By TERRY MADDAFORD
An under-strength Football Kingz battled long and hard in the sapping Sydney heat but went down 2-1 to a rejuvenated Marconi Stallions last night.
Before the match, Marconi were equal bottom of the league. The victory was their second of the season after their 4-1 beating of Brisbane
last weekend.
Defeat for the hardworking Kingz stretched their winless run to six matches since Harry Ngata's four-goal haul against Northern Spirit in the second round put them briefly at the top of the competition.
Forced to take a below-strength side to Marconi Stadium, the Kingz were further hit when Riki Van Steeden was also flattened by the flu which had struck the side.
His late defection left the visitors with just three substitutes, including reserve goalkeeper James Bannatyne who was named as a spare outfield player.
The first half produced few clear-cut scoring chances, but showed the home side had, like other NSL sides, done their homework in targeting Patricio Almendra as the danger.
After misjudging an early attempt to chip goalkeeper Michael Turnbull, the livewire Chilean was brought down from behind in the 38th minute by Marconi captain Dominic Longo who, not for the first time in his long NSL career, was booked.
Marconi finally brought the 3040 crowd alive in the 41st minute when Grant Last chipped a fine through ball to the feet of Joe Spiteri, who made no mistake from 10m.
The Kingz were unlucky not to get back on level terms almost immediately when Ngata headed a James Pritchett cross powerfully against the bar.
Spiteri, who has had spells in Belgium, Austria and Sweden, doubled the margin in the 56th minute after Longo headed a corner back into the box and the man nicknamed "Spitfire" was on hand to volley home.
Refusing to yield, and with coach Ken Dugdale opting for a double substitution, the Kingz were rewarded in the 73rd minute when Pritchett provided the cross and Ngata the header to get one back.
The visitors gave as good as they got in the remaining minutes, but could not turn a couple of half-chances into profit and left empty handed.
