By Peter Stephenson
Skye Recreational Reserve was gloomy and drizzly as Barkers (5th) took on Skye (9th), hoping to build on last week’s win over Frankston Pines, and to cement their place in the top half.
The first 10 minutes saw Barkers have most of the territory without threatening home keeper Jonathan Crook. Then, unexpectedly, Skye took over. On 10 minutes, Nhan Than crossed low from the right to the near post. A lurking forward was just put off by a Barkers defender to concede a corner. The corner was cleared, but then Jason Nowakowski hit a far post volley narrowly wide as Skye were pouring men forward.
A rare Barkers raid on 16 minutes saw John-Paul Cooper win the ball in midfield. He found Geordie Scott on the left, who sent Jack Buglass down the wing. The cross was comfortably cut out by Crook. Two minutes later Skye attacked again, as a tricky cross from the right to the far post saw a defender just about shepherd the ball back to Mark Naumowicz.
Thanh, meanwhile, was given the freedom of the park on the right as nobody seemed to fancy marking him. On 21 minutes he got past the defence and shot for goal, but Naumowicz beat the ball away. Then Thanh cut the ball back for Mark O’Connor, who found Nowakowski at the far post, but he put the ball wide.
Ten minutes before the break, O’Connor headed down for Leo McLeod to hit a low shot from the edge of the box, but the ball was carefully watched and gathered by Naumowicz. The last few minutes of the half saw Barkers break out from their half, and Sean Perrin almost put a corner straight into the net. Cooper tried a couple of times to unlock the Skye defence along with Buglass, but it remained 0-0 at the break to Barkers’ relief – Skye could have been three up by now.
The second half began with Skye once more on top, and they had two good chances. Then five minutes in, the universe remembered that it has unbreakable laws. Laws like the law of gravity, the laws of thermodynamics, and the Immutable Law of Football, which states that Skye never beat the Barkers.
Buglass had had a curious season. Just like last year, he had taken an early lead in the reserves’ Golden Boot, and hung on to it while playing seniors. He was still looking for his first senior goal this year though. Suddenly he had the ball at his feet in the Skye penalty area. He shot for goal, and the ball seemed to take a deflection as it went past Crook into the net to give Barkers the lead.
This was unexpected, and Skye were almost stung into a response on the hour when Thanh found himself with only Naumowicz to beat. However, we reckoned without Ahren Angulo, who came steaming in with a superb tackle to save the day. Only now did Barkers assert themselves.
One man doesn’t make a team, but the introduction of Maxim Solovyev, who hasn’t missed a game for years, seemed to galvanise the Barkers. On the hour, Barkers crossed from the left and had a couple of shots blocked. Then the ball ran to Dan Burrows, whose shot was also blocked. Ten minutes later, Paul McEvoy floated a free-kick to the far post. The ball was cleared out to Brett Tronconi, who let fly. The ball hit the bar and bounced down, but stayed out of the net.
Barkers were now in control. On 73 minutes Perrin hit a corner from the right, and Tronconi stooped to head wide. Then Perrin won a header and sent the ball back to Burrows. He hit an absolute beauty of a cross from the right, and Solovyev showed his appreciation by sending a strong header into the net for 2-0.
The last 10 minutes saw the introduction of Sam Klepac. He had been out for a few games but it didn’t show as Barkers threatened to overrun Skye late on. With seven minutes left, Scott went on a run and found Solovyev in the clear, but the defence just got back in time. Then a lovely move, begun by Klepac, to Solovyev, to McEvoy, to Burrows. He crossed from the right for Solovyev, who sent a diving header over.
In stoppage time, a corner from the left saw Klepac head the ball into the net, but frustratingly the goal was ruled out for a push. In the end another comfortable win, but it looked anything but that for the first 50 minutes. Full-time: Skye United 0-2.
Earlier, the reserves were 0-3 down at the break and finally succumbed 1-6, with a consolation goal from Harry Rushton. Men’s Thirds lost 1-9 to Brighton Old Boys, and Men’s Over 35s drew 1-1 with Baxter. Junior winners were Boys’ Under 15 (1-0 v Ashburton), Boys’ Under 12 (2-1 v Whitehorse), Girls’ Under 15 (6-3 v Mount Eliza), Girls’ Under 13 (4-3 v Glen Eira) and Girls’ Under 12 (8-2 v Ashburton).
Next week, the women are at home to Beaumaris (Esther Park, Friday 7.30pm) and the men host Mazenod United (Esther Park, Saturday 1pm and 3pm) See you down the Kennel!
