SOCCER

LATROBE VALLEY

By SEBASTIAN HASSETT

 

OLYMPIANS cemented its status as Battle of Britain Cup favourites after a comprehensive 5-nil victory over Falcons 2000 in Sunday’s quarter-final at Harold Preston Reserve.

Having secured the Football Victoria Latrobe Valley league title barely a fortnight ago, confidence is sky high for Olympians, and they will boast undeniable momentum heading into the semi-final against Pegasus at Hazelwood South Reserve.

While Pegasus’ promising early season form gave way to a lacklustre finish to the league campaign, they did at least steamroll Traralgon City 3-nil just a few metres away from where Olympians were putting Falcons to the sword.

But Pegasus will have to play to its absolute best to cause what would be nothing short of the upset of the season.

With Olympians having overcome Falcons 3-nil in the penultimate round of the league season, followed by a 3-nil dismantling of Moe United in the quarter-final play-off, the writing was on the wall for Falcons before a ball was even kicked.

After a tense start, Jake Dunstall opened the scoring for Olympians in the 32nd minute before playing-coach Anton Sbaglia doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time to send the home side in 2-nil up at the break.

The Morwell outfit made an immediate change at the restart, introducing Scott Mackeown for Nick D’Alessandro – but the substitution did little to stem the tide.

Falcons’ Jordan Kennedy was booked in the 53rd minute, before Moni Eliaser, the league’s golden boot winner, struck a minute later to make it 3-nil and effectively end the contest.

Inspirational Olympians captain Alradi Ali extended the margin to 4-nil in the 67th minute, capping a commanding shift as Olympians’ skipper for the day before being replaced by Stefan Sbaglia.

Anton Sbaglia then completed his brace just a minute later, finishing from close range in the 72nd minute to put the game to bed at 5-nil.

With victory long since assured, Olympians’ coach made further changes, withdrawing both goalscorer Anton Sbaglia and Jake Dunstall in the 77th minute for Willis Medd and Riduan Sobari respectively.

Falcons coach Adrian Salvatore used the final 10 minutes to bring on Lachlan Mainella, Jake Bomba and Max Churchill – an exciting teenage trio who have all made their senior debuts this season and will likely form the backbone of the club for many years to come.

In other results, Sale United rolled Churchill 4-nil on the Rams’ home deck, while Monash destroyed East Gippsland United 8-nil at home.

Sale will be the home team for this Sunday’s semi-final against Monash, but the Wolves will be the team that travels less, with the game scheduled for Harold Preston Reserve.

 

FALCONS 2000 booked a spot in the Browne-Huizer Cup semi-finals after a ruthless 6-1 demolition of Moe United at Harold Preston Reserve on Sunday.

Braces to Sofia Crivari and Monique Lapenta headlined a one-sided quarter-final.

Only a brave punter would bet against Falcons walking away with its first-ever women’s league-cup double, especially so with Football Victoria Latrobe Valley league runner-up Fortuna being sensationally knocked out by Traralgon City on penalties after they initially drew 1-all.

That result means Falcons will now face City in a mouth-watering semi-final this coming Sunday, with the Roosters going into the match knowing they are the only side to have taken a point off Falcons all season.

On that occasion, they claimed a 1-all draw in Round 14. That result ruined Falcons’ hopes of achieving the mythical ‘perfect season’.

However, there was no such luck for Moe United over the weekend, as Falcons asserted its dominance from the start when Lapenta opened the scoring inside six minutes.

Crivari doubled the advantage in the 32nd minute, before Lapenta struck again right on the stroke of halftime to make it 3-nil, sending Falcons into the break in complete control.

The Red Devils had no answer after the restart either, with Crivari extending her personal tally in the 60th minute to push the score out to 4-nil.

Crivari has come of age in the second half of the season, her brace took her combined league and cup tally to 23 goals in 19 games.

For Lapenta, these latest goals took her to 33 goals in 19 games. The league’s deadly duo look like they have plenty of goals left in them.

The home side found a consolation goal just after the hour mark though Karlie Lee-Taffs pouncing in the 62nd minute to reduce the deficit to 4-1.

Falcons continued to pour it on late, with substitute Ashleigh Dalton netting in the 77th minute to make it 5-1, before teammate Arielle Crivari was shown a yellow card in the 80th minute.

Kujile Mahammud completed the rout in the 89th minute, rounding out the scoring at 6-1 and putting an emphatic seal on the visitors’ passage through to the last four.

With Falcons having never won the Browne-Huizer Cup before – the only local title the famous club has never won – there is real belief this might finally be the year they break through.

In other results, Sale United defeated Churchill United 3-1 at Hazelwood South. Monash beat Tyers on forfeit.

The Swans will play Monash this Sunday at Harold Preston Reserve for a spot in the decider.