Ilinden forced to earn hard-fought draw
Honours were even in the local derby as Rockdale Ilinden and St George City played out a 2-2 draw at the Ilinden Sports Centre on a windy Sunday afternoon.
The hosts took a two-goal lead through Lochie Constable and Bai Antoniou before Kosta Petratos halved the deficit before the break from the spot before Nathan Roberts notched up the equaliser moments later.
Both teams were eager to grab the points with Ilinden handing debuts due to the injury and suspension toll that has hit the club with two young footballers in Jason Cakovski and Zach Nikolovski.
Nikolovski in particular received his call-up moments into the team’s final warm-up as Jamie Percevski pulled up lame.
It was a testing first period for the visitors tackling both Ilinden and the high winds without working Ricardo Rizzo before the penalty.
Urosevski turned provider with a beautifully weighted centre for Constable who took it in his stride and slotted home in the 3rd minute to get this rapidly building local derby underway beyond the exposed Jack Kenny between the sticks.
Brayden Sorge was forced to hack clear moments later when Kosta Petratos sent a cross in the Ilinden box hoping to find brother Maki steaming in from the right.
The blustery conditions caused havoc for both sides but ensured the football was played on the ground and it was producing a high quality game.
Urosevski tested Kenny however his scuffed shot was easily dealt with by the gloveman for St George City.
Antoniou then netted the second for Rockdale in the 21st minute from a breakaway through the middle of the pitch, utilising his upper body strength to good effect, he held off his marker to slot home much to the delight of the home fans.
Brendan Hooper, picking up a niggle, was replaced in the 23rd minute for the visitors with Aiden Mostofi entering the fray for City and the substitute came close with a back-heeled effort that was deflected out for a corner from which Dominic Cox lifted his shot over the bar from a good position inside the crowded area.
The visitors were gifted a lifeline late in the half when they were awarded a penalty for handball that was duly despatched by Kosta Petratos in stoppage time leaving his side 2-1 at the break despite nearly conceding twice further before the whistle with Brendan Cholakian and Urosevski both going close.
Franco Maya replaced Matthew Keremelevski at the break for City before Roberts, now playing with the strong wind at their backs, levelled the scores, with a thunderous shot through a sea of legs and once again it was game on as City used the conditions to their advantage in applying increasing pressure on the Ilinden defence.
Maki Petratos came close to giving St George City the lead just after the hour when sending his shot narrowly wide of the upright.
Substitute Peter Kekeris was unable to keep his shot down at the other end that saw his chance fly over the bar in a rare foray upfield.
In a final throw of the dice, City introduced fresh legs via Thomas Lopez for substitute Mostofi with a little over ten minutes remaining.
Presley Ortiz teed up Maki Petratos whose powerful effort was bravely blocked by Nikolovski, his last action of the match when replaced by Maddox Barthou in the 85th minute.
A mad scramble saw firstly Ortiz and then Maki Petratos and Mitry have attempts blocked in the Rockdale area in a stirring ending to the match, both sides desperate for the victory and the points and in keeping the momentum going.
To add to the drama, Cholakian received his second caution of the match and was sent from the field in stoppage time, but Ilinden held on for a hard earned draw.
It was a match that at any other time might have seen the visitors win quite handsomely but for a stoic Rockdale defensive display leaving visiting coach Mirko Jurilj highly frustrated at the whistle and not wishing to comment after the match.
Rockdale coach Paul Dee was proud of his charges especially with the mass changes that were made prior to kick-off.
“The penalty changed momentum in stoppage time and that changed the half-time team talk,” he said.
“Instead of going into the break 2-0 ahead it’s a totally different outlook but the conditions were very tough for both sides today.
“It was always going to favour the side with the wind at their backs and so it proved, and we really had to dig deep in the second period to get a point.
“With a very thin squad at the moment, we had to give a couple of players their senior debuts in the staring eleven but that’s something all teams go through at some stage but the performance today showed the character within the side and we’ll keep battling away but we could easily have lost today so we’re pleased to get a point against a tough opponent and in such tough conditions.”
Match Stats
Rockdale Ilinden 2 (Lochie Constable 3’, Bai Antoniou 21’)
St. George City FA 2 (Kosta Petratos 46’pen, Nathan Roberts 54’)
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Sunday 21st May, 2023
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistants: Anastasia Filacouridis and Arinath Gobinath
Fourth: Karl Davies
Rockdale Ilinden: 20. Ricardo Rizzo, 4. Nikola Ujder, 6. Nikola Kuleski, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Isaac Danzo, 9. Bai Antoniou (5. Will Mutch 60’), 10. Brendan Cholakian, 11. Lochie Constable, 14. Brayden Sorge, 29. Zach Nikolovski (41. Maddox Barthou 85’), 34. Jason Cakovski (77. Peter Kekeris 60’)
Subs not used: 26. Steven Kriezis, 27. George Grillakis, 28. Emilio Vinci
Yellow Cards: Jason Cakovski 58’, Brendan Cholakian 75’
Red Cards: Brendan Cholakian 90+1’
St. George City: 12. Jack Kenny, 2. Pedro Ferrari, 4. Brendan Hooper (20. Aiden Mostofi 23’) (26. Thomas Lopez 78’), 6. Tarik Ercan, 7. Nathan Roberts (30. Presley Ortiz 60’), 8. Dominic Cox, 11. Kosta Petratos, 14. Dean Pelekanos (10. Paolo Mitry 60’), 24. Alex Kyriacou, 70. Maki Petratos, 99. Matthew Keremelevski (23. Franco Maya 46’)
Subs not used: 31. Stavros Skotadis
Yellow Cards: Dean Pelekanos 51’
Red Cards:
Player Ratings
3 – Lochie Constable (RI)
2 – Maki Petratos (STG)
1 – Dominic Cox (STG)
-By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
