Wolves held again at home against Rangers

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Wollongong Wolves played out their second scoreless draw in a row sharing the points with Mount Druitt Town Rangers on Friday night at WIN Stadium.

Wollongong put in a strong first-half showing but failed to make their chances count before the Rangers came into the game in the second period.

The Wolves got off to a fast start looking dangerous from set pieces early on.

In the 10th minute defender Harrison Buesnel got his head to a right-sided corner at the back post but could only find the side netting.

Two minutes later, Lachlan Scott brought the ball down in the box following a left-sided corner, however, Rangers’ goalkeeper Dylan Niski batted it away.

Mount Druitt responded to this pressure 21 minutes in when Anthony Frangie’s central free-kick flew just past the left post.

Wollongong almost took the lead with five minutes to play in the first half as Lachlan Scott unleashed a fierce volley from the edge of the box that forced Niski into a strong save.

The hosts had one more chance before the break when Banri Kanaizumi rose highest from a left-sided corner nodding goalwards with Niski required to smother the ball.

After last week’s frustrating draw for Wollongong, at halftime it looked like more of the same with the side unable to convert their chances.

The second half adopted a frantic pace in the opening minutes with both teams having great chances to score.

Two minutes in, Buesnel went close again with a header at the back post as it fell just wide of the left post.

The visitors went down the other end straight away as Jackson Bandiera wriggled his way into the left of box but fired wide of the near post.

Frangie had a shot from the edge of the box for Mount Druitt in the 50th minute that went straight at Tomas Butkovic in the Wollongong goal.

Just before the hour mark Anthony Gallo’s effort from outside the box took a looping deflection that allowed Butkovic to hold onto.

The game began to be a lot more end-to-end as it went on, with plenty of action on the break.

Sixty-three minutes in, Jake Trew burst down the left before cutting inside but his consequent effort rolled to Niski.

Rangers’ substitute Nikola Skataric nearly had an instant impact off the bench in the 67th minute as he took on a shot from inside the box that powered across the face of goal.

A few seconds later, Wollongong’s Marcus Beattie saw his first-time effort from the edge of the box deflected over the bar.

As the game moved into the final 10 minutes, it still looked like either team could steal the points.

However, in the end neither side was able to find the decisive touch, with the points shared.

Wollongong Wolves forward Jake Trew was left disappointed by another draw, but believed the team are getting closer to picking up some better results.

“[It was] not the best performance from us.

“We dominated in parts but just lacked a bit of quality and sometimes just the basics weren’t right,” Trew explained.

“I feel like we’re playing well in parts, it’s just that final pass sometimes and that last 10 percent that will get us over the line, but I feel like it’s coming.”

Mount Druitt assistant coach Andy Montgomery was pleased with the clean sheet away from home that continues a strong run of form for the side.

“I don’t think it was a pleasant one on the eye for anyone watching it, but I think we came here knowing they were a physical side and were quite direct and we knew we had to earn the right to play here. I don’t know if we quite did that,” Montgomery said.

“We want to win every game and I think that we’re moving towards a mentality and a headspace that we are here to win every game.”

Match Stats

Wollongong Wolves 0

Mount Druitt Town Rangers 0

Friday 12 May 2023

WIN Stadium, Wollongong

 Referee: Sebastian Andrews

 Assistant Referees: Matt Staples and Alexis Johnson

 Fourth Official: Brodie Merchant

Wollongong Wolves: 13. Tomas Butkovic (GK), 3. Harrison Buesnel, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 7. Marcus Beattie, 8. Samuel Riak (6. Senna Stevenson 82’), 14. Jake Trew, 21. Ethan Beaven (11. Nav Darjani 72’), 23. Walter Scott, 24. Lachlan Scott (C), 25. Alex Masciovecchio, 88. Christopher McStay

Substitutes Not Used: 1. Nenad Vekic (GK), 17. Jake Lavalle, 29. Ben Gaison

Yellow Cards: Samuel Riak 63’

Red Cards: Nil

Mount Druitt Town Rangers: 20. Dylan Niski (GK), 4. Cooper Coskerie, 5. Jacob Esposito, 6. Jared Macerola, 10. Kotaro Katsuta, 11. Jackson Bandiera, 12. Will Harvey (43. Abdelelah Faisal 81’), 15. Anthony Gallo (22. Rhett De Silva 73’), 21. Tarek Elrich (C), 23. Daniel Dias, 44. Anthony Frangie (7. Nikola Skataric 63’)

Substitutes Not Used: 1. Robert Fanella (GK), 27. Stefan Nikolic, 41. Ivan Sunjic

Yellow Cards: Nil

Red Cards: Nil

Player Ratings:

3 – Tarek Elrich (MDTR)

2 – Banri Kanaizumi (WW)

1 – Lachlan Scott (WW)

Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_

-Photo Credit Pedro Garcia