Ilinden defeat rivals Olympic with three points secured
Rockdale Ilinden claimed maximum points in Round 10 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s ‘Match of the Round with a 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Sydney Olympic at the Ilinden Sports Centre in front of 1800 spectators on Sunday.
The hosts had a first half to saviour playing some of the best football this league has seen all year as they took an early lead thanks to a stunner by Brayden Sorge and then goals to Lachie Constable and yet another quality individual goal by Brendan Cholakian – all 3 cancelled out Roy O’Donovan’s penalty before the Olympic marksman added his second via a deflection but it was to be too little too late as the hosts claimed all the points.
The action kicked off early as Alec Urosevski, closing in on the all-time Ilinden top goalscorer Spase Najdoski (132) and sitting just three goals behind was hoping to break it over the next few games was certainly fired up as he had a few half chances to set the tone of the match.
George Antonis spotted Harrison Devenish-Meares off his line and attempted to chip the ‘keeper from 35-yards out however the back-peddling gloveman recovered his ground and plucked the ball from the air inside five minutes of the start.
It proved the solitary ray of light in a tense local derby with neither able to gain the upper hand and assert authority.
Urosevski and Bai Antoniou exchanged passes around the penalty area that produced a corner before Sorge thumped a rasping ball home to open the scoring in the 17th minute, a rare strike from the Ilinden stalwart but hugely influential.
The lead lasted barely three minutes when Olympic retaliated and were awarded a spot-kick when Giorgio Speranza handled, unintentionally, in the area that O’Donovan took and netted to square the ledger when slotting the ball low down to the right-hand corner and just inside the post albeit Devenish-Meares got close.
Urosevski then found the net moments later only for the strike to be disallowed for offside much to the chagrin of the healthy partisan crowd with Noah James denying the striker shortly after and again from an Antoniou effort.
Cholakian then produced a moment of magic with a gem of a goal to follow Sorge’s effort in the 31st minute with a curling effort that gave Olympic keeper Noah James no chance and it was 2-1 to the hosts.
It got worse for Olympic when Constable stole in to firmly bulge the onion bag and increase the lead after 37 minutes to 3-1.
The visitors looked dangerous going forward but Rockdale were proving the more clinical in and around the box.
Urosevski, picking up a loose back pass, should have extended the lead further in the final minute of play but somehow slid his shot past the framework however, Ilinden took a healthy lead into the half-time break.
On the restart, Constable might, and perhaps should, have added to his tally when making a late run into the box but clipping his shot wide of the upright.
Speranza was next to show after good lead-up work from Urosevski and Antoniou fashioned an opportunity that James managed to tip over the bar.
Olympic were denied a strike for kicking the ball out of Devenish-Meares’ hands after 55 minutes that required the ‘keeper needing treatment before play resumed.
George Timotheou might have reduced the deficit two minutes later but another wayward shot flew past the woodwork before Urosevski attempted a curling shot at the other end that lacked enough power to threaten James.
Urosevski must have wondered what he had to do to tuck the ball away when Ziggy Gordon bravely blocked another effort. It was proving not to the day for the ‘Baker’ who was constantly thwarted.
A looping ball over the top was met first time by Adam Parkhouse that Devenish-Meares did well to get a hand to and keep out, the visitors once again proving their attacking threat.
A goalmouth scramble that led to bodies flying around managed to keep Rockdale at bay eventually leading to Mathieu Cordier being cautioned when going for a 50-50 ball.
Even late into the match the result hung in the balance, a combination of luck, Devenish-Meares and squandered chances finally deciding the fate of Olympic on a wonderful afternoon of football.
O’Donovan then found his second of the match in stoppage time with a heavily deflected shot but Ilinden held on in the remaining seconds to secure the win.
Rockdale Ilinden’s victorious coach Paul Dee cut a relieved figure at the whistle when commenting.
”We made things more difficult for ourselves in the second-half than perhaps we should have,” he said.
“It was a big day for the club, the Legends game as well and we knew what was at stake in terms of ladder position so and have to be happy with the points but we created enough chances to make our day that bit easier.
“Uro (Alec Urosevski) found some good positions today and in any other match may well have had a hat-trick and equalled the scoring record and maybe gone on to claim it but it wasn’t to be but the goals we did score were stunning and they needed to be against a very good Olympic side.
“Sorgey (Brayden Sorge adding his second goal of the season) has a knack (sic) of scoring spectacular and important goals and is an integral part of this team and today we played as a team against a difficult opponent.
“it was a grandstand finish and the goals we scored were fantastic but I’ll take an easier win at some point but in this league it’s a big ask.”
Pre-game entertainment was supplied with a match between the Rockdale Ilinden and Sydney Olympic ‘Legends’ duly won by the host club by four goals to three.
Match Stats
Rockdale Ilinden 3 (Brayden Sorge 17’, Brendan Cholakian 31’, Lachie Constable 37’)
Sydney Olympic 2 (Roy O’Donovan 20’, 90+4’)
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Sunday 14th April 2024
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistants: Charlie O’Bryan and Alessandro Llana
Fourth Official: Thomas Dale
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Harrison Devenish-Meares, 2. Daniel Collins, 5. Giorgio Speranza, 6. Isaac Danzo (22. Blake Ricciuto 68’), 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Dean Pelekanos (23. Hunter Elliott 85’), 9. Bai Antoniou (15. Yinka Sunmola 60), 10. Brendan Cholakian (16. So Katoako 68’), 11. Lachie Constable (Lachie Griffiths 60’), 14. Brayden Sorge, 66. Mathieu Cordier
Subs not used: 20. Ricardo Rizzo (Gk)
Yellow Cards: Giorgio Speranza 40’, Mathieu Cordier 78’
Red Cards:
Sydney Olympic: 1. Noah James, 4. George Timotheou, 5. Ziggy Gordon, 8. Sam Macllhatton (18. Teng Kuol 79’), 11. Adam Parkhouse, 14. Michael Vakis (9. Oliver Puflett 60’), 15. William Mutch, 19. Gianni De Pizio (10. Darcy Burgess 46’), 23. Jackson Bandiera (12. Zac Zoricich 61’), 29. George Antonis, 99. Roy O’Donovan
Subs not used: 17. Abraham Majok, 20. Chris Parsons (GK),
Yellow Cards: Roy O’Donovan 52’, George Antonis 73’, Oliver Puflett 84’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Brendan Cholakian (RI)
2 – Roy O’Donovan (SO)
1 – Brayden Sorge (RI)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
