Cup Semi Final

[swannsong]

Results...

Banner Mitre 10 Reserves Cup Semi Finals
Sturt Marion ( 1 ) West Beach ( 0 )
St.Peters ( 0 ) Adelaide University ( 1 )

Top Corner Sports Challenge Cup Semi Finals
Elizabeth Downs ( 2 ) Elizabeth Vale ( 1 )
Para Hills West ( 2 ) Modbury Jets ( 1 )

Craig Laird's Semi Finals Round Up

Match of the Day
ELIZABETH Downs hopes of a 3rd League and Cup double in six years remain alive after a hard fought 2-1 Semi Final win over rival Elizabeth Vale at the Paddocks.
The League Champion Downs were looking to reach the clubs sixth Cup Final while the Vale were hoping for a twelfth Hindmarsh Final.
The aggregate of their two league games this season has seen the Downs humiliate their rival 15-1 and it looked like more of the same on three minutes when the Maroons Scott Lindsay converted from the penalty spot.
Rather than crumble the Vale rolled up their sleeves and on 24 minutes they were level after Mark Burbridge played an inch perfect cross which Chris Nicholls met perfectly with a glancing header to make it 1-1.
Downs steadied and came close on 33 minutes when a Matt Wise header from a Lindsay corner cannoned off the cross bar and on the stroke of half time Tommy Blackett headed against the bar as the teams went to the break locked at 1-1.
The underdog Vale’s best chance of the 2nd half came on 47 minutes when the Downs failed to clear the ball and a Jimmy Greaves shot was well blocked.
With 56 minutes on the clock Matt Wise found the ball on the right-hand side before playing in Billy Allotey who turned his defender and fired home from an acute angle.
Some desperate defending kept the Vale alive on 76 minutes when a goal bound Damien Daglish shot was cleared off the line.
Try as they might the Vale couldn’t find an equaliser as the Downs held firm for a gutsy win.
Downs coach Alan Mottram “We didn’t play as well as I would have liked but credit to the Vale who were up for the game. I thought we deserved to win and we look forward to next week.”
Vale coach Tim Crawford “Extremely proud of the boys. No one gave us a chance today and after going behind early I thought the boys really stood up.”

PARA Hills West will play Elizabeth Downs in the clubs 1st Cup Final after a 2-1 Semi Final win over Modbury Jets at the Paddocks.
The 2nd division champions, Para Hills West, were looking to continue a dream season that saw them remain undefeated in the league while the Saturday Premier division’s Modbury Jets were hoping to continue a Cup run that had seen them knock out the highly-credentialed Brahma Lodge and Parafield Gardens.
It was Modbury who settled first and on 12 minutes some good interplay between Tim Woods and Josh Kaye finished with a Kaye shot going just wide.
Westies opened the scoring against the run of play on 31 minutes when a long ball found Kurtis Cracknell who spotted the keeper off his line and coolly fired a 30 yard goal to the delight of the Westies faithful.
On 41 minutes Jets came close when a Woods header found Kaye at the back post but his goal bound effort was cleared off the line.
The dream of a first Cup Final appearance for Para Hills West looked like reality three minutes after the break when substitute Lewy Marzocca’s cross found Cracknell who bundled the ball home at the back post to make it 2-0
On 56 minutes the Cup tie was back in the balance when Jets midfielder Matthew Jones found the top left hand corner with a classic free kick to fire up a vocal Jet support.
Westies keeper Brookes needed to be alert on 66 minutes to save a fine Woods header and on 81 minutes Brookes was on hand to save a long-distance Jarrod Flower effort.
To Modbury’s credit they threw everything at Westies but it wasn’t to be as Westies held on to an historic win.
Westies coach Michael Iacavino was delighted with the win “It’s unbelievable! We have created club history today. Modbury were a formidable opponent but I thought our boys defended stoutly and we can’t wait for next week now.”
A disappointed Burt Fuda couldn’t have been prouder of his team “Very proud of our effort. The boys stuck to our game plan and unfortunately the result didn’t go our way today.”

[sirstevieg]

CONGRATULATUIONS to Westies on getting to the CF....Well don Iker