United 58 stunned by last minute Sydney FC winner
Sixteen-year-old Mitchell Glasson was the hero for Sydney FC as they secured an impressive last minute 1-0 win over Sydney United 58 on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon at Sydney United Sports Centre – A win which knocked United 58 off the top of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s ladder with Rockdale Ilinden bagging pole position after seven rounds.
In a game that was heavily affected by the heat in the first half, it wasn’t until the 90th minute when the Sky Blues would snatch an monumental late goal.
After getting past his man in the box, Kealey Adamson picked out Glasson at the back post where he calmly headed his chance home to give Sydney FC the winner in the 90th minute.
Sydney FC returned to Edensor Park full of confidence after their stunning 6-1 victory over United 58 last season.
It was the visitors who found themselves with the first real chance of the game with Clayton Taylor being sent through on goal by Adrian Segecic only for his goal bound shot to be bravely denied by Yianni Fragogiannis.
Upon the resumption of play after the first drinks break, it was the hosts who found the upper hand and began to dominate the game.
United 58 came close on two occasions after the break with Patrick Antelmi’s long-range effort going over the sticks before Chris Payne’s looping header was sensationally saved by Adam Pavlesic.
It was a tale of two drinks breaks with the Sky Blues finding more success in the final 15 minutes of the half, culminating with the closest chance of the game when Nathan Paull saw his header clawed off the line by Danijel Nizic.
In a first half heavily affected by the heat neither side was able to find the back of the net leaving it all up for grabs in the final 45 minutes of play.
Aaron Gurd denied United 58 of what looked to be the opening goal of the game after he crucially got in front of a goal bound Antelmi to take the sting out of his shot.
The Sky Blues began to knock on the door of the United 58 defence and came agonisingly close on two separate occasions from Segecic as two of his efforts narrowly skimmed past the face of goal.
Taisei Kaneko decided to take matters into his own hands to try and open the scoring, making a damaging run down the by-line before cutting in and stinging the hands of Pavlesic before the visiting defence cleared the rebound.
With the game heading towards a likely stalemate, Payne was gifted a golden opportunity to give the hosts all three points.
After being played in behind the Sydney defence Payne was left with just the keeper to beat, his effort went past the keeper but came within inches of the back post and went out for a goal kick.
Pavlesic came to his side’s rescue in the 77th minute, pulling off an acrobatic save to deny a perfectly placed header from Payne that was destined for the back of the net.
The hosts had to survive some a late surge from the Sky Blues, as both sides gave it their all in pursuit of three points.
Sydney opened the scoring in the final minute of regulation after Adamson perfectly placed his cross into the path of Glasson for a near open header from close range.
United 58 threw everyone forward in search of an injury-time winner and came within inches of returning the game to a draw.
A long throw-in from the hosts found its way to the back stick where a cross picked out Payne, with his header bouncing off the top of the crossbar a follow-up shot from Bakmaz was blocked by Gurd and eventually cleared.
The Sky Blues walked away from Edensor Park with another win, leaving coach Jim Van Weeren ecstatic with his side’s performance.
“I think it’s huge, 16-year-old Mitch Glasson comes on as a sub and scores a header like that it’s class, what was also pleasing was the way the boys defended with real desperation to limit their chances,” he said.
“Adam (Pavlesic) made two or three really good saves and at the end, there was a few defenders who made some really big blocks to make sure they didn’t get shots on target; it was a really great collective performance defensively.”
United 58 coach Miro Vlastelica noted his disappointment in the late defeat but took the positives out of the attacking chances his side produced.
“I’m disappointed, we created enough chances but didn’t take them, we could have scored three, four goals, in the end they got one-half chance take it and they win the game,” he said.
“I’d be worried if we weren’t creating, credit to Pava (Pavlesic) in goals for them he pulled off some brilliant saves, at the end of the day we created enough chances to win two, three games, you don’t score you don’t win games simple.”
Match Stats
Sydney United 58 FC 0
Sydney FC 1 (Glasson 90’)
Sunday 19th March, 2023
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Referee: Ivica Covic
Assistant Referees: Logan Jones and James Markis
Fourth Official: Jackson Mackie
Sydney United 58 FC: 1. Danijel Nizic, 3. Bailey Rule (14. Andreas Agamemnonos 90’) 4. Adrian Vlastelica, 5. Anthony Tomelic (2. Cristian Gonzalez 65’), 6. Christopher Payne, 7. Taisei Kaneko (16. Ante Bakmaz 65’), 8. Jason Madonis (10. Devante Clut 53’), 9. Patrick Antelmi (18. Glen Trifiro 53’), 11. Yianni Perkatis, 17. Matthew Bilic, 21. Yianni Fragogiannis
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Luke Cukar
Yellow Cards: Tomelic 5’, Perkatis 37’, Gonzalez 90’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 30. Adam Pavlesic, 4. Nathan Paull, 8. Kealey Adamson, 10. Alen Harbas (17. Mitchell Glasson 63’), 11. Clayton Taylor, 18. Oscar Priestman (6. Matthew Scarcella 45’), 19. Adrian Segecic (24. Jayden Trenkoski 63’), 21. Louis Agosti (13. Hayden Matthews 90’), 28. Jake Girdwood-Reich, 29. Aaron Gurd, 34. Max Buratto (9. Luka Smyth 63’)
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Gus Hoefsloot
Yellow Cards: Trenkoski 90’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Adam Pavlesic (SFC)
2 – Aaron Gurd (SFC)
1 – Mitchell Glasson (SFC)
Written By NPL NSW Men’s reporter Dominic Criniti, @DominicCriniti
