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Sharks go down in opening World League match against Italy

 

Sharks go down in opening World League match against Italy

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AOC
Sharks go down in opening World League match against Italy
The Australian men’s water polo team has opened their FINA World League Super Finals campaign in Bergamo, Italy with a 7-5 loss to the home side.

WATER POLO: The Australian men’s water polo team has opened their FINA World League Super Finals campaign in Bergamo, Italy with a 7-5 loss to the home side, despite winning three of the game’s four quarters.


The Aussie Sharks began the match in typically gritty style, restricting the favoured Italians to a solitary goal in the first half, whilst building up a tight 3-1 lead at the main break.

The local fans then found their voice and the Italians the back of the net, kicking into gear in the third quarter and piling on five unanswered goals in a stunning onslaught that essentially sealed the game with a period to play.

The world league super finals are this season’s main precursor to the 2015 FINA World Championships that kick off in Kazan, Russia at the end of July but the winner of this tournament has the bonus of earning automatic qualification for next year’s Rio Olympic Games.

Australia scored the only goal of the first term, courtesy of Jarrod Gilchrist from the left wing in extra man, but it was the defensive end and the brick like wall put up by goalkeeper Joel Dennerley that was the standout.

In the second period it was Sharks’ centre forward Joel Swift who got the scoring going, but it was a bounce shot from deep outside rather than a typical Swift strike from in on the two metre line. Italy finally got on the scoreboard in extra man with one minute thirty seconds to go in the half before Australian captain Rhys Howden scored with a laser from outside to give his side the half time lead.

The Italians opened their third quarter barrage scoring in extra man after just a minute, following back-to-back Australian exclusions. Italy tied the scores at 3-all with a counter attack strike two minutes later and then took the lead for the first time a minute after that with a backhander from centre forward. When they converted twice in extra man in the final 90 seconds of the term the Italians were well and truly on top.

Italy scored first in the final quarter before goals to Nathan Power in centre forward and Aaron Younger from outside gave the Sharks a sniff at 5-7 but it was too little, too late.

In the end, Australia defended well for much of the game but Italy showed their class at both ends of the pool in extra man situations, particularly during the third quarter.

The Sharks’ second game is against the USA at 240 AEST on Thursday morning before the final group stage match against Serbia, the winners of the last two world league super finals, at midnight on Thursday night.

Australia: Joel Dennerley (GK) (NSW), Richard Campbell (NSW), George Ford (WA), Johnno Cotterill (NSW), Nathan Power (NSW), Jarrod Gilchrist (NSW), Aidan Roach (NSW), Aaron Younger (WA), Joel Swift (WA), Tyler Martin (NSW), Rhys Howden (QLD), Billy Miller (QLD), James Clark (GK) (NSW)

Result: Australia 5 lost to Italy 7

Quarters: 1-0, 2-1, 0-5, 2-1

AUS scorers: J Gilchrist, J Swift, R Howden, N Power, A Younger

WATER POLO AUSTRALIA