Ahmadzai wins it, now it’s classic clash with Pines
Posted: 30 April, 2007
| Langwarrin | 1 | — | 0 | Bentleigh Greens |
| Thomas Ahmadzai | ||||
Round 3: Langwarrin v Bentleigh Greens — 28 April, 2007
Langwarrin first team opened its account this season with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bentleigh Greens at Lawton Park on Saturday.
The game marked the scoring debut of Warragul-based teenage midfielder Thomas Ahmadzai whose 13th minute decider came courtesy of a high ball knocked from the left toward the back post by Brian MacNicol. Amid vain pleas for offside, three Langy players converged and it was Ahmadzai who struck the decisive blow with a close range shot.
Coach Gus Macleod had rung a number of personnel and positional changes after the previous weekend’s loss. Darren McClenaghan and Elliot Brooks joined Chris Quinn in defence with Davie Breslin in a wide midfield role and Karl Cochrane pushed into a more central midfield position after lining up at sweeper against Westgate. Ben Caffrey found himself wide on the right with Shane Tagliaferro partnering Tim Paton in attack.
The early goal suggested that Langy might be on track to repeat last season’s decisive home win against the Greens but this was a far different contest this time around. The visitors blew their best first half chance after 30 minutes when presented with a free header which saw the ball sail well over the crossbar.
Four minutes later Breslin knocked the ball across the face of the Greens goal but no-one could get what could have been a decisive touch.
A minute before the interval, a MacNicol defensive clearance was pounced on but Langy custodian Chris Jones saved comfortably.
Eight minutes into the second period, Brooks was at full stretch to get a head to a Ben Cogger cross as the Greens started to get a lot more possession. As the half unfolded wave after wave of Bentleigh Greens attacks were repelled time and again by the Langy defence superbly marshalled by McClenaghan. Maybe the Greens had watched us against Westgate for they proceeded to unleash an aerial bombardment that this time was dealt with in style.
About 15 minutes into this half, Caffrey and Tagliaferro switched roles and in the 65th minute Breslin was replaced by Ian Callaghan and an injured assistant referee had to be replaced by Brian Dymott who had run the line in the reserves.
A Cochrane volley in the 73rd minute flashed just wide but within a minute McClenaghan had to head clear after a great ball in to the near post.
Caffrey was replaced by Matt Hakvoort in the 75th minute and while Paton continued to work hard up front, Ahmadzai was showing everyone what sort of motor this 18-year-old has with a series of lung-bursting runs deep into the Greens defensive half.
Tagliaferro did well in the 89th minute to cut the ball back from the right but Paton shot straight at the keeper and in the 90th minute off went Cochrane and on came Adam Poole, whose hamstring injury had consigned him to the bench. It looked like Macleod wanted to eat into time remaining by bringing on Poole who laboured to stretch out to run down a ball on the left shortly after entering the fray. But Poole ended up with the best chance of the closing moments only to dwell on the ball too long allowing a defender to block.
The final whistle was welcome respite for the Langy defence but the importance of this opening win of season 2007 can’t be overemphasised. Next Saturday we’re off to Monterey Reserve to take on Frankston Pines in one of the most eagerly awaited football contests on the peninsula for years. In front of what is expected to be a bumper crowd, we’ll all learn more about Langy’s promotion credentials.
POSTSCRIPT: For those of you not able to be in attendance on Saturday you missed a spectacular sight as one of our junior sides did a pre-match warm-up with the first team. As the firsts jogged up and down, the kids, on the other side of the penalty area, did likewise. As the firsts stopped at the fence to do stretches, so did the kids. It evoked memories of that famous sporting scene at the MCG with big Merv Hughes limbering up with a backdrop of a few thousand spectators mimicking his every move. It was priceless, but, more importantly it said something about Langwarrin Soccer Club. We truly are all in this together.
