Sydney United 58 have moved a step closer to claiming the 2016 PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s Premiership after a comfortable 2-0 win over Parramatta in their Round 19 clash at Melita Stadium.
It was all too easy for the rampant Reds who established their unassailable two goal cushion inside the first twenty minutes of play with midfield maestro Glen Trifrio continuing his excellent United 58 introduction and Chris Payne grabbing his 15th goal of the season to consign Parramatta to a humbling defeat on home soil.
The away side had to contend with the loss of star attacker Panni Nikas who was out due to suspension but the team kicked on with a yet another crucial victory.
Franco Consentino’s side have proven themselves capable giant killers but having already claimed the scalp of competition heavyweights Blacktown City and Bonnyrigg White Eagles, United 58 proved to be a bridge too far for the spirited Melita Stadium outfit.
A week after securing their fifth Waratah Cup triumph, the Reds now seem destined to clinch another piece of silverware after maintaining their nine-point advantage over second-placed Blacktown City with four matches remaining.
Mark Rudan’s men hammered Parramatta 5-1 at Sydney United Sports Centre back in their Round Seven meeting and it looked as though an onslaught of similar proportions was on the cards when the visitors got the encounter underway.
It didn’t take long for the early flurry of pressure to pay off for the Reds when the peerless Trifiro outfoxed Ibrahim Haydar on the edge of the box before beating Melita shot stopper Luke Turnbull with a clinical drive across goal.
United 58 doubled their advantage immediately after Trifiro’s opener when Chris Payne raced past Parramatta skipper Joshua Symons and lifted the ball over a stranded Turnbull with a perfectly weighted clipped finish.
With a mountain to climb in front of them, Parramatta were unable to muster much in response with Marco Sama cutting a lonely figure up front for the matches entirety. It was a typically workmanlike performance from Sama against the physicality of Tomislav Uskok and Eddy Bosnar.
When the Eagles frontman finally enjoyed a sight on goal, he saw his snapshot parried by the chest of United goalkeeper Thomas Manos in a rare moment of concern for the visiting keeper.
It was left to Manos’ counterpart at the other end, Luke Turnbull to claim all the plaudits in the second half after holding the visitors at bay with a series of excellent parries. Turnbull’s outstanding block from Payne in the opening moments of the second stanza and a sensational catch to deny a leaping header from Trifiro the main standouts.
The Melita gloveman trumped them all, however, with a stunning reflex save to tip Uskok’s bullet header onto the bar midway through the second half.
Parramatta will look to respond against an out of form Bonnyrigg White Eagles next Saturday evening in what is shaping up to be a decisive encounter in the finals race, while Sydney United 58 could formally seal the minor premiership with a victory over APIA Leichhardt Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
Match Stats
Parramatta FC 0
Sydney United 58 2 (Payne 16’, Trifiro 18’)
Sunday 17th July, 2016,
Melita Stadium, Sefton
Parramatta FC: 7. David Gullo, 20. Ibrahim Haydar, 2. Ryan Johnstone, 19. Mitchell Long, 18. Tom Mallett, 8. Daniel Rezo, 3. Blade Richards, 10. Marco Sama, 4. Joshua Symons, 23. Aram Tayebi Derazkala, 1. Luke Turnbull
Substitutes Not Used: 33. Corey Finch, 17. Joshua Gersbach, 5. Christopher Carboni, 15. Evan Remic, 16. Tomislav Brovickio
Yellow Cards: 20. Ibrahim Haydar 42’, 3. Blade Richards 46’, 7. David Gullo 80’, 10. Marco Sama 82’
Red Cards: N/A
Sydney United 58: 25. Eddy Bosnar, 17. Theo Kofinas (33. Nathan Sherlock 75’), 21. Thomas Manos, 10. Robert Mileski, 6. Christopher Payne, 7. Yutaro Shin (11. Nikola Taneski 62’), 24. Jacob Tratt, 4. Peter Triantis, 18. Glen Trifiro, 8. Tomislav Uskok, 14. Nick Stavroulakis
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Lucas Pervan, 5. Nathan Bertollisio
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: N/A
-By Jacob Windon
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