Rangers blast past hapless Hakoah
Mount Druitt Town Rangers secured back-to-back victories in a 4-0 rout of Hakoah Sydney City East on a cold evening at Popondetta Park.
Tonight’s result saw Mount Druitt Town Rangers pick up their seventh victory of the season and keep their slim finals hopes alive.
Alex Boyadjian and Toufic Alameddine scored in the first half hour to lead 2-0 at the break.
Alameddine completed his brace in the second half alongside a Jacob Esposito goal to bank three more points in their maiden season in the NSW top flight.
For Hakoah Sydney City East, the visitors had their chances through Amauri Gauthier and Joshua Swadling but were wasteful in front of goal. The relegated side added a missed penalty in the second half as they look to next week to finish on a high.
Looking to secure back-to-back victories, Mount Druitt Town Rangers started the contest quickly as a Fabricio Fernandez free-kick from the left was touched wide by Hakoah Sydney City East custodian Ryan Norval.
Fernandez thought he had the opener moments later when he turned home a deflected shot from Mirjan Pavlovic but the assistant referee had his flag raised for offside.
The best chances for Hakoah Sydney City East came from the boot of Amauri Gauthier. The striker struck the post from a one-touch move in the 17th minute then flayed one wide two minutes later as the visitors searched for an opener.
It was the home side that found the opener. The combination between Pavlovic and Alex Boyadjian has grown over the season, as the former clipped a ball into the path of Boyadjian to slam home for 1-nil to Mount Druitt Town Rangers.
Joshua Swadling tried to respond for Hakoah Sydney City East. He rampaged down the left before he bent a wicked ball into the path of Dominic Cox, the winger couldn’t place the shot as it deflected wide.
Mount Druitt Town Rangers made Hakoah Sydney City East pay for their wastefulness with a second goal before the half-hour mark. Toufic Alameddine burst into the box before he finished well for his sixth goal of the season, 2-nil.
Hakoah Sydney City East tried to spark a comeback with a pair of shots from Gauthier and Swadling but both were easily dealt with by Norval as the home side took their two-goal advantage into the break.
Coming out the break, Mount Druitt Town Rangers wasted no time added a third goal. A perfect pass from Blake Thompson split the defence for Alameddine to stride onto, slot home and make it 3-nil.
The visitors were given a chance to hit back from the spot after a handball. Substitute Nathan Roberts stepped up but in a scene reminiscent of the FFA cup contest, Mount Druitt Town Rangers custodian Carlos Saliadarre swatted away the spot kick and the follow up from Gauthier.
Adding a fourth late in the contest was Jacob Esposito who finished the ball at the far post after some delightful ball that bent across the box. Esposito’s second of the season made it 4-nil for Mount Druitt Town Rangers.
Speaking afterwards Mount Druitt Town Rangers coach Aiden Desmond was pleased with the result as they look to finish the season strong:
“I thought we started slow but second half we took our chances well. We go out with the intention to win every game and we’ll see what needs to be done next week.” said Desmond.
Match Stats
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 4 (Boyadjian ‘24, Alameddine ‘30, ‘52, Esposito ‘90+1)
Hakoah Sydney City East 0
Saturday 3rd August 2019
Popondetta Park, Emerson
Referee: J. Macfarlane
Assistant Referees: J. Adabjou & R. Osborne
Fourth Officials: J. Ewin
Mount Druitt Town Rangers: 1. SALIADARRE Carlos, 3. GOULD Joshua, 5. MAMONE Jake, 6. THOMPSON Blake, 9. BOYADJIAN Alex (8. AVERY ‘83), 10. FERNANDEZ Fabricio, 11. ALAMEDDINE Toufic (18. ESPOSITO ‘68), 13. DARKOH Lord, 15. COSKERIE Cooper, 17. HARES Ismail (4. MONAHAN-VAIKA ‘45), 27. PAVLOVIC Mirjan
Unused subs: 14. ELLEM Riley, ALLEN Brendan
Yellow cards:
Red cards: nil
Hakoah Sydney City East: 1. NORVAL Ryan, 2. SHADDOCK Connor, 4. WALKER Bradley, 6. COX Dominic, 8. GREEN Oliver, 9. OKUNO Shohei (10. ROBERTS ‘59), 12. SWADLING Joshua, 13. EZEKIEL Robert (11. GREEN ‘69), 15. BOJIC Predrag, 17. JONES Harry, 24. GAUTHIER Amauri (23. VRANJIC ‘77)
Unused subs: 25. EPHRAIM Max, 60. NOJI Takayuki
Yellow cards: Shaddock ‘36 Cox ‘50 Bojic ‘72
Red cards: nil
-By Justin Davies
