Drama filled ending as Blacktown seal the points against Rockdale
The Round 6 National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW Match of the Round lived up to its expectations as Blacktown City FC defeated the previously undefeated Rockdale Ilinden 3-2 on a dank and dismal Sunday afternoon at the Ilinden Sports Centre.
Mitch Mallia got the goal scoring party started with a peach of a goal to open the scoring while the remaining goals were scored in the second stanza.
Joey Gibbs made it 2-0 before Brendan Cholakian pegged a goal back for the hosts to make it 2-1. Travis Major put in a great shift scoring his side’s third before Alec Urosevski scored with minutes remaining that set up a grandstand finish which the visitors held on and secured the three points.
Urosevski had the first opportunity, albeit a half chance, in the 4th minute when Cholakian slipped the ball through on the right but the striker was unable to make a clean contact and the chance disappeared rapidly.
City looked happy to sit in and hit on the counter, a ploy they are most adept at, and with Tyren Burnie and Grant Lynch playing further forward on the wings, the opportunity to overlap in attack was a prominent threat.
But it was Mallia who opened the scoring with a long range bomb in the 17th minute that will certainly make the end of year highlight reel. Imperious, elegant and delivered with no little aplomb that gave City the lead in a cameo performance as he was replaced in the 29th minute by Ben Berry.
Tristan Prendergast denied Urosevski at the near post when the Ilinden striker flicked the ball goalward in the 25th minute when once again the home side were thwarted at the last.
Nick O’Brien entered the book for a foul just outside the area but with a retaken free-kick Prendergast gathered comfortably from a Cholakian effort in the 33rd minute as Rockdale fought hard to get back into the match closely followed by a dazzling run and centre into the box from Dean Pelekanos that, unfortunately for Ilinden, no-one was able to latch onto and City cleared their lines once more.
Urosevski forced Prendergast into a terrific save in the 41st minute to further frustrate the Ilinden attack, deflecting the ball out for a corner that stung the palms of the visiting ‘keeper. The home side were getting closer but couldn’t crack a Blacktown resolute defence and so it remained at half-time with City going into the sheds with the one goal advantage.
Blacktown started the second period brightly with Major coming close to extending the lead, another half-chance that went begging.
It was a match in which clear cut opportunities were at a premium.
Adam Berry thought he had doubled the lead after a quickly taken free-kick went horribly wrong for Rockdale, the ball bouncing back off the head of a City player who hadn’t retreated the full 10-yards, and a cheeky Major back-heel pass set the number 6 clean through. After consultation, the goal was disallowed and the free-kick retaken near the halfway line. It was a let off for the home side and another warning how dangerous Blacktown can be on the break. Isaac Danzo fired one over the bar in reply.
In typical fashion, City doubled the lead in the 62nd minute when Gibbs stroked the ball home with the Iliden defence pulled wide open.
Rockdale are made of sterner stuff this season and Cholakian pulled one back with 15 minutes to play from off the ground with an effort that seemed to take an eternity to cross the line but got the home side back in the match and set up a grandstand finale.
However the game was thought to be put to bed in the 81st minute when Major was on hand to tap into an empty net after Devenesh-Meares, very steady until this point, came out for a cross he completely misjudged and the ball falling invitingly for the City player to tap home.
Ilinden responded almost immediately after good work from Cholakian threaded the needle to set Urosevski through to net and substitute So Kataoka forcing Prendergast to save point blank leading to desperate defending by Blacktown to finally clear their lines providing a very entertaining few moments.
The icing on the cake, and salt in the wound of Rockdale, almost came in stoppage when City substitute Fernandez tried his luck from the halfway line, spotting Devenesh-Meares off his line, that bounced back into play off the crossbar in the final act of the game.
Blacktown City coach Mark Crittenden was proud of his chargers following a hard fought win over one of the toughest side’s in the competition.
“I don’t think there was ever a point during the game where we thought we had it won during the match,” he said.
“Rockdale are a very good side, make no mistake about that, and we needed to make a slight adjustment that worked for us as they were starting to get two versus one out on the touchlines.
“Mitch (Mallia) scored a bomb but they kept coming at us and never made it easy.
“There were few clear cut chances and it was a case of the half-chance opportunities that won it for us today.
“We got ourselves in front and looked like we could cruise to the whistle but credit Rockdale they came back at us and fought to the end although I feel we gave away two soft goals but it could have ended with any score today for either side.
“It was certainly an entertaining game for the fans that could have ended with plenty more goals but a hard fought three points today.”
Rockdale Ilinden Assistant Coach Nick Stavroulakis was frank in his assessment of the match praising his troops efforts coming back into the match as well as applauding Blacktown City for their grit and determination.
“When you give a side like Blacktown three goals it’s always going to be a hard task to get anything from the game,” he rued.
“They are a team that is well equipped so it was always going to be tough to come back from.
“We created plenty of chances today, especially in the second-half, that we probably should have put away which could have meant a point or three taken. Those are the fine margins you’re dealing with at this level.
“Individual errors has cost us, something we’ll look at during the week, but the character shown by this side, battling to the end and fighting all the way.
“It was one of those games where we could have taken all the points but missed chances and errors means we walk away without any but Blacktown are always a difficult team to play at any time of the season.”
Match Stats
Rockdale Ilinden 1 (Brendan Cholakian 75′, Alec Urosevski 86′)
Blacktown City 3 (Mitch Mallia 17′, Joey Gibbs 62′, Travis Major 81′)
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Sunday 17th March 2024
Referee: Craig Fisher
Assistants: Aaron Bloch and Blake Sanchez-Cruz
Fourth Official: Brody Merchant
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Harrison Devenish-Meares, 2. Daniel Collins, 3. Lachie Griffiths (16. So Kataoka 70′), 6. Isaac Danzo, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Dean Pelekanos, 9. Bai Antoniou (19. Jason Cakovski 62′), 10. Brendan Cholakian, 11. Lachie Constable (5. Giorgio Speranza 62′), 14. Brayden Sorge, 66. Mathieu Cordier, (22. Hunter Elliott 78′)
Subs not used: 17. Brae Ovens, 28. Ronan Mulgrave g/k
Yellow Cards: 10. Brendan Cholakian 18′, 2. Daniel Collins 45+2′
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown City: 1. Tristan Prendergast, 4. Lachlan Campbell, 5. Grant Lynch, 6. Adam Berry, 7. Travis Major, 8. Jak O’Brien, 10. Mario Shabow (22. Jacob Maniti 75′), 12. Tyren Burnie, 14. Mitch Mallia (16. Ben Berry 39′), 18. Nicholas O’Brien, 23, Joey Gibbs
Subs not used: 9. Reuben Awaritefe, 17. Martin Fernandez, 19. Julian Rodriguez, 20. Cayden Henderson
Yellow Cards: 18. Nick O’Brien 31′, 10. Mario Shabow 66′, 23. Joey Gibbs 69′
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Travis Major (BC)
2 – Brendan Cholakian (RI)
1 – Alec Urosevski (RI)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
