Murray hat-trick smashes Suns
A red-hot Jordan Murray hat-trick helped APIA Leichhardt Tigers to a 4-1 win over Rockdale City Suns at Lambert Park.
Tasuku Sekiya opened the scoring in the first half after good work by Corey Biczo, before Murray struck thrice to take his tally to 14 goals for the season.
Half-time substitute Toufic Alameddine scored a consolation for the visitors, but it was far too little, far too late.
The first real chance of the game was in the 6th minute when a great diagonal shot from Jordan Murray across the face of goal caused an early ripple.
Rockdale tried their luck in the 13th minute: a long ball forward to Alec Urosevski on the left was met by a powerful drive that Ivan Necevski did very well to save. After these early chances to each side, it was APIA Leichhardt that started to take control of the game.
In the 20th minute a corner by Sean Symons reached his brother Joshua Symons who headed just wide of the target.
APIA did take the lead in the 25th minute as their pressure started to pay off. Tasuku Sekiya scored after a few chances had rebound off Rockdale City defenders, including a great chance by Murray, and in the end Sekiya neatly blasted the ball in.
APIA doubled their lead in the 34th minute when a cross from the by-line by Corey Biczo reached Murray who hammered home the winner. By this stage it was all one-way traffic in favour of the home side.
In the 38th minute a golden chance went begging for APIA Leichhardt when Sekiya ran through the defence before Biczo fired just over the crossbar from close range.
Rockdale could have hit back with a late chance in the 43rd minute when Bai Antoniou struck the side netting with a powerful shot.
Rockdale started the second half with a double substitution at the break. Toufic Alameddine and Harris Gaitatzis entered the arena for Jordan Figon and Bai Antoniou respectively.
However, it was APIA Leichhardt that made it three in the 47th minute when Murray did all the hard work himself before finding the back of the net.
Rockdale did manage to score one in the 56th minute when Toufic Alameddine chipped ‘keeper Necevski and the ball went in off the post.
Alec Canak struck powerfully in the 73rd minute and the ball only just finished on the wrong side of goal but had it have gone in, it may have really set the cat amongst the pigeons.
It wasn’t to be Jordan Murray scored his hat-trick in the 83rd minute after all the hard work was done by Joshua Symons on the right before he beautifully found Murray in a perfect position
Urosevksi went inches away from claiming a late consolation but his shot cannoned off the post and Necevski almost made a meal of the rebound.
After the game assistant coach of APIA Leichhardt Tigers John Calleja was very impressed with his side and clearly acknowledged the role of Jordan Murray in scoring a hat-trick.
“It was a very good performance and the boys played really well,” he said.
“The team trained really well too during the week and our first half in particular was very impressive.
“Jordan Murray seems to always do it against Rockdale. I remember when he was coming through the ranks at APIA and I was coaching the under-20s at Rockdale and he scored a hat-trick then too against us. It’s not only his goal scoring but his general play.
“We certainly haven’t given up on reaching Sydney Olympic even though the competition is theirs to lose, but you never know.”
Rockdale City’s coach Paul Reid was still upbeat despite the loss.
“We started off really brightly and we had a plan, but they took their chances and won the game,” he said.
“It’s disappointing because I had a good feeling about tonight. We started off so brightly and were the better team, but we conceded a goal when they had their first chance.
“We have conceded more goals than we would have liked in the last two weeks but we are better team than that and getting punished for our mistakes.”
Match Stats
APIA LEICHHARDT TIGERS: 4 (Sekiya 25’, Murray 34’, 47’ & 83’)
ROCKDALE CITY SUNS: 1 (Alameddine 56’)
Sunday, 24th June 2018
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Ben Abraham
Assistant Referees: Matt McCorist, Peter Teleki
Fourth Official: Anthony Mansour
APIA LEICHHARDT TIGERS: 1. Ivan Necevksi, 3. Paul Galimi, 4. Sean Symons, 7. Howard Fondyke (13. David D’Apuzzo 65’), 8. Corey Biczo, 11. Jordan Murray (17. Sam Gulisano 85’), 15. Themba Muata-Marlow, 16. Sean Symons, 18. Adrian Ucchino, 19. Brandon Lundy, 20. Tasuku Sekiya.
Substitutes not used: 5. Stephan Addatini, 20. Franco Parisi, 22. Blake Tuxford
Yellow Cards: Muata-Marlow 45’
Red Cards: Nil
ROCKDALE CITY SUNS: 1. Ante Covic, 2. Daniel Petkovksi, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Alec Canak, 9. Bai Antoniou (10. Harris Gaitatzis 46’), 12. Idriss El Hafiane, 14. Brayden Sorge, 15. Nicholas Petrillo (4. Trent McClenahan 57’), 19. Patrick Savor, 21. Michael Neill, 23. Jordan Figon (17. Toufic Alameddine 46’).
Substitutes not used: 11. Jonathan Grozdanovski, 25. Jake Soutter
Yellow Cards: Savor 29’, Petkovski 67’, Alameddine 72’, Neill 87’
Red Card: Nil
-By National Premier Leagues NSW reporter Joe Russo
