Wollongong Wolves earned a vital three points over Manly United getting up 3-0 at Cromer Park on Saturday night ending their recent bad run of results.
After a goalless first period, the visitors found the net three times to push the side back up the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s table.
Jake Trew opened the scoring in the 55th minute before Lachlan Scott and Christopher McStay each scored to blow the result out.
The Wolves made a purposeful start to the match and almost scored within five minutes.
Midfielder Samuel Riak received the ball inside the box and looked to place an effort inside the right post that went just wide.
David Carney’s troops pushed forward again three minutes later, this time Lachlan Scott’s side-footed shot from close range flew into Levi Kaye’s gloves.
Manly began to work their way into the game midway through the half with a couple of key chances.
In the 21st minute, a high ball dropped inside the box to Harry McCarthy with Tomas Butkovic out of his goal.
The attacker picked out Marcus Lal to his right who, facing Banri Kanaizumi on the line, blasted the ball goalwards only for the Wolves defender to pull off an incredible block.
United had another opportunity just seconds later as Matt Sim lined up a volley from the right edge of the box that swerved narrowly wide of the far post.
Wollongong went down the other end 24 minutes in with Alex Masciovecchio dragging a strike from the right of the box towards the left post that was expertly tipped around by Kaye.
The Wolves went close twice before halftime, and Takumi Ofuka was involved in both.
With four minutes to play, Ofuka’s left-sided corner was awkwardly nodded backwards by Manly’s Alen Aganovic onto the crossbar.
A minute later, Ofuka drove into the left of the box intent on curling one into the right side of the net, but it was another impressive save from Kaye who did very well to hold onto the ball.
The Manly goalkeeper produced one more sensational save before halftime as early substitute Trew’s left-sided cross deflected to Lachlan Scott who forced Kaye into a sharp stop.
There were plenty of moments to score for both teams in the first half, but both teams went into the break with the deadlock still to be broken.
United had a shot only a couple of minutes after halftime with Sim’s left-footed curler from the edge of the box going straight at Butkovic.
However ten minutes into the half, Wollongong opened the scoring.
McStay’s original effort from outside the box was spilled by Kaye into the path of Trew who made no mistake from close-in to give the visitors a lead.
It got better for Wollongong in the 66th minute, adding their second goal of the game.
Walter Scott’s right-sided free-kick meet the head of Lachlan Scott who glanced the ball into the left side of the goal, putting the Wolves in a commanding position.
The away side continued to cause problems for Manly and picked up a third goal seven minutes after their second.
A left-sided corner bounced out to McStay on the edge of the box who fired home through several bodies, adding further gloss to a convincing Wollongong display.
Trew nearly scored Wollongong’s fourth in stoppage time, however, his header from point-blank range was saved by Kaye.
The Wolves saw out the remaining minutes to secure an important victory on the road as it finally brought a smile out of coach David Carney following a recent run of tough results.
Match Stats
Manly United FC 0
Wollongong Wolves 3 (Jake Trew 55’, Lachlan Scott 66’, Christopher McStay 73’)
Saturday 22 April 2023
Cromer Park, Manly
Referee: Danny Horstead
Assistant Referees: Nick Gela and Charbel Geha
Fourth Official: Jackson Mackie
Manly United FC: 20. Levi Kaye (GK), 5. Thomas Fay, 7. Seiya Kambayashi (C), 11. Matthew Sim (8. Dominic Ferguson 67’), 12. Kristian Santich, 18. Lucas Rainbird, 19. Alen Aganovic, 22. Bilal Belkadi (32. Saxon Hillyer 67’), 23. Harry McCarthy (39. Stefano Rossello 77’), 29. Hunter Elliot (35. Max Martinello 77’), 31. Marcus Lal (41. Stefan Visscher 77’)
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Jack Greenwood (GK)
Yellow Cards: Bilal Belkadi 52’
Red Cards: Nil
Wollongong Wolves FC: 13. Tomas Butkovic (GK), 3. Harrison Buesnel, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 8. Samuel Riak (6. Senna Stevenson 84’), 9. Takumi Ofuka, 10. Mirza Muratovic (14. Jake Trew 39’), 15. Ethan Beaven, 23. Walter Scott, 24. Lachlan Scott (C), 25. Alex Masciovecchio (7. Marcus Beattie 81’), 88. Christopher McStay
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Nenad Vekic (GK), 4. Dax Kelly, 11. Nav Darjani
Yellow Cards: Ethan Beavan 28’, Walter Scott 76’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Christopher McStay (WW)
2 – Samuel Riak (WW)
1 – Walter Scott (WW)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
