By Peter Kambounias

Sydney Olympic earned three valuable TeleChoice Premier League points thanks to a solid performance culminating in a 1-0 win against Sydney United at Edensor Park.

It was football that won in the end with Olympic playing a well rounded and complete game - from the delightful short passes to the tough tackles.

Whereas Olympic played a game pleasing to the eye, the same cannot be said of United who racked up many yellow cards and eventually had a player sent off after getting booked for the second time.  Even some United officials admitted that Olympic were the better side on the day and that the margin should have been wider.

Chris Triantis resumed his spot in the first grade line up after serving his one match ban in the Inter Lions game.  Emmanuel Zunino returned from injury and Anthony Doumanis started.

Olympic took to the field sporting their brown and white away jersey that last appeared at Homebush in the opening round in which Olympic lost 3-1 to the West Sydney Berries.

The early signs showed that Olympic were in control and were looking to make early in-roads towards the tall United defence.  However, for all their efforts Olympic failed to create a good opportunity to score.

In the 20th minute Triantis hit a free kick from just right of centre and outside the box.  He aimed the kick towards the left upright where Olympic's tall timber were waiting.  The ball hit the bottom of the left post and bounced back in front of goal where it was headed clear by a United defender straight to Michael Cindric who was close to the left post and he easily volleyed the ball into the net to put Olympic ahead.  It would turn out to be the only goal of the game.

Paul Wither was causing havoc with the United defence - his role was basically as a hold-up man and he did the job very well.  Wither commented after the game that he wasn't involved in too much of the unsporting challenges dished out by the United players.  It was the midfielders that bore the brunt of the harsh treatment.

Paul Wither on the chase against Joe Vrkic -
courtesy Football NSW

With just under ten to go in the first half Anthony Doumanis sprayed a shot over the bar from a straight-on position outside the box, and Iain Ramsay missed a good chance when he shot low but soft rather than slip a pass to the unmarked Milorad Simonovic just before half time.

Ramsay was involved in a tussle with a United opponent who looked to have stomped on Ramsay's boot.  Ramsay complained to the referee and was then barged in the back by another United player.  The referee did well to quell the tempers and Olympic went into half time one goal to the good.

United's dirty tactics were ramped up considerably in the second half, but they were no match for the midfield machine of Triantis, Simonovic and Doumanis who held a very tight rein over the match.

In the 59th Doumanis copped a fierce hack from Joe Vrkic that eventually forced a substitution minutes later with Siraj Al Tall coming on.  Matthew Mayora also came on in place of Ramsay.

United had a small window where a goal looked to be in the offing just after the half way mark of the second period.  The home side enjoyed a series of corners but the Olympic defence held sway and the return of the hack show was on.  Olympic did have long range chances to Anthony Hartshorn and Zunino who were both off target.

Just six minutes before the end Olympic had a golden opportunity to finish the game off.  Mayora and Al Tall did a double team on a lone United defender on the right flank.  Al Tall dispossesed cleanly near the United by-line and strolled into the box, cut back a bit to get a better angle on goal and shot from two metres out with his left boot only for an opponent to stick his leg out and force the ball over the bar. 

In the 86th minute United's Ivo Bosnar saw his second yellow card and took to the dressing room.  Some of his team mates were fortunate not to join him, notably Andrija Petkovic who gave away many free kicks in the second half for late and dangerous challenges.

Olympic missed another great chance to put the result beyond doubt in the 88th.  Mayora beat the last United defender in chasing a ball pumped upfield and Mayora found himself one-on-one with the keeper.  He smashed the ball straight at the keeper rather than slide a pass to Wither who was to his left and unmarked.

Wither himself came within a whisker of making it 2-0 in the 89th via a curler from outside the box that went just wide of the right post.

After three minutes of stoppage time the game ended and the Olympic players acknowledged the very vocal support from the young Olympic fans who were chanting and encouraging their side all game.

The magnitude of the win was certainly not lost on the players.  Chris Triantis said that it was a big battle and Milan (Blagojevic) was happy that the team got stuck in and fought it out with them (United).  Iain Ramsay called it a big win for the team and he was happy that they are getting back into winning form.

News filtered from Blacktown that the West Sydney Berries had defeated the Demons 2-0 thus setting up a big rematch between Olympic and the Berries.  Olympic will be looking to exact a punishing revenge over that shock first round loss at Homebush.  

SYDNEY UNITED 0 defeated by SYDNEY OLYMPIC 1 (Cindric 20') at Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC: Michael Herbet, Emmanuel Zunino, Mirko Jurilj, Michael Cindric, Anthony Hartshorn, Chris Triantis, Milorad Simonovic, Paul Wither, Anthony Doumanis (63' Siraj Al Tall), Iain Ramsay (66' Matthew Mayora), Nathan Sherlock