RYDE CITY S C - 'THE GUNNERS'

A Ryde City team that was almost rebuilt during the week and fired up under a new coach, Jimmy Gallagher, defeated the tough Bathurst 75 by 2-1 at Magdala Park today. In the 12th min a good run on the left by Justin McLeay - he cut inside and delivered a good cross - a hopeful sign given the mass team changes. Three mins later skipper Simon Turner made a run from the left, getting the ball in to Anthony Maxwell who alas hit it over. Ryde's Luke Marshall sent a header off a Turner cross over B75's keeper Chris Moase to score in the 19th minute. Bathurst got into stride and Ryde struggled to make much headway in the rest of the first half, however it was evident that the teamwork was starting to gell.

After the break Ryde lifted their tempo and Bathurst were under the hammer for a while. Ryde scored through Justin McLeay in the 51st minute, after Moase parried a Brian Vella shot. A few minutes later Marshall received the ball, shielded it well, and turned to draw a great save out of Moase, and in the 70th min he also forced Moase to parry an on target shot. In the 85th B75's Andrew Gaeta got up on the right, and sent a cross into the area, but as Ryde's Craig Young swung to kick it clear the ball struck his arm. Luke Taylor gave the Ryde keeper Chris Wright no chance putting the penalty into the top of the net, moving the score to 2-1, where it remained. A great effort by a young, new look, and untested Ryde team.

Referee: Jim Nicholou
Ryde City Gunners: New coach - Jimmy Gallagher
1. Chris Wright, 11. Craig Young, 5. Simon Turner, 7. BJ Van Wyk, 16. Justin McLeay, 6. Anthony Maxwell, 4. Jacob Swats (15. Brad Svrcek +72'), 17. Brian Vella (12. Eden (S.F.) Wan +87'), 10. David Simic (14. Vic Hernandez +76'), 9. Nick Kim, 8. Luke Marshall
Sub not used - 20. James Marco (rgk),
Yellow card: Brad Svrcek 88'
Bathurst 75 RSL 'Blues':
1. Chris Moase, 3. Luke Taylor, 2. Owen Thatcher (15. Paul Nightingale +53'), 4. Andrew Moxon, 5. Joel Gray, 6. Antony Gaeta, 7. Ricky Guihot, 9. Garrett Dowling, 11. Mark Rooke, 8. John Holden, 10. Owen Short (14. Jamie Guihot +72')
Sub not used - 13. Dave Kemp, 16. Simon Adelpour, 20. Greg Westman (rgk)
Yellow card: Nil

Round 7:
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 3 (U Avsar 44', N Varess 52', A Marvello 89' pen)
defeated
Ryde City Gunners 2 (Adrian Jennings 74', 84')
U20 - Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2 defeated Ryde City Gunners 0

The Gunners were very unlucky not to knock off the league leaders, Mt Druitt Town, outplaying them on points and coming back into the game after a poor first 15 minutes in the second half. We pressed well and defended solidly and indeed dominated possession throughout the first half, however without much in the way of clear cut chances. Mt Druitt however did come close a few times and eventually got a reward, a long ball finding their player in the area, and a lobbed header easing under the crossbar. The second half's first 15 minutes saw perhaps the reverse with Mt Druitt on stop, but Steve Biviano making inroads down the left - indeed forcing a great save from the keeper. More trouble when we scored an own goal off a strike by varress. Ryde lifted and struck back in the 74th minute when Adrian Jennings smashed the ball home from a corner. He got his brace in the 84th minute as Ryde played over them to draw level 2-2, however disaster when 3 minutes into extra time the referee awarded a soft penalty. If Mt Druitt down are leaders, Ryde is right up there - we just need to get the results.

Round 6:
Mt Pritchard 0
lost to
Ryde City 2 (Paul Fleming, Luke Marshall)
U20 - Mt Pritchard 3 defeated Ryde City 1

Round 5:
Ryde City Gunners 1 (Steve Jordan 65')
lost to
Inter Lions 2 (Lachlan Wright 10', 80')
U20 - Ryde City 4 drew with Inter Lions 4

Playing with a strong wind blowing 'up river' both sides had trouble playing fluid football, but it was Inter Lions who were able to capitalise on the wind-assist the most, running out winners 2-1 over the Gunners. The game got under way with a good crowd in at Magdala Park, considering other diversion on an Easter Monday, and they had something to discuss in the 6th minute when Lions striker Francesco Zarrella went down in the penalty area but was carded by Referee Peter Apostolou for simulation. Ryde could hardly get out of their area as the wind swirled the ball back, and Lions pressured consistently getting their reward in the 10th min when Jason McMinimee conceded a free kick just outside the area and Lachlan Wright drilled it past the wall and Ryde 'keeper Mark Carbone.

Ryde worked the ball up field and had a chance when Steve Jordan shot from 25m past the right upright, and Adrian Jennings got a header on target but with Lions Ben Jarman and Anthony Sarminikas getting shots on target, well held by Carbone, it seemed that Ryde would succumb again. In the 36th min Sarminikis belted a shot that Carbone punched and it luckily went up and over the crossbar. Ryde weathered the attack and just before the break Steve Biviano hit a curling shot that somehow Lions 'keeper pulled out of the air as it passed him.

After the break Jordan got a 47th minute header on target for Ryde and then seven minutes later a superb cross from the corner flag by Jennings was headed in by Jordan. Ryde continued to press with Biviano causing a lot of worry Lions. Alas for Ryde in the 80th min Lachlan Wright, running across field turned and struck a sweet drive from 25m that swerved and beat Carbone, for their second goal. Ryde never recovered from that and the Lions move into the top 4 whilst the Gunners have dropped to third from bottom rather than move to 7th.

Referee: Peter Apostolou; Assts S Duckitt, D Christie
Ryde City Gunners: Coach - Mark Strachan
1. Mark Carbone, 11. Craig Young, 4. Chris Giometti, 5. Simon Turner, 6. Anthony Maxwell, 10. Jason Mcminimee, 8. Adrian Jennings, 7. Christian Rasmus, 14. Steve Biviano, 9. Steve Jordan, 13. Paul Fleming;
Sub not used - 20. Chris Wright (rgk), 17. B Vella, 15. Brad Svreck, 3. P Crick, 16. L Marshall
Yellow card: 10. Jason Mcminimee 46'

Round 4:
Fairfield City Lions 5 (Y Ekinci 11, 15', B Akin 26', S Erel 45, 49')
defeated
Ryde City 1 (Steve Jordan 47')
U20 - Fairfield City Lions 3 defeated Ryde City 2

Round 3 (Division 1):
Gladesville Spirit 1 (Tim Simpson 77')
lost to
Ryde City 5 (Steve Jordan 20', Steve Biviano 70', 82', 87', Chris Giometti 75')
U20 - Gladesville Spirit 3 defeated Ryde City 1

A very big local derby win away for Ryde City, even with Spirit's 10 men for 78 mins! The firey start to the game on the bumpy Christie Park pitch was evidenced by a flying elbow from a Spirit player in the 12th minute which earned him a red. Spirit thought they had a goal in the 14th minute when the ball found the top left of the net straight from a left side corner - a superb strike if the Ryde 'keeper hadn't been impeded. 20th minute and Steve Jordan scored a nice goal from the edge of the penaly area on the left, a shot that he steered to the right past the keeper. The rest of the half was a bit of a battle. After the break Spirit regrouped but Ryde played the ten better so a quality exciting half held the small crowds attention. In the 70th minute Steve Biviano got his first goal from a fine cross from the left by Adrian Jennings. 12 mins later Chris Giometti scored make it 3-0. From a free kick, Spirit's Tim Simpson, shackled well in open play, sent a 25m free kick into the top left corner of the net, with Mark Carbone grasping. Eventually Ryde's energy took them to 5-1 winners, silencing the Spirit hecklers, through two more nice goals by Steve Biviano, in the 82nd and 87th minutes.

Round 2 (Division 1):
Belmore Hercules 3 (G King 40', T Parker 48', 83')
defeated
Ryde City 2 (og 31', Steve Biviano 84')
U20 - Belmore Hercules 1 lost to Ryde City 3

Continental Tyres Cup, Round 2:
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Sasha Tirovski 1', Iain McDonald 77') v Ryde City 1 (Steve Biviano 84')

It was on a mild Wednesday night in the Shire, at Sutherland Shark's Seymour Shaw ground for round two of the Continental Tyres Cup. The 109 fans sprawled around the stand hardly had time to settle in their seats as the Shark's Sasha Tirovski took the ball after the kick-off, and although tracked by Ryde's Adrian Jennings, no-one else closed him down as he placed a shot wide of the Ryde 'keeper Mark Carbone from 15m. All of 31 seconds in!

With Ryde reeling from that blow and having trouble adjusting to the pace of play and thought, Sutherland had much the better of the first half. Peter Satos hit a 15-minute screamer that Carbone did well to touch clear. The Sharks looked likely to double their lead with Matthew Keep, Chris Hunt and Peter Feehan all narrowly missing the target.

The only chance for Ryde fell to Adrian Jennings who scooped his shot narrowly over the bar from 10 m after connecting with Steve Biviano's deflected free kick.

Ryde started the second half with renewed vigour and the Sharks had to battle hard to ward off the challenge of the Division 1 club, eventually doubling their advantage in the 77th minute when Iain McDonald, despite appearing to many onlookers to be in an offside position, turned to score the 2nd.

Ryde's key striker Steve Biviano capitalised on the drop in tempo after the goal when he pulled a goal back for the Gunners seven minutes later with a classy curling effort from outside the penalty area on the left, that nestled in the top right corner of the goal. It wasn't to be enough.

Referee: Terry Goodhew, Asst V Cross, P Soulies

Sutherland Shire Sharks: Coach - Stuart Porter

1. Stewart Vella, 6. Daniel Borg, 16. Monty Pfrengle, 3. Ben Spuce, 7. Peter Satos (12. Dominique Romeo +57'), 10. Sasho Tirovski, 14. Chris Hunt (8. Andrew Smith +57'), 4. David Lagudi (2. Shane Mercer +62'), 5. Peter Feeran, 9. Matty Heap, 11. Ian McDonald
Sub not used - 22. Adam Kurtz (rgk)
Yellow card: Peter Satos 51'

Ryde City Gunners: Coach - Mark Strachan

1. Mark Carbone, 11. Craig Young, 5. Simon Turner, 10. Jason Mcminimee, 8. Adrian Jennings, 7. Christian Rasmus (3. BJ Van Wyk +58'), 19. Angatash Rao, 14. Steve Biviano, 17. Steve Jordan (9. Chris Giometti +22'), 13. Paul Fleming, 18. Brad Svrcek (16. Justin McLeay +63');
Sub not used - 20. Chris Wright (rgk), 6. Anthony Maxwell
Yellow card: Angatash Rao 49', Adrian Jennings 97'

Round 1 (Division 1):
Schofields Scorpions 3(Todd Macrae 26', H Merdanovic 66', Shane Cevenini 77')
defeated
Ryde City 2 (Paul Fleming 2', Steve Biviano 72')
U20 - Schofields Scorpions 2 lost to Ryde City 4

Continental Tyres Cup, Round 1:
Ryde City 8 (J McLeahy, A Jennings x 3, C Rasmus, S Biviano x 2, P Fleming) v White City 1 (I Stoimenski)

2005 State League - Division 1 - 13 teams plus a BYE

Bathurst 75 RSL, Belmore Hercules, Blacktown Spartans (new name), Camden Tigers, Fairfield Lions, Gladesville Spirit United (new entry), Hills United Brumbies, Inter Lions (promoted from Div 2), Mt Druitt Town Rangers, Mt Pritchard, Ryde City Gunners (relegated from SL), Schofields Scorpions, White City.