Sharks snuffed out by relegated Bulls
It may have been a tough year for the Bulls FC Academy but they ended round 29 in style following a 1-0 victory over the Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw.
Bulls FC Academy substitute Ariath Piol was the hero for Zeljko Kalac’s side scoring late in the second half that gave his side only their third victory of 2023.
With the Bulls’ young charges already relegated at the end of the 2023 campaign after a rugged season, it was an opportunity to play without fear and take it to their hosts who themselves were sitting just three places above them at the start of the evening.
Sutherland soon held the upper hand and began pushing the Academy starlets back but, in keeping with their season to date, failed to work ‘keeper Alex Robinson to any great extent and likewise, Marko Bulic at the other end.
An unfortunate injury to Peter Grozos on the half-hour mark soured the visitors cohesion as he was assisted off the field and substituted by Mason Wells.
Sharks skipper Jordan Roberts fired an effort into the side netting after 33 minutes that had the home supporters up and out of their seats when the net rippled before realising it was just the wrong side of the upright.
With Wells on on the field, the Bulls lifted their game in creating a couple of opportunities before the half-time whistle from good work down the left flank but again Bulic didn’t have a save to make.
That was until an Eddie Caspers curling effort from the edge of the area before Wells saw an effort rebound off the woodwork after terrific work from the visitors again.
It was no coincidence that Wells’ introduction proved the catalyst for the best of the Bulls play during the half.
In an intriguing game of few chances it came as no surprise when the sides went into the break scoreless.
The second-half started brightly with greater emphasis shown from both but the opening goal remained elusive.
Jesse Photi did well to work an opening through the middle but his shot, the ball taking a bobble off the Seymour Shaw pitch, was wayward and sailed off into the night to produce a goal-kick.
A triple substitution from Sutherland after an hour saw Luke Sauer, Fumoto Kamada and Alex Brown replace Oliver Randazzo, Jordan Roberts and Jonty Busch respectively as coach, Panni Nikas, looked to ramp up the game and change the focal point of attack for the remaining half-hour with fresh legs.
Kamada forced Robinson into a save but the good work wouldn’t have counted when the flag was raised for offside but the indications were promising.
Piol, on as a substitute, found himself clean through in the 70th minute but was unlucky not to gain enough purchase on the ball to slip it past Bulic for the Bulls to break the deadlock with Wells again firing narrowly wide shortly after.
Sauer was unfortunate when the ball came to him unexpectedly when lurking on the edge of the Bulls’ penalty area and another effort slipped past the post, much to the relief of the visitors.
But it was the Academy who took a deserved lead after applying pressure for much of the second half as Piol fired home an unstoppable shot to release the pressure with a late, late strike leading to an all too unfamiliar situation for the visitors in 2023.
It was game, set and match as Kalac’s young guns finally tasted victory pushing their points tally to fifteen points for 2023.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 0
Bulls FC Academy 1 (Ariath Piol 81’)
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Saturday 19th August, 2023
Referee: Logan Jones
Assistants: Matt Staples and Alexis Johnson
Fourth: Anthony Frketic
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Marko Bulic, 2. Takahide Umebachi, 3. Jordan Roberts (11. Fumoto Kamada 60’), 4. Mitch Stamatellis, 5. Jesse Photi, 6. Brodie Clarkson, 10. Antonis Martis (9. Hamish Lamberton 72’), 14. Chris Lindsay, 25. Oliver Randazzo (21. Luke Sauer 60’), 26. Jacob Garner (50. Alex Trajanoski 78’), 91. Jonty Busch (8. Alex Brown 60’)
Subs not used: 22. Jacob Cremen-Cowan
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards:
Bulls FC Academy: 30. Alex Robinson, 6. Frans Deli, 11. Stephan De Robillard (2. Luka Pecora 66’), 12. Marco Arambasic (20. Ariath Piol 66’), 13. Jordan Ivancic, 14. Peter Grozos (8. Mason Wells 30’), 21. Lachlan Macdonald, 22. Eddie Caspers (18. Federico Gagliano 90+2’), 23. Flynn Madden, 29. Michael Marcevski, 53. Joel Bertolissio,
Subs not used: 40. Griffin Barry
Yellow Cards: Frans Deli 22’
Red Cards:
Player Ratings
3 – Mason Wells (BFCA)
2 – Chris Lindsay (SS)
1 – Eddie Caspers (BFCA)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
