How this season has flown. Mid-July and Cup Round 3 was already upon us. For both OISC squads, Division One opposition again stood in the way between them and advancing to the next round. The A Grade hosted Salisbury Villa (3rd in Saturday Division One) whilst the B Grade were up against Elizabeth Downs (2nd in Sunday Division One). There was added incentive for both squads as it was announced that both the semi-finals and finals of the two competitions would be played at Hindmarsh Stadium. The wild Adelaide weather involving chilly temperatures and 90km/h winds did not put off the many OISC faithful who traveled to Fortress Glenunga and they were rewarded with a feast of goals and two OISC victories.
The A Grade thumped Salisbury Villa 5-2 in a dominant performance. We were on top from the beginning, Peter Barone opening the scoring in the first five minutes. We soon after conceded an unlucky goal, Michael Gouzos fumbling a wet ball into the path of a Villa striker to give him an easy tap-in. The team responded in the best way possible and strung together some very beautiful football in some very trying conditions. Mark Ciccarello nabbed a double, both provided by Adam Carbone set-pieces, whilst Daniel Ricci did what he can only do best, score an outrageous cross-come-shot from the left touchline. 4-1 and our opponents were demoralised, particularly as they had to make three first-half substitutions for injuries. The second half was also one way traffic, with Barone again opening the scoring within five minutes of the restart to completely kill the contest. As the pitch worsened the game became scrappier, and Villa scored a late consolation, a long shot deflecting off of the head of Adrian Stenta and looping over the unlucky Gouzos.
The B Grade put on a show for the faithful with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Elizabeth Downs. Andrew Rossi opened the scoring early before Downs equalised. Andrew Surman opened his OISC account with a header from a corner, before a sublime team move involving a number of players culminated in Andrew Rossi making the half-time score 3-1. The second half was one of the most exciting halves of football to ever have been played at Fortress Glenunga. With a raging wind behind them, Downs dug deep in search of some momentum. With 25 minutes to go they scored an outrageous 30 yard strike, and within 5 minutes, they had an equaliser from a goalmouth scramble. To their credit, rather than drop their heads, the B Grade battled forward and amazingly scored two more goals to restore their half-time margin, Martin Radcliffe and substitute Adam Kangas the heroes. The Downs made the last 5 minutes extremely nerve-wracking with another goal and had a free-kick in the dying stages expertly saved by Kristos Kyriacou.
There are now eight teams remaining in each competition:
Challenge Cup:
Adelaide Uni (Saturday Div 1)
Adelaide Villa (Saturday Div 1)
Old Ignatians (Saturday Div 2)
Elizabeth Downs (Sunday Div 1)
Elizabeth Vale (Sunday Div 1)
Parafield Gardens (Sunday Div 1)
Salisbury Florina (Sunday Div 1)
Beograd (Sunday Div 3)
Reserve Cup
Old Ignatians (Saturday Div 2)
Hahndorf (Saturday Div 3)
Fulham United (Sunday Div 1)
Ingle Farm (Sunday Div 1)
Salisbury Florina (Sunday Div 1)
Modbury Vista (Sunday Div 2)
Para Hills East (Sunday Div 2)
Salisbury Inter (Sunday Div 2)
The Quarter Finals are due to be played on 7 August. The draw will be conducted in the week commencing 19 July 2010.
Next weekend the A Grade, B Grade, and E Grade travel to Cowandilla to battle against FC Adelaide, the C Grade and D Grade are at Grange against Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles, whilst the F Grade resume their season with a home fixture against Hazara.
Daily Top 5
- The brave crowd of over 50 OISC fans that supported the squads in their Cup matches and were rewarded with 2 thrilling matches and 16 goals.
- The A Grade and B Grade again dispatching of Division One opposition.
- The wonderful team goal finished off by Andrew Rossi against Elizabeth Downs.
- Mark Ciccarello notching up goal number 18 (video) and 19 (video) of the season against Salisbury Villa.
- Daniel Ricci's outrageous long range goal against Salisbury Villa.
Fortress Glenunga hosted its 7th multi-team matchday this season, and once again that annual donation we make to the Bureau of Meteorology paid off as another beautiful sunlit day welcomed players and spectators. The A Grade and B Grade were hosting Navarino FC in matches that would have significant implications upon their respective tables. The C Grade and D Grade were up against Greenock Town, with the C Grade in particular looking to avenge their early Cup defeat and last minute League draw back in April. The E Grade were determined to overcome their poor performance last week in Port Elliot by taking it out on Mt Barker United, with Innamourinho announcing on Facebook during the week that his team was aiming for '100 goals' this season. The F Grade had the second bye of their three bye sequence, the fixtures having been arranged so that all their byes were had in consecutive weeks as opposed to being spread throughout the season, to allow the club to cope with the regular Winter influx of illnesses and exams. This worked a treat as a number of F Grade regulars found themselves in the squad to play Mt Barker as our playing stocks were stretched.
The A Grade defeated Navarino FC 5-0 in a game of two very distinct halves of football. Peter Barone opened the scoring against the run of play before the opposition captain was sent off just before half time. Up until that point, Navarino had been on top. We came out with a renewed focus and intensity in the second half, and clinically dispatched our opposition. Adrian Stenta (penalty), Adam Carbone, Barone again, and TOG (finding himself in the first team after working his way back into form in the lower sides in the past few weeks) were the names added to the scoresheet. With results going our way, we find ourselves 10 points clear of Allstars United with 7 matches remaining.
The B Grade defeated Navarino FC 3-0 in a match that was much closer than the scoreline suggested. Navarino had been on top of the ladder for much of the season, and put up a great fight in the first half, which ended goalless. We stepped up a notch in the second half to show our Championship credentials, however, as Navarino had no answer for our endless attacks on goal. Luke Rayner opened the scoring with a penalty, before Joel Ortner and debutant Adrian De Rito added gloss to the scoreline. We remain on top, equal on points with MA Hawks but with a significant goal difference advantage. Pertinently, there is now a 4 point gap to third placed Navarino FC with 7 matches remaining.
The C Grade reversed their Greenock Town hoodoo with a hard fought 2-1 win. All the goals came in an eventful first half, with John Totani and Dalibor Drazetic (with an absolute screamer) overcoming the early advantage secured by our opponents from the Barossa Valley. We also remain on top, with Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles 3 points behind, and Flinders (2) a further point back, with 8 games remaining.
The D Grade comprehensively accounted for Greenock Town with a 7-0 thumping. Our first two goals both came from the penalty spot, with David Leach and Craig Walker duly putting them out of reach of the opposition 'keeper. With the opposition reduced to 10 men following the second penalty (the less said about the conduct of the player, the better, but one would hope that Greenock have some internal disciplinary processes that would deal with that behaviour), we went on to dominate the match. Three players that have been away for various reasons all got on the scoresheet, Joseph Rugari notching up a hattrick, whilst Paul Murray and Iordan Kostadinov scored their first goals for 2010. After the two Flinders teams somehow conspired to draw, we are now top of the pile, 1 point clear of Flinders (2) with 7 matches remaining.
The E Grade got the day off to the perfect start with an absolute shellacking of Mt Barker United. The match ended 14-1 but in reality it could have been far worse for our opponents, such was the dominance of our performance. Dean Ciccarello (5), Vineeth Tharaken (3), Rob Balestrin (2), Tom Smith (2), and John Smith (2) were the fortunate recipients of some very charitable defending. We remain in third, with our goal difference far superior to the two opponents we are chasing.
Next week is Cup week at Fortress Glenunga with Division One opponents for both the A Grade (Salisbury Villa) and the B Grade (Elizabeth Downs) in what should be a blockbuster day of football action. Facebook event here.
Daily Top 5
- 100% for the second week in a row as four OISC teams lead their respective ladders.
- Dali Drazetic's cracker against Greenock Town (described by Michelangelo Bolognese as the 'greatest goal he has ever seen').
- 31 goals for and 2 goals against in a great day for OISC defences at Fortress Glenunga.
- Jo Rugari, Dean Ciccarello, and Vineeth Tharaken all recording hat-tricks in comprehensive victories.
- The A Grade keeping their 5th clean sheet in 11 matches this season, approaching the OISC record for number of clean sheets in a single season
Only 4 OISC teams were in action this weekend, with the A Grade, B Grade, and E Grade making the longest trip of the season to Port Elliot to take on the Southern Breakers, whilst the C Grade were also up the freeway, travelling to Mylor to take on the old boys of Hahndorf C2. The D Grade and F Grade both had a bye as a result of their fixtures against each other being brought forward to the last Cup round. For the teams in Port Elliot, this was the start of the second half of the season, whilst the C Grade were playing their final game of their first round of matches.
The A Grade defeated Southern Breakers 10-0 in a completely one-sided match. OISC started brightly, and took a five goal lead into halftime. Within 15 minutes of the restart, we were up 7-0, and cruised to the finish line to record our biggest win of the season. Mark Ciccarello scored a lazy 4 goals (3 of them from set pieces in the first half), Peter Barone notched up his first OISC hat-trick, whilst Adam Carbone, Daniel Ricci (debut OISC goal), and Shane Leane all added to their season tallies. With results falling our way in Division 2A, we are now 8 points clear of Allstars United and 9 points ahead of Adelaide Comets, whilst we also have a significant goal difference advantage which is essentially an extra 'point' on the table for us.
The B Grade also had a comprehensive win against Southern Breakers, matching their result from the first day of the season by triumphing 8-0. The whole team put in a solid performance and were rarely troubled. Andrew Rossi knocked in 4 (although the referee decided to give him 5!) and setup an own goal, whilst Luke Rayner, Rowan Thomas, and Daniel D'Argenio scored singles. With two of the top four losing in Division 2B, we move to first, level on points with MA Hawks, but with a 7 goal advantage in goal difference.
The C Grade easily accounted for Hahndorf C2 7-0 at the junior pitch in Mylor. Coach Pendes was happy with a full team effort which meant the C Grade went through the whole first half of the season undefeated. The usual suspects were amongst the goals, with Branko Ripa scoring his second consecutive hat-trick, Mark Andrawos notching up a brace, and Darcy Kari bagging a single. Andrew Tavella rounded out the scoring with his first goal for OISC. The C Grade are 3 points clear at the top of Division 4A, and like their A grade counterparts, have a significant goal difference advantage over the rest of the league which will come in handy in the final weeks of the season.
The E Grade snatched a late victory at Southern Breakers, falling over the line 3-2. After a confident start, we took a 1-0 lead through Vineeth Tharaken into half time, which was doubled within one minute by Dean Ciccarello of the restart. However, we struggled in the conditions and Breakers fought back with two scrappy goals. Vineeth Tharaken scored a very late winner with a delightful chip 3 minutes from time which floated into the top corner. We remain in third after our two main rivals, Torrens Valley and MA Hawks, also both scraped victories on the weekend.
Next week sees another quintuple header at Fortress Glenunga. The A Grade are up against Navarino FC, who have climbed the table rapidly into fourth and are chasing promotion. The B Grade play a must-win match against Navarino FC, who are one point behind them in third. The C Grade host Greenock Town who have suffered through an indifferent patch of form, dropping to fourth after being on top a fortnight ago. The D Grade also face a must-win match as they take on eighth-placed Greenock Town, as they keep the pressure on Flinders (2). The E Grade host eighth-placed Mt Barker, hoping that Torrens Valley and MA Hawks drop points. The F Grade have a bye.
Daily Top 5
- 1. OISC record their first 100% weekend of the season (albeit with only 4 teams playing).
- 2. The A Grade and B Grade bounce back from losses last week with significant victories against Southern Breakers.
- 3. Branko Ripa scores his second consecutive hat-trick against Hahndorf C2.
- 4. Vineeth Tharaken's calm under pressure with his late, late goal against Southern Breakers
- 5. Ronnie Arboit turning back the clock and appearing in goal for the E Grade and B Grade against Southern Breakers.
This weekend saw 5 of our 6 teams away in what shaped as a real chance for the club to record its first ever 100% weekend with six teams. The F Grade were hosting Adelaide Uni (3) at home in a match that pitted 10th against 9th, and coach Lissner was determined to get the maximum out of his charges. Meanwhile, the A Grade and B Grade were on the road at the always tricky Allstars United (previously known as Africa Utd) and their infamously poor pitch. The C Grade and D Grade were on the road to Strathalbyn, the second of their long trips this season, whilst the E Grade were at St Clair Oval in Woodville to face Vipers C2 in the early match. This marked the halfway point of the season for all sides except the C Grade, and if results went our way, we could potentially have found ourselves with our first four sides all at the summit of their respective tables.
The A Grade suffered their first adverse result of the season, going down 1-2 to Allstars United. A wise old coach once said there are three things you can't control in football, so you shouldn't worry about them: the weather, the pitch, and the referee. Needless to say, they all impacted upon our performance, but frankly, we were defeated by a team that simply wanted to win more than we did. We took the lead midway through the first half with a headed goal by Paul Barolo from a corner. Allstars equalised 10 minutes from halftime with a neat finish which eluded the outstretched boot of the last OISC defender and Michael Gouzos in goal. Early in the second half, a harmless long ball was not dealt with adequately by the OISC defence and a classy finish from the Allstars United left winger secured the lead. Despite late possession and pushing, we could not snatch a point. This will serve as a good wake-up call for the rest of the season. We remain in first, 6 points clear of Comets, and 8 points ahead of third-placed Allstars United.
The B Grade had an off performance and were punished 3-0 by Allstars United. We conceded an early goal and were always second best in a lacklustre showing. Two more goals in the second half added insult to injury, though to be frank, we were extremely fortunate not to go down by an even bigger scoreline. Allstars were, much like their first-team counterparts, hungrier than us and completely opened up the race for the league title in Division 2B as a result. Navarino FA sits top with 20 points and +16 goal difference, followed by OISC (+18), MA Hawks (+17), and Allstars United (+17) all on 19 points.
The C Grade put in an efficient performance, overcoming Strathalbyn 3-1. On the giant pitch, we knew that we required early goals to ensure that last year's fixture, where the younger legs of our opponents overran us in the final 15 minutes to snatch victory, was not repeated. With some slick interplay in the front third, we took a deserved lead into half-time with a Branko Ripa vrace, ably assisted by Darcy Kari for both goals. The second half did inevitably see the older heads in our team tire, and Strathalbyn pinched a goal with 15 minutes left to make it interesting. However, a delightful through-ball from Michelangelo Bolognese setup Ripa for his hat-trick, and an important win in the context of the league. We are now first outright, after results went our way. Greenock Town and Red/Blue Eagles both sit three points behind us, but with a far inferior goal difference.
The D Grade comfortably accounted for Strathalbyn 5-0. Despite missing a number of players through injury and personal reasons, the team dug in and put in a classic 'D Grade' performance. David Leach and Craig Walker both scored penalties, Ronnie Arboit scored for the third week in a row, whilst Paul Murray and Andrew Lee notched their first goals of the season. We are on top of the standings, one point and 16 goals ahead of Flinders (2), who have a game in hand, which will be made up this weekend when we have a bye.
The E Grade put in a workmanlike performance and ground out a 2-0 win at Vipers C2. With a number of regular E Grade players missing through injury and uni exams, this was a danger game for Innamourinho's men. Michael Pannunzio, Michael Sorgini, and James Dujmovic all stepped up from the F Grade and put in admirable performances. Dean Ciccarello and Rob Balestrin bagged the goals to keep the pressure on the league leaders, signalling the end of Vineeth Tharaken's amazing run of scoring in his first 8 official matches for OISC. We are third, 3 points behind Torrens Valley who have a game in hand, which will be made up on 10 July, and 1 point behind MA Hawks.
The F Grade came agonisingly close to securing their first ever victory, drawing 4-4 with Adelaide Uni (3) in a thrilling encounter at Fortress Glenunga. We went behind early, but good interplay between Brett Durand and Tom Cosentino saw the former score the equaliser within 10 minutes. Adelaide Uni (3) went into the break ahead 3-2, after two quality goals were put into the back of our net before Cosentino converted a penalty that he won himself. The half-time spray from Bacon obviously worked, as we found ourselves ahead 4-3 with 25 minutes to go. Cosentino, Durand, and Jake Kantilaftas were at the heart of our attacking movements, with Durand scoring a second following some hard closing down, and Kantilaftas striking a sweet shot from the left side of the field. Unfortunately, Uni grabbed a late equaliser, and despite our best efforts, we could not snag a winner. We remain in ninth, 2 points behind our opponents, and 4 points behind Greenock Town.
Next week our A Grade, B Grade, and E Grade will have to navigate the perils of the Adelaide-Victor Harbor Rd before taking on Southern Breakers in Port Elliot as they start the second half of the season, whilst the C Grade finish off their first half of the season with a trip up the hill to Hahndorf to battle with tenth-placed Hahndorf C2. The D Grade and F Grade take a well deserved break.
Daily Top 5
- The C Grade and the D Grade remain undefeated in league play in 2010
- Three OISC teams are top, one is second, and one is third, as we enter the second half of 2010
- Branko Ripa can't stop scoring as he bags a hat-trick against Strathalbyn
- The superb fightback of the F Grade as they narrowly miss out on their first ever win against Adelaide Uni (3)
- All coaches maintaining their sanity as the effects of the World Cup, injuries, university exams, and Winter weather significantly affect the squads for the first time in season 2010.
Cup football returned to Fortress Glenunga and a big crowd braved a dodgy weather forecast to witness an outstanding day of football at the only ground offering three amateur football matches this weekend. The A Grade were pitted against the current leaders in Saturday Division One (and old nemesis), BOSA, whilst the B Grade were also drawn against a team with whom they have traditionally had a strong rivalry, Modbury Jets. An OISC derby was also scheduled for the first time since 2006, with the F Grade 'at home' against the 'visiting' D Grade. Unsurprisingly, Bacon had a full list to select from this week after having 9 players drop out of his lineup the week before. The E Grade were also in action, but were up the freeway at Cornerstone College, the home ground of Mt Barker United.
Some great theatre has taken place at Fortress Glenunga this season (two 'quintuple victories', the 'Ingle Farm game', and the '30 goal day'), but 12 June 2010 has arguably set a new benchmark for season 2010 that will take something extremely special to surpass.
The A Grade defeated BOSA 5-4 on penalties, after the score finished 1-1 at the end of 120 minutes. The match started in a slow fashion, with neither team creating significant opportunities in the first half as the heavens opened briefly and turned the match into a midfield battle. Neither 'keeper was forced into any form of meaningful save, with BOSA perhaps coming closest to scoring with a long-range shot from outside the box from their captain on the stroke of half-time. The large and vocal crowd got firmly behind the boys in the second half, but again, neither side was able to break the deadlock. OISC created a number of opportunities, the best falling to Shane Leane who was unable to test the 'keeper, whilst James Kitching almost stole the match with a header as injury time approached. BOSA also had a number of late opportunities, with Gouzos forced into an excellent one-on-one block, whilst their strikers also had the yips in front of goal in the dying stages, with the match on the line.
The first half of extra time saw OISC take an early lead. A long ball down the right was eventually retrieved by Adam Carbone, who took the ball to the byline and cut back to Mark Ciccarello on the edge of the 18 yard box. He scuffed his shot straight to the 'keeper, but in a preview of Robert Green's performance that night, the BOSA custodian fumbled it under his body and into the back of the net. OISC controlled the second half of extra time, and a famous victory seemed imminent. However, the first lapse in concentration from the defence allowed BOSA to score an equalising header from a corner with 4 minutes remaining. BOSA had three excellent opportunities to win the match in those final 4 minutes, hitting the crossbar twice and having a ball cleared off the line. As the final whistle blew, a collective sigh of relief could be heard around Fortress Glenunga which only 5 minutes earlier would not have been anticipated.
Darkness crept in and the floodlights were switched on, which created an amazing backdrop to an electrifying atmosphere. The (approximately) 100 strong OISC crowd linked arms on the sideline as the players did the same on the pitch. Captain Adrian Stenta lost the toss and BOSA was to take the first penalty. The first five OISC penalty takers were determined (in order): Carbone, Gary Dal Broi, Stenta, Ciccarello, and Mike Manou. Each team scored their first two penalties, Carbone's slamming in off the right hand post, whilst Dal Broi confidently put his into the top right corner. Then, Michael Gouzos in goal made himself an instant OISC hero by saving the third BOSA penalty with his legs as he was diving to the right of goal. Stenta confidently tucked away the third penalty to consolidate our lead, and after two BOSA scores either side of a Ciccarello conversion, Manou stepped up to secure victory. A confident penalty was dispatched into the bottom left corner of the goal, and pandemonium through the form of pitch invasion ensued. The A Grade moved into Round Three of the Challenge Cup for the first time in over 5 years.
The B Grade defeated Modbury Jets 4-3 after extra time in the perfect warm-up match to get the crowd excited. Modbury broke the deadlock early, catching the OISC defence unaware with a quick ball from the right wing in the third minute. Modbury took control and were unlucky not to extend their lead as OISC took their time working themselves into the match. Eventually, our midfield took control and we gained the ascendancy. The equaliser came through a Modbury defender taking an excellent 'mark' to prevent Andrew Rossi's shot from sailing into the back of the net. Instead, he earned himself a red card and Luke Rayner rubbed salt into his wounds by easily converting the penalty. The second half started with OISC exploiting its numerical advantage but unable to add to the scoreboard. It took a moment of inspiration from Joel Ortner to give us the lead, beating two defenders and the 'keeper with an intelligent header to himself, before finishing with his right boot. We appeared to be cruising to victory before Modbury scored an excellent header from a corner with about 5 minutes remaining.
The first half of extra time was filled with drama, with Daniel D'Argenio reclaiming our lead with his first goal for the club and Modbury earning another red card with a tackle that deserved the darkest shade of red card from the referee that was possible. The second half of extra time was more of the same, but without any further cards from the referee. Joel Ortner extended the lead with another superb goal, a cracking right footed drive from outside the box into the top left-hand corner. Just as it seemed that we were finally able to relax, Modbury scored with a long-range shot that took a wicked deflection. However, we held out for the victory and moved into Round Three of the Reserve Cup, as we seek to go one better than 2009.
The D Grade and F Grade played out a spirited derby match, with the Championship-winning experience and technique of the D Grade ultimately overcoming the F Grade 8-0. The match started at a cracking pace, with both sides forging opportunities for themselves. The F Grade, with a number of players new to the club (and to organised football), valiantly held out against a team chasing the league title. However, the patience of the D Grade squad paid dividends, as they opened the scoring after 15 minutes. The lead was trebled by half time, although the F Grade almost scored through a long shot by Michael Sorgini. As the F Grade began to tire, the class of the D Grade allowed them to take complete control, with the match permanently played in the defensive half of the F Grade. The D Grade eventually scored 8, with Chris Gauro (3), Ronnie Arboit (2), Tavis Callaghan (first OISC goal), Chris Nguyen, and Matt Gauro getting on the scoresheet.
The D Grade are now only one point behind Flinders (2) with the same amount of matches played (but with a far superior goal difference), and can temporarily assume top spot on the ladder next week with a victory at Strathalbyn (Flinders (2) are scheduled for a bye). For the F Grade, it was an excellent opportunity to play against a benchmark team with a full squad available, and have an awareness of what improvement is required to remain competitive in Division 4B for the remainder of the season. The match will put them in good stead as they take on fellow strugglers Adelaide Uni (3) next week in their best opportunity to record a debut victory.
The E Grade comfortably defeated Mt Barker United 7-0 on a lusciously manicured Cornerstone College pitch. With Innamourinho losing a number of key players through injuries, World Cup duties, and Cup Round call-ups, this match was marked down as a potential struggler. However, a 'total' team performance saw an efficient victory and yet another shut-out. Of the eight matches the E Grade have played this season, the five goals they have conceded have all come in their two losses, with their six victories coinciding with six clean sheets. Vineeth Tharaken remains the only OISC player to have scored in every competitive game he has played this season, notching up a hat-trick. John Smith also chipped in with a double, whilst Rob Balestrin and Mario Fimiani (his first goal for the club) also troubled the scorers. We remain third in Division 6C, three points behind Torrens Valley (who have a game in hand) and MA Hawks.
Next week the league-leading A Grade and B Grade have tough away assignments against Allstars United (4th in Div 2A, 3rd in Div 2B), whilst the league-leading C Grade and second-place D Grade also face an away challenge as they travel to Strathalbyn (5th in Div 4A, 5th in Div 4B). The third-placed E Grade travel to Vipers (C2) (9th in Div 6C) determined to keep the pressure on the top two, whilst the F Grade host Adelaide Uni (3) in a 'winner takes all' match at the bottom of Division 4B.
Daily Top 5 (extended edition)
- The amazing drama as OISC moves forward in both Cup competitions.
- Fortress Glenunga once again sending home all visiting teams disappointed.
- The return of the OISC derby and the excellent spirit in which it was played, despite the difference in league position between the teams.
- The biggest OISC crowd of the season was brilliant and added superbly to the atmosphere during the A Grade match.
- The big-game performance of Joel Ortner, with two stunning goals against Modbury Jets.
- Vineeth Tharaken continuing his amazing run of form with a hat-trick against Mt Barker
- Daniel D'Argenio, Tavis Callaghan, and Mario Fimiani all scoring their first goals for OISC. Congratulations lads.
The first weekend of June saw the weather threaten to dampen a Glenunga home fixture for the first time this season, but thankfully the majority of rain appeared to fall in the vicinity of AAMI Stadium as opposed to Fortress Glenunga. A visit by the always tricky Adelaide Budapest had the A Grade on alert, whilst the B Grade were well aware that Budapest had improved their depth over the summer break. The C Grade needed to defeat Flinders (2) to maintain their position at the head of ladder, whilst the D Grade season was potentially over unless they knocked off Flinders (2). The E Grade required victory against Flinders to stay in touch with the top two, whilst the F Grade had another chance to record their maiden victory on their visit to Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles.
The A Grade held off a feisty Adelaide Budapest, recording a 4-2 victory. Two early goals by Mark Ciccarello and Peter Barone, both assisted by the returning Adam Carbone, and the crowd sensed blood and another OISC walkover. Budapest stepped up the ante and outplayed OISC for the remainder of the first half. With 10 minutes left, some tricky footwork after a short corner allowed a low cross to be swung across the box which was turned into the OISC net off the rear of an OISC defender. Budapest continued their physical approach in the second half and tested the mettle of the OISC players. They pulled level after 15 minutes, with a long shot cannoning off the cross-bar and scored on the rebound. For some reason unbeknown to the majority watching, the referee chose to ignore the flag of the linesman (the offending player was a clear 3m offside when the initial shot was taken). Showing some character, we proceeded to work our way back into the match, and soon took the lead after some excellent work in the attacking third allowed Carbone to tap in his third. A comical foul by the Budapest 'keeper allowed Stenta to score his fourth penalty of the season, and round out the scoring. We remain top, now 9 points clear of Comets and MA Hawks who drew with each other.
The B Grade defeated Adelaide Budapest 3-0, and were unlucky not to win by a wider margin. Goals from Luke Rayner and Luke De Simoni had the side up by two at the half. A scrappy third by Andrew Rossi was the only real action in the match, aside from a Budapest player being sent off for swearing at the referee. We essentially camped in the opposition half for the second 45 minutes, and only have our finishing to blame for not coming home with a significantly larger margin of victory. We are now first after Navarino lost at Adelaide Cougars. Navarino are 2 points behind us, whilst Allstars United and MA Hawks are a further point adrift.
The C Grade continued their good form with a 4-1 victory over Flinders (2). After conceding an early goal, we turned on the style and completely ran over the top of a Flinders (2) side that were expected to put up a better fight. Kristian Eldic scored the goal of the day (just ask him) with a great first-touch and volley from 18 yards, Mark Andrawos scored his first of the season, whilst Darcy Kari scored a double to ensure that his personal battle for the C Grade Top Goalscorer award with Branko Ripa continues. We remain top, 1 point ahead of Brahma Lodge (D), and 3 points ahead of Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles.
The D Grade, in the 'pressure-cooker' game at Fortress Glenunga, came out on top with a 2-1 victory. The match started at a high intensity which belittled its Division 4B status, both teams giving their all and not budging. Matt Gauro scored via a misplaced shot midway through the first half which thrilled the faithful on the sideline. However, Flinders regrouped and equalised before half-time. As time wore on in the second half, we knew that a golden opportunity was slipping. Thankfully, the experience of David Leach got us over the line, converting a penalty that he himself won by exploiting the naiveté of the Flinders defence. We held out for victory, causing Flinders to drop their first points this season. We remain in second, 4 points behind Flinders (2), but with a game in hand.
The E Grade thrashed Flinders 9-0 in the early game. With the sides level on the table before the match, much was expected from this clash. What followed was an unexpected demolition, sure to send a message to the rest of Division 6. John Smith bagged a hat-trick, the third an excellent shot from 25 yards, whilst Dean Ciccarello and Rob Balestrin both notched up braces. Vineeth Tharaken and the on-loan Man Utd striker TOG also managed to get on the scoresheet. We remain in third, 6 points behind MA Hawks, but with a game in hand.
The F Grade were disappointingly defeated 1-9 by Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles. Our lack of experience showed as we conceded 5 goals within the first 20 minutes of the match, all from basic errors. Once we work those out of our game, we will demonstrate the competitiveness that we showed against teams like Strathalbyn and Flinders (2). Zaid Al Hinai scored our only goal in his first start since his return from his groin injury. We remain in tenth.
Next week sees another round of matches at Fortress Glenunga. The A Grade host Saturday Division One leaders BOSA (14:45), whilst the B Grade host Saturday Division One cellar-dwellers Modbury Jets. The C Grade have a bye, whilst the E Grade are away at Mt Barker (11:30). Perhaps the most intriguing match of the day is the 'derby' clash between the D Grade and the F Grade in Saturday Division 4B. The previous two derby clashes in 2006 between the C1 and C2 sides still remain some of the most fiercely contested matches ever played at L'Estrange St. Check out the Facebook event page here.
Daily Top 5
- Fortress Glenunga holds firm as all five home teams record victories
- The D Grade step up to the challenge presented by Flinders (2) and deliver
- Kristian Eldic's lovely strike against Flinders (2)
- The A Grade approaching record territory with victory against Budapest (more on this next week)
- The starting line-up for the A Grade again featuring 9 old scholars, with the full squad containing 11
Late last week, the SAASL drew the Round 2 of the Challenge Cup and the Reserve Cup. Both remaining OISC squads have been drawn at home on 12 June 2010 against Saturday Division 1 opposition. For the full draw in both Cups, please click here.
After consultation with both coaches, the first 'D v F' derby will be moved forward from its original 26 June 2010 kickoff to coincide with the Cup matches on 12 June 2010. With no school football or SAAFL matches on that date, given the long weekend, we are hopeful that a significant crowd will be on hand to support OISC. The fixtures on 12 June 2010 are:
Challenge Cup
OISC v BOSA (14:45)
Reserve Cup
OISC v Modbury Jets (12:30)
Saturday Division 4B
OISC (2) v OISC (3) (13:10)
This weekend provided another day of tough matchups for the five OISC teams competing for their respective championships, and was also another good chance for the F Grade to record their first ever win. Rain is always a great leveller, and so it proved across all the matches. The A Grade were away to Comets, in an epic first versus second encounter. The B Grade were up against a Comets side that, although mid-table, had narrowly been defeated by the other high-flyers. The C Grade were visiting Hazara for the first-ever time, with both teams looking to break free from the pack. The D Grade were also at Hazara, with the loser destined to drop ground on first-placed Flinders (2). The E Grade were in Grange taking on Monarchs, with a win required to keep the pressure on the top two. The F Grade, meanwhile, were for the first time playing against an opponent in the bottom half of the table, Greenock Town.
The A Grade defeated Comets 2-0, in a workmanlike performance. 0-0 at half time, two yellow cards to a Comets defender within 15 minutes of the restart swung the momentum our way. Peter Barone secured the breakthrough soon after, following a through-ball by Shane Leane. Barone doubled his tally and our lead with 10 minutes to go. A quick long-throw by Andrew Sabatino caught the Comets defence off guard, and Barone cooly shrugged off his defender and placed it past the despairing 'keeper. We are now 7 points clear on top of Division 2A, with a goal difference of +23 after our defence kept their second consecutive clean sheet.
The B Grade slipped up against Comets, dropping two points following a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Luke Rayner (from the spot) and a Andrew Rossi-inspired own goal by the opposition countered the two goals scored by our opposition, one of them a screamer from just inside the halfway line. The rain and state of the pitch made the going tough, and we were very sloppy in patches. Luckily, top of the table Navarino also drew, whilst the teams directly below us lost. We remain in second in Division 2B, one point behind Navarino.
The C Grade were leading 3-0 after approximately 40 minutes when Hazara decided to stage a 'walk off' at what they perceived to be biased refereeing. This was a disappointing outcome, particularly given that it was instigated by the Hazara coach. Prior to the 'walk off', we were by far the better team, with some slick interplay which was a joy to behold. Branko Ripa (2) and Dali Drazetic were the OISC goalscorers. Kudos to all of the OISC players for keeping their cool. It is quite disappointing to hear that our coach was required to escort the referee to his car. That kind of behaviour is not acceptable in amateur sport and we will support the SAASL in whatever method necessary. Assuming the result stands, we are top of Division 4A on goal difference from Greenock Town and one point ahead of three other teams.
The D Grade drew with Hazara 1-1, with a last minute Chris Gauro goal saving the day. The standard of refereeing and the blatant cheating of the Hazara linesman were a blight on a match that pitted second versus third. Either way, we should have had the game wrapped up earlier, but were unable to capitalise on a number of chances. Zaid Al Hinai made his comeback after 8 months out with groin and lower back injuries, and produced a great cameo which swung the match for us. We remain second in Division 4B, 7 points behind Flinders (2) but with a game in hand.
The E Grade defeated Monarchs 4-0 at SAASL headquarters. With the traditional 'Grange breeze' being supplemented by heavy rain, it was always going to be tough to break down an opponent that was intent on defending with all eleven men. Dean Ciccarello was the star of the show with a hat-trick, whilst Vineeth Tharaken added to his tally with a screamer from 30 yards. We are third in Division 6C, 6 points behind MA Hawks on top, but with a game in hand.
The F Grade went down 2-8 to Greenock Town in a disappointing result. We struggled to adapt to the rainy conditions, and basic skill errors cost us as our opposition scored 4 unanswered goals in the first half. The second half was much of the same, with all of the boys guilty. With 15 minutes to go, we were behind by 8 goals, but a mini-resurgence inspired by another player making a comeback after being out for over a year, Iordan Kostadinov, saw Robert Fantasia emulate Gianfranco Zola and Michael Pannunzio score his first goal for the club. We remain ninth.
Next week, the A Grade and B Grade will be looking to continue their 100% career records against Budapest, whilst the C Grade and D Grade both have crucial matches against Flinders (2). The E Grade take on Flinders in a must-win enounter, whilst the F Grade have what appears to be another 'winnable' match when they travel to Grange to take on Red/Blue Eagles.
Daily Top 5
- The A Grade, C Grade, and D Grade remain undefeated in league football going into June
- Peter Barone's all round performance, capped by two goals, against Comets
- Ivan Pendes auditioning for a role in 'The Bodyguard 2' after assisting the ref against Hazara
- Dean Ciccarello scoring a hat-trick against Monarchs
- Rob Fantasia's outrageous backheel goal against Greenock Town
In recent OISC history, Fortress Glenunga has probably never experienced a day as collectively important for the whole club as was today. The league-leading A Grade were taking on third placed MA Hawks, with a chance to build a 7 point gap between OISC and non-promotion spots. The third placed B Grade were taking on league leaders MA Hawks, with a win guaranteeing them a top two spot (as a minimum) at the end of the round. The second placed C Grade were taking on fourth placed Brahma Lodge (D), with the losers destined to fall back into the pack. The second placed E Grade were taking on league leaders MA Hawks, in their third match against one of the 'top 5' (of whom one will win the league) in Division 6C. Meanwhile, the F Grade (eighth) were due to battle against Flinders (3), who were the first team to take points off of the D Grade in Division 4B last week. Revenge, thus, was the order of their day. The old legs in the D Grade were able to rest themselves with their first scheduled bye.
For the statistically-minded, OISC also went into this week's fixtures with the top goalscorer in every division that it was participating within (2A: Mark Ciccarello; 2B: Andrew Rossi; 4A: Branko Ripa; 4B: Chris Gauro; 6C: Shaun George).
The A Grade defeated MA Hawks 5-0 in a comprehensive performance. A message was sent to the rest of the league that something special would be needed to defeat OISC this year, given the number of quality players that were injured or missing for various reasons. OISC were on top all over the park, and took an early lead through a deflected Shane Leane effort (which the ref credited as a TOG). Mark Ciccarello continued his amazing scoring run with a 'facer' from two yards soon after, which remained the score at half time. An early penalty converted by Adrian Stenta effectively killed the contest, with Michael Manou and Andrew Rossi adding gloss to the final scoreline. We remain top, 4 points clear of Adelaide Comets (our opponents next week), and 7 points clear of third placed MA Hawks.
The B Grade fought hard to come away victorious 2-1 against MA Hawks. An early goal for Joel Ortner, following good buildup work by Rowan Thomas, was the highlight of a tenacious first half as both teams slugged it out. A red card early in the second half to a MA Hawks player did little to dispel the spirit in the contest, as both teams gave as good as they got. MA Hawks grabbed an equaliser and it was game on. With 15 to go OISC were awarded a penalty and Luke Rayner stepped up to calmly slot it home and take away a priceless victory. We move into second, 1 point behind Navarino FC, with a two point gap to third placed MA Hawks.
The C Grade had an amazing match with Brahma Lodge (D), which ultimately finished 5-5. After conceding the first goal, we put some daylight between us and Lodge to take a 3-1 lead into half time. To their credit, Brahma Lodge fought their way back to 3-3, and then back from 4-3 and 5-4 as we couldn't both kill the game with an extra goal or defend well enough to grind out a result. Darcy Kari stepped up to the plate with another 2 goals, Davide Cavuoto nabbed his first of the season, John Totani scored his second in two weeks, whilst Brahma also contributed one to our tally of 5. We remain in second, 2 points behind Strathalbyn.
The E Grade were disappointing as they conceded two late goals to go down 1-2 to MA Hawks. The first half was a bruising encounter, with the commitment of both teams unable to be questioned, however neither was able to effectively test the opposing keeper. We took the ascendancy early in the second half, and a long throw from Daniel Hurt bamboozled the opposition defence, and Vineeth Tharaken was able to toe-poke a goal from 6 yards, with 6 MA Hawks players within a vicinity of two metres. However, we were unable to take control of the match and the older players from our opposition began to impose themselves, scoring two goals in the final 15 minutes to snatch victory. We drop to third, 6 points behind MA Hawks (but with a game in hand).
The F Grade put up a spirited fight but were ultimately outclassed 3-6 by Flinders (3). We were on the back foot from the get-go, conceding twice within the first 10 minutes. A good passage of play led to us creating a myriad of chances without reward. A handball in the box allowed Michael Pannunzio a chance to drag a goal back, but the Flinders keeper guessed correctly and kept the lead to two goals. We were punished soon after as Flinders went three ahead, before Chris Gauro nabbed one back from the break after good lead-up work by Tom Cosentino and Jake Kantilaftas. The second half was more of the same, with Flinders making the most of their chances whilst we were wasteful up front. Manoli Photakis and coach Marc Lissner were able to get on the scoresheet, but after we went three behind again early in the half, we were realistically never in the contest. We drop to ninth.
Next week, the A Grade and B Grade make the short trip up Greenhill Rd in must-win matches against Adelaide Comets, the C Grade and D Grade travel west to take on new-boys Hazara, the E Grade are off to Grange to visit the lowly Monarchs, whilst the F Grade will be looking to take maximum points for the first ever time as they host Greenock Town at Glenunga.
Daily Top 5
- The A Grade juggernaut rolls on. Maximum points in the league and a second clean sheet of the season.
- The C Grade remain undefeated in the league as they draw with Brahma Lodge.
- The A Grade starting lineup containing 9 young old scholars of St Ignatius College.
- 30 goals in 5 games as the crowds are wowed at Fortress Glenunga.
- Marc Lissner scores his first ever goal in outfield football.
After a late switch of fixtures, five OISC teams were on the road this week with the F Grade hosting Strathalbyn at Fortress Glenunga looking to pick up their first ever points. For the A Grade and B Grade, they had to refocus on their league campaigns after the highs of defeating Division One opposition in the Cups the previous week. The C Grade were visiting the unknown quantity that was Dragon Rangers, after having a week off to recuperate. The D Grade were looking to recover from their first loss of the season in the Cup against Para Hills East, whilst the E Grade were up against the undefeated Comets. With the prospect of FA Cup night in the evening, no player wanted to face their club mates having lost earlier that day; what followed was four solid victories and two well-earnt draws, to record the first ever 'undefeated day' for OISC with six teams in action.
The A Grade defeated Adelaide Cougars 6-2 in a game packed with highlights. The biggest of the lot was the starting debut of Shane 'The Future' Leane, banging in three quality goals. Mark Ciccarello continued his amazing run of form with another goal, whilst Adam Carbone and Adrian Stenta (from the spot) also added to Cougars' misery. We are 4 points clear on top of the table, taking on third-placed MA Hawks next week.
The B Grade ground out a 2-0 victory against Adelaide Cougars. A comical own-goal was scored in the first half and taken to the break, before some resolute defending and a goal-line save by Daniel D'Argenio set us up for the final 15 minutes, where Andrew Rossi continued his rich vein of goalscoring form. Piero Sparapani missed a late penalty, but we had already sealed victory. We are one point off the lead in third, taking on second-placed MA Hawks next week in a must-win clash.
The C Grade scored one of the highest victories in club history, with a 13-0 pounding of Dragon Rangers. Such was the nature of the thrashing, that we could afford to inform the referee that a goal which he ruled legitimate for us was actually scored via a deflection of a misplaced water cooler on the goal-line. The usual crew were in the goals, Branko Ripa bagging 6 and Darcy Kari knocking in 5. Dali Drazetic also notched one on the belt, whilst John Totani allegedly scored a goal with his head (a very rare sight indeed). We are in third place on goal difference, battling against high-flying Brahma Lodge (D) next week.
The D Grade were disappointing in drawing 3-3 with Flinders (3). Despite the logic-defying display of refereeing, we have only ourselves to blame for the slip-up, conceding our first goals in the league all season and wasting numerous opportunities. A dour game, it had few highlights bar the wonderful volley by Chris Nguyen from around 20 yards which put us in front 2-1 at the start of the second half. We have the week off next week to reflect on our performance, before we take on Hazara (who defeated the F Grade 6-1 earlier in the season) in a fortnight's time.
The E Grade won 'ugly' for the first time this season, struggling to a 1-0 victory against Comets. We had numerous opportunities to finish the game off before the final whistle, but we were never threatened at the back after we scored an early goal through Vineeth Tharaken. Results went our way as our opponents next week (and currently sitting top), MA Hawks, lost to Torrens Valley. The first vs second battle will be one of epic proportions.
The F Grade picked up their first ever point, with a battling 2-2 draw with Strathalbyn. We were in the 'zone' from the get-go. and were unlucky not to secure our inaugrual victory. Manoli Photakis and Tom Cosentino both scored wonderful goals. Next week we have an opportunity to exact revenge for the D Grade, as we take on Flinders (3) at Glenunga.
Daily Top 5
- 13 goals, 11 of them scored by Brako Ripa and Darcy Kari, as the C Grade pump Dragon Rangers.
- The excellent form of the A Grade, with 6 games (x1 Cup) and 6 wins to open the season.
- 'The Future' becomes 'The Present' as teenage striker Shane Leane scores a hattrick against Adelaide Cougars.
- Vineeth Tharaken and Mark Ciccarello continue their amazing form, having scored a goal in every game they have played in this season.
- Chris Nguyen's wonderful volley against Flinders (3) to continue his fine goalscoring form.
The Division 4B match for the F Grade against Strathalbyn has been swapped as a result of the Strathalbyn Recreation Ground being unavailable this coming Saturday. As a result, the F Grade will play Strathalbyn at home this weekend, and the away match will be played on 31 July.
Flinders have also re-entered their team in Saturday Division, meaning that the 'bye' is no longer.
For all OISC fixtures, click here.
The weekend of the first round of the Cup is always a big weekend at OISC as we always seem blessed to have (at a minimum) two teams scheduled to play at home. This year was no exception, with the A Grade hosting Challenge Cup holders Ingle Farm, and the B Grade hosting Saturday Division One side Stirling Districts. The C Grade had as a result of losing their Preliminary Round fixture to Greenock Town, whilst the D Grade were away at Sunday Division 2 team Para Hills East on Mother's Day. The E Grade hosted Southern Breakers in their third league match of the season, whilst the F Grade, originally scheduled with a bye, hosted USC Lion in a friendly match hastily arranged on Friday afternoon to provide both sides with much-needed match practice.
The A Grade defeated Ingle Farm 3-2 in the Challenge Cup, in an amazing come-from-behind performance. Down 0-2 at half time after two wonderful long-range shots, a switch to 4-4-2 saw an improved attacking impetus. We scored after Ingle Farm had a man sent off, and after the referee evened the ledger, Mark Ciccarello scored his second header of the match. Peter Barone sensationally scored his first goal for the club with an 18 yard drive in the final 10 minutes to snatch victory. Captain Stenta, goalkeeper Gouzos and the rest of the defence held firm despite ongoing pressure, and one of our most famous victories was sealed. Next week we visit Cougars looking to maintain our perfect record.
The B Grade defeated Stirling 4-2 in the Reserve Cup in an excellent team performance. We were 1-0 up at half-time after Luke Rayner scored an excellent team goal. Stirling got one back within 10 minutes of the restart to make a game of it, before Kristian Eldic scored a well-placed shot into the bottom corner which had a hint of 'cross' in it. Andrew Rossi continued his goalscoring form by pinching a third, whilst Rayner iced the win with a superb solo goal after Stirling had scored a second goal to make OISC hearts flutter. Next week we visit Cougars and hope that either MA Hawks or Navarino FC can drop points.
The D Grade were outclassed 0-6 by Para Hills East in a one-sided affair in the Reserve Cup. With a number of players out, we knew it would be a struggle, but this was further compounded by the fact that Croatia forfeited against PHE in the Challenge Cup, meaning that they played a number of first-team players in the Reserve Cup match to guarantee victory. Next week we are determined to bounce back as we visit Flinders (3), in a must-win match.
The E Grade completely dominated Southern Breakers, ending up 6-0 winners. In truth, only poor finishing prevented us from recording a double-digit victory. Rob Balestrin kick-started us into gear with a cracking first goal, whilst Vineeth Tharaken (who has scored in every official league fixture he has played for OISC), Dean Ciccarello, and Shaun George (with a brace) all got in on the act. President Dan Hurt almost scored his first ever goal for OISC, but was denied by the outstretched toe of a defender, who put the ball into his own net for our final goal. Next week we visit Comets who are currently undefeated.
The F Grade were defeated by USC Lion 0-7 in a competitive friendly match that was played in good spirits.
Daily Top 5
- A Grade record one of OISC's finest victories against Ingle Farm
- The goalscoring form of Mark Ciccarello - 9 goals in the 5 games played so far this season
- The return of Luke Rayner with two goals is the lynchpin of a superb B Grade win against Stirling
- The E Grade home record: played 2, won 2, scored 14, conceded 0
- Kristian Eldic's superb 'go-ahead' goal against Stirling
The first Saturday in May was a gorgeous sun-bathed day, however only the F Grade, hosting Flinders (2), were able to enjoy it by running around at home. The A Grade and B Grade were away to Gleeson College at their new ground in Pooraka, the C Grade and D Grade were at the pristine University Grounds to take on Adelaide Uni (3), whilst the E Grade stopped past the Gumeracha Medieval Fair on their way to Birdwood to take on Torrens Valley.
The A Grade defeated Gleeson 2-1 to record their fourth victory in a row. This was (in fairness) a very disjointed performance, but we managed to 'win ugly' in a game where the referee decided to let everything go, only to discover that he had brought his yellow and red cards in the final 10 minutes. Mark Ciccarello continued his amazing goal-scoring form with a goal inside the first minute, assisted by (who else?) Adam Carbone. We conceded a soft goal soon after and were under the pump, with Gleeson hitting the bar twice, before Michael La Vista scored on the break nearing the end of the first half. In the second half, Captain Stenta marshalled the troops from the back and we were rarely threatened. Daniel D'Argenio and Peter Barone both made their debuts, joining the list of youngsters that Coach Bombay has blooded this season. Soon they will be chanting 'quack, quack, quack' and learning the 'knucklepuck'. With results going our way in the league (again), we find ourselves on top after four rounds with a four point gap to MA Hawks and Comets as we go into cup mode. We welcome 2009 Challenge Cup winners Ingle Farm to Glenunga next season, and anticipate an exciting match.
The B Grade defeated Gleeson 6-0 in a one-sided affair. Piero Sparapani opened the scoring with a screamer from a dead ball in the second minute, and we never looked back. Rowan Thomas added two more goals, the first after great work by Arthur Mihalopoulos and Adam Kangas on the right, and the second after Andrew Rossi beat two defenders and squared a ball up from the byline. The second half was much of the same, with Shane Leane nabbing a double and Joel Ortner 'kneeing' in the sixth. After four rounds, we are sitting third, one point behind leaders MA Hawks and Navarino FC.
The C Grade pinched a 2-2 with Adelaide Uni (3) with a goal in the final minute of the match. Branko Ripa opened the scoring early on, but the size (small) and pace (fast) of the opposition was a significant juxtaposition to our own, and we found ourselves staring down the barrel of our first league defeat of the season after they scored two quality goals. However, in the final minute, a set piece delivery by Darcy Kari found Kristian Eldic who swung the ball in for Matthew Green to score in his first game of the season. A point well-deserved. With results pending, we are currently second behind Flinders (2), but expect to be fourth, two points off top, come Monday morning.
The D Grade continued their virtuoso start to the season with a thumping 5-0 win over Adelaide Uni (3). With David Leach out with an injury, and Chris Gauro limping off early, both of the main attacking threats from the first three games were sidelined. However, others stepped up and the team dominated from start-to-finish, and realistically could have (and probably should have) won by double digits. Matt Gauro showed some of his 2009 form with hat-trick, whilst Ady Morgan turned back the clock with a well-taken double. We are currently top by goal difference from Flinders (2), with us having scored 17 and conceding 0.
The E Grade put Innamourinho's job on the line after crashing 2-3 at Torrens Valley. In a disastrous start, we were down 2-0 within the first 10 minutes, and never recovered. Vineeth Tharaken and Josh Smith managed to get their names on the scoresheet, but it was extremely disappointing to travel all the way to Birdwood and leave empty handed. We are currently second in the division, but due to the intermittent nature of the games in the first half of the season, half of the teams only played their first official fixture today.
The F Grade put in a significantly improved performance in their second official match, narrowly going down 0-1 to Flinders (2) at Glenunga. New coach Marc Lissner fielded an attacking line-up, with Michael Pannunzio getting the nod as captain for the second week in a row. Rumours that Pernunz was paying Bacon in food for the armband have so far been unfounded. We started brightly and were unfortunately to concede a blatantly offside goal after 15 minutes. Goalkeeper Daryl Ruciak was solid in his first home start, whilst Greg Angley bizarrely was prevented from tapping in an equaliser in the second-half by one of those 'what the?' refereeing decisions. We are eighth on the table, but will move up to seventh if Greenock lost their game against Hazara, who pummeled us last week.
Next week sees Cup football return to Glenunga in 2010, with the B Grade hoping that they can replicate their amazing run to the 2009 Reserve Cup Final. On the big pitch, the B Grade open proceedings i the Reserve Cup against Saturday Division One side Stirling Districts at 12:30pm, whilst the A Grade battle with Sunday Division One heayweight Ingle Farm in the Challenge Cup at 2:45pm. On the small pitch, the E Grade take on Southern Breakers at 11:30am in a rescheduled match from 24 April 2010, whilst the F Grade will be playing a friendly against a yet-to-be-named opponent at 1:10pm. On Sunday, the D Grade will be looking to cause an upset in the Reserve Cup and make their mother's proud at 12:30 against Sunday Division Two side Para Hills East. The C Grade have the week off after being knocked out of the Challenge Cup in the Preliminary Round by Greenock.
Daily Top 5
- The A Grade move four points clear of the pack in Division 2A
- 17 scored, 0 conceded for the D Grade in Division 4B
- Marc Lissner not appointing himself captain of the F Grade against Flinders (2)
- Matthew Gauro scoring a hat-trick against Adelaide Uni (3)
- Mark Ciccarello scoring his 7th goal of the season against Gleeson
The draws for Round One of the Challenge Cup and Reserve Cup were drawn late on Friday afternoon at SAASL headquarters.
Our A Grade and B Grade were automatically seeded into Round One, whilst our D Grade were victorious in their Preliminary Round fixture after defeating Adelaide Pumas 4-0. Our C Grade were knocked out in the Preliminary Round after being defeated 1-4 by Greenock Town. Round One of both Cups will be played on Saturday May 8 and Sunday May 9. The first-named team will host the fixture.
Challenge Cup
Old Ignatians v Ingle Farm (8 May 2:45pm)
Reserve Cup
Old Ignatians v Stirling (8 May 12:30pm)
Para Hills East v Old Ignatians (2) (9 May 12:30pm)
For the full draw for both Cups, visit the SAASL website: www.saasl.com.au.
The second 'home' matchday for season 2010 saw the D Grade and E Grade play their first home matches of the season, whilst the F Grade played in their first competitive fixture away to newcomers Hazara. We welcomed FC Adelaide (opponents for our A Grade, B Grade, and E Grade) and Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles (opponents for our C Grade and D Grade) to Glenunga. The weather teased us all afternoon, threatening to bucket down on a number of occasions, however we managed to get away unscathed, and came home with five home wins for the first time in OISC history.
The A Grade defeated FC Adelaide 2-1 in a spiteful match. Our opponents were determined to stop us playing football on our narrow pitch, and they succeeded for much of the game. We traded penalties at the end of the first half, Captain Stenta the scorer for OISC, and we managed to catch them asleep for one moment at the beginning of the second half, which ended up being the decisive goal. Michael La Vista played the ball in from the left, and Alex Panagos dummied the whole opposition defence, allowing Adam Carbone to slot home from 8 yards. Kudos to Rowan Thomas who came on in the last ten minutes to make his A Grade debut. We are now top of Division 2A after Comets drew with Southern Breakers.
The B Grade defeated FC 2-0 in a comfortable victory. After the disappointment of last week, the B grade responded with a superlative team performance. Led from the back, the team were rewarded for their solid play with two goals, the first a TOG direct from a Piero Sparapani freekick, and the second a tap-in by Andrew Rossi from a Peter Barone cross. We did well to keep our heads after FC Adelaide attempted to distract us mentally, the only way they were seemingly going to prevent us from cruising to victory. We are third in Division 2B, one point behind MA Hawks and Navarino FC, who drew with each other.
The C Grade scored their first win of the season (and of the Pendes regime) with a 4-1 victory over Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles. We were 3-0 up at half-time, after the old heads had led the way. Darcy Kari had a first half-hat trick (with one of them a penalty), with assists provided by Mark Andrawos and Dali Drazetic, whilst Davide Cavuoto was brought down for the penalty. RBE got on top of us initially in the second half, converting a penalty of their own, before late substitute Andrew Rossi nicked the ball from the 'keeper and put in a cross from the right wing, which was expertly scored by the RBE defender. After two rounds, we are third in Division 4A. Only Strathalbyn have maximum points from the first two fixtures.
The D Grade smashed Adelaide Red/Blue Eagles 7-0 in a one-sided fixture. The goals were shared this week, with Matthew Gauro and Chris Nguyen both scoring braces (and their first goals in D Grade), whilst Chris Gauro and David Leach (penalty) shadowed each other for the third week in a row by scoring singles. The seventh goal was another expertly headed TOG by an RBE defender from a Leach corner. The whole team should be commended for the brand of football that was played. After two rounds, we are top of Division 4B with maximum points, 12 goals scored, and none conceded.
The E Grade started the Innamourinho era with a 7-0 reversal of FC Adelaide. A 'complete' team performance saw us cruise to a five goal lead at half time, and if not for the brilliance of the FC Adelaide 'keeper, we would have won by twenty goals. We also managed to miss two penalties (Rob Balestrin and Tom Smith the culprits). Shaun George ended up with a hattrick, Tom smith nabbed a double, whilst Rob Balestrin and Vineeth Tharaken (on debut) also scored. Whilst Division 6C has not officially started (next week is the big kickoff), some matches have been played. MA Hawks have taken an early lead in the division having won both of their first two encounters.
The F Grade were welcomed to competitive football with some significant lessons, defeated 1-6 at Hazara, a new team formed from the Afghani community. Ilan Kedem scored the maiden F Grade goal with a penalty to bring the score back to 3-1 early in the second half, but our inexperience and lack of tactical awareness exposed our defenders too often, allowing Hazara to score three late goals.
Next week our A Grade and B Grade visit old enemy Gleeson, our C and D Grade are away to Adelaide Uni (3), our E Grade are driving up Gorge Rd to take on Torrens Valley, whilst our F Grade host Flinders (2) in their first ever home fixture.
Daily Top 5 (extended edition)
- 5 wins for the first time in OISC history; 5 wins in 5 starts at Fortress Glenunga!
- 6 OISC teams play competitive fixtures for the first-ever time
- A Grade go top of Division 2A after defeating FC Adelaide
- Another dominant D Grade performance, this time against Red/Blue Eagles
- Darcy Kari nabs three goals against Red/Blue Eagles
- Ivan Pendes and Innamourinho score their first ever coaching victories for OISC
- The great turnout at Fortress Glenunga
- The 'Young Linesman' program continues to go from strength-to-strength
- Steven Sinclair's new haircut (I hope he didn't pay for it)
With the recent Adelaide earthquake very much at the forefront of our minds, OISC fielded six teams on the same weekend for the first ever time. After heavy wins in Round One, the A and B Grade sides traveled to Fulham to take on Navarino FC, who had also started well in their first fixture. The C and D Grade sides clocked up some frequent flyer miles on their visit to Greenock Town, in Round One of the Saturday Division 4 schedule. The E Grade (Saturday Div 6) and F Grade (Saturday Div 4B)played their final friendlies before their season commences next week.
The A Grade defeated Navarino FC 3-0 in a dominant second-half performance, after the scores were level at half-time. Mark Ciccarello increased his lead at the top of the Division 2A goalscoring chart with a brace, whilst Adam Carbone was the stand-out player on the pitch with an assist and a cracking left foot goal from 18 yards. Interestingly for the statisticians, this was the first A Grade clean-sheet in a competitive fixture since 1 September 2007, a 3-0 victory against FC Adelaide on the final day of that championship-winning season. May there be many more to come. With other results around the league becoming known, Comets and OISC remain the only two teams to have maximum points after two matches played.
The B Grade were defeated 3-2 by Navarino FC in an ordinary display. Shane Leane scored two goals late in the first half to level the scores, after some lacklustre defending gifted Navarino two goals. We switched off again at the start of the second half to concede a comical goal, and despite consistent pressure, could not breach the Navarino goal. After two rounds, we are third by virtue of our superior goal difference. MA Hawks and Navarino FC are the only two teams to have recorded two wins from their two matches.
The C Grade drew 2-2 at Gleeson Town, coming agonisingly close to avenging their defeat last week in the Cup. With a number of A Grade players returning from injury, the C Grade benefited from the flow-on effect and had a significantly altered defensive line-up, incorporating Jason George, Justin Lai, and Andrew Culshaw. Branko Ripa again led from the front by nabbing a brace, and but for one lapse in concentration in the 90th minute, we would have recorded victory.
The D Grade won 5-0 at Greenock Town, recording their second big win and second clean sheet in succession. David Leach and Chris Gauro both scored doubles, whilst a debatable 'TOG' was recorded (Chris Gauro has since claimed the goal). The team welcomed Josh Bollenhagen and Joseph Rugari for their OISC debuts, and after their inspired performances will surely come to the attention of the higher-grade coaches sooner rather than later.
The E Grade were defeated 3-5 in the final friendly against St Peters (Saturday Division 5), whilst the F Grade were defeated 4-6 in their first (and final) friendly against FC Adelaide (Saturday Division 6).
Next week, Glenunga hosts another quintuple header, with FC Adelaide taking on our A Grade, B Grade, and E Grade, and Red/Blue Eagles returning to the small pitch to play against out C Grade and D Grade. The F Grade is away at Hazara for their inaugural competitive fixture.
Daily Top 5
- Another A Grade victory keeping them on top of Division 2A.
- Mark Ciccarello and Adam Carbone adding to their tallies from last week with goals against Navarino FC.
- The D Grade send a warning to the rest of Division 4B with a resounding victory against Greenock Town.
- The F Grade play their first-ever fixture.
- The A Grade keep their first clean sheet since September 2007.
The first day of season 2010 welcomed Southern Breakers to Glenunga for Round 1 of the Saturday Division 2 season. Greenock Town were also visiting, drawn against the C Grade in the Preliminary Round of the Challenge Cup. Our D Grade were on the road, against 2009 rival Adelaide Pumas. With whispers abound that a pending 'F' Grade team would be introduced, 20 players took part in an E Grade internal trial as a curtain-raiser for the main stuff. What transpired, in front of a very healthy first day crowd, was an amazing goal-fest.
The A Grade defeated Southern Breakers 11-4 (yes, you read correctly) in an unbelievable match. Mark Ciccarello (4) and Adam Carbone (3) both bagged a hat-trick, Michael La Vista nabbed a double, whilst Alex Panagos and Shane Leane both scored on their OISC (and A Grade) debut.
The B Grade comfortably accounted for Southern Breakers 8-0, dominant from the first whistle. Andrew Rossi (4) continued where he left off from last season, super-coach Piero Sparani chimed in with a brace, whilst Rowan Thomas and Daniel D'Argenio (on his OISC debut) also grabbed one each.
The C Grade were knocked out of the Challenge Cup 1-4 by a determined Greenock Town team. Branko Ripa scored a penalty to level the scores mid-way through the first half, however the team were let down by a combination of skill errors, defensive lapses, and poor finishing. Coincidentally, the first round of the Division 4 season sees the C Grade matched up with Greenock Town next week, in what should be a very intriguing encounter.
The D Grade defeated Adelaide Pumas 4-0, to move into Round One of the Reserve Cup. Chris Gauro (on his OISC debut) and David Leach each scored two goals in a comfortable win.
Next week our A and B Grades play away at Navarino, our C and D Grades have a long drive to Greenock, the E Grade is taking on St Peters in their last trial match, whilst there may or not be a game for an F Grade team (depending on the SAASL draw).
Daily Top 5
- 15 goals in the A Grade encounter, and the first time the A Grade has scored 11 since 2007.
- Mark Ciccarello scoring 4 goals from the right-side of midfield against Southern Breakers.
- Adam Carbone dominating the middle of the park against Southern Breakers, picking up 3 goals in the process.
- Andrew Rossi scoring his first ever haul of 4 goals against Southern Breakers.
- The D Grade moving into Round 1 of the Reserve Cup after thumping Adelaide Pumas.
The annual Captain's Armband Presentation night attracted a record number of guests to the Robin Hood Hotel to launch the 2010 season. The grade coaches announced the following players as their captains for the forthcoming season:
- Adrian Stenta
- Martin Radcliffe
- Branko Ripa
- Craig Walker
- David Innamorati
With one week to go before the big kickoff, all players are raring to go and looking forward to Round 1 or to the Preliminary Round of the Cup. You can join the Facebook event page here.
OISC is pleased to announce three more sponsors for season 2010. Please support those that sponsor OISC.
(via club member Sam Mathews) RBS Morgans is in their third year of sponsorship with OISC.
RBS Morgans is Australia's largest national full-service retail stockbroking and financial planning organisation with over 300,000 clients, 490 advisors and 840 staff operating from 53 offices in all states and territories.
(via former club member Marco Cicchiani) cul-de-sac is sponsoring OISC for the first time. From the cul-de-sac website:
"cul-de-sac is a place where thoughtful and beautiful design happens, through collaboration between talented people and supportive clients.
Integral to our respective disciplines of graphics, interiors and styling is a passion for creativity and respect for design influences. As many of our projects are multi-faceted, a collaborative approach becomes seamless given our individual and combined experience."
(via club member Emerson Ciccarello) Chickens 2 Go is sponsoring OISC for the first time.
Chickens 2 Go provides the highest quality foods at great prices. Their mission is not just to feed the stomach but feed the soul by offering a dining experience like no other.
The Captain's Armband Presentation Night is now in its third year at OISC. The Easter Thursday date has proven popular with all members of the club .This year we are lucky to have Easter Thursday fall one week before the scheduled start of the season, allowing for the Presentation Night to double as our 'season launch'.
Dinner starts at 7:00-7:30pm. There are a range of $17 meal deals available to OISC members upon presentation of a 'Hood Card'. OISC will provide a free keg (maybe two, depending on numbers).
Each coach traditionally speaks briefly for 2 minutes and nominates a Captain and Vice-Captain or a 'Leadership Group', for the season. It would be great to see as many members and supporters as possible to help launch season 2010.
The SAASL announced tonight the draw for the Preliminary Round of the Challenge Cup and the Reserve Cup .The SAASL has not yet announced the sponsors for the two competitions .The full draw is available on FootballNews. Both matches involving OISC (2) will be played on Saturday April 10.
Challenge Cup
14:45 OISC (2) v Greenock Town
Having moved to the Saturday divisions in 2010, Greenock Town will compete with OISC (2) for the Division 4 title. These two sides met in the Preliminary Round in 2008, with OISC (2) winning 6-2 in the first ever Challenge Cup match for our C Grade side.
In 2009, Old Ignatians were defeated in Round One of the 'Bianco Building Supplies' Challenge Cup by Munno Para, whilst Old Ignatians (2) were defeated on penalties in Round One by Para Hills Lions.
Reserve Cup
12:30 Adelaide Pumas v OISC (2)
This is a rematch of last year's Saturday Division 4B winner and runner-up. There was no love lost between the two teams, and this promises to be a spicy encounter. Two of the three encounters in 2009 (1-0, 1-1, 3-0) favoured our D Grade, and were critical in them securing the Championship. This should be a great rematch.
In 2009, Old Ignatians were defeated in the Final of the 'Banner Hardware' Reserve Cup at Hindmarsh Stadium, whilst Old Ignatians (2) were defeated in the Preliminary Round by Aguila.
Today marked the last round of preseason matches for OISC before the season begins on 10 April 2010.
The A Grade, B Grade, and C Grade visited Hahndorf, whilst the D Grade visited Unley Rangers, and the E Grade played an internal friendly.
The A Grade defeated Hahndorf 1-0 in a violent match in which a number of OISC players picked up knocks. Alex Panagos scored in the final minute to ice the win after we struggled to break down a determined Hahndorf defence.
The B Grade comfortably held off Hahndorf 2-0, with goals coming from Rowan Thomas and Shane Leane.
The C Grade outclassed Hahndorf 7-1. Darcy Kari bagged a hattrick, Branko Ripa a brace, Kristian Eldic scored a single, and the final goalscorer is 'in dispute'.
The D Grade defeated Unley Rangers (D Grade) 6-2. Chris Gauro showed why he should be playing at a higher level by scoring 4 goals, whilst David Leach bagged a brace.
The E Grade internal match was ultimately cancelled, due to lack of numbers and late withdrawals. In the spirit of their new coach, the members of the team that did turn out spent the remainder of the morning at the McDonald's store in Trinity Gardens.
There are no matches next week due to Easter. The Captain's Armband Presentation is on Thursday night at the Robin Hood Hotel, kicking off at 7:30pm. The season proper starts the following weekend, where our A, B, and E Grades will be taking on Southern Breakers, whilst our C and D Grades will be participating in the Preliminary Round of the SAASL Cup competitions.
The SAASL has released a draft of its fixtures for 2010. They can be accessed on the SAASL website here.
James Kitching has put together a document specifically for OISC. It can be downloaded here.
You will note that for 8 or the 9 home games scheduled for our A/B and C/D squads, we will be hosting quintuple headers, which was achieved through negotiations with the SAASL over the Summer. You will also notice that our E Grade team plays half of its away matches at the same ground at either our A/B squad or our C/D squad, which is great news. We do have some concern over the fixturing in Division 4, where the SAASL only has 7 Reserve teams in the Div 4B competition (theoretically only providing 12 games for our D Grade). We will keep you updated.
Please note that the fixtures marked with an asterisk are not confirmed. The one fixture in Division 4 was incorrectly recorded on the SAASL website, and the two fixtures in Division 6 will likely be moved to those dates from their original dates (during Cup Rounds) to ensure that the E Grade start the season with everybody else and that we have a 'whole' club at our ground on the same day.
We have been advised that the Preliminary Cup Round will be drawn tomorrow.
OISC hosted Gleeson (Saturday Division 2) at UniSA Magill, and visited ISC Raptors (Sunday Division 2), in the penultimate round of preseason trial matches.
Our C and D Grade sides (Saturday Division 4) faced off against the higher-ranked Gleeson on Saturday.
The D Grade were defeated 0-5. Gleeson's better use of the ball in the final third provided a scoreline which was not indicative of the closeness of the match.
The C Grade drew 3-3, with Andrew Rossi bagging a hat-trick. We wish all the best to Jimmy Gilbert, who went down early with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
The other three sides visisted Park B27 to play ISC Raptors on Sunday.
The E Grade defeated Raptors C Grade Select 2-1 .Rob Balestrin scored a close range goal with his right foot, before Michael Pannunzio won the game directly from a cross with 5 minutes to go. Dave Innamoratti commented after his first game in charge: "Coaching is easy, I don't know what Woodsy is on about?"
The B Grade drew 1-1 with Raptors, in a tense match. Luke Rayner turned back the clock and scored a wonderful individual goal.
The A Grade also drew 1-1 with Raptors. Trailing after a poor first half, Peter Barone scored a toe-poke within minutes of the restart. The game was delayed for a significant amount of time after a Raptors player appeared to fracture his ankle. We wish him a speedy recovery. Neither side was able to muster a winner, however, the heat significantly affected play in the final half hour.
Next week, in the last round of preseason matches, our A Grade, B Grade, and E Grade sides visit Hahndorf, whilst out C Grade and D Grade sides visit Unley Old Scholars.
OISC is pleased to announce the appointment of an E Grade coach for 2010, but sad to announce the departure of one of its D Grade coaches.
David Innamorati has volunteered to undertake the role of E Grade player-coach. David has been involved with OISC for a number of years and has always intended to move into coaching at some point in his career. We wish him every success in maintaining the high standards set in 2009 by the E Grade's inaugural coach, David Woods.
Matthew Hawkes has, for personal reasons, relocated back to England and will miss the 2010 season. Matthew teamed up with David Leach and coached the D Grade to their first ever championship in 2009. We also wish him every success in his personal endeavours.
To view coaching profiles for all coaches, please click here.
OISC is pleased to announce the Miller Apartments, Architects Ink, and Kennedy & Co have agreed to continue sponsoring the club in season 2010.
Miller Apartments is sponsoring OISC for a third consecutive year. Miller Aparments are Adelaide's newest 4.5 star apartment hotel, situated just metres from Adelaide's renowned Rundle Mall, offering stylish serviced one, two, and three bedroom apartments, ideal for overnight or longer stays.
Architects Ink has been a direct and indirect OISC sponsor for a number of seasons. Architects Ink are an architecture and interior design practice creating contemporary residential and corporate spaces.
Kennedy & Co Chartered Accountants first sponsored OISC in season 2009. Kennedy & Co are passionate about developing and maintaining close relationships with their clients to provide effective and intelligent solutions that meet ever changing and diverse needs. They have been rated as one of the “Top 100 accounting firms” in Australia for three consecutive years by the Business Review Weekly.
In what was surely a first for amateur soccer in South Australia, OISC participated in the first 'pre-season' quintuple header featuring A Grade through to E Grade sides from two opposing clubs. Thankyou to Ross Callow and Pembroke Soccer Club for agreeing to host the event.
The A Grade defeated Pembroke 2-1 in a feisty match. Despite conceding two penalties, we were on top for the majority of the contest. The match was marred by a severe knee injury to Daniel Rossi. We wish him well in his recovery.
The B Grade were defeated 1-4 by Pembroke. We were behind the eight-ball early, being 0-1 down within a few minutes of the kick-off, and struggled to recover.
The C Grade were defeated 1-4 by Pembroke. The younger legs of the Canaries ultimately proved too much for the older legs of our Wolves.
The D Grade defeated Pembroke 1-0 in a close match. Many pundits on the sidelines were quoting the old cliche, 'good teams win when they play poorly'. This bodes well for the 'back-to-back' aspirations.
The E Grade defeated Pembroke 3-1. Many new players made their OISC debut in this match.
Next weekend sees another split round. The C and D Grades host Gleeson at Magill on Saturday, whilst the A, B, and E Grades visit Park B27 to play against ISC Raptors.
OISC hosted BOSA at Magill (Saturday) and visited Athelstone at Athelstone (Sunday) in the second round of trial matches for the club this weekend.
The A Grade lost 3-4 to BOSA, after taking a 2-1 lead just after half time. Both teams were short of many regular players and this allowed for an open match.
The B Grade lost 1-2 to BOSA in a high quality match featuring many new players for both sides.
The C Grade went down 3-4 to BOSA in an entertaining match. Both teams threw caution to the wind, and but for the goalkeepers, the match could have ended in a 10-10 draw.
The D Grade defeated Athelstone C Grade 10-1 in a one-sided encounter.
The E Grade defeated Athelstone Over 35s 5-1 in a match where the scoreline did not indicate the closeness of the teams.
Next week the whole club heads 500m up the road to the Southern Parklands to take on Pembroke.
The remainder of OISC's preseason matches for 2010 have been finalised. Some times have not been finalised or are assumed. They are subject to change and will be confirmed asap:
6 March at UniSA Magill
C 11:30 vs BOSA
B 13:15 vs BOSA
A 15:00 vs BOSA
7 March at Athelstone Recreation Reserve, Lower Athelstone Rd, Athelstone
E 10:00 v Athelstone over 35
D 1130 v Athelstone C
14 March at Park 17, Greenhill Rd, Adelaide
E 11:45 v Pembroke
D 13:30 v Pembroke
C 15:15 v Pembroke
B 13:30 v Pembroke
A 15:15 v Pembroke
20 March at UniSA Magill
D 13:10 v Gleeson
C 15:00 v Gleeson
21 March at Park B27, Park Tce, North Adelaide
E 15:00 v ISC Raptors
B 13:10 v ISC Raptors
A 15:00 v ISC Raptors
27 March at Pine Avenue, Hahndorf
E 11:30 v Hahndorf
B 13:10 v Hahndorf
A 15:00 v Hahndorf
27 March at Kitchener St, Netherby
D 13:10 v Unley Rangers (D)
C 15:00 v Unley Rangers (C)
OISC hosted Rostrevor and St Peter's Old Collegians at UniSA Magill for its first competitive matches of the 2010 preseason. They were a valuable experience for all coaches as they were able to try combinations previously unseen as well as test new players in a variety of roles.
The D and E grade teams played an internal trial. The D Grade team featured a number of their 2009 Championship winning side, whilst the E Grade team included a number of young old scholars in unfamiliar positions. On the back of their performances, many of those youngsters are destined for success in higher-graded OISC squads. The D Grade ultimately won 3-0, with Matthew Hawkes scoring twice and X scoring once.
The C Grade defeated St Peters (B/C Select) 4-0. In a fierce first half, Darcy Kari and Dali Drazetic scored one each, whilst Branko Ripa notched up a brace.
The B Grade were defeated 1-3 by St Peters (A/B Select). Kristian Eldic scored early in the second half to bring the score back to 1-2, but the B Grade could not find an equalising goal and conceded a late third.
The A Grade defeated Rostrevor 2-1, in a high quality match. Andy Sabatino scored on his OISC debut, and Mark Ciccarello scored a from corner just before half time to take a 2-1 lead into the second half, which was maintained until the final whistle.
Thankyou to both St Peters and Rostrevor, and especially to our black and red cousins who only stepped into the breach on Friday afternoon after another opponent pulled out on Friday morning.
The Old Ignatians Soccer Club commenced its first matches of the 2010 preseason with two solid internal trials held yesterday at UniSA Magill. The trial matches were well supported by new and existing players, with over 50 players in attendance.
The first match featured players that will predominantly feature in the C, D, and E Grades in 2010, and included a number of young old scholars of St Ignatius College. The yellow team defeated the red and blue team 3-1. The second match featured players that will predominantly feature in the A and B Grades in 2010. The red and blue team defeated the yellow team 7-2.
All players are looking forward to competitive trial matches, which begin next week.
OISC is please to formally announce the appointments of Piero Sparapani, Ivan Pendes, David Leach, and Matthew Hawkes into coaching positions in season 2010.
Piero returns to the position as B Grade coach that he last occupied in 2008. Piero took time off in season 2009 following the birth of his first child. 2009 coach Jason George has decided to pursue his playing career, and did not wish to combine that with coaching. We thank him for his service and congratulate him on the success that he had in leading the B Grade to the Reserve Cup Final.
Ivan steps into his first coaching role at OISC as C Grade coach. Ivan has been a long-term player with OISC, but sadly suffered a long-term injury during the final round of 2009. Coaching offers him an opportunity to stay involved and view the game 'from the other side'. Ivan takes over from Mark Andrawos, who we thank for his service and dedication.
David and Matthew are reappointed as D Grade coaches, following their Championship winning year in 2009. Without putting much pressure on them, preseason training has already heard the words 'back-to-back' bandied around!
The E grade position is still open. For any further inquiries, please contact James Kitching on 0422 223 017.
The first 'Registration BBQ' of the season will be this Thursday, 11 February, after training has finished. Players are encouraged to pay for their subscription fees on this date.
There will be a free BBQ and drinks available to all players. Those that have paid their subscription fees will get first use. All are welcome.
The club has been crying out for a number of years for a consolidated database of available club goods and services. This year we are endeavoring to create a professionally produced 'Business Directory' to be made available for free to all club members so that we can start looking after those that support, play, and sponsor our club.
We are offering a full page (A5) black and white advertisement in the booklet for $50. There may be an option to have a full colour advertisement, pending the interest.
We believe that this is a very small amount of money in comparison to other available advertising mediums and it offers exposure to a wide range of the community. Any prospective advertisers would be expected to provide the club with the relevant advertisement (we are not marketing geniuses!).
If you would like to advertise (or know anyone that would like to advertise) in the 2010 OISC Business Directory, please contact James Kitching on 0422 223 017 or at james.kitching@oisc.com.au.
Preseason commences tonight at Glenunga from 6:45pm. Please see below for a full preseason program. Trial match opponents and venues will be confirmed at a later date.
Tuesdays and Thursdays at Margaret Bond Oval.
Arrive at 6:45pm for 7:00pm start – SHARP!
Always bring BOOTS and RUNNERS for pre-season sessions.
Weekend Sessions
31 January - Beach Run - 9:30am - Semaphore Palais
07 February - 7 Aside Games - 10:00am - Glenunga
14 February - Beach Run - 9:30am - Semaphore Palais
20 February - Internal Trials - 9:00am and 11:00am - UniSA Magill
27 February-27 March - Trial matches (x5) - times and venues TBC
3 April - weekend off - Easter Weekend
10 April - season starts
*WEEKEND SESSIONS ARE SUBJECT TO WEATHER CONDITIONS - DAY MAY BE CHANGED SUBJECT TO PLAYER AVAILABILITY, TO BE DETERMINED AT THURSDAY TRAINING SESSIONS*