Bulls thwarted by late Sharks fightback
Sutherland Sharks’ last home match for the 2022 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s saw them share points in a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Northbridge Bulls at Seymour Shaw Park on Saturday evening.
Goals from Jesper Webber and Diego Bonilla for the visitors in the opening 15 minutes saw them get ahead early, but second-half goals to Lachlan MacDonald and substitute Mitch Smith cancelled out the two-goal deficit to earn a point for the home side.
It was a much-changed Sharks side that included Chris Lindsay in the unfamiliar role at left centre-back and youngster Evan Ball as his partner, with Lachlan MacDonald slotting in at right back and John Fotopoulos on the left – a very youthful and largely inexperienced defensive line at this level.
It was Webber who opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a classic forward’s goal when striding onto the ball and striking sweetly into the bottom left-hand corner to give Northbridge the early lead.
Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu couldn’t find enough purchase to trouble Levi Kaye at the other end moments later after good work from James Andrew down the right flank.
Diego Bonilla doubled the lead in the 15th minute with an exquisite shot that curled its way between the sticks from outside the box after cutting in from the left. It was another delightfully struck effort that nestled snugly in the back of the net.
Mason Wells was played in with a ball over the top and scored a well-taken beauty only for the strike to be negated by a tight offside decision in the 25th minute that would have secured the points for the visitors.
Andrew combined with Ahmed-Shaibu once more but this time it was the latter who couldn’t get any power behind his header and the ball fell inviting for Kaye followed by Bonilla striking a thunderous shot against the upright that would have seen a very stylish hat-trick completed.
Webber skinned his marker down the right and centred for Bonilla, whose shot this time was deflected out for a corner in what was rapidly becoming one-way traffic as the Sharks were struggling to put a decent attack together.
Jason Madonis tried his luck after Ahmed-Shaibu won the ball on the edge of the area, but it was straight at Kaye who had no trouble gathering at the first attempt.
Bonilla brought a fine save out of Anthony Bouzanis, who managed to palm the ball out for a corner but the Bulls’ front man was edging closer to a second and showed he wanted it.
Even when Andrew was put through on the counter he was overstretching and slipped his effort narrowly wide of the woodwork and couldn’t find Ahmed-Shaibu at the back post in the final minute of the half as Kaye read it well and cut out the cross.
Kaye smartly turned a Madonis shot around the post in stoppage time but it would be the Bulls who took a two-goal lead to the break.
Lindsay came close to clawing a goal back two minutes into the second half with a free kick from 25-yards out that once again was inches wide of the mark and Ahmed-Shaibu followed it up with a spin and shot in the box for the same result.
Nathan Dimou, involved in an incident toward the end of the first 45’ minutes that saw Shaibu receive the first yellow card of the match, returned to the field in the number 13 shirt under the blood rule.
It was better from the home side however, the onus was on them to take the game to Northbridge who could afford to sit on their lead and look to counter quickly on the break.
Lachlan MacDonald finally found the net for Sutherland when lashing home a loose ball in the 65th minute to reduce the deficit and haul his side back into the game.
It rejuvenated the home side but also shook the Bulls out of their inertia by utilising their blistering pace down the flanks, particularly from Webber on the right.
Sutherland did find the net again but the whistle had already gone for a foul on the ‘keeper after a goalmouth scramble from a Lindsay in-swinging corner.
Kaye denied Andrew when a ball over the top allowed the Sutherland striker to get in behind in the 78th minute with the home side throwing everything forward and any semblance of caution to the winds.
The attacking mentality paid off when Bouzanis punted a free kick from inside his own half into the mix, with the ball cleared only as far as substitute Mitch Smith to lash home on the volley through a sea of bodies with eight minutes to play.
Sutherland were finishing strongly but once more during the 2022 campaign they were doing it the hard way by coming back from a couple of goals down.
It might have gotten better for the Sharks when Smith played Andrew in once more only to see Kaye pull off another fine save late on.
Bouzanis caused flutters before the final whistle when he lost the ball as Webber pounced, but he was unable to get a shot away and the match finished all square.
It encapsulated Sutherland’s campaign that all too regularly proved too big a hurdle to get over, but a point in the final home game was deserved as they head to Wollongong for the final fixture of 2022.
For Northbridge it was a case of what might have been.
“The way we played in the first half was exceptional and we were probably unlucky not to be further ahead,” said Bulls coach Mile Sterjovski.
“We knew they would come out strongly after the break and we were forced to make a few changes through injury which may have disrupted our rhythm a bit but credit to Sutherland, they fought hard until the end and earned a point.
“There is always progress, things to learn and for us the focus is on developing players and to get them to the next level and in terms of that we’ve been quite successful with three or four players making the step up to A-League so we’ll try to improve on that next season and get a few more up there.”
“We simply didn’t turn up for the first 25’ minutes,” said Sharks’ coach Steve Gordon.
“That was disappointing obviously with a young side and we made it difficult for ourselves again.
“We found our stride toward the end of the half and came out hot for the second and started performing like a playing side and we didn’t let them have a shot after the break.
“But that’s been our season, a few slack moments and we’ve been punished for them and then we have to try and get back into games but we’ve certainly proven over the last six-weeks that we can chase.
“At least we got something out of the game in what has been a difficult year for us, we got hit again with Covid this week and we started the match with two 17-year-olds on the pitch but they got the opportunity and did well.
“We came back after a slack opening, which is good and that is a pleasing response.”
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 2 (Lachlan MacDonald 65’, Mitch Smith 82’)
Northbridge Bulls 2 (Jesper Webber 6′, Diego Bonilla 15’)
Seymour Shaw, Miranda
Saturday 23rd July 2022
Referee: Jake Rose
Assistants: Cameron Wright and Rebecca Mackie
Fourth Official: Joel Crawford
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Anthony Bouzanis, 6. Patrick O’Shea, 7. Evan Ball, 8. Jason Madonis, 9. Jeremy Cox, 10. Lachlan Everett, 11. John Fotopoulos, 12. Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu (18. Mitch Smith 62’_, 14. Chris Lindsay, 17. James Andrew, 99. Lachlan MacDonald
Substitutes Not Used: 13. Nicholas Karavatakis, 25. Luke Sauer, 26. Jacob Cremen-Cowan, 33. Matthew Jackson,
Yellow Cards: Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu 44’, jaso Madoni 94’
Red Cards: Nil
Northbridge Bulls: 20. Levi Kaye, 2. Charlie Ragg, 3. Nathan Dimou, 4. Anthony Sparacino, 6. Isaac Hovar, 7. Mason Wells (5. Ante Krilic 63’), 9. Diego Bonilla, 11. Stephan De Robillard, 12. Marcus Sparacino (17. Nicholas Panuccio 54’), 14. Rhys Youlley (21. Matthew O’Donoghue 81’), 15. Jesper Webber
Substitutes Not Used: 8. Jonathan Maras, 18. Alexander Trajanoski, 22. Griffin Barry
Yellow Cards: Rhys Youlley 75’, Isaac Hovar 77’
Red Cards: Nil
By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
