Round 6 Review – NPL NSW Men’s
Let’s check out the mini reviews from Round 6 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition.
Wollongong Wolves 1 v Rockdale Illinden 3 at WIN Stadium – Full Report and Highlights
Rockdale Ilinden maintained their promising start to the 2023 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition and made it four successive wins, downing Wollongong Wolves 3-1 at WIN Stadium on Friday night.
The away side were ruthless in the first half going into the sheds with a three-goal advantage.
Jaden Casella bagging a birthday-brace before Alec Urosevski scored to make it a dream opening 45 minutes for Rockdale.
Mirza Muratovic pulled a goal back for Wollongong just after the hour mark, but it wasn’t enough to get them back into the game.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 0 v Western Sydney Wanderers 0 at Popondetta Park – Full Report and Highlights
Honours were even on Friday evening as the Mt Druitt Town Rangers and NWS Spirit FC played out a gritty 0-0 draw at Popondetta Park.
It was the Rangers’ first home match of 2023 as Popondetta Park received a touch up with the pitch looking immaculate although there was very little action and goals which sadly put a dampener on the Round 6 fixture.
It was the visitors who looked the more likely to score across the ninety minutes, but their lack of finishing yet again let them down.
The hosts did have two golden chances through Kotaro Katsuta and Anthony Frangie but both teams settled for a point.
Bulls FC Academy 0 v Sydney United 58 1 at Sydney United Sports Centre – Full Report and Highlights
Veteran midfielder Glen Trifiro’s strike on the hour mark was enough to separate an experienced Sydney United 58 side against valiant Bulls FC Academy outfit at Sydney United Sports Centre on Saturday evening.
In an intense, fast-paced and action-packed game both sets of players put on notable performances, putting their bodies on the line in pursuit of three points.
The United 58 faithful had to wait an hour until the first goal where Patrick Antelmi skilfully held up his defender and laid the ball off to Trifiro who neatly placed his shot in the bottom corner.
Manly United 2 v St George City 0 at Cromer Park – Full Report and Highlights
A goal in each half saw Manly United return to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over St George City FA at Cromer Park on Saturday night.
A Dom Ferguson stunner half an hour in opened the scoring for the side from the Northern Beaches, before veteran Matt Sim put the result beyond doubt with a late spot kick.
The experienced attacker’s penalty was scored at the second attempt following a re-take – ensuring Patrick Zwaanswijk’s men would rise to the top half of the table for the first time this season.
Sutherland Sharks 0 v APIA Leichhardt 1 at Seymour Shaw Park – Full Report and Highlights
It took a 79th minute goal from APIA Leichhardt FC star Jack Stewart that gifted his side a 1-0 win over the Sutherland Sharks FC at Seymour Shaw Park on a steamy Saturday afternoon.
Having proved the provider for Diego Celis for much of the match, it was the latter who laid the ball on for Stewart to lash home a sweet left-footer beyond the despairing dive of Marko Bulic that gifted Franco Parisi’s men three points.
Marconi Stallions 2 v Blacktown City 0 at Marconi Stadium – Full Report and Highlights
Dubbed the ‘clash of the titans’ battle throughout the years, the Marconi Stallions rose to the occasion and took all three points at the Palace with a 2-0 victory over Blacktown City in their Round 6 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash on Saturday evening.
It was a former Blacktown City star in Japanese import Hiroaki Aoyama that came back to hunt his ex-club as he opened the scoring early in the first half before Jordi Swibel doubled the lead right on the stroke of half-time.
Western Sydney Wanderers 3 v Sydney Olympic 2 at Wanderers Football Park – Full Report and Highlights
Western Sydney Wanderers have claimed all three points in a blistering match against Sydney Olympic at Wanderers Football Park as the hosts ran out 3-2 winners.
The Wanderers opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a clever attacking move.
George Antonis switched the play to find Jesse Cameron, who after combining with Marcus Younis crossed into the feet of Ariath Piol in the box.
The striker latched onto a bouncing ball, held off his defender well and laid the ball off to Jarrod Carluccio, who finished emphatically.
Piol doubled the Wanderers’ lead in the 31st minute, after being slid in by Younis off a clinical attacking transition.
However, Sydney Olympic fashioned a fantastic first half comeback, as Adam Parkhouse converted a good finish into the far bottom right corner off a loose ball, before setting up Roy O’Donovan to find the equaliser with a pinpoint cross to the back post.
At the end of the first half, Sydney Olympic’s continued comeback was stagnated, as they were reduced to ten men with no. 3 sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
The Wanderers capitalised and went ahead in the 70th minute as substitutes Zachary Sapsford and Nathanael Blair combined, with the latter finishing off a good cross at the back post.
Sydney Olympic had chances to find an equaliser, and the Wanderers could have extended their advantage, but neither found the back of the net and the home side picked up their second victory of the campaign.
Sydney FC 3 v Central Coast Mariners 1 at Valentine Sports Park – Full Report and Highlights
Sydney FC have recorded their first back-to-back win for the season taking down rivals Central Coast Mariners 3-1 in a battle of the A-League academies at Valentine Sports Park.
An action-packed encounter that saw the stars of tomorrow go up against one another, an Alen Harbas brace in the 35th and 80th minute helped lead the Sky Blues to victory.
Harbas wasn’t the only player to have his name on the scoresheet for Sydney, with NPL Men’s debutant Mitchell Glasson scoring in the 83rd minute to cement the game.
For the Mariners, defender Sasha Kuzevski scored the club’s only goal off a brilliant set piece from a free kick. Although, they were unfortunate not to double their score after several goal-scoring opportunities.
However, it was Sydney FC goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot who stole the show. The 16-year-old delivered save after save and earned heavy praise from coach Jim Van Weeran after the game.