By Peter Stephenson
A cold Friday night at the Kennel saw Barkerettes (6th) host Endeavour (4th), Barkers were looking for their first win after two draws, while Endeavour had a point to prove, having never beaten Barkers, and having lost 1-5 to Melbourne Uni last week. In team news, Emily McCullough deputised for Ash Fraraccio in goal, we welcomed back Miranda Jackson, and Alysha Barrueto was set to debut off the bench.
After only 14 seconds, Endeavour tested out McCullough with a tame shot, easily held. Then on 6 minutes, the visitors hit a long shot over as Barkers struggled to get out of their own half. Barkers’ first threat came on 16 minutes when they forced a corner on the left, but it came to nothing. Three minutes later, Endeavour had a corner on the right. It was played to the near post, where a forward hit a volley just wide in the best chance so far.
For the rest of the half, Barkers’ defence worked hard to force Endeavour to shoot from distance, which McCullough handled comfortably. Barkers regularly got behind the visitors’ defence, with the pace of Alizah Jones and Emily Stokes, but the final ball was often too strong, or the final shot not testing keeper Jennifer De Baize. Half-time 0-0.
The half-time team talks must have been interesting, as the second half began at a furious pace, with both sides attacking regularly. This was a curious game – tense, but not tight, if that makes sense. Barkers won a couple of corners, but they came to nothing.
On 54 minutes, Endeavour had an angled shot wide, then McCullough was almost deceived by a shot that she managed to turn onto the post. Kaity Farrance was working hard at left back as she kept the Endeavour forwards at bay. Still, Barkers managed to test the visitors’ defence regularly with good balls in from Jones and Stokes, but nobody on the end of them.
The decisive moment of the game came 14 minutes from time. Barkers beat the offside trap as Stokes attacked through the middle. She had only the keeper to beat and seemed certain to score, but De Baize pulled off a brilliant one-handed save to deny the forward. The last real chance came on 81 minutes when Barkers had a corner on the right. Charlotte Martin delivered a great ball into the centre and Farrance rose to head the ball, but it went over. Full time 0-0. This was another frustrating night for Barkers as they drew yet again. They are creating chances without finishing them off against defences that are better organised than in State 3. At the other end, the defence is as solid as ever. Next up is gala day away to Skye, with the men and women playing on the same day. Kick-offs on Saturday at Skye Recreation Reserve are 1pm (men’s reserves), 3pm (men’s seniors) and 6pm (women’s State 2.
The Women’s State 4 team grabbed their first win of the season, prevailing 4-0 at Doncaster Rovers with goals from Charlotte Jacobs (2), Chloe Hartshorn and Indi Pensa. Next is a Friday night date at Esther Park with Bentleigh United Cobras, kick-off 6.30 pm.
A warm, sunny Kennel saw the first meeting of Barkers (4th) and Noble Park United (11th) for 17 years. The sides had never drawn in 9 meetings, and Barkers had never drawn on this date in 7 games. Surely a comfortable win for the hosts was on the cards? Definitely not a draw anyway. In team news, Sam Gommers and Christian Sapardanis replaced the injured Ray Markley and Ryan Smith, from the side that drew 2-2 with Bentleigh the previous week. Three minutes in, Barkers had a dream start when Ross Clark crossed low from the right for Marcus Watson to sweep the ball home for 1-0 Barkers.
On the quarter hour, Tristan Walker drove through the centre and played out to Watson on the right, whose cross flashed across goal. Then United went straight up the other end a played a killer through ball to Shane Tagliaferro, who ran clear and put the ball past Vladi Velikin for the equaliser at 1-1, Barkers were now making errors, flattering United in the process. Milan Jovanovic robbed the ball and found Sarmad Nikakhter on the overlap on the right, but his cross was cleared.
On 26 minutes, Barkers won a free-kick 25 yards out. Daniel Aye struck a beauty but hit the bar. Three minutes later, Clark played a one-two with Aye and ran on to score – 2-1 for Barkers, the sun was shining, happy days. Then Barkers remembered that they are, well, Barkers…… Just after the half hour, Jovanovic conjured a goal from nowhere as he swiftly turned and hit a beautiful long shot into the net from distance to make it 2-2. In keeping with what was to become a bizarre game, he immediately went off injured.
Eight minutes before the break, United attacked but were caught offside. Barkers generously gave the ball straight back from the free-kick, allowing Taglaiferro to put the ball into the unguarded net for his second, and 3-2 United. What an absolute nightmare of a goal to give away. Aye then hit another lovely free-kick against the post, before a speculative United shot saw Velikin acrobatically turn the ball round the post for a corner. The corner was hit from the left to the far post, where a frantic scramble ended with Sapardanis putting the ball into his own net. Half-time: Mooroolbark 2-4 Noble Park United, with nobody having the slightest idea how we had got to this point.
Within a minute of the restart, Walker ran clear and tried to lob stranded keeper Denis Lazinica from distance, but put the ball over. Five minutes in, things went from bad to worse for the hosts. Barkers missed a defensive header, and Nikakhter seized on the loose ball. He crossed from the left for ex-Barker Paul McEvoy, who buried the ball in the net for 5-2 United – exactly the score from our last meeting in 2008. Surely there was no way back for Barkers?
On 54 minutes, Aye drove a free-kick into the United wall, then dribbled through to find Clark, who was offside. United replied with a corner from the right. Aleksandar Dukic sent the ball to the far post, where Antonio Bernedo headed wide. Now, with only a quarter of the game left and three goals in arrears, Barkers curiously stepped on the gas.
On 67 minutes, Walker played through to Watson, who released Aye. Aye hit a good shot which went narrowly wide of the far post. Next, Harry Rushton and Aye combined well, but Rushton’s curling shot didn’t trouble Lazinica. Then, with only 17 minutes left, Barkers won a corner on the right.
Clark sent the ball into the centre, where a super leap and flick of the neck saw Watson guide a glancing header into the corner of the net to make it 3-5. Surely too little, too late? Time ticked away, and with only 4 minutes left, barkers won another corner on the right. This time, Clark hit the ball low, and Watson slid the ball into the net – it was now 4-5 – would they? Could they?
Two minutes to go, and Aye danced down the left wing, confounding defenders in his wake, and crossed for Watson. He only went and grabbed his fourth of the day – FIVE-ALL! But wait – both sides still thought they could win it! Two minutes into stoppage time, Aye and Clark combined to set up Watson, but he was crowded out and the shot rolled tamely to the keeper. Full- time: Mooroolbark 5-5 Noble Park United. As Alex Ferguson once said – football – bloody hell! The reserves game was scarcely less dramatic, as both sides had a goal ruled out for offside, and Barkers had a penalty saved. The final score was 2-2, with Barkers’ goals coming from Sean Baeko and Mario Rivera. Next for the Barkers’ men is a trip to Skye United (see women’s report for details).
