Ilinden break United 58 hearts with late winner
Rockdale Ilinden struck late pain on Sydney United 58 thanks to a 92nd minute winner via Hunter Elliot as they recorded a memorable 2-1 victory at the Sydney United Sports Centre on Sunday.
Former United 58 player Alec Urosevski scored in the first half with a well taken goal before Shunta Nakamura equalised via a howler from Ilinden keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares.
The game looked destined for a draw before Elliot slid in thanks to a brilliant run and cross by Giorgio Speranza and that was all she wrote.
Rockdale were immediately into their stride when Urosevski forced an error from United skipper Adrian Vlastelica inside the opening seconds that set the tone for the remainder of the match..
Helter-skelter football produced several tame efforts that were easily dealt with however it showed the attacking intent of both and underlined just how much the three points meant.
Vlastelica, a colossus at the back for the hosts, slid in to perfectly time a tackle in the box to prevent Bai Antoniou advancing further, 11 minutes in with the visitors making good progress but lacking the finishing touch.
Nakamura sent Matthew Hatch away into space and his low centre was met by Patrick Antelmi at the back stick but the usually reliable striker managed to send his shot over the bar from 10-yards out in the 18th minute, spurning the opportunity to put his side ahead as the hosts enjoyed their best spell of the match.
Antelmi spotted Devenish-Mears off his line moments later and attempted an audacious lob from well inside his own half but the effort lacked pace and direction and the game remained scoreless.
Both teams were having short spells of dominance yet neither ‘keeper was truly worked with Antoniou next to see his shot fizz past the upright midway through the half.
Step up Rockdale talisman and skipper ‘the Baker’ Urosevski who opened the scoring with the all important first goal in the 29th minute, adding his ninth of the season, with a shot past Oliver Kalac also seeing him edge closer to the Rockdale ‘all time’ scoring record. A mere handful away from achieving the feat and surely a record to be broken in 2024. It was a strike against his former employers too adding insult to injury.
Bailey Rule whipped in a cross that eluded everyone, including Antelmi, going across the face and out for a goal-kick on the far side.
Aiden Milicevic then tested Devenish-Meares with a well struck shot from distance but the Ilinden stopper was equal to the task.
Brendan Cholakian was fouled just outside the ‘D’ by Carlos De Oliviera with five minutes of the half remaining that forced Kalac into making a decent save low down to his right from the ensuing Antoniou free-kick fired in under the wall at pace and again bravely from Urosevski in stoppage time however the visitors reached the break a goal to the good and only time would tell if it would be enough to garner the points.
Rockdale, enjoying the majority of possession at the end of the first-half, picked up where they left off with a half-chance falling to Urosevski early on when play resumed.
Then came the Devenish-Meares blunder that led to Nakamura squaring the tie, always lurking in and around the box, the keeper had the ball tangled up under his feet allowing the Japanese import to steal in and slot home into the empty net for the easiest goal he’ll ever score.
The strike certainly fired up both sides into producing the type of football we expect from this fixture; full-blooded, robust and uncompromising, Cholakian generally on the receiving end.
Nakamura, recruited from Mt Druitt Town Rangers, found himself in acres of space with Antelmi haring through the middle with the former electing to take the shot on instead of squaring the ball and sending it hopelessly wide of the target in the 61st minute.
Kalac then pulled off a tremendous save from Cholakian in the 67th minute when the Rockdale midfielder was found by Brayden Sorge on the right. The visitors were ramping up the pressure knowing full well United 58 are more than adept at hitting on the break, as they did several times without reward.
A flurry of substitutions followed with Stephan De Robillard going close for United 58 seconds after entering the field of play but fouling Giorgio Speranza into the bargain, the game once more being played end-to-end at a frenzied pace.
It was a dramatic ending when Speranza weaved his way through down the left in a mesmeric dribble to centre for Hunter Elliot to slide home in stoppage time and secure the points for Rockdale Ilinden as pandemonium set in on the visitors bench who spilled out to the pitch to celebrate the match winner.
With no time left it would be the Ilinden side who took home three very hard fought for points.
Having notched up his ninth for the season, Urosevski was delighted with his troops mentality as they pushed for a winner till the death.
“We knew it would be a tough game from the start but we stuck to our game plan and I think overall we deserved the 3 points.
“Credit to United 58 for pushing us all the way, now our focus is on another massive match against Sydney Olympic at home next Sunday.”
Match Stats
Sydney United 58 1 (Shunta Nakamura 51′)
Rockdale Ilinden 2 (Alec Urosevski 29′, Hunter Elliott 90+2)
Sydney United 58 Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Sunday 7th April 2024
Referee: Craig Fisher
Assistants: Lance Greenshields and Cameron Wright
Fourth Official: Charbel Geha
Sydney United 58: 1. Oliver Kalac, 3. Bailey Rule, 4. Adrian Vlastelica, 5. Anthony Tomelic, 8. Shunta Nakamura, 9. Patrick Antelmi, 10. Carlos De Oliviera (13. Alessandro Lacalandra 79′), 11. Matthew Hatch, 14. Liam McGing, 15. Tariq Maia (21. Dejan Bakrdanikoski 79′), 19. Aiden Milicevic (22. Stephen De Robillard 71′)
Subs not used: 6. Adam Cervas, 7. Jordan Ivancic, 17. Matthew Nikolovski
Yellow Cards: Tariq Maia 60′
Red Cards:
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Harrison Devenish-Meares, 3. Lachie Griffiths (2. Daniel Collins 63′), 5. Giorgio Speranza, 6. Isaac Danzo, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Dean Pelekanos (16. So Kataoko 79′), 9. Bai Antoniou (15. Yinka Sunmola 63′), 10. Brendan Cholakian (23. Hunter Elliott 79′), 35. Lachie Constable (22. Blake Ricciuto 76′), 14. Brayden Sorge, 66. Mathieu Cordier
Subs not used: 20. Ricardo Rizzo (Gk)
Yellow Cards: Lachie Griffiths 35′
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Alec Urosevski (RI)
2 – Giorgio Speranza (RI)
1 – Oliver Kalac (SU58)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
