Balcatta fight back to stun Lions
Report by Helene Lambetsos
After an uneventful first half, the match came to life after the break with Stirling taking a 2-0 lead through Daniel Micevski and Robert Petkov only for the visitors to score three times in the last 10 minutes.
Gustavo Catarcione had started the fightback before Kieren Colwell drew Balcatta level and David Cyrus completed a dramatic win.
Stirling’s cause was not helped by the dismissal of Lawrence Shuruma for a second bookable offence in the 83rd minute.
“It was a great reaction from the players,” Falzon said of his side’s response to the two-goal deficit. “We switched formation…the subs worked out, especially when Gustavo came on.
“We pushed even harder to try to get the win.”
Chances were rare in the first half but it rained goals after the break as the Lions’ seized the initiative through Micevski in the 61st minute before Petkov doubled the advantage seven minutes later.
The game turned when Balcatta substitute Gustavo Catarcione scored a freekick before Colwell equalised with just two minutes of normal time to play with his first goal for the club. A minute later, Cyrus’ stunned the home side with the winning goal.
Colwell was delighted to have opened his goal-scoring account for Balcatta in such a memorable victory.
“It was a special moment,” he said. “It’s my first goal (and) I’ve been in the club for two years."
Stirling Lions (Micevski 61 mins, Petkov 68)
Balcatta SC (Catarcione 81 mins, Colwell 88, Cyrus 89)
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Macedonia Park
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Stirling Lions: 24. Connor CAMPBELL, 3. Steve PURTON, 6. Brodie MARTIN, Mitorad VUJACIC, 8. Tim HILL, 9. Teeboy KAMARA, 10. Daniel MICEVSKI, 11. Moses KALAU, 14. Lawrence SHURUMA, 15. Robert PETKOV, 18. Nathan BOWDEN-HASSE.
Substitutes not used: 1. Lance ALAVAKIS, 2. Boas MITWALE, 5. Viktor ATANASOVSKI, 12. Robert MARIANO, 17. Brian WOODALL
Yellow cards: Shuruma 26, 83, Bowden-Haase 62,
Red cards: Shuruma 83
Balcatta: 1. Clint DAVIES, 3. Kieren STALLARD, (6. Luke RANDAZZO) 7. James SAMMUT, (8. David CYRUS), 10. Adrian CACERES 11. Alex CANIGLIA, 13. Patrick SARA, 14. Hanafi GHEZALI, 15. Blamo Quaqua, 16. Dejan, ANDRIC, 17. Kieren COLWELL, (19. Gustavo CATARCIONE), 20. Patrick QUINN, 21. Kyle MCDONALD.
Yellow cards: Sammut 13, Caniglia 46, Colwell 56
Red cards: nil
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