Carlton v Falcons

Round 8 report by Alan Clark
Carlton v Gippsland Falcons


Carlton - with the league's most prolific home attack, faced Gippsland Falcons - the league's second-most miserly away defence. Something had to give.

Despite a 12th minute goal from Alex Moreira, the first half was as finely poised as such a battle of styles held in prospect. Moreira was the beneficiary of a perfectly flighted Marcus Stergiopoulos far-post cross from the left which carried the Falcons' central defenders to land at his feet inside the six yard box. Moreira controlled, then struck home.

Neither side managed consistent or flowing moves as both midfields denied each other time and space on the ball.

Falcons could have levelled the scoreline in the 28th minute but for two desperate goal-line clearances from Marko Perinovic efforts close-in, and when the ball finally broke free, it fell to Brian MacNichol whose shot scraped the bar.

Perinovic's header just eight minutes later went narrowly over.

Carlton too had chances, with one of the most likely when Marco Bresciano - in his fourth game in a week - ran onto a through ball only to find Falcons' goalkeeper Bojo Jevdjevic bravely down to save at his feet.

Although the match had been keenly contested, and by that stage four cautions had been issued by referee Brett Hugo, none was really for malicious play. Stergiopoulos, and Mark Atkinson had seen yellow for Carlton, and Manny Gotis and Andy Vargas for Gippsland. But it was two yellows flashed by Hugo in short succession in first-half added time that was to prove the undoing of Falcons. Clayton Bell made one rash tackle too many for the first caution, then two minutes later was to do it again. Falcons was therefore required to play the full second half a player short. Although subsequently critical of the officials' performance in general terms, Falcons coach Stuart Munro had no complaint about Bell's dismissal.

Joe Tricarico and Andy Vlahos had made some exciting runs in the first half, and found greater space in which to operate in the second. Tricarico had three good chances within ten minutes of the re-start, but the combination of a lively Jevdjevic, and on one occasion a Michael Anderson goal-line clearance, kept him out.

Moreira had gone a little quiet as his team-mates had taken the centre-stage, but after 67 minutes he found himself facing only Jevdjevic inside the penalty area but the big keeper managed to touch the shot away for a corner.

It was looking as if these missed opportunities would be costly, and that this was as heartening to Falcons as it was dispiriting to Carlton. But the vital second Carlton goal eventually came, and from a 72nd minute incident that will be the cause of some reflection by Jevdjevic.

Rob Markovac - who had come on for Atkinson just before half-time - crossed in from the right to where Moreira stood at the far post. Moreira and Jevdjevic both went up for the ball and it seemed Jevdjevic had claimed it. In the challenge, it fell from his hands to where Moreira could more easily reach it and prod it over the line. Speaking after the game, Falcons coach Munro told us that he expected that his keeper should be able to hold a ball even under such a challenge.

There was now no realistic way back for Falcons and the match was put completely out of reach when stand-in captain Sean Douglas, pressing forward eight minutes from time, chipped a ball to Moreira who calmly controlled the ball before netting for his hat-trick.

At the post-match press conference, Carlton coach Eddie Krncevic said this scoring form is what Carlton had expected to see from Moreira and that with each game Moreira is getting better.

A late flurry of action came from Falcons. In the 88th minute Robbie Puca's cross was well met by MacNichol but MacNichol's header flew over. And on a day which was the first anniversary of Australia's infamous 2-2 World Cup qualifying game, Willie Hastie managed to bring back memories of a controversial incident from the 1966 World Cup Final. Hastie's stoppage-time shot from the edge of the penalty area crashed down off the bar onto the goal-line before rebounding clear. The assistant referee disallowed the claims for a goal and got it right, unlike the assistant referee who got it so badly wrong all those years ago.

Munro did not select Archie Thompson and said Thompson was still new to the league, is a young player as well, and needed to be used as an impact player. He operated at a level higher than many players, and needed a chance to recover, rather than be played week after week, Munro said.