St George City prevailed 3-1 in a second-half goal-glut against Sutherland Sharks at Penshurst Park on Sunday night.
Presley Ortiz bagged an early brace in the second period before Daniel Alessi added a third.
Sutherland pulled a goal back through Jonty Busch late on, but it proved too little too late.
Sutherland got the first shot on target of the match in the 11th minute when Alexander Brown got his head on a long ball into the box but could only find the gloves of Yaren Sozer.
Midway through the half, the Sharks had another chance when Brown latched onto a ball over the top and took on a curler that Sozer saved easily.
St George created a chance of their own half an hour in when Ortiz met a right-sided cross, but he couldn’t keep it down as the ball sailed over.
The side made a habit of putting in dangerous set pieces, which were keeping the Sharks under pressure.
With a minute of regular time to play, a left-sided corner found Ortiz, who once again headed over the bar.
Ortiz had one more chance in stoppage time, hitting a shot from the left of the box that rolled past the right post.
The teams went into the break level with it all still to play for in the second half.
The hosts made the perfect start to the second period opening the scoring just four minutes in.
Kosta Petratos’ looping header from the left of the box dropped to Ortiz at the back post who bundled it over the line.
St George doubled their lead in the 57th minute with Pedro Ferrari’s right-sided cross finding Ortiz who rose high and fired a bullet header past Marko Bulic.
The side didn’t stop there finding a third goal just six minutes later.
Franco Maya’s right-sided corner curling all the way to the back post for captain Alessi who had the simple task of nodding in from close range.
A rampant start to the second period had put St George in control, but the Sharks nearly pulled one back in the 67th minute.
Jesse Photi taking on a long-range effort that Sozer expertly parried wide.
However, after this, City continued their assault on Sutherland with the side peppering shots at Bulic’s goal, but they weren’t finding the net.
Despite the pressure on them, the visitors managed to pull a goal back with seven minutes to play.
Hamish Lamberton with some neat footwork on the edge on the edge of the box before laying back for Busch who thumped the ball into the roof of the net.
St George went on to secure a victory that kept them in the top five places of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition.
Match Stats
St George City FA 3 (Presley Ortiz 49’ 57’, Daniel Alessi 64’)
Sutherland Sharks FC 1 (Jonty Busch 83’)
Sunday 13 August 2023
Penshurst Park, Penshurst
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Matthew Harris and Blake Sanchez-Cruz
Fourth Official: Charbel Geha
St George City FA: 1. Yaren Sozer (GK), 2. Pedro Ferrari, 3. Daniel Alessi (C), 8. Dominic Cox, 9. Marley Peterson (7. Nathan Roberts 66’), 11. Kosta Petratos (10. Paolo Mitry 79’), 14. Dean Pelekanos (25. Andrew Vlahadamis 79’), 23. Franco Maya, 24. Alexander Kyriacou, 30. Presley Ortiz (48. Zakariya Hammoud 79’), 70. Maki Petratos
Substitutes Not Used: 4. Brendan Hooper, 12. Jack Kenny
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks FC: 1. Marko Bulic (GK), 2. Takahide Umebachi, 3. Jordan Roberts (C) (9. Hamish Lamberton 69’), 4. Mitchell Stamatellis, 21. Luke Sauer (5. Jesse Photi 56’), 6. Brodie Clarkson, 8. Alexander Brown (25. Oliver Randazzo 69’), 10. Antonis Martis, 11. Fumoto Kamada (7. Jay McGowan 69’), 14. Chris Lindsay (26. Jacob Garner 75’), 91. Jonty Busch
Substitutes Not Used: 22. Jacob Cremen-Cowan
Yellow Cards: Brodie Clarkson 49’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Presley Ortiz (SGC)
2 – Daniel Alessi (SGC)
1 – Mitchell Stamatellis (SS)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
