Wolves shoot down Sharks
Wollongong Wolves earned a crucial 2-0 victory against Sutherland Sharks at WIN Stadium on Friday night to get the side back to winning ways.
Nav Darjani, back in the starting line-up, fired the team in front within 10 minutes before Jake Trew secured the result just before the hour mark to bring the Sharks back down to earth following their three match unbeaten streak.
The hosts started the match brightly, taking on two shots within the first ten minutes.
In the seventh minute, Alex Masciovecchio pinched the ball from experienced Sutherland defender Mitchell Stamatellis on the halfway line.
The attacker drove down the left towards goal and found Lachlan Scott in the box with his shot forcing a save from Sutherland goalkeeper Marko Bulic.
Just seconds later, the hosts took the lead with Scott involved again.
The forward’s shot from the edge of the box cannoning back off the crossbar and falling to Darjani in the right of the box who expertly guided a volley home.
Despite Sutherland’s extensive possession, the Wolves continued to create chances putting the away side under pressure at every opportunity.
Nineteen minutes in, Walter Scott’s left-sided cross found a flying Lachlan Scott in the middle whose bullet header went straight at Bulic.
Seven minutes later, fullback Scott lined up a first-time effort from the left-edge of the box that rolled narrowly wide of the near post.
The visitors went straight down the other end as Brodie Clarkson’s curling shot from the right corner of the box took a deflection that saw the ball fall wide of the far post.
The remainder of the first half was a scrappy affair as both teams struggled to put a consistent run of passes together.
However, right on the stroke of halftime, the Wolves had a great chance to double their lead.
A persistent Masciovecchio latched onto Lachlan Scott’s pass into the left of the box sliding the ball agonisingly wide of the right post.
Wollongong took their slender advantage into the break hoping to pick up their first win since round 12.
The Wolves started the second half well with several chances inside the first 10 minutes.
In the 52nd minutes, Trew cut inside from the left and saw his deflected strike loop just over the bar.
Three minutes later, it was hard to believe the side weren’t two goals in front.
Darjani striking the near post from the left of the box before Lachlan Scott rattled the crossbar on the follow-up.
David Carney’s men would not have to wait long for their second goal with Trew scoring in the 58th minute.
The striker with a superb first touch to take the ball into his stride in the right of the box and roll an accurate finish past Bulic into the far corner.
In the 69th minute, Sutherland looked respond to this latest blow with Nathan Grimaldi’s close-range shot well held onto by Wolves’ keeper Tomas Butkovic.
After scoring their second, the Wolves looked to see out the result and defended diligently in what remain of the match to claim a vital three points.
Wollongong Wolves coach David Carney was delighted with what his side showed in the victory.
He stated that his team’s performances this season don’t represent their current league position.
“The performance was excellent,” Carney said.
“A real professional performance and it was something that we needed for the confidence.
“I’m not one for bad luck but I think we’re not where we should be in the league.”
Sutherland Sharks coach Damir Prodanovic was contrastingly disappointed in his team’s showing saying that the Wolves deserved the win.
“We weren’t up to our standards that we set. We didn’t play our football,” Prodanovic explained.
“We did have a couple of chances that maybe would have impacted the outcome, but I think it was a well-deserved three points for them tonight.
“It was just one of those games where we were off the pace almost in every part of the game.”
Match Stats
Wollongong Wolves FC 2 (Nav Darjani 8’, Jake Trew 58’)
Sutherland Sharks FC 0
Friday 26 May 2023
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Brodie Merchant and Amber Morris
Fourth Official: Joel Crawford
Wollongong Wolves FC: 13. Tomas Butkovic (GK), 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 7. Marcus Beattie, 8. Samuel Riak, 11. Nav Darjani (6. Senna Stevenson 74’), 14. Jake Trew, 21. Ethan Beavan, 23. Walter Scott, 24. Lachlan Scott (C) (29. Ben Gaison 90+4’), 25. Alex Masciovecchio (17. Jake Lavalle 79’), 88. Christopher McStay
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Nenad Vekic (GK), 4. Dax Kelly, 12. Lachlan Dunn
Yellow Cards: Walter Scott 90+3’
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks FC: 1. Marko Bulic (GK), 2. Takahide Umebachi, 6. Brodie Clarkson, 4. Mitchell Stamatellis (C), 8. Alexander Brown (21. Luke Sauer 53’), 9. Hamish Lamberton (5. Jesse Photi 61’), 11. Fumoto Kamada (91. Jonty Busch 61’), 14. Chris Lindsay, 15. Nathan Grimaldi, 25. Oliver Randazzo (10. Nick Sullivan 53’), 33. Louis Khoury (3. Jordan Roberts 66’)
Substitutes Not Used: 22. Jacob Cremen-Cowan (GK)
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Ethan Beavan (WW)
2 – Nav Darjani (WW)
1 – Lachlan Scott (WW)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
-Photo by Pedro Garcia
