Wests and Berkeley was set up to be a quality match after both enjoyed reasonable pre-seasons. The first half proved to be as much with a tight contest not troubling the scorers. Both sides were passing and utilising the long ball well, however respective defences always tracked back in time to extinguish the threat.

End to end football provided numerous chances for both sides. Kon Kandilas nearly opened Wests' account after 3 minutes if not for the trailing leg of Berkeley keeper Tye White putting his low shot out for a corner, but following this, both teams settled into the match and chances dried up.

It took 15 minutes for the next shot on goal, when Berkeley began to take a hold of the first half. Greg Moon nodded wide from an offside position, and Tony Paglialunga controlled a cut-back, turned his man to have a shot blocked, and Chris Kostovski had a deflected free kick fall to his feet with no defenders nearby, but could only manage a scuffed shot wide.

White was forced into a big save midway through the half, having to dive into a cluster of feet to claim the ball. However it proved to be a rare chance for Wests, as Dylan Evans curled wide from inside the box, Paglialunga hit a free kick into the wall, and Evans cut past an onrushing defender and shot well high from distance.

Wests were gifted a free kick as White claimed an aerial ball before landing outside his box. The resulting free kick went straight into the wall from Kandilas, and the follow up volley from Nick Tortorella went awry.

Kandilas had good chances provided, with an acrobatic volley not connecting, and a lay off for Paul Burleigh to be hooked wide to the right. Burleigh nearly grabbed the opener in the dying stages, with a free kick dipping over the wall, but a wrong-footed White managed to hang on.

The second half was played at a frantic pace throughout, and Wests managed to find themselves very much back in the contest. Joseph Youssif nearly got through on goal, but got collected by the last man Justin Mears who escaped with a yellow card. Daniel Saverino dribbled across the top of the box and shot through traffic only to drag his shot wide of the near post.

Berkeley grabbed the opener after 54 minutes when Moon collected a rebound, neatly lobbing over a group of players on the ground and into the left side-netting for 1-0. Shortly after, Berkeley easily could've grabbed a second with Wests Keeper Jordan Timpano forced to leave his area to clear an under-hit back-pass, the challenge bobbling the ball up again, forcing Timpano to again advance, with another contested clearance seeing C. Kostovski take possession 35 yards from goal with an empty net, but his shot was dragged marginally to the left and safely out.

Wests were finding themselves short at the back with the midfield area often left wanting, and Berkeley taking control of the centre of the pitch. Chris Rowlan nodded wide off a deep cross from Evans, before Moon picked off a back-pass only to have no support and his cross harmlessly being played out by Wests.

Wests grabbed an equaliser on 75 minutes, Jake Bailey showing good strength to hold the ball up, passing onto Daniel Djukic whose shot took a slight deflection and into the right side-netting for 1-1. Moments later Youssif nearly put Wests into the lead after meeting a dangerous cross, with defender and attacker connecting with the ball simultaneously, leaving the ball to bobble harmlessly into the arms of White.

Alex Perez did well to keep the ball in play down the right wing, and a great cross into the area was met by Paglialunga who was unable to keep the half-volley down.

In a training ground play, Wests showed initiative from a free kick inches outside the box. With almost every player in the wall, Djukic passed off to Kandilas unmarked, however he was closed down before he could get a shot off.

Both sides were chasing the elusive winner deep into the half, and in stoppage time, Bailey thought he had it won with a shot into the bottom right bulging the net only to be ruled offside. Kandilas also went close with a powerful shot dipping just after the crossbar.

Both sides showed potential to win the match, however on the quality of play and how the game as a whole panned out, a draw seemed a fair result, and both sides would be content taking home a single point rather than nothing.

 

Unanderra Oval 1, Saturday 26th March

 

Referee: Nicholas Ryan

Assistants: S. Bell, M. Riquelme

 

Wests 1 - Djukic 75'

Berkeley 1 - Moon 54'

 

Wests: Timpano, Milkerto, Mena, Sallabank, Burleigh(Vicoroski), Bailey, Kandilas, Tortorella (Djukic), Youssif, Saverino (Puljic), Jorge

Subs: Cicekdac, Marsala, Djukic, Vicoroski, Puljic

Berkeley: White, Crouch, D. Kostovski (Hood), J. Mears, M. Mears, C. Kostovski, Evans, Rowlan, Grant, Paglialunga (McKellar), Moon (Perez)

Subs: Perez, McKellar, Hood, Bruce

 

Report by David Atherton
File photo: Pedro Garcia