Roy Hay

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Geelong Rangers and Geelong previewed the Geelong Community Cup final when Rangers just pipped the host side to top the ladder in the final round robin match at Stead Park on Friday night.

Ryan Calder prepares to take a quick free kick for Geelong Rangers

Rangers conceded its first goal of the tournament when Daniel Hattersley fired a free kick past Hayden van der Chys in the 4th minute. But Geelong squandered a number of chances in an open first half, while young keeper Heath Hayes dealt brilliantly with several efforts by the Dark Blues attack He denied Jasko Ikanovic’s free kick and an overhead shot by Nick Kozdra. Six minutes into the second half James Hidic scored with a tidy header to bring Rangers level and from then on they looked the more likely to win the game as Geelong took off its senior players to give some youngsters a run. There were only four minutes left when Ikanovic fired the ball under the keeper for the winning goal.

Rangers crowd out Daniel Hattersley of Geelong in red

These two sides will meet in the grand final a week on Friday at 8 pm, preceded by a women’s game between Geelong and Bell Park.

In the early game Corio overcame Bell Park by two goals to nil. Ronnie Clayson had the ball in the net after ten minutes for Corio, but his header was from an offside position. Two minutes into the second half Bell Park’s young keeper Finn Paton was unlucky when he deflected a shot on to the cross bar only for the ball to drop neatly into the path of Reza Khalageh who finished from close range. Billy Argyros nearly made it two when the ball seemed to cannon off his body and just outside the past. Steve Luczo made no mistake from distance when he met a cross from the left and blazed it into the net.

Matthew Pilven of Corio (13 green) and Pasquale Carbone (45) of Bell Park contest a loose ball in midfield.

Corio and Bell Park will be in opposition again on Wednesday 28 February in the match to decide third place at 8 pm. Before that at 6.30 pm Barwon Women will play Geelong Rangers Women.

Roy Hay

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After Geelong Rangers fielded some of its promising youngsters but still ran up seven goals against a scoreless Barwon and Geelong scraped home by two goals to one versus Bell Park, it seems odds on that the two winners will meet in the final of the Geelong Community Cup this year. The two clubs meet in the last match in the round robin phase so they will have to decide whether to reveal their hands ahead of the final. Corio could upstage Rangers but only by running up a cricket score against Bell Park, while Rangers would have to lose heavily to Geelong.

Two 13s. Carlin McLoskey of Rangers in white fires a shot, while Oscar Petering of Barwon tries to get his body in line to block it.

In the early game Rangers was on the board in the second minute when Jeff Noe finished off a cross from the right. Six minutes later the young winger had a good shot parried by keeper Yanni Gilbert but James Hidic put away the rebound. Jasko Ikanovic was the only senior citizen on show in the Rangers attack and he scored twice, the first with a clever back heel and the second when he tried to pass across the goal area, but a defender returned the ball to him and he does not turn up gifts like that. Two minutes into the second half John Mlonga cut the ball back for Tom Santalucia to score, then Noe had a solo run through for his second and Rangers’ sixth. In the last minute Mlonga robbed the last defender who dwelt on the ball for the final goal. Earlier James Nichols had two good chances in a late Barwon flurry, but his first header came back off the post and then he shot wide after beating two men on the bye line.

Jeff Noe of Rangers (15) takes on Mark Lawn of Barwon

Geelong and Bell Park slugged out a high quality game with little between the teams in the first half-hour. Mijo Marinovic missed a clear opening for Park, but Matt Thorne showed him how for Geelong with a precise shot into the top corner. When Daniel Conte was brought down on the edge of the Geelong penalty area, Nathan Munoz put one of his trade mark free kicks past Dylan Nikolovski for the equaliser. Then in injury time in the first half, Geelong got a free kick in a similar position and Josh Talev showed that he could match Munoz in the free kick stakes. Midway through the second half, Chris Balubarova of Geelong was sent off for his second yellow card but Bell Park could not make the extra man pay. Marinovic was through on goal but went down in the area and the referee decided there was no infringement. Park’s last clear chance fell to Munoz with another free kick, but this one went sailing over the bar.

Who wants the ball? Dusk Delic (7) and James Walsh (9) of Geelong head in opposite directions

There is only one Cup game next Wednesday night when Bell Park plays Corio at 6.30 pm. But it is possible there may be a friendly match to follow. Jasko Ikanovic is now the clear leading goalscorer with 5.

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Roy Hay

Geelong Rangers ran up six goals without reply by Golden Plains in the Geelong Community Cup on Wednesday night. Corio struggled to beat Barwon by a single goal in the early game at Stead Park. The results leave Geelong clear on top of the ladder with nine points from three games, but Rangers heads Corio for second place on goal difference as both have seven points.

Josh Berta of Corio in green and Shannon Kearns of Barwon

A strong wind blowing right down the ground made conditions difficult for the team playing against it but Barwon held out despite some near things until the last minute of the first half. Billy Argyros restored to midfield cut through and finished with a clean shot. Corio had created and squandered several opportunities including a string of corner kicks, while Barwon’s best chance fell to Adam Leather but his shot was saved by Rick Apostalikas. Corio still had the bulk of the play against the wind in the second half, though substitute Reza Khacaghe took too long to shoot even though he seemed to have been put clear. Barwon had a break in the last minute only for Shannon Kearns to pull his effort wide of the goal.

Habib Shakauri (7) and Billy Argyros of Corio

Geelong Rangers scored one of the fastest goals in Geelong Cup history when Carlin McLoskey bundled the ball into the net in 50 seconds. The second after 22 minutes was another close-range contribution by Blaine Burrell. That was quickly followed by a thumping drive from Conor Reddan to leave Rangers three-up at the break. The second half began with another short range goal, this time from Ryan Calder which effectively killed any chance of a fight back from the Bannockburn lads. Two goals to Jasko Ikanovic rounded out the scoring and Rangers could have added to its tally in the last 15 minutes, but failed to do so.

Colin Hamilton and Ryan Calder (8) in white on the attack for Geelong Rangers

On Friday night Rangers plays Barwon at 6.30 pm and Geelong will follow against Bell Park at 8 pm.

Steven Ginoski

Rangers flex their muscle against Bell Park

Bell Park 0-4 Geelong Rangers

Geelong Rangers recorded their first victory of the tournament with a 4-0 win over Bell Park. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Dark Blues with scores locked at 0-0 after a lackluster first half.

Stuart Beggs side gained the ascendancy early in the second half with Blaine Burrell breaking the deadlock, quickly followed by a Conor Reddan strike to make it 2-0. Jasko Ikanovic killed the game off as a contest midway through the half and John Mlondja completed the rout with a late strike to make it 4-0.

Geelong SC youngsters roar to late victory over Golden Plains

Golden Plains 1-3 Geelong

In the second game of the evening Geelong SC required a late flurry of goals to secure a good 3-1 win over a stubborn Golden Plains team. Geelong coach Kristian Bright elected to give his senior squad the night off, opting to show off the clubs stable of promising youngsters with a taste of first team football. Bright also gave a debut to new UK recruit Andrew Fitzgerald. With no less than 8 player 18yo or younger in the squad Geelong dominated for long periods of the first half however couldn’t penetrate the resolute Golden Plains defence until just before the break. Ben McIntosh latched onto a superb pass from the impressive Fitzgerald to make it 1-0.

Golden Plains started the second half well and almost found the equalizer 10mins in when an Anthony Tavic free kick was only denied by the woodwork. With 4mins left to play Golden Plains were awarded a penalty. Tavic stepped up and put his spot kick past young Heath Hayes in the Geelong goal however the referee asked for a retake. This time Hayes guessed the right way but couldn’t stop the equalizer. With 2mins left a slick Geelong move down the right involving Alessandro Stefano and Seth Threlfall resulted in the ball finding its way through a crowded goal mouth for Paul Edebohls to finish at the far post and give Geelong a 2-1 lead. Ben McIntosh completed his brace a minute later with a powerful low strike from the edge of the area giving Jayden Bellears-Price no chance. Geelong running out 3-1 winners, making it three wins from three games.

Geelong and Golden Plains after their Cup match on Friday night

Roy Hay

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Barwon got its first point in this year’s Geelong Community Cup when it held Bell Park to a one-all draw in the early game at Stead Park, while the high-quality match between Corio and Geelong Rangers ended goal-less.

Bell Park on the attack against Barwon and Mijo Marinovic has a shot on goal.

Shannon Kearns opened the scoring for Barwon in the 8th minute when he latched on to a high ball into the penalty area and beat keeper Alec Kitanovski with a neat lob into the empty net. Sean Mahon nearly made it two but his shot was blocked. Antony Pirrottina of Bell Park scampered down the right and crossed for Mijo Marinovic to be denied by an instinctive save by Matt Bray at point blank range. Adam Leather almost produced a carbon copy of Kearns’s goal for Barwon but Kitanovski managed to scramble back and clear. In the 24th minute Pirrottina followed up his own cross into the goal area and when the ball rebounded to him he forced it over the line. In the second half Nathan Munoz set up two chances for Bell Park. Marinovic sliced the first one wide while the second effort went just behind the strikers. Substitute Brandon Duthie for Barwon got clear on the left but squeezed his shot just wide of the far post. Barwon did have the ball in the net in the last minute, but the Assistant Referee’s flag was already up for offside.

Darcy Rapa tries to break through in midfield for Corio against Geelong Rangers

The Corio versus Geelong Rangers game was one of the best of the tournament so far though neither side managed to score. Richard Smith had two good early chances for Rangers, but Rick Apostalikas saved the first and the second went just wide. Vedran Stojanovic, making his first appearance for Corio this year had his team’s best effort of the first half, but found Hayden van der Chys in good position to save. James Hidic opened the second half with a stealthy run into the box but the Corio keeper blocked his final shot. Jasko Ikanovic, the former Geelong striker, came off the bench for Rangers to good effect in the second half. He flicked the ball over the keeper but it bounced just over the bar, then he put the laces through a ball on the edge of the penalty area and it thumped the underside of the cross-bar before rebounding into play. He was nearly in again with a downward header from a Hidic cross but once again the Corio keeper was perfectly positioned. Habib Shakauri set up Stojanovic for Corio, but the striker pulled his shot wide. Both sides kept at it till the end but neither managed to score.

On Friday night the early game at 6.30 will pit Bell Park against Geelong Rangers, followed by Golden Plains against host club Geelong at 8 pm.

Roy Hay

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The second round of matches in the Geelong Community Cup were played on Friday 2 February resulting in a two-one win for host club Geelong against Corio, while Bell Park and Golden Plains shared the points in a one-all draw.

Geelong (in red) defend against Corio

The Geelong versus Corio match was played at great speed and with lots of quality from both sides. Matt Townley and Chris Balaburova locked up at the back for Geelong, while Steve Luczo and Ronnie Clayson did the same for Corio. In front of them the ball flew from end to end mostly through creative play rather than long balls. There were no goals in the first half though Geelong probably had more shots and it was only five minutes after the break when they took the lead. For once it was a long ball forward that bounced between the keeper and the onrushing Daniel Kuczinski, who nodded it over Rick Apostalakis and then into the empty net. Three minutes later Josh Talev should have added to the lead but just missed to the left of the posts. In the 49th minute Talev made amends by finishing from close range after another effort by Kuczinski. Corio got back into the game with a thunderous volley by Habib Shakauri five minutes later, but Geelong should have added to its lead with one effort which came back off the post and a Talev free kick which just curled wide.

Mijo Marinovic wins the ball in midfield for Bell Park

Bell Park was expected to add to the pain Golden Plains experienced on opening night, but despite having more of the play it only had a single goal to show for its efforts in the first half. That came courtesy of a neatly struck free kick by Nathan Munoz. Mijo Marinovic tried to repeat that from a similar position but missed the goal. Early in the second half Nick van Rooy had a couple of chances to bring Golden Plains level but Alex Kitanovski saved both. Tony Pirrottina was clean through for Park, even getting behind the keeper but then contrived to hit the post. Bell Park was still making more opportunities but the longer it went without scoring the more Golden Plains self-belief grew and a good cross from the right was headed home for the equaliser by Anthony Tavic. There were still ten minutes left for play but neither side could break the deadlock.

On Wednesday 7 February, Barwon plays Bell Park at 6.30 pm, followed by Corio against Geelong Rangers at 8 pm. This will be Rangers first match in this season’s competition.

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Geelong defends against Corio in the Geelong Community Cup.

Mijo Marinovic of Bell Park wins the ball in midfield.

Roy Hay

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Geelong’s Community Cup, the long running pre-season tournament that began as the Geelong Advertiser Cup in 1981, kicked off at Stead Park on Wednesday night in a new format. Geelong hosted the tournament this year and welcomed six entries—Geelong, Geelong Rangers, Corio, Bell Park, Barwon and Golden Plains. They will play a round robin in a single group with the top two teams meeting again in the final on 2nd March. Two games will be played every Wednesday and Friday, starting with Golden Plains v Corio at 6 pm, followed by Geelong v Barwon at 7.30 pm. Matches will be played with 30 minute halves.

The tournament was launched by the Victorian Minister for Sport and member for Corio John Eren who has been a strong supporter of the game throughout his career. He noted that the Victorian government had contributed around $18million to the code under the present government.

The Hon John Eren, Minister for Sport, launches the Geelong Community Cup.

The first game on Wednesday night was a reply of last year’s grand final between Corio, the Cup holder, and Golden Plains. The latter surprised everyone on reaching the final in its first appearance in the Cup, but this time it came up short as Corio ran out comfortable winners in the end by six goals to nil. The first half was of excellent standard although Corio were always ascendant after Billy Argyros converted a penalty kick in the 19th minute. Habib Habib added a second after a long run through the centre and Sebastian Hessman made it three a couple of minutes before the interval. Second half goals to Argyros, Carl Frankson and Cameron Lee completed the six-nil win to Corio.

The second game was equally one-sided on the scoreboard as Geelong hammered Barwon by seven goals to nil. Daniel Kuczinski and Daniel Hattersley scored in the 6th and 7th minutes respectively. Harry Hillary-Jenkins added a third and Zachary Harry and Tony Tassoni also got their names on the scoresheet in the first half. There were a couple of disallowed goals as well. Barwon’s task was made more difficult when Ashley Dafter was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in the 35th minute, but neither he nor anyone else could have prevented Chris Balabarova’s screaming shot from 25 metres a couple of minutes later. Kuczinski completed the scoring with a precise free kick in 41 minutes.

Geelong in red versus Barwon in the second game on Wednesday night

On Friday the opening game at 6 pm should be a real cracker as Corio and Geelong meet in what may be a foretaste of this year’s final. Bell Park will have its first game against neighbours Golden Plains at 8 pm.

For up to date information log on to http://geelongsc.com/geelong-community-cup-2018/