By Peter Kambounias

Sydney Olympic has qualified for the 2008 Tiger Turf Cup Final in a thrilling semi final showdown with Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw Park.

The titanic struggle ended in a 0-0 stalemate after normal time and 1-1 after extra time in one of the games of the season.  The dreaded penalty shootout was required and even that ended 3-3 after the first five penalties so sudden death penalties ended up spliting the sides and it was Olympic that emerged victorious.

There were talking points aplenty after the game.  Mirko Jurilj's classy spot kick under the pressure of the situation, the heroic saves by Michael Herbet, missed chances by both sides, the frenetic pace of the game and the excitement generated by two great footballing sides.

Olympic's win was sealed with the final spot kick taken by newcomer Matthew Jurman who was one of Olympic's best on the field.  The conversion sparked wild scenes of celebrations on the artificial Tiger Turf pitch amongst players, coaches and officials.  Players were buzzing as they entered the dressing sheds and the team song was sung with plenty of gusto.

The enormity of the win was reflected in many of the comments made by Olympic players after the game.

"It was very hard out there.  They are a good team but we were better than them on the day.  We had chances to win but we went the hard way and won it", Roger Galayini stated shortly after the game. 

Galayini had been substituted in the 89th minute after probably his best game of the season for Olympic, and he was thankful that he wasn't involved in the spot kick lottery at the end:

"I hate penalties", Galayini added, and on Mirko Jurilj's penalty: "That was class.  He was so confident... it's great...in a crucial game...he deserves it"

Galayini also made no secret of the team's ambitions for 2008. "Hopefully we can do the whole three".

Jurilj didn't want to talk just after the game.  "I wanna go and sing" he simply wanted to get into the dressing room to kick off the victory song.  Jurilj's game alongside Jurman was top class and Michael Cindric will have a very hard task in regaining his spot in the starting line up.

Milorad Simonovic did speak amidst mixed feelings of missing his penalty that could have won the game and the joy of ultimately winning anyway: "It was very difficult out there.  The pitch suited them and how they played.  They judge the bounce better than us.  We fought hard and when Anthony Doumanis came on it had a big impact on the game and the whole team lifted.  I'm glad we got the win", Simonovic said.

Sydney Olympic's style was first on the scene from the start of the game.  The good linkages commenced and the Sharks were on the receiving end of short intricate play by the Blues.  Emmanuel Zunino again wore tracks into the artificial pitch along the left flank with another batch of kilometres that did take their toll.

"I was cramping.  I think that I'm running too much", Zunino quipped while walking out of the ground after the game.

Olympic's first real opportunity came in the 13th minute.  Shannon Cole's first free kick was blocked by Nick Stavroulakis who was too close to the free, and the subsequent free kick from Cole missed the top right corner by inches.  It would turn out to be one of the limited goal scoring opportunities of a first half played in super fast pace by both combatants.

In the 16th Anthony Hartshorn combined well with Chris Triantis - the latter having a wild lash at goal with the ball going too high and too wide.  A minute later Galayini went on an incisive run to put Zunino clear on the left and his first time cross was perfectly weighted for Pau Wither who rose above the Sharks defence but his header was saved by the very capable Phillip Zabaks in the Sutherland goal.  Wither had another header in the 21st that met a Cole corner but the header was off target..

Stavroulakis had a nice low shot come close to putting the home side in front after 23 minutes but the game had developed into a up-and-down affair by then.  The game was certainly a lot more even than Sutherland's dominant display the last time the two sides met at the same ground.

In the 38th Zabaks had come out of his area to clear a loose ball and he was challenged by Wither who's burly frame clashed heavily with the keeper.  Zabaks stayed down and received treatment for several minutes.  Wither was given a yellow card after referee Matthew Gillette had assessed the damage done to Zabaks, but a free kick was not awarded to Sutherland just outside the box where the incident took place - rather, the referee elected to play a drop-ball in Sydney Olympic's half - a decision that basically contradicted the issuing of the yellow card.

Three minutes before the half time break Jurman launched a long ranger that had Zabaks at a full stretch dive to his left to grasp the ball from the air.

Cole hit another of his free kicks in the 43rd from the right but it was low and into the defensive wall.  Sutherland quickly countered and a deep cross from the right gave Brad Boardman a golden chance to score while unmarked and in point-blank range.

At half time Zabaks was showing signs of the clash with Wither and made way for reserve keeper Matthew Brandalise.  Zabaks had been unconscious and had forgotten the events after the run-in with Wither.  He watched the rest of the game from the grandstand and did not look to be in the best condition.  His understudy would go on to prove a valuable back up for the Sutherland side.

Sutherland squared up the balance of power in the early stages of the second half and had Olympic rattled in a highly charged two minute spell in the 51st and 52nd minute - a series of bombardments of the Olympic penalty area with Olympic struggling to clear the ball and a Brendan Gan one-on-one with Herbet that forced a huge save from the Olympic keeper.

In the 62nd another Cole free kick presented itself - this time Cole lightly chipped the ball into the box and Matthew Mayora slammed the ball from close range but it was denied by Brandalise in an exceptional save to keep his side on level terms, and three minutes later the keeper dove full stretch to his right to stop a long range missile by Simonovic - it was a similar shot to that he pulled off at Cromer Park against Manly last weekend.

The game swung Olympic's way in the 72nd when Sutherland's Pedrag Bojic was sent off for his second bookable offence.  The numerical disadvantage didn't unsettle the Sharks as they continued with their speedy game, but they were enjoying less and less of the ball with Olympic putting the foot down to try and win the game in normal time.

At the 80 minute mark it was all Sydney Olympic and the goal was just a matter of time.  It looked to have arrived inthe 81st when 'Might and Power' Wither forayed upfield with a trademark run to chase down the ball nearing the right end by line.  Wither managed to get to the ball and cross into the area where Mayora was right in front to kick the ball but not strong enough to beat Brandalise - he partially blocked the shot and the ball bumbled towards the goal line but he managed to scramble the ball back into his arms - it was the moment that should have done it for Olympic.

With a minute left of the game substitute Jin Kim was pushed in the back whilst on the ball in the Sutherland penalty area.  It looked for all intents and purposes as a penalty.  Referee Gillette looked to be pointing to the spot but he gave Sutherland the free kick and handed a yellow card to Kim for simulating a dive.  Kim blazed a turn-and volley shot over the bar in injury time as the drama continued.

Extra time saw no abatement in the pace and excitement.  Peter Zorbas came to Olympic's rescue in the 92nd by heading over his own bar to deny Sutherland a scoring chance and the action moved to the other end four minutes later with Cole's free kick giving Zorbas a hit on goal that was cleared by the Sharks defence.

In the 99th another Olympic raid ended up with the fans' gasping for air in excitement.  Brilliantly set up by Simonovic, the move saw a great lay-up for Doumanis outside the box.  Doumanis lined up a shot towards goal that Brandalise had to tip over in a full stretch dive.

The deadlock was broken just a minute before half time of extra time.  A poorly hit corner by Shannon Cole allowed the Sutherland Sharks to charge upfield in numbers.  The ball was deftly passed to Matthew Hall who was free on the left.  He ran towards goal and ripped a low drive past Herbet's right glove and into the bottom left corner of the net and sending the home fans into delirium. 

Mayora tried to make immediate amends with seconds remaining of the half but the Sutherland custodian was there again to stop his shot.

Olympic coach Milan Blagojevic read the riot act in the brief moments he had with the team between the extra time halves and the talk paid off in big terms.

A minute in Olympic were level.  Zunino's run down the left allowed him to get a cross in that strayed and headed towards goal, forcing Brandalise to tip over the bar.  Simonovic took the corner from the left and Wither rose above all to powerfully head at goal.  The ball was scrambled by the Sutho defenders on the line but the referee's assistant on the far side and the referee himself awarded the goal as the ball had passed the line.  Olympic were deservedly back on level terms.  Wither ran towards the grandstand with his jersey over his head and was swamped by his team mates.

Wither could have sealed victory in the most dramatic fashion possible in the 119th minute but his side volley off a Zunino chipped cross went over the bar.

Olympic needed penalties to get over Marconi in the quarter final and penalties were again to be used to decide the semi final.  The kicks were to take place at the Miranda CBD end.

Sutherland's Jimmy Bakis hit the first kick that went past Herbet.  Then up stepped Shannon Cole.  Cole struck low and to the right, but Brandalisie picked correctly and saved.  Sutherland had gained a quick advantage in the shootout and they went 2-0 up shortly after through Neil Jablonski.

Anthony Doumanis walked to the spot and converted his kick for Olympic, only for George Souris to make it three from three for the Sharks.

Peter Zorbas poked his kick into the right corner to pull it back to 3-2 then Herbet came to the fore to save Michael Katz's kick in great style.

Matthew Mayora gave the Sutherland keeper no chance with a powerful penalty that nearly ripped the net off the goals to level up.

The drama continued and everyone stood in absolute nervousness while watching the events unfold.  Nick Stavroulakis had the job of putting the Sharks ahead again but his shot was miraculously saved by Herbet and the advantage was now firmly with Olympic.

Up stepped Simonovic with the chance to give Olympic the win.  Simonovic hit the ball to the left while the keeper dove the other way, but the ball slammed against the advertising hoardings in a heartbreaking miss for Olympic.

Sutherland scored their first sudden death spot kick through David Reid then it was Jurilj's task to level up.  Jurilj took to the ball, chipping ever so delicately and over Brandalise who was on the ground after diving in anticipation.  The ball gently bulged the back of the net.  It was a perfectly executed penalty shot that Jurilj had no trouble commenting on after the game.

Herbet then saved the next Sutherland penalty from earlier goalscorer Hall to make it three saves all up and the game was up for the Sharks when Jurman walked to the spot and slammed his kick past the brave Brandalise to give Olympic the win and a place in the Tiger Turf Cup Final.

Asked if Jurilj had hit a penalty like that in a game before he said: "No never, but I tried it at training.  It was great to score it and it's a pity it wasn't the winner - it was the entree!".

The Olympic players made their way one by one from the ground after soaking up the spoils of victory.  A good season has already yielded the Johnny Warren Cup.  Now the side is in the running for the Tiger Turf Cup and a semi final berth in the league is a near certainty.  It is definitely a great time to be a supporter of Sydney Olympic.

Many fans expressed their desire to go back to Seymour Shaw to see the second semi between Bankstown and Bonnyrigg in what should be a very interesting game indeed. 

Sydney Olympic will be waiting for their opponents.  Olympic are in the Tiger Turf Cup Final.

SUTHERLAND SHARKS 1 (Hall 104') drew with SYDNEY OLYMPIC 1 (Wither 106') after extra time at Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda.  SYDNEY OLYMPIC defeated SUTHERLAND SHARKS 5-4 on penalties.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC: Michael Herbet, Emmanuel Zunino, Matthew Jurman, Mirko Jurilj, Shannon Cole, Chris Triantis (65' Anthony Doumanis), Roger Galayini (89' Peter Zorbas), Milorad Simonovic, Anthony Hartshorn (82' Jin Kim), Paul Wither, Matthew Mayora