Blacktown City new league leaders

Action during Round 17 of 2014 IGA National Premier Leagues NSW Men's 1 between Blacktown City v Sutherland at Lilys Centre, Blacktown, NSW on July 13, 2014. (Photo by Gavin Leung)

Blacktown City took a monumental step towards the IGA National Premier League NSW Mens 1 Premiership with a 1-0 victory over Sutherland Sharks at Lily’s Football Centre taking them to the top of the league.

In a cagey encounter against a well-structured Sutherland outfit minus the suspended Panny Nikas, Nick Olsen and key injuries to Jamie McMaster and Nick Littler kept Blacktown out for majority of the match before Marco Travaglini scored from a corner to give the win to the home side.

The result lifts City a point above neighbours Blacktown Spartans on top of the league ladder.

Sutherland started the match on the front foot passing the ball around well troubling the Blacktown defence.

The match never really left first gear in the opening 20 minutes with neither side able to create a clear cut opportunity.

Nathan Elasi – playing in an unfamiliar role behind the striker – took it upon himself to try and test Blake Tuxford, but his shot skewed wide of the right hand upright.

Blacktown continued to fight hard in the middle of the park but Sutherland’s centre back pairing of Jacob Tratt and Pery Moustakas cutting off a flurry of diagonal balls.

However a Tratt slip up in the 33rd minute gave Travis Major a great chance to test Nathan Denham. Luckily for Sutherland their defence retreated well with his shot deflecting easily to the keeper.

Mitchell Mallia drifted to the right hand touch line to receive the ball a minute later, cutting in before his soft shot went straight to Denham.

The match started to open up in the last five minutes of the first half as they teams tired. A lazy challenge by Tratt in the middle of the park earned him a yellow card and free kick to Blacktown in shooting distance. City captain Zac Cairncross’ driving free kick went past the wall but straight into the arms of a waiting Denham.

Two minutes before the break Mallia found space down the left hand touchline and played in a superb cross only for Major to head straight to Denham again.

Blacktown came out from the break on fire and created a chance within 30 seconds, breaking down the right but Major could not divert his header into goal as Sutherland got their bodies to the ball and out for a corner.

Sutherland responded with a chance of their own in the 48th minute but Blake Tuxford did well to hold on to a strong header.

A minute later Major became provider as Giorgio Speranza found him wide on the left. The striker cut in but a diving Denham kept Sutherland in it.

Mitchell Farmer moved forward with intent in the 57th minute and sweetly hit the ball from 20 yards out forcing Tuxford into a save.

Matt Lewis played a sneaky one-two with Major in the 61st minute to find himself free in the box but his cross was easily claimed by Denham. That would be Lewis’ final action in the game as Mark Crittenden brought on Danny Choi to spark the Blacktown attack.

Choi was straight into the thick of the action and had a penalty shout turned down in the 65th minute as he was played through on goal by Miyazawa.

Sutherland Sharks’ inspirational captain Nick Stavroulakis tried to get his side into the game in the 68th minute but the defensive midfielder’s shot went flying wide.

Blacktown finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute via an unlikely outlet with Italian defender Marco Travaglini slotting home from a deep corner. Travaglini drifted into the box late and slammed the ball past Denham as the Blacktown fans jumped off their seats.

Seven minutes later Danny Choi picked up the ball on the edge of the box from a cleared corner only to see a perfectly struck volley fly wide of the mark.

Denham kept his side in the match in the 80th minute, coming off his line right on time to thwart an oncoming Major.

Sutherland pushed forward for the equaliser with eight minutes remaining as Lukas Stergiou played a lovely through ball to Farmer. The right back sent in a great cross which was cut off Cairncross.

Blacktown substitute Kieran Paull was sent through on goal in the 89th minute but the attacker was unable to hit the back of the net, finding the safe hands of Denham.

Sutherland’s final chance of the match came off a free kick deep in injury time when a deflected free kick was headed on by the Sharks’ standout player of the day Stavroulakis, with Tuxford claiming the ball easily.

Match Stats
Blacktown City 1
(Marco Travaglini 70’)
Sutherland Sharks 0
Venue: Lily’s Football Centre
Referee: Tim Gilchrist
Blacktown City: 13.Blake Tuxford, 3.Giorgio Speranza, 5.Jacob Poscoliero, 6.Matt Lewis (11.Danny Choi 62’) , 7.Travis Major (18.Lewis Bunie 92’), 8.Sasa Macura, 9.Ryuji Miyazawa, 14.Mitchell Mallia (17.Kieran Paull 75’), 15.Marco Travaglini, 16.Kearyn Baccus, 19.Zac Cairncross (c)
Substitutions not used: 1.Thomas Heward-Belle, 12.Joel Hardwick
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards:nil
Sutherland Sharks: 1.Nathan Denham, 2.Jacob Tratt, 6.Matthew Gordon, 8.Lukas Stergiou, 9.Nathan Elasi (24.Damir Prodanovic 82’), 12.Jordan Figon, 14.Nick Stavroulakis (c), 15.Perry Moustakas, 17.Jordan Roberts, 18.Jayden Koulizakis (4.James McKenzie 76’), 29. Mitchell Farmer
Substitutions not used: 22.Andrew Depta, 26.Christopher Mcstay, 37. Daniel Loc
Yellow cards: Tratt 40’
Red cards: nil
-By Chris Georges