Sydney United 58 secured a well-deserved 2-1 win over Wollongong Wolves at Sydney United Sports Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Patrick Antelmi opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, but the Wolves fired back only a few minutes later through Lachlan Scott.
Antelmi made it brace midway through the second half which proved to be the winning goal.
United were on the front foot early with two close shots within the first two minutes.
Firstly, the tricky Taisei Kaneko made his way into the left of the box before driving a shot just wide into the near side netting.
Seconds later, Kaneko proved a threat again, this time getting in a cross from the left that met Antelmi who hooked the ball over the bar.
The Wolves were put under significant pressure by United in the first half as the hosts did their best to stop their opponents from building up from the back.
Antelmi had another chance midway through the half as he latched onto a ball over the top but lobbed it wide of the left post.
Sydney United finally made the breakthrough in the 26th minute with Antelmi getting his goal.
A long throw on the right fell to the forward who muscled his way towards the byline and got a low ball into the danger area.
It bounced back to Antelmi who leathered it past Wolves goalkeeper Tomas Butkovic from a tight angle.
It didn’t take Wollongong long to respond though, knocking in the equaliser just seven minutes later.
Takumi Ofuka set off on a pacey run down the right and drove into the box before cutting the ball back to Lachlan Scott who fired into the top left corner.
Momentum was all Wollongong’s way in the final 10 minutes, and they almost took the lead with a minute of regular time to play.
Walter Scott got to the ball before United goalkeeper Danijel Nizic in the left of the box and played it across to Christopher McStay facing a vacant net.
However, under pressure, the Scotsman nudged it wide.
The sides went into halftime level after both having strong spells in the first half.
Ten minutes into the second half, a clever interception from Wollongong’s McStay saw the ball slipped through for Samuel Riak bearing down on goal, but Nizic importantly smothered.
United kicked into gear soon after as they began holding possession higher up the field eager to retake the lead.
In the 65th minute, Sydney United’s better play paid off with their second goal of the match.
Bailey Rule raced in behind the right channel and laid the ball across the top of the box for Antelmi, taking Butkovic out of the game.
The striker then had the simple task of sliding it home to notch his second.
Wollongong looked to respond eight minutes later when substitute Jake Trew rolled his defender on the edge of the box, blazing the ball over.
The game heated up in the final 10 minutes with both teams gunning for more goals.
The lively Trew had an even better opportunity 83 minutes in when Ofuka’s left-sided free-kick found the tall striker at the far post, but he glaringly nodded clear of the crossbar.
Three minutes later, McStay whipped an exquisite delivery in from the left that had just evaded Trew before United’s Cristian Gonzalez poked the ball behind.
The hosts took the ball down the other end three minutes later as Christopher Payne had a narrow-angled shot that Butkovic managed to hold onto.
United 58 had another chance to seal the result early on in stoppage time when the experienced Glen Trifiro clipped the right post with his shot from just inside the box.
The side held on to claim some important points and put their poor recent form behind them.
Match Stats
Sydney United 58 FC 2 (Patrick Antelmi 26’ 65’)
Wollongong Wolves FC 1 (Lachlan Scott 33’)
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Sunday 30 July 2023
Sydney United 58 FC: 1. Danijel Nizic, 2. Cristian Gonazlez, 3. Bailey Rule, 4. Adrian Vlastelica (C), 5. Anthony Tomelic, 7. Taisei Kaneko (10. Devante Clut 60’), 9. Patrick Antelmi (6. Christopher Payne 75’), 11. Yianni Perkatis (18. Glen Trifiro 75’), 14. Andreas Agamemnonos (17. Matthew Bilic 60’), 16. Ante Bakmaz (12. Hiyori Kawaguchi 72’), 21. Yianni Fragogiannis
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Luke Cukar (GK)
Yellow Cards: Yianni Fragogiannis 55’, Bailey Rule 82’
Red Cards: Nil
Wollongong Wolves FC: 13. Tomas Butkovic (GK), 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 6. Senna Stevenson (99. Sebastian Hernandez 67’), 7. Marcus Beattie, 8. Samuel Riak (10. Damon Gray 88’), 9. Takumi Ofuka, 21. Ethan Beavan, 23. Walter Scott, 24. Lachlan Scott (C), 25. Alex Masciovecchio (14. Jake Trew 67’), 88. Christopher McStay
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Nenad Vekic (GK), 4. Dax Kelly, 11. Nav Darjani
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Patrick Antelmi (SU58)
2 – Bailey Rule (SU58)
1 – Cristian Gonzalez (SU58)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
