Floreat Cup Winners

Floreat Athena has won the 2009 Soccer Pools Cup after defeating Inglewood United 3-1 at BGC Stadium – Dorrien Gardens.

Two goals from Branimir Mikulic sealed the silverware for Athena along with a Man of the Match performance from John Migas.

Cool conditions didn’t stop the grandstand from being packed to the rafters to watch the showpiece event of the day following the 18′s and Reserves Cup Final earlier on.
The match began with both teams playing high-tempo football, creating great chances at opposite ends of the ground.

An early chance fell to Rory Grant at the far post after he was on the end of Jason Colli’s free kick.

Grant’s effort lacked power to trouble Floreat ‘keeper Alex Dunn, but showed great promise from United early.

Moments later it was Athena fighting back with Daniel Neiderberger nearly grabbing the opener.

His shot inside the six-yard box was right at United shot-stopper Oliver Taseski who saved well with his body.

The match was soon opened up when Migas decided to take on United himself and set-up Athena’s first.

Migas went on a great run on the left side of the park, beat Jason Colli and expertly crossed to the back post for Mikulic to head home.

Inglewood tried to respond through Albert Osei-Tutu after he beat Simon Elton-Bott and sprinted towards goal, but Dunn denied his shot.

Neiderberger had a few chances throughout the match to get on the scoresheet and none was better than at the end of the first half when he combined with Mikulic and Jason Barrera.

The three stars linked up well, but Neiderberger’s shot from the left of the 18-yard box travelled wide of the far post.

As Floreat would have been heading into half time with all the confidence; holding possession, creating chances and one goal up – one moment of madness from Inglewood’s Michael Baczynski helped their cause.

Baczynski was sent off by referee Steven Gregory for a late challenge on Miroslav Aleksic to give Athena a one-man advantage in the second stanza.

Inglewood returned from the change rooms early, forming a huddle on the pitch with all of the players very vocal trying to inspire their teammates.

It nearly worked just ten minutes into the second half, until Grant’s goal was ruled offside after Osei-Tutu had flicked the ball over Dunn’s head.

Another fantastic Migas run nearly doubled Athena’s lead, but his pass to Mikulic across the box was unable to be finished after the latter skied his shot from close range.

In the final half hour, Inglewood pressed forward on every possible occasion. However, Neiderberger didn’t give them a sniff when he finally was able to finish in the 72nd minute after coolly slotting past Taseski.

Substitute Callum Roberts nearly had Floreat’s third with his first touch of the ball after a great pass from the ever-present Migas.

The Floreat star put Roberts through on goal with a ball that was perfectly placed for Roberts’ lightning pace to run on to, but Taseski came to United’s rescue again.

A low Mladen Kovacevic shot from the edge of the area troubled Dunn at the other end of the ground, but the Athena ‘keeper was able to recover before Osei-Tutu pounced on the loose ball.

The result was put beyond doubt five minutes from time when Mikulic got a leg to Barrera’s ball forward, which saw it bamboozle Dunn and bounce into the back of the net.

Grant grabbed a late consolation for Inglewood in stoppage time after Matt Warton’s long ball into the box, but it was too little too late as the wild celebrations begun for the 2009 winners of Soccer Pools Cup – Floreat Athena.

Report by Chris Correia courtesy Football West

FLOREAT ATHENA 3 (Branimir MIKULIC 15′ 85′, Daniel NEIDERBERGER 72′)
INGLEWOOD UNITED 1 (Rory GRANT 90+1′)
Match Information
Date: Sunday October 4
Ground: BGC Stadium – Dorrien Gardens
Attendance: 1250
Match Time: 3pm
Official: Steven GREGORY
Team Sheets

FLOREAT ATHENA: GK Alex DUNN, 13 John MIGAS, 18 Brad SCOTT (11 Callum ROBERTS 76′), 16 Miroslav ALEKSIC (6 Miki VUJACIC 86′), 12 Branimir MIKULIC, 3 James ISAIA (17 Jovo PAVLOVIC 58′), 9 Daniel NEIDERBERGER, 8 Adam BACHILLER, 10 Jason BARRERA, 14 Simon ELTON-BOTT, 22 Dean APELGREN (c)
Substitutes not used: RGK Vas VUJACIC, 4 David FOSTER
Yellow Cards: nil
Red Cards: nil

INGLEWOOD UNITED: GK Oliver TASESKI (c), 5 Sandi LONCAR, 6 Mat WARDLE (15 Alex COCKING 65′), 7 Michael BACZYNSKI, 9 Rory GRANT, 12 Dannie RICHMAN, 18 Jason COLLI, 19 Rikki SMITH, 20 Albert OSEI-TUTU, 22 Matt WARTON, 27 Mladen KOVACEVIC
Substitutes not used: RGK Lewis ITALIANO, 13 Alex STAMATIADIS, 16 Aaron COLLI, 8 Ashley PICKER
Yellow Cards: Michael BACZYNSKI 8′, Mladen KOVACEVIC 70′, Sandi LONCAR 74′
Red Cards: Michael BACZYNSKI 45′