Five-star Manly breeze past Mount Druitt
Manly United put on a Friday night show against Mount Druitt Town Rangers humbling the newly promoted side 5-0 at Cromer Park.
Manly went into halftime with a two-goal lead courtesy of Harry McCarthy and Harry Van der Saag.
Van der Saag added his second soon after halftime before substitutes Darcy Burgess and Benjamin Koop also found the net.
United went close to an opening goal within four minutes. Bilal Belkadi prodded the ball towards Lucas Meek in the box, who could not poke the ball beyond Mount Druitt goalkeeper Dylan Niski.
The hosts’ initiative paid off four minutes later as they took the lead. Meek’s flick-on found Van der Saag on the right edge of the box, who swung the ball towards the back post for McCarthy to tap home from close in.
Mount Druitt started to get some control of the game around 20 minutes in as they worked some nice combinations in midfield.
However, Manly created the next big chance 27 minutes in when the lively Meek found space in the left of the box and drew a sharp near-post save from Niski.
Two minutes later, the side doubled their lead through Van der Saag. The winger saw the ball drop to him on the left edge of the box, where he curled a superb effort into the far-right corner.
United were eager to build on this early momentum and displayed some flowing football but could not add to their advantage heading into the sheds.
The home side carried on their fluid play and scored a third goal in the 52nd minute. Van der Saag was at the heart of things again, driving down the right and mazing his way into a shooting position in the box where he slid the ball past Niski.
The Rangers were struggling to cope with Manly in transition, with United flooding forwards each time the visitors turned over the ball. This was in large part due to goalkeeper Levi Kaye’s snapping distribution.
Manly were inches away from a fourth goal 66 minutes in when Meek took on a curling effort from the left edge of the box that flew just past the right post.
Van Der Saag almost grabbed his hat-trick eight minutes later, hitting a first-time effort from the edge of the area that fell wide of the left post.
Moments later, United scored their fourth. Burgess, who had only been on the field for a few minutes, lifted a first-time strike into the roof of the net, following Koop’s pass.
Mount Druitt moved the ball up the field well in the 82nd minute, and it arrived at Pedrinho’s feet, who curled the ball over the top from range.
Manly carried on their ruthless performance two minutes later as Koop became the second substitute to score off the bench. Taiga Kawano escaped down the right and drilled the ball across the box for Koop to guide the ball in for Manly’s fifth of the night.
Koop’s goal was the final gloss on a sensational night for Manly United as they picked up their second win of the season.
Match Stats
Manly United FC 5 (Harry McCarthy 8’, Harry Van der Saag 29’ 52’, Darcy Burgess 75’, Benjamin Koop 84’)
Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC 0
Friday 7 March 2025
Cromer Park, Cromer
Referee: Ivica Covic
Assistant Referees: Jackson Mackie and Rowan Fisher
Fourth Official: Mia Velarde
Manly United FC: 1. Levi Kaye, 2. Aaron O Driscoll, 3. Matthew O’Donoghue (16. Ryan Devine 73’), 4. Jesse Piriz (12. Rocco Pelle 74’), 6. Bilal Belkadi (23. Darcy Burgess 70’), 10. Harry McCarthy (13. Taiga Kawano 70’), 11. Lucas Meek, 17. Farah Koko (9. Benjamin Koop 70’), 19. Alen Aganovic, 26. Harry Van der Saag, 28. Jasper Chipman
Substitutes Not Used: 21. Anthony Carreras
Yellow Cards: Bilal Belkadi 61’
Red Cards: Nil
Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC: 1. Dylan Niski, 2. Alexander Trajanoski (7. Garang Awac 69’), 3. Joseph White, 4. Zac Sfiligoi, 9. Joey Gibbs, 10. Pedrinho, 15. Caleb Jackson-Brown, 20. Thomas Lopez (8. Bailey Jacobs 46’), 21. William Rankin (14. Olayinka Sunmola 69’), 22. Jude Rankin (11. John Azar 46’), 99. Rocco Fragale (17. Cooper Coskerie 69’)
Substitutes Not Used: 16. Stefan Giglio
Yellow Cards: Zac Sfiligoi 14’, Rocco Fragale 59’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Harry Van der Saag (MU)
2 – Harry McCarthy (MU)
1 – Levi Kaye (MU)
Report by Tim Gibson
