Team of the Week – Round 2 – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s
After every round of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season Team of the Week brings to focus the best players from that weekend. Here it is for Round Two.
A barnstorming second half from striker Anthony Proia gave the Spartans their first win of the season. The young forward demonstrated the same attacking prowess that earned him a spot in the Brisbane Roar squad back in 2012, with his 76th minute strike proving to be a match winner.
In one of the greatest comebacks seen in recent NPL history, a goal and assist from midfielder Sasa Macura helped spark a dramatic 4-3 win for Blacktown City over Sutherland. After Macura’s goal brought the scores level, it was the composure and experience of captain Zach Cairncross that completed the fight back, with a header finding the net in the dying minutes.
The first 45 minutes had seen the Sharks stamp their control on the match, big defender Nick Littler again proving to be a star of the set piece. His goals lifted the Sharks to a 3-0 lead and also spearheaded to the top of the goalscorers charts but the rest was history as his side succumbed to a 4-3 loss to Blacktown City.
Across town, a man-of-the-match performance from Toufic Alameddine lifted Rockdale Suns to their 2-0 win in front of a strong crowd at Hensley Athletic Field. The busy midfielder was a constant threat in attack, his speed and strength in particular proving a handful for the Hakoah defence. The real highlight though was the strike from Rockdales’ Alec Urosevski’s, his stunning shot a strong contender for goal of the week.
Sunday’s matches proved just as entertaining, with Sydney United 58 FC hosting Wollongong Wolves in a contest that had plenty of counter attacking, free flowing football. Goal machine Panni Nikas was outstanding in mid-field and had was unlucky not to have scored in the opening 45 minutes. His hard work paid off though as he tapped home the match winner in the second half.
A rapid 10-minute window in the closing stages of Sydney Olympic’s clash with Manly delivered some exciting twists in a match that look destined to remain scoreless. A solid defensive display from Kieran Paull kept Manly in the match after some intense Olympic pressure early on. The energy in attack from Manly young gun Dejan Pandurevic earned him man-of-the-match honours, his passing game and work rate demonstrating his enormous potential.
Some heroic efforts in goal from APIA goalkeeper Ryan Norval as well as a penalty save at the end of the match from Marco Sama ensured his side would escape with a 0-0 draw in a tense encounter at Melita Stadium. Parramatta’s defence looked untroubled for most of the match, with a sterling display from Tomislav Mijic that saw APIA’s attack continually shut down. In the closing minutes of the match, Norval had the difficult task of facing up to a penalty kick to save the match. However, he kept his cool and allowed APIA to escape with a point.
GK – Ryan Norval – APIA Leichhardt Tigers
LB – Kieran Paull – Manly United
CB – Nick Littler – Sutherland Sharks
CB – Zac Cairncross – Blacktown City
RB – Tomislav Mijic – Parramatta FC
LM – Sasa Macura – Blacktown City
CM – Panni Nikas – Sydney United 58 FC
RM – Toufic Alemmaddine – Rockdale City Suns
ST – Dejan Pandurevic – Manly United
ST – Alec Urosevski – Rockdale City Suns
ST – Anthony Proia – Blacktown Spartans
