Stalemate at Seymour
Sutherland Sharks and Central Coast Mariners played out a frustrating 0-0 draw at Seymour Shaw in Round 18 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition on Friday night.
Fumoto Kamada unleashed a thunderbolt from 30-yards inside the opening minute that was woefully wide of the mark, but it showed the intent from the home side early on.
This was soon followed by a Jonty Busch effort that went the same way.
Indeed, shooting from distance was a tactic the Sharks thoroughly explored on the night.
Lachlan Bayliss replied with a direct free-kick from an acute angle that nearly found its way into the net but for a scrambled goal-line clearance and a succession of corners that proved exciting, Marko Bulic required to palm one out from under the bar, but ultimately fruitless.
There was no lack of passion on display in this feisty encounter with plenty of hard, but fair, tackling from both camps as they sought to gain the ascendency and control the midfield.
That was until the 40th minute when Kamada beat the offside trap and attempted to lob Anthony Pavlesic from the edge of the area but only managed to loop it straight into the keepers grasp. A let off for the Mariners but a huge opportunity not taken by Sutherland, the best opening of the match to date and against the run of play.
A tough, gritty, determined and, occasionally testy first-half ended as it began, nil-nil despite a Mitch Stamatellis header from a rare Sharks’ corner in stoppage time finding the side netting.
Sutherland were straight at it with Jesse Photi, replaced by Hamish Lamberton minutes later, firing wide of the upright seconds after the whistle and Zac Zoricich responded for the Mariners at the other end in a high octane restart.
A speculative Brody Clarkson shot was deflected narrowly wide of the far post with Pavlesic wrong-footed but greatly relieved for the Central Coast outfit.
Chris Lindsay fired an in-swinging corner into the mix with Nathan Grimaldi millimetres away from heading home at the back stick. Sutherland were indeed knocking on the door, and it remained to be seen if anyone would answer.
A flurry of activity off the bench from both coaches around the hour mark only served to heighten the intensity of a potentially explosive match with Nick Sullivan warming the hands of Pavlesic, the keeper doing well to snuff out the chance.
Again, Lindsay flashed a corner toward the 6-yard area and again Grimaldi was unfortunately just too late to head home after a flick-on at the near post.
It was a true game of two halves but with neither team able to capitalise on chances created, the 0-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of the match.
Central Coast Mariners coach Abbas Saad stated his thoughts on what was an evenly fought match between two teams wanting to play good football.
“We were the better team in the first-half and should have taken at least one of the chances we created,” he said.
“I felt we should have had a penalty that was turned down, but it was a terrific game with both teams playing good football.
“Both teams had the chance to get all three points, we pushed them, they came back at us, particularly in the second-half, and that is credit to Sutherland.
“We want to showcase our young talent and want them to play games like this against a well drilled and determined opposition to work out how to get in behind and defeat these sides.
“Obviously ours is young talent up against strong, wily opponents week-in, week-out, but this is where they will learn how to deal with these situations.
“Mitch (Stamatellis) and Nathan (Grimaldi) made it difficult for us and we couldn’t find a way through the middle of defence so we utilised the flanks and got some decent crosses into the box that we didn’t or couldn’t capitalise on.
“I will always say a game like this is two points dropped as we go into every match wanting the win, but I thought today was a great advertisement for what we are bringing to the table against a very good side in the Sharks,” he ended.
While Sharks coach Damir Prodanovic reflected on a good match played but again saw his troops lack that killer instinct in the final third.
“We knew they were in good form, and it proved to be a tight game.
“I felt we controlled parts of the opening half and probably most of the second and created opportunities, as did they, but didn’t take them.
“We’ve just got to keep improving and if we stick to the game plan and keep the team playing the way we want them to, the final-third action will come.
“We have a lot of new players in the team that haven’t played together before but if we stick to our principles and stick to our structure, we’ll start taking those opportunities that I am sure, but credit to Abbas on the way he has the team playing, he is doing a fantastic job.”
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 0
Central Coast Mariners FC 0
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Friday 2nd June, 2023
Referee: Nick Gela
Assistants: Brodie Merchant and Cameron Wright
Fourth: Blake Sanchez-Cruz
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Marko Bulic, 2 Takahide Umebachi, 4. Mitch Stamatellis, 5. Jesse Photi (9. Hamish Lamberton 54’), 6. Brody Clarkson, 11. Fumoto Kamada, 14. Chris Lindsay, 15. Nathan Grimaldi, 21. Luke Sauer, 33. Louis Khoury (3. Jordan Roberts 80’), 99. Jonty Busch (10. Nick Sullivan 63’)
Subs not used: 8. Alex Brown, 22. Jacob Cremen-Cowan, 25. Oliver Randazzo
Yellow Cards: Nathan Grimaldi 33’
Red Cards:
Central Coast Mariners FC 1st Grade: 30. Anthony Pavlesic, 3. Cameron Windust, 4. Dean Larson, 6. James Bayliss, 7. Aydan Hammond (11. Bailey Brandtman 90’), 8. Lachlan Bayliss (9. Gianni Di Pizio 90’), 12. Olayinka Sunmola (21. Maksim Kasalovic 62’), 15. Jordan Segreto, 16. William Arnold, 18. George Daniel (14. Marco Arambasic 62’), 24. Zac Zoricich
Subs not used: 20. Andre Parkes, 39. Dylan Susovic
Yellow Cards: Olayinka Sunmola 45’, Cameron Windust 83’
Red Cards:
Player Ratings
3 – Nathan Grimaldi (SS)
2 – Lachlan Bayliss (CCM)
1 – Mitch Stamatellis (SS)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
