Wolves clinical as Sharks suffer home loss
David Carney’s Wollongong Wolves proved to be too clinical as they took home the three precious thanks to a 3-0 victory over the Sutherland Sharks on a balmy Saturday evening at Seymour Shaw.
The Wolves opened the scoring in the 17th minute via skipper Lachlan Scott from the spot.
And although the Sharks enjoyed the majority of possession, it resulted in nothing as two late goals from substitute Alex Masciovecchio, against his former team, sealed the show and points for Wollongong.
The home side were causing plenty of problems early on with their width and pace down the flanks and sharp interchange passing with Connor Rose a whisker away from giving the Sharks the lead in the opening minute.
Sharks keeper Marko Bulic then denied Lachlan Scott on ten minutes, when the striker sliced through the Sharks’ defence like a hot knife through butter, reminding the home side about the weapons they possess in their armoury.
A penalty was then awarded to the visitors in the 16’ minute, for an obvious foul inside the box, that Lachlan Scott confidently struck home when sending Bulic the wrong way to open the scoring.
After surrendering the lead to draw last weekend in the opening game of the season against APIA Leichhardt FC, the Wolves were not about to be complacent against a rapidly improving and dangerous Sharks side.
Rose slipped a delicious ball in for former Wolf Hamish Lamberton in the 29’ minute but his touch on the ball took it past Thomas Butkovic between the sticks but agonisingly crawling past the back post for the home side.
Butkovic was called into action again two minutes later when pushing an Alex Brown shot up into the air and having to scramble back to keep it out of the net at the second attempt.
Sutherland were forcing the Wolves back deep into their own half and started to find cracks and created openings but looked susceptible to the counter-attack.
Mirza Muratovic spotted Bulic off his line and attempted an audacious lob from inside his own half that had it been on target may have had the Sharks in trouble, but it ended wide of the target.
Chris McStay, back on one of his old stomping grounds, stung the palms of Bulic late on but half-time arrived with the solitary goal coming from the spot giving Wollongong the advantage going into the break.
It was Mitch Stamatellis who forced Butkovic into a fine fingertip save when the ball fell nicely for him inside the box as the hosts started the better of the two in the second half.
Bulic denied Lachlan Scott at the other end when the striker latched onto a delightful McStay cross from the right in the 54’ minute, a goal certainly would have consolidated their lead but it remained at 1-0.
Marcus Beattie, Wolves’ red haired pocket dynamo, was a constant thorn in the side of Sutherland with his lung-busting runs down the right-wing that gave left-back Nathan Grimaldi plenty to think about.
But it was a break down the left via Walter Scott who crossed for substitute Alex Masciovecchio to head home with his first touch of the ball after coming on for Josh MacDonald literally seconds earlier.
With half-an-hour to play, would Wolves’ give up the lead for a second week running was the question being asked but they looked determined to take all three points, the other question was; How would the home side respond at going two-nil down.
A flurry of substitutions entered the game in a match as the game saw an injection of a several faces.
Sutherland peppered the penalty area with plenty of long balls, but Butkovic and the Wolves defence were up to the task and no clear-cut chances were created.
Jordan Roberts, Sharks’ skipper, flashed a free-kick wide of the upright at the back end of the half but still the home side could not find a way through and when Wolves managed to clear a Grimaldi header off the line.
Masciovecchio then broke through and should have squared the ball for a certain 3-0 lead but instead attempted to beat Bulic who bravely saved his shot, but a second opportunity was squandered on the rebound before Takumi Ofuka shaved the crossbar seconds later in the 86’ minute.
Masciovecchio made amends in stoppage time adding his second of the match and Wollongong’s third as the Sharks’ stretched defence was found wanting.
It was the second week the Sharks failed to hit the back of the net, somewhat of a concern for Sharks coach Damir Prodanovic.
At the final whistle it was David Carney who was the happier of the two coaches as he celebrated his maiden win in the 2023 NPL NSW Men’s competition.
“It was one of those games, they played well in patches,” he said.
“But once we nullified what they were doing after half-time, I think we controlled the game and even when they had the ball, they didn’t really threaten too much.
“We looked very dangerous on the break and capitalised on our chances and probably should have had more after hitting the woodwork a couple of times and missing a few one on ones.
“That said, I was very happy with the performance but at 2-0 I did have a thought about last week but it’s a strong win for us and as always glad to keep a clean sheet.”
Damir Prodanovic took out some positives in the Sharks first home loss of the 2023 NPL NSW Men’s season.
“It’s obviously a difficult start for us in terms of our results this season, but there was plenty in both performances to take out that we can certainly build on.
“Today was all about ‘moments’ in the match and the early penalty was a killer for us but after that we got momentum and really started controlling the game and created chances, but we were 1-0 down at the break.
“We had opportunities in the second-half but we didn’t take them and at this level you have to take what’s on offer or you will lose games and tonight was one of those nights unfortunately but plenty for us to build on going forward,” he concluded.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 0
Wollongong Wolves 3 (Lachlan Scott (pen) 17’, Alex Masciovecchio 60’, 90+3)
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Saturday 11th February 2023
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistants: Matt Staples and Jeh Coutinho
Fourth Official: Mujtaba Ebrahimi
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Marko Bulic, 2 Takahide Umebachi, 3. Jordan Roberts, 4. Mitch Stamatellis, 6. Brodie Clarkson, 7. Connor Rose, 8. Alexander Brown, 9. Hamish Lamberton (17. Levi Sciuriaga 69’), 11. Fumoto Kamada, 15. Nathan Grimaldi, 33. Louis Khoury (91. Jonty Busch 69’)
Subs not used: 14. Chris Lindsay, 19. Evan Ball, 22. Jacob Cremen-Cowan, 43. Ikko Ehode Arimoto
Yellow Cards: Jordan Roberts 45+1’
Red Cards:
Wollongong Wolves: 13. Thomas Butkovic, 3. Harrison Buesnel, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 7. Marcus Beattie, 8. Samuel Riak, 9. Takumi Ofuka, 10. Mirza Muratovic (6. Senna Stevenson 89’), 23. Walter Scott, 24. Lachlan Scott (14. Jake Trew 77’), 88. Chris McStay, 99. Joshua MacDonald (25. Alex Masciovecchio 60’)
Subs not used: 1. Nenad Vekic, 15. Ethan Beaven, 17. Jake Lavalle
Yellow Cards: Lachlan Scott 57’, Marcus Beattie 69’
Red Cards:
Player Ratings
3 – Lachlan Scott (WW)
2 – Alex Masciovecchio (WW)
1 – Mitch Stamatellis (SS)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
