Rangers trounced by rampaging APIA
APIA Leichhardt FC flexed its muscles at Lambert Park on Saturday evening as they put in a stunning display to smash the Mount Druitt Town Rangers 5-0.
It was a clinical performance and the scoreboard certainly told no lies as the gap between both sides on the night was indeed a chasm.
After going into the break with a narrow 1-0 lead thanks to a Seya Kambayashi goal, APIA pulled away in the second half with a brace from Jordan Segreto and goals to Jack Stewart and Alex Denmead.
The APIA Leichhardt performance made up for last week’s loss to rivals Sydney United 58 and was the response that coach Franco Parisi was certainly wanting from his side.
However, for Mt Druitt Town Rangers, the loss compounds last week’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Sydney Olympic and now having conceded nine goals without scoring in two weeks will leave them searching for a suitable response over the Easter weekend in their next encounter at home against Blacktown City.
The action started in the 6th minute with a great shot on target by Segreto that was beautifully turned away for a corner by goalkeeper Jordan Niski. It was the home side again in the 11th minute with a shot from distance by Stewart that caused concern, but in the end the ball trickled just wide of the intended target.
In the 18th minute Mt Druitt Town Rangers came close to opening the scoring with their first real chance of the evening when a Joey Gibbs shot brought out the best in goalkeeper Oliver Kalac who made the save and the ball somehow then spun over the crossbar.
APIA Leichhardt’s reply in the 22nd minute was from a Kambayashi corner which created some aerial ping-pong and ended with Josh Symons’ header which was well held by Niski.
The home side duly took the lead in the 27th minute as their relentless pressure paid off. A cross from the right by Stewart went across the face of goal and reached Kambayashi who, unmarked and from very close range, simply just had to tap it in.
A nice move followed by the home side in the 32nd minute which ended with Joel Bertolissio receiving the ball in the box, but his on-target shot was well saved by ‘keeper Niski.
The first half didn’t produce any further action to write home about and ended with the home side in the lead with a narrow one-goal margin.
However, the second half was a totally different kettle of fish. The first salvo of the second stanza of play belonged to APIA and it was indeed their second goal almost straight after the resumption.
A nice move down the left flank made sure that the ball arrived at Segreto’s feet and his superb diagonal shot ended up in the bottom corner of the net and out of the reach of the visiting goalkeeper.
In the 53rd minute the home side made it three when a Stewart cross from the right was the perfect assist for Segreto who once again was in the right place at the right time to slot it home.
On the hour mark APIA Leichhardt made it four almost in comical fashion. Stewart received a wide ball down the right flank and goalkeeper Niski came charging off his line in a desperate bid to block the galloping APIA player who managed to round him and slot the ball home from a wide angle.
In the 63rd minute a rocket from Maksim Kasalovic, who had only just entered the field a few minutes earlier, brought out the best in ‘keeper Niski who turned the rocket over the crossbar for a corner.
In the 73rd minute Nicholas Azzone had a powerful drive well saved by an alert Niski and in the 81st minute a cross along the carpet by Stewart reached Rory Jordan in the middle but he fired just high of the target.
In the 92nd minute Stewart went charging down the right flank and shot on target, only to be denied by another great intervention from Niski who saved his team from leaking more goals.
Well into stoppage time Alex Denmead made it five for APIA Leichhardt when he received a ball over the top on the left and from an acute angle scored.
After the game APIA Leichhardt’s coach Franco Parisi as expected was very happy with the result.
“We played some sexy football tonight but what really impressed me was our commitment as a group,” he said. “We made some good subs and they lifted our team.
“We just kept improving throughout the game but the message at halftime was that Mt Druitt are doing exceptionally well to stay in the game, and we didn’t want to leave the game to chance.
“Luckily we scored a beautiful goal within 30 seconds of the re-start and that helped us a lot and I am sure for Mt Druitt that was a tough one to receive just after the break.
“However, we are not getting carried away with tonight’s result because on Good Friday we have Manly United away at Cromer Park at 6pm and they are one of the best sides in the competition at home.”
Match Stats
APIA LEICHHARDT: 5 (Kambayshi 27’, Segreto 46’, 53’, Stewart 60’, Denmead 93’)
Mt DRUITT TOWN RANGERS: 0
Saturday 12th April 2025
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Eric Saba
Assistant referees: Joel Crawford, Hayden Kaye
Fourth Official: Jasper White
APIA LEICHHARDT: 80. Oliver Kalac, 2. Seya Kambayashi, 4. Josh Symons (29. Maksim Kasalovic 61’), 6. Anthony Sparacino(41. Nicholas Azzone 71’), 7. Jack Stewart, 8. Joel Bertolissio, 9. Presley Ortiz (11. Rory Jordan 46’), 16. Sean Symons (30. Alex Denmead 71’), 17. Jordan Segreto, 18. Adrian Ucchino, 22. Eddie Caspers (5. Dredon Kelly 61’).
Substitutes not used: 1. Anthony Bouzanis.
Yellow Card: J.Symons 40’
Red Cards: Nil
Mt DRUITT TOWN RANGERS: 1. Dylan Niski, 2. Alexander Trajanovski, 5. Theph Theph, 6. Jared Macerola, 9. Joey Gibbs (14. Olayinka Sunmola 70’), 10. Joao Pedrinho, 11. John Azar (7. Garang Awac 57’), 15. Caleb Jackson-Brown, 21. Will Rankin, 22. Jude Rankin (27. Shayden Sampow 57’), 99. Rocco Fragale (18. Lachlan Vasiliou 80’).
Substitutes not used: 16. Stefan Giglio, 19. Jackson Goggins-Barrett.
Yellow Card: Gibbs 70’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Jordan Segreto (AL)
2 – Jack Stewart (AL)
1 – Joel Bertolissio (AL)
By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s reporter Joe Russo
