Both games drawn in Geelong Community Cup

Both games drawn in Wednesday’s Geelong Community Cup

Roy Hay

(click on photos below to enlarge them)

Barwon got its first point in this year’s Geelong Community Cup when it held Bell Park to a one-all draw in the early game at Stead Park, while the high-quality match between Corio and Geelong Rangers ended goal-less.

Shannon Kearns opened the scoring for Barwon in the 8th minute when he latched on to a high ball into the penalty area and beat keeper Alec Kitanovski with a neat lob into the empty net. Sean Mahon nearly made it two but his shot was blocked. Antony Pirrottina of Bell Park scampered down the right and crossed for Mijo Marinovic to be denied by an instinctive save by Matt Bray at point blank range. Adam Leather almost produced a carbon copy of Kearns’s goal for Barwon but Kitanovski managed to scramble back and clear. In the 24th minute Pirrottina followed up his own cross into the goal area and when the ball rebounded to him he forced it over the line. In the second half Nathan Munoz set up two chances for Bell Park. Marinovic sliced the first one wide while the second effort went just behind the strikers. Substitute Brandon Duthie for Barwon got clear on the left but squeezed his shot just wide of the far post. Barwon did have the ball in the net in the last minute, but the Assistant Referee’s flag was already up for offside.

The Corio versus Geelong Rangers game was one of the best of the tournament so far though neither side managed to score. Richard Smith had two good early chances for Rangers, but Rick Apostalikas saved the first and the second went just wide. Vedran Stojanovic, making his first appearance for Corio this year had his team’s best effort of the first half, but found Hayden van der Chys in good position to save. James Hidic opened the second half with a stealthy run into the box but the Corio keeper blocked his final shot. Jasko Ikanovic, the former Geelong striker, came off the bench for Rangers to good effect in the second half. He flicked the ball over the keeper but it bounced just over the bar, then he put the laces through a ball on the edge of the penalty area and it thumped the underside of the cross-bar before rebounding into play. He was nearly in again with a downward header from a Hidic cross but once again the Corio keeper was perfectly positioned. Habib Shakauri set up Stojanovic for Corio, but the striker pulled his shot wide. Both sides kept at it till the end but neither managed to score.

On Friday night the early game at 6.30 will pit Bell Park against Geelong Rangers, followed by Golden Plains against host club Geelong at 8 pm.