Olympic thumped by merciless Blacktown City
Blacktown City have handed Sydney Olympic a heavy defeat in a stunning performance at Landen Stadium, scoring five and conceding one in round seven of National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s.
Sydney Olympic, operating in a different system to their last match against Western Sydney Wanderers, looked dangerous on attacking transitions to begin the match, with Fabio Ferreira finding pockets of space as an attacking midfielder and looking to find the onrushing two wingers and striker ahead of him.
Blacktown City’s first shot of the match was a prosperous one, as a cross was brought down well by Carlos De Oliveira – he turned and shot from the centre of the box, but the effort was blocked wide.
Fifteen minutes in, Blacktown found the opener with a clinical, direct attacking move.
A long ball found Jak O’Brien in behind, and the forward made no mistake in converting coolly past the stranded Nicholas Sorras.
A good move from Ferreira almost saw Sydney Olympic equalise in the 26th minute – the attacking midfielder latched onto a loose ball and cutely chipped it over his marker, before lashing a volleyed effort just over the bar from close range.
Blacktown went inches off adding a second goal in the 33rd minute, but Travis Major’s header off a beautiful back post ball from O’Brien was cleared off the goal line.
Three minutes later, the move – from a deeper set piece this time – was repeated, but Major’s header at the far post was over the bar.
Major did double their lead in the 42nd minute, off an open play shot, rather than a headered set piece.
De Oliveira drove forwards on an attacking transition and after holding off, found Major with an incisive pass in the box.
The star striker took a touch to steady himself under pressure, before releasing a disguised shot into the bottom left corner.
Sydney Olympic had the first chance of the second half, with some good combination play down the right seeing a cross find the head of Roy O’Donovan, with the resulting shot going over the bar.
Blacktown added a third to their tally in the 52nd minute, with De Oliveira adding his name to the scoresheet.
Some fantastic play down the left saw Adam Berry released in behind with space on the flank.
He measured in a good cross to the back post, which found the free and awaiting De Oliveira, who made no mistake in converting to make it three for the home side.
Three minutes later, Blacktown were presented with a chance to gain a fourth, with Sydney Olympic conceding a penalty, after some great work from Grant Lynch saw the left-back eventually cross dangerously to the back post from the left flank, with the cutback resulting in a foul.
Sorras saved the initial effort from Major, but he made no mistake on the rebound, thumping a volleyed effort off the post and into the back of the net.
Sydney Olympic reduced the deficit in the 61st minute, as a good outswinging corner from Adam Parkhouse found the head of defender Zygmunt Gordon, who emphatically converted with a powerful effort off the gloves of Tristan Prendergast.
The away side looked to be forming a comeback, as a fantastic turn and pass from Oliver Puflett found a free Roy O’Donovan, but his goal bound effort was cleared sharply off the line.
Blacktown remained dangerous on counter-attacks, with Mario Shabow the heartbeat of the home side’s swift moves up the field.
They scored a fifth in the 72nd minute off a fantastic build-up move, an alternative to their dangerous attacking transitions.
Lynch whipped in a delicious cross from a wide left position, and Major directed the ball goalwards.
It looked to have crossed the goalline, but O’Brien passed it into an empty net to make sure notching up his eighth of the NPL NSW Men’s season.
The home side almost found a sixth in the 85th minute, but O’Brien’s attempted shot from range in free space was just off target.
Blacktown City gained their fourth win of the campaign, while Sydney Olympic will look to bounce back next week against NWS Spirit FC after suffering their fourth loss in a row heaping pressure on the former NSL giants who have had a fluttering start to the 2023 season under coach Labinot Haliti.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 5 (O’Brien 15’, 72’, Major 42’, 57’, De Oliveira 52’)
Sydney Olympic FC 1 (Gordon 61’)
Sunday 19 March, 2023
Landen Stadium
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Matthew Harris and Arinath Gobinath
Fourth Official: Declan Woods
Blacktown City FC: 1. Tristan Prendergast, 3. Daniel Collins, 4. Lachlan Campbell, 5. Grant Lynch, 7. Travis Major (17. Tatsuya Kato 83’), 8. Jak O’Brien, 10. Mario Shabow (C) (46. Abbas Karnib 83’), 12. Tyren Burnie, 18. Nicholas O’Brien (14. Caleb Jackson-Brown 58’), 19. Adam Berry, 22. Carlos De Oliveira (16. Ben Berry 73’)
Substitutes Not Used: 30. Jacob Fernandez, 43. Enrico Mazzotta
Yellow Cards: O’Brien 27’
Red Cards: N/A
Sydney Olympic FC: 1. Nicholas Sorras, 4. Benjamin van Meurs, 5. Zygmunt Gordon (C), 8. Sam Mcillhatton, 10. Darcy Burgess (14. James Georgaklis 45’), 11. Adam Parkhouse, 12. Matthew Buettner (7. William Angel 45’), 22. Fabio Ferreira, 23. Jakob Cresnar, 29. Nick Fitzgerald (9. Oliver Puflett 45’), 99. Roy O’Donovan
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Christopher Parsons, 24. Hagi Gligor
Yellow Cards: Buettner 35, Angel 55’, O’Donovan 64’
Red Cards:
Player ratings
3 – Travis Major (BC)
2 – Grant Lynch (BC)
1 – Carlos De Oliveira (BC)
By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
