St George and Mariners settle for a point
Easter Saturday saw St George City and Central Coast Mariners share the spoils as both teams played out a 1-1 draw in Round 10 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition at Penshurst Park.
After a scoreless first half, it was the visitors who took the lead through a Cameron Windust header but St George City deservedly equalised via substitute Aiden Mostofi to round out the scoring on a windy and chilly autumn evening in Sydney’s South.
The match at times seemed to grind its way forward and both sides certainly had their chances to take home the full three points.
The Mariners were the better side in the first half but St George City dominated the second stanza of play and, at times, the young academy side were dutifully saved by their goalkeeper Patrick Beach.
The opening chance of the game belonged to the Mariners when Lachlan Bayliss fed the ball to Olayinka Sunmola who fired a great shot on target, but Nicholas Burke, back between the sticks after serving a one-week suspension, made an equally impressive save.
In the 14th minute it was Sunmola again for the visitors, only this time with a long range shot that finished just a fraction wide and away for a corner thanks to a slight deflection.
At the half way mark of the first half Miguel Di Pizio provided the assist to Nicholas Duarte who curled a great shot just over the crossbar.
A few minutes later and the Mariners were knocking on the door again with Jordan Segreto who found himself with the ball at his feet, but a crucial intervention from experienced defender Daniel Alessi saw the ball turned away for another Mariners corner.
St George’s first and best chance arrived on the half hour mark. Some delightful work down the right flank by Presley Ortiz ended with a superb cross into the middle for Kosta Petratos but somehow, from close range, Beach saved at his feet.
A free kick from Nathan Roberts a minute later for the home side once again brought out the best in goalkeeper Beach who managed to neutralise the long-range effort for the hosts.
It was to be the last effort of the first half as both teams entered the dressing sheds deadlocked at the break.
In the second half the first real opportunity fell to St George in the 56th minute when Maki Petratos fired a rocket from just outside the box, but Beach at full stretch pulled off a sensational save to turn the ball away for a corner.
On the hour mark a long diagonal shot by Kosta Petratos from the right beat all and sundry and finished just wide and across the face of goal.
The Mariners broke the deadlock from a set piece in the 73rd minute.
A long corner was headed superbly back into the box by Bayliss for Windust who, in turn, headed in from close range. Just as it happened in the last round against Sydney FC, St George City found themselves undone again by a set piece situation.
St George meritoriously equalised in the 86th minute when Mostofi, with virtually his first touch of the encounter, from an acute angle threaded the ball in for a well deserved gaol.
In the 94th minute Pedro Ferrari could have, and perhaps should have, given St George the victory when he sensationally volleyed from long range after free kick was only partially cleared and the ball missed the goal by the narrowest of margins.
After the game St George City coach Mirko Jurilj had a mixed reaction to the draw.
“They have a lot of motivation against us because we have played them ten times now and they have never beaten us,” he said.
“They were pretty robust and physical and obviously very athletic as a young team. The first half was probably even but in the second half there was really only one team, but we conceded unfortunately from a corner.
“It’s our undoing at the moment and it’s not good enough. I was happy that we came back from a goal down and their ‘keeper pulled off an unbelievable save; I suppose a point is better than no points but on our home patch it’s a little disappointing.”
On the other hand Central Coast Mariners coach Abbas Saad, relishing his return to coaching in Australia after a three-year absence, was also regretting the one that got away.
“I am disappointed with the result at the end because I thought that we deserved the three points,” he said.
“We had most of the good moments and it’s just unfortunate that, at the end, their goal came off a deflection off my player’s shin.
“They are not an easy team to play, they are experienced and they are a good team but we went toe-to-toe for 90 minutes with them and pushed them all the way, so I am very proud.
“We have been a bit unlucky in most of our games so we needed this bit of a turnaround.”
Match Stats
ST GEORGE CITY: 1 (Mostofi 86’)
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS: 1 (Windust 73’)
Saturday 8th April 2023
Penshurst Park
Referee: Sam Kelly
Assistant Referees: Blake Sanchez Cruz and Charbel Geha
Fourth Official: Hadi Al-Nakeeb
ST GEORGE CITY: 1. Nicholas Burke, 2. Pedro Ferrari, 3. Daniel Alessi, 4. Brendan Hooper, 6. Tarik Ercan, 7. Nathan Roberts (23. Franco Maya 80’), 8. Dominic Cox, 11. Kosta Petratos, 30. Presley Ortiz (20. Aiden Mostofi 80’), 70. Maki Petratos, 99. Matthew Keremelevski (24. Alexander Kyriacou 80’).
Substitutes not used: 10. Paolo Mitry, 12 Jack Kenny, 14. Dean Pelekanos
Yellow Cards: Hooper 45’ + 2, Keremelevski 54’, Cox 92’
Red Cards: Nil
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS: 30. Patrick Beach, 3. Joshua Hong (21. Maksim Kasalovic 67’), 4. Dean Larson, 5. Cameron Windust, 6. James Bayliss, 8. Lachlan Bayliss (16. William Arnold 82’), 9. Miguel Di Pizio (23. Aidan Milicevic 67’), 10. Nicholas Duarte (17. George Daniel 89’), 12. Olayinka Sunmola, 15. Jordan Segreto, 24. Zac Zoricich.
Substitutes not used: 7. Aydan Hammond, 20. Anthony Pavlesic.
Yellow Cards: Hong 48’, Arnold 92’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Pedro Ferrari (SGO)
2 – Maki Petratos (SGO)
1 – Patrick Beach (CCM)
By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s reporter Joe Russo
