, Con Kokkinoplitis, Frank Tibaldi (Vasilios Misailidis 55), Richie Alagich, Corey Artone, Nathan Day, Pablo Cardozo (John Cutillo 61), Andrew Borghetto Goals : Cardozo 44pk, Castro 85
Last season this thing ended 6-1 and there was a similar goalfest with a similar result this time. The first goal came from a simple tap in into an open net after Wildy came out to the edge of the box trying to get to a through ball but was beaten to it by Bennett who centered the ball to Zane. Zane followed up in a few minutes running onto a ball and shooting first time to the keepers right. Milosevic's foul on Zane gave the latter his hat-trick from the spot. McManus fouled Borghetto in a similar way and Cardozo ensured the same result scoring the penalty. Jason Bennett restored the 3 goal lead when he pulled the ball across the goalkeeper inside the far post with the shot from a Zane pass. Castro got a consolation when he stroked the ball into the net as he was left all alone at the far post.
Played (4/10/1997) Seiffert Oval Referee : C Diomis, Crowd : 3500
Canberra Cosmos Paul Jones, Paul Dee, Andy Roberts (Tom Haythornthwaite 46), Ante Moric, Rodrigo Moreno, Norman Kelly (sent off 80), Harry James, Michael Musitano, Tony Lemezina (Peter Buljan 55), Dale Wingell, Andrew Ravanello (Lindsay Wilson 66) Goals : P Buljan 67	1	-	3	Sydney United Andrew Crews, Peter Bennett, Velimir Kupresak (David Barrett 55), Richard Plesa, Stuart Munro, Joe Vrkic, Jacob Burns, Paul Bilokapic, Robert Hooker, Abbas Saad (Nick Bosevski 67), David Mitchell (Azur Mujanovic 85) Goals : Saad 12, Hooker 19, Bilokapic 78pk
Seiffert Oval is not well lit enough for night games, but Andrew Crews could still see the penalty clearly enough to stop Moreno from opening the score for the home team. Sydney United's ranks are depleted enough to warrant a start for player/coach David Mitchell and it was he who combined with Abbas Saad to open the scoring. Robbie Hooker extended the lead with a superb first time chip over the keeper after the latter miskicked a clearance before Peter Buljan's shot through a crowded 6-yard-box eluded everything bar the net. A foul on a surprisingly spritely Mitchell late in the game gave Bilokapic the final say on the scoresheet.
Match report by Nick Guoth
Played (4/10/1997) Optus Oval Referee : G Connolly, Crowd : 5897
Carlton Dean Anastasiadis, Robert Trajkovski, Marcus Stergiopoulos, Sean Douglas, Con Anthopoulos, Kresimir Marusic, Daniel Allsopp (Branko Bacak 87), Lubomir Lapsansky, Andy Vlahos (John Markovski 55), Vincent Grella (Mark Atkinson 67), David Cervinski Goals : Cervinski 6, Allsopp 57	2	-	1	Perth Glory Tom Maras, Craig Naven, Gavin Wilkinson (Peter Vukmirovic 46), Vinko Buljubasic, Gareth Naven, Scott Miller, Paul Strudwick, Slobodan Despotovski, Ernie Tapai (Paul McVittie 76), Scott Halpin, Danny Hay Goals : C Naven 41
Carlton played their first ever game in front of a disappointingly small crowd of 3500. However it was a winning start with an early goal scored from a corner off the head of David Cervinski. The Glory drew level before halftime when Despotovski set up Craig Naven who half chipped and half drove the ball past the keeper with the inside of his right foot. Allsopp slid the ball past the advancing keeper to restore Carlton's lead which was threatened but never headed.
Match report by David Arnold
Played (4/10/1997) Suncorp Stadium Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 6112
Brisbane Strikers Clint Bolton, Glenn Gwynne, Craig Williams, Stephen Laybutt (Mark Battistin 78), Nick Meredith, Troy Cranney, Brad Ditton, Chay Hews, Frank Farina (Jeromy Harris 70), Andrew Harper, Andrew Brayshaw (Rod Brown 68)	0	-	3	South Melbourne Michael Petkovic, Nick Orlic, Con Blatsis, Tansel Baser, Con Boutsianis (John Anastasiadis 72), David Clarkson, Steve Panopoulos, Goran Lozanovski (George Goutzioulis 45), Bill Damianos, Paul Trimboli, Michael Curcija (Vaughan Coveny 55) Goals : Lozanovski 19, Coveny 78, Orlic 83
The champions got off to a less than perfect start beaten by an early candidate for their heirs. The first goal was spectacular, Goran Lozanovski striking the ball from well outside the penalty box and the left-footed shot arced all the way into the far top corner of the goal. Brisbane had the better of play for most of the match from there but Souths managed two late goals, Coveny getting the better of a defender and his shot the better of Bolton and then Orlic cleaned up the scraps from a corner driving the ball past Bolton and two men on the line. The win soured by another injury to Lozanovaki.
Match report by David Marshall
Played (5/10/1997) Knights Stadium Referee : E Lennie, Crowd : 3773
Melbourne Knights Joe Didulica, Ante Kovacevic, Ransford Banini, Zoran Markovski (John Didulica 77), Andrew Marth, Tom Pondeljak, Alan Davidson, Ivan Kelic, Ross Greer, Ante Deak (Ice Kutlesovski 71), Ivan Jolic	0	-	1	Gippsland Falcons Jim Kourtis, Clayton Bell (Levent Osman 68), Manny Gotis, Tony Sekulic, Nick Palamaras, Doug Marcina, Nick Tsaltas (Archie Thompson 85), Claudio Canosa, Mark Foy (Joe Tricarico 80), Brian MacNicol, William Hastie Goals : Palamaras 73
The Knights had the run of play but the Falcons held fast and bit the Knights in the arse when Mark Foy crossed to Palamaras whose header looped into the net. The only defender near him apparently wasn't interested in jumping for the ball...either that or Nick was standing on his feet.
Played (5/10/1997) Sydney Football Stadium Referee : E Brazzale, Crowd : 7007
UTS Olympic Bob Catlin, Adam Ciantar, Eric Hristodoulou, Norman Tome, Peter Tsekenis, Derek Poimer, Brett Emerton, Chris Kalantzis (Nick Carle 75), Jean-Paul deMarigny, Danny Barbalace, Hussein Jomaa Goals : Carle 90+	1	-	0	Marconi-Fairfield Ante Covic, Luke Casserly, Chris Care, Darren McDonald, Brad Maloney, Zeljko Babic, Manis Lamond (Luke Tomic 61 (Mauro van Cuylenberg 85)), Francis Awaritefe, Brendan Renaud, Paul Souris, Vlado Zoric
The pitch was somewhat the worse for wear after (I believe) the Rugby Union Grand final between Manly and Eastwood the day before. There were numerous chances but both sides seemed to be in offseason mode. Except for 15-year-old Nick Carle. Barbalace and Emerton held posession near Marconi's area and when a cross finally came is was missed by the Marconi defenders in the middle and Carle bobbed up at the far post to volley the ball into the top of the net with his left foot. Carle, apparently, is a Chilean-Uruguayan-Australian and the player drain overseas has meant that teenagers like him are getting NSL appearances earlier than usual.
Match report by David Borella
Played (18/02/1998) Hindmarsh Stadium Referee : W Dade, Crowd : 2236
Adelaide City Jason Petkovic, Mark Yates, Milan Ivanovic, Alex Tobin, Damian Mori, Bradley Hassell, Dino Mennillo (Ross Verschoor 90), John Gibson, Kris Trajanovski (Mark Brazzale 75), Michael Brooks (Michael Pirone 85), Scott Thomas Goals : Mori 3, 33, Mennillo 24, Yates 50	4	-	2	Wollongong City Adam Brodbeck, Alvin Ceccoli, Robert Stanton (Raymond Younis 78), Jason Connolly, Matthew Horsley, Anthony Surjan, Scott Chipperfield, George Souris, Tony Perinich (Sasha Dimoski 83), David Huxley, Esala Masi (Noel Spencer 58) Goals : Chipperfield 21, 28
This game was postponed because renovations at Hindmarsh Stadium were still in progress at the time it was orginally scheduled and was eventually played just before the resumption of the league after the break for the 3-match international series.
Match report by Stephen Webb