This grim news in from Capital Footaball:
A hat-trick from Dustin Wells has given Belconnen United a firm grip on the loop Premier League title as the Blue Devils romped to a 6-1 win at McKellar Park on Saturday evening against the out-gunned Monaro Panthers. Wells struck once in the first half and twice after the break to help Steve Forshaw’s team to three more points which coupled with Cooma Tigers points deduction during the week, has Belconnen almost home and dry.
Wells treble was added to by a quick-fire brace from defender Jack Blackley with David Kemp also finding the net for the seventh time this season as Belconnen came from a goal down to claim all three points. The Panthers had got off to a flyer when young Tyson Cottam notched his second goal of the season but they were unable to live with the home team’s tempo, falling off the pace in the second stanza.
Canberra FC’s fading defence of their title took another blow at Deakin Stadium as Woden Valley held the champions to a 2-2 draw. The game was very even with both sides having chances to take all three points. Woden got off to a flier with a brilliant finish from Sean Murphy in the 16th minute as the Irishman clipped a superb chip over Ben Klug. Canberra FC responded well and were 2-1 up at half-time as Matt Grbesa, who was later sent off for two yellow card offences, followed up a Michael Spaleta shot to score and Adam Spaleta cracked home a free-kick. Woden equalised in the 51st minute through a Peter Marlette thunderbolt, the US import curling in a stunner, to give his team a share of the points that they richly deserved.
At O’Connor Enclosed Canberra Olympic swept aside Tuggeranong United with contemptuous ease with a second half blitz seeing them hope to a 6-1 success. Leading 1-0 at the break via a Tim Ireson own goal Olympic roared through the gears in the second stanza scoring five times and threatening to rout their opponents. Robbie Schroder made it two in the 57th minute before the goal glut got underway with Chris Nikitis making it 3-0 with twenty minutes left. Schroder added a second three minutes later and a late two goal salvo from Travis Dries and Nick Mihailakis completed a fine afternoon’s work for the home team. Mark Shields hit a late goal for United, punctuating the late brace, but Tuggeranong was well beaten.
Meanwhile Cooma Tigers left it late to grind out a 2-0 win over Canberra City at Hawker Football Centre. City had battled gamely for three-quarters of the match but was finally outdone as JP D’Ambrosio headed home a cross with sixteen minutes remaining. The league’s leading scorer, Stephen Domenici made sure of the points with eight minutes to play as he notched his seventeenth goal of the season to confirm the three points were the Tigers’.
STATISTICS
Belconnen United 6 (Dustin Wells 23’, 60’, 68’, Jack Blackley 51’, 53’, David Kemp 28’) Monaro Panthers 1 (Tyson Cottam 14’)
Canberra FC 2 (Matt Grbesa 35’, Adam Spaleta 44’) Woden Valley 2 (Sean Murphy 16’, Peter Marlette 51’)
Canberra Olympic 6 (Tim Ireson 41’ (og), Robbie Schroder 57’, 73’, Chris Nikitis 70’, Travis Dries 85’, Nick Mihailakis 91’) Tuggeranong United 1 (Mark Shields 89’)
Canberra City 0 Cooma Tigers 2 (JP D’Ambrosio 74’, Stephen Domenici 82’)
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