St George City undone by clinical Blacktown
Blacktown City took home the three points with a 2-0 win over St George City in what was a tough round 5 National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW encounter at Penshurst Park on Saturday.
The visitors hit the back of the net twice in the second stanza of play in what was a fairly even contest overall through Mitchell Mallia and later Danny Choi to break the hearts of the many St George City supporters that had turned up for the big occasion of hosting Blacktown City.
The first real salvo of the game arrived in the 15th minute when Fumoto Kamada for the home side arrived at the by-line before firing his cross just over the crossbar.
Blacktown City came ever close in the 19th minute when a precise cross from Jakob Cresnar found Jak O’Brien dangerously in the box, but the latter’s header sailed just wide of the target.
A minute later a Paolo Mitry free-kick from just outside the box for St George City finished just over the crossbar in what was a close chance for the Red and Whites.
In the 29th minute Monahan-Vaiika won the ball in the box before finding Mitry whose shot was only just wide of the goal in what was another close call for the Penshurst Park based side.
In the 35th minute though St George City should really have scored. Mitry fed a magnificent through ball to a galloping Marc McNulty who found himself one-on-one with the ‘keeper Cayden Henderson but somehow the Blacktown City custodian managed to block his shot and the rebound fell back to McNulty who, with his second chance, was denied by some brilliant Blacktown City defending on the line. The home fans couldn’t believe how that one managed to stay out, as the away faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Late in the first half Blacktown City had a good opportunity when Travis Major won the ball down the right flank before managing to send a long, floating cross to the back post where Jak O’Brien headed on target but was denied by an alert Jack Kenny between the sticks. Both sides then went into the dressing rooms for a well-deserved break all square and goalless.
The second half’s opening goal-scoring chance belonged to St George City. A corner from Dakota Askew in the 56th minute seemed to rebound off players in the box like an old ping-pong machine but it was then somehow cleared off the line by the men in black.
A minute later a long cross from the left reached Jesse Photi dangerously in the middle but he couldn’t bring it down properly and, from very close range, he volleyed over as the home fans put their hands on their heads in frustration.
It was Blacktown City though that took the lead just after the hour mark. The goal action started with a St George City throw-in that went wrong before a long ball from the visitors made its way into the box and some nice work in tight spaces in the box by Jak O’Brien saw the ball reach Mitchell Mallia and the striker, with a diagonal shot, slotted home in what did appear to be an easy goal for the visitors.
In the 65th minute Grant Lynch tried his luck from outside the box with a powerful drive but ‘keeper Kenny got down well to his left to save his team. Momentum was now starting to shift in favour of Blacktown City after the early part of the half belonged to St George City.
Two minutes later Major fired in a long cross from the right for Jak O’Brien in the middle but he couldn’t connect properly and sent the ball wide.
In the 75th minute Goncalo Agrelos, who had only just come onto the field, blasted a shot over and into the back net behind the goal in a clear sign that the home side needed something to spark them back into life.
However, it was Blacktown City that struck again through substitute Danny Choi in the 89th minute. With some lightning speed down the left flank he made a run into the box passing Askew on his way before unleashing a left foot rocket straight past the goalkeeper who was rooted to the line.
In the stoppage time a rocket of shot by Agrelos from outside the box saw Henderson turn it wide with a brilliant save but it was all too late for St George City.
After the game Mark Crittenden the veteran coach of Blacktown City was very pleased with the win and his side’s effort.
“It’s a hard ground to play on because it is so small,” he said. “We know exactly what to expect when we come here and tonight we saw that as they battled so hard. We needed to win the battle and the contest, and it really was a contest from one end to the other.
“There were not too many chances tonight from either side, and so to come here and get three points is a big result for us. I was really pleased with our effort tonight and it has been a big improvement.
“If we are going to win things we can’t afford to play at 90% because it must be a full effort like tonight which was outstanding.”
In the opposite dressing room coach Manny Spanoudakis of St George City was also pleased with his side’s effort but disappointed to come away empty handed.
“For as long as I can remember Blacktown has been a top-four club at least,” he said. “We played very well tonight for long passages of play and it was a nice type of football where we controlled the game.
“I thought we did okay but our final execution in the top third with some chances wasn’t that good and we paid dearly for it in the second half
“If you drop for a split second, Blacktown will always punish you. I am very happy with our work effort but we just need to improve our finishing because the stats tell us that we are creating as many, if not more chances than any team, but we are not converting them.”
Match Stats
St GEORGE CITY: 0
BLACKTOWN CITY: 2 (Mallia 61’, Choi 89’)
Saturday 8th March 2025
Penshurst Park
Referee: Jake Rose
Assistant referees: Matt Stapleton, Matthew Harris
Fourth Official: Joshua Kermond
St GEORGE CITY: 1. Jack Kenny, 3. Caio De Godoy (17. Noah Ovens 67’), 4. Solomon Monahan-Vaiika, 8. Dominic Cox, 9. Marc McNulty, 10. Paolo Mitry (18. Goncalo Agrelos 67’), 11. Fumoto Kamada, 15. Nathan Grimaldi, 19. Jesse Photi (16. William Kounnas 84’), 23. Dakota Askew, 25. Brodie Clarkson.
Substitutes not used: 2. Matthew Wahby, 7. Nathan Roberts, 13. Cameron Kemp.
Yellow Cards: Monahan-Vaiika 56’, Mitry 58’
Red Cards: Nil
BLACKTOWN CITY: 1. Cayden Henderson, 3. Jarred McKinlay (10. Maksim Jez 71’), 5. Grant Lynch, 6. Adam Berry, 7. Travis Major (4. Lachlan Campbell 81’), 8. Jak O’Brien, 9. Keanu Moore (22. Jacob Maniti 71’), 14. Mitchell Mallia (11. Danny Choi 68’), 16. Benjamin Berry, 18. Nicholas O’Brien, 23. Jakob Cresnar.
Substitutes not used: 17. Martin Fernandez, 20. Zac Bowling.
Yellow Cards: Cresnar 41’, Maniti 87’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Travis Major (BC)
2 – Adam Berry (BC)
1 – Dakota Askew (STG)
By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s reporter Joe Russo
