It was back to
Lambert Park on Sunday, the scene of our Semi-Final loss to A.P.I.A which ended
our 2015 season. This time we were there for the Opening Round of the 2016
season.
It was the 96th meeting between 2 Grand Old Clubs of Australian Football, a rivalry that began in 1961 and continues to this day. It might not be like it was in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, but that doesn’t diminish the desire to beat one another every chance we get.
Despite pre-season form you never know what to expect when the actual season starts. What we got was a fast start from A.P.I.A, they came out of the blocks fast and put pressure on the Sydney Olympic boys from the outset, they had a couple of chances early on and also hit the crossbar, by the 20th minute they were ahead via it must be said a scrappy goal. It was after this that we started to get into our stride, our passing was better and it looked as if we had finally woken up. We finally started to create a few chances with Chris Triantis coming closest 10 minutes before half-time, he would admit that he should have put it away. We did not have to wait long for the equaliser though, as only a minute later Harris Gaitatzis smashed in a beauty from 30m to put us level. Both teams pushed for another but it was not to be for either and we went to the half-time break at 1-1.
The 2nd half started rather cautiously and the match degenerated into a midfield battle. As the half progressed both teams had great chances to score and take the lead, William Angel came closest for us but great goalkeeping at both ends kept the score at 1-1. During the closing moments A.P.I.A had some big chances to score but were foiled on each occasion by our own Paul Henderson, who even copped a boot in the face for his troubles and in the end was a major factor in keeping the score at 1-1 as the referee blew his whistle for full-time.
So as the title of this week’s blog suggests, it was a steady start for us for 2016. We’ve gone to the home ground of what many reckon will be one of the main contenders for the title this season and came away with a point. Overall, there was a fair bit of rustiness in our performance, and we can only hope that the performances will improve as the season progresses. It was also good to see plenty of Olympic support at the ground.
Our Round 2 opponents Manly United, were defeated 2-0 at home by Sutherland, so it looks like this will be a tough match next week.
Our Round 2 match against Manly is next Sunday at Belmore Sports Ground, kickoff is at 3:00pm.
It was the 96th meeting between 2 Grand Old Clubs of Australian Football, a rivalry that began in 1961 and continues to this day. It might not be like it was in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, but that doesn’t diminish the desire to beat one another every chance we get.
Despite pre-season form you never know what to expect when the actual season starts. What we got was a fast start from A.P.I.A, they came out of the blocks fast and put pressure on the Sydney Olympic boys from the outset, they had a couple of chances early on and also hit the crossbar, by the 20th minute they were ahead via it must be said a scrappy goal. It was after this that we started to get into our stride, our passing was better and it looked as if we had finally woken up. We finally started to create a few chances with Chris Triantis coming closest 10 minutes before half-time, he would admit that he should have put it away. We did not have to wait long for the equaliser though, as only a minute later Harris Gaitatzis smashed in a beauty from 30m to put us level. Both teams pushed for another but it was not to be for either and we went to the half-time break at 1-1.
The 2nd half started rather cautiously and the match degenerated into a midfield battle. As the half progressed both teams had great chances to score and take the lead, William Angel came closest for us but great goalkeeping at both ends kept the score at 1-1. During the closing moments A.P.I.A had some big chances to score but were foiled on each occasion by our own Paul Henderson, who even copped a boot in the face for his troubles and in the end was a major factor in keeping the score at 1-1 as the referee blew his whistle for full-time.
So as the title of this week’s blog suggests, it was a steady start for us for 2016. We’ve gone to the home ground of what many reckon will be one of the main contenders for the title this season and came away with a point. Overall, there was a fair bit of rustiness in our performance, and we can only hope that the performances will improve as the season progresses. It was also good to see plenty of Olympic support at the ground.
Our Round 2 opponents Manly United, were defeated 2-0 at home by Sutherland, so it looks like this will be a tough match next week.
Our Round 2 match against Manly is next Sunday at Belmore Sports Ground, kickoff is at 3:00pm.
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