Wollongong Wolves survived a late scare to win 3-2 over Sydney FC on Sunday afternoon at WIN Stadium.
Wollongong went into halftime with a two-goal lead courtesy of Takumi Ofuka and Christopher McStay.
Sydney fought back in the second half. Mitchell Glasson scored early before Bailey Callaghan came off the bench to equalise for the visitors heading into the final 10 minutes.
Banri Kanaizumi scored a crucial goal for the Wolves in the final minute of regular time to confirm the points for the home side.
The Wolves got off to a flying start and opened the scoring in the third minute. Lachlan Scott laid the ball off to Ofuka, who mazed his way into the box and picked out the far right side of the net.
Sydney almost equalised three minutes later. Glasson raced in behind down the right channel but directed his shot wide of the right post.
The side came even closer in the 14th minute when Lachlan Middleton latched onto a ball into the right of the box and prodded an effort onto the left post.
Nine minutes later, McStay was centimetres away from a stunner for the Wolves. The midfielder took on a flying volley from the edge of the area that went narrowly wide of the right post.
Middleton struck the woodwork again for the visitors in the 34th minute as his left-footed shot from inside the box hit the right upright.
Wollongong then hit the upright themselves six minutes later when Scott rolled a strike from just outside the box onto the left post.
Two minutes after that, the hosts snatched their second goal. Ofuka’s curling cross from the left met McStay, who edged the ball past Sydney goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic from close range.
The Wolves took their two-goal advantage into the halftime break.
It took Sydney only four minutes after halftime to halve the deficit. Glasson with some sharp footwork in the box before slotting a shot into the bottom right corner.
Wollongong almost re-extended their lead moments later, but Pavlesic denied Scott from the left of the box.
Scott came close again in the 70th minute when he twisted and turned in the right side of the box before striking the far post, but the woodwork denied the striker again.
Glasson continued to cause the Wolves problems and, in the 75th minute, latched onto a ball into the left of the box, forcing Wollongong goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic to block his shot.
The Wolves returned fire over the next five minutes as Scott and defender Dylan Ryan both sent efforts off target.
Substitute Damon Gray had a great chance for the Wolves with nine minutes to play. He received the ball in the box, facing only Pavlesic, but the goalkeeper made an important save.
Sydney took the ball other end straight away, getting in a left-sided cross that met Callaghan at the far post, who sent a looping header over Janjetovic and into the goal.
Gray nearly won the points for Wollongong in the 87th minute with an audacious over-head kick that went over the bar.
When it was looking like the match was going to end as a draw, Wollongong found the winner in the 89th minute. A left-sided corner dropped to Kanaizumi in the box, who nodded confidently past Pavlesic.
The Wolves defended diligently in the final minutes to secure all three points for the first time since Round 7.
Wollongong left-back Ryan said he was hopeful that this win could get the side back on track after it ended a four-game winless run in the NPL Men’s NSW.
“We came here and got three points at home but not the way we wanted to. We wanted to play a lot better football,” he said.
“It was a tough game. They’re good little players. They’re a young team with a lot of energy.
“At the start of the season, we were winning games and then we went on that little losing spot but last week against St George, that second half especially, showed who we really are and hopefully that was a momentum change.”
Sydney FC coach Jimmy van Weeren said he thought a point each would have been a true reflection of the game, but that key mistakes are costing the team currently.
“I think on today a draw would have been a fair result. There was probably an equal number of chances both ways,” he said.
“We’re our own worst enemy at the moment, we just seem to be giving goals to the opposition which is really hurting us.
“There were enough positives there today to say that we’re going to be ok.”
Match Stats
Wollongong Wolves FC 3 (Takumi Ofuka 3’, Christopher McStay 42’, Banri Kanaizumi 89’)
Sydney FC 2 (Mitchell Glasson 49’, Bailey Callaghan 81’)
Sunday 21 April 2024
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Referee: Eric Saba
Assistant Referees: Lachlan Brownscombe and Mayson Griffith
Fourth Official: Hayden Michlmayr
Wollongong Wolves: 20. Vedran Janjetovic, 2. Harrison Buesnel, 3. Darcy Madden, 4. Dylan Ryan, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 6. Samuel Riak, 7. Takumi Ofuka, 9. Jake Trew ( 27. Damon Gray 69’), 10. Yagoub Mustafa, 24. Lachlan Scott, 88. Christopher McStay
Substitutes Not Used: 8. Andre Takami, 13. Max Cunial, 15. Dax Kelly, 29. Thomas Dunn
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 20. Adam Pavlesic, 5. Meliwethu Nkomo, 6. Dylan Rose (C) (2. Noah Mathie 59’), 8. Lachlan Middleton, 11. Marin France, 13. Jacob Brazete, 14. Jared Middleton, 18. Matthew Scarcella (35. Jai Rose 90’), 19. Mitchell Glasson, 21. Zachary De Jesus (9. Bailey Callaghan 70’), 24. Mataru Kamijo (3. Tyler Williams 59’)
Substitutes Not Used: 28. Nathan Amanatidis, 40. Alexander Zaverdinos
Yellow Cards: Dylan Rose 53’, Bailey Callaghan 90+5’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Takumi Ofuka (WW)
2 – Christopher McStay (WW)
1 – Mitchell Glasson (SFC)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
