Ilinden break United 58 hearts with late surge
Rockdale Ilinden secured three valuable points in a thrilling 3-1 victory over Sydney United 58 at the Sydney United Sports Centre on Sunday in what was a late rally that spurred the 2024 Premiers onto victory.
The hosts made a magic start as United 58’s young gun Michael Pratezina set off on a solo run through the middle of the park before drifting left and hitting a shot from 20-yards that bobbled in front of Ilinden’s ‘keeper, Nick Sorras and rippled the back of the net to put United 58 ahead in just the third minute.
Mason Wells curled one wide from an acute angle shortly thereafter as the home side pressed for more.
A bright start from the home side that was eventually pegged back with Ali Auglah rounding off a terrific Ilinden move, his first for the Club, to level the game with the visitors firmly in the ascendency.
It was an eagerly contested fixture as expected but substitute Blake Ricciuto slammed in what was thought to be the winner in the dying seconds of normal time to secure the points for the visitors.
That honour fell to Man-of the Match Auglah who lashed home his second of the game in the final minute of stoppage time to give Rockdale a deserved three points.
Rockdale are no strangers to going behind this campaign and here was another game in which they would have to come from behind to garner any points, something they’ve proven adept at but it would be an arduous task given the venue and opposition.
Auglah, proving a handful for the home side down the left, fired in a central free-kick that took a coat of paint off the upright as it slid past the United 58 post on the quarter-hour. The visitors were finding time and space however, the final ball option was lacking with crosses going too close to Tristan Prendergast who snaffled them up with ease.
It was Auglah again, after a neat interchange with Giorgio Speranza, who made Prendergast work hard in the 20th minute when needing to get down sharply to prevent the Ilinden winger from levelling the tie.
It was followed up by Alec Urosevski being unable to get a shot away with several United 58 defenders closing him down inside the area to prevent the prolific marksman from adding to his tally in a frenzied few moments for the home side.
The majority of action was firmly in United’s half, predominantly on their right hand side, but were content to contain and look to hit on the counter.
A Brendan Cholakian scissor-kick crept wide of the mark in the latter stages of the half before Moudi Najjar sent a free header beyond the woodwork at the back stick from another corner from the visitors and before the whistle blew, both Urosevski and Auglah had shots blocked, the latter via Bailey Rule, to deny the equaliser from a quick counter-attack of their own.
The Reds rallied in stoppage time and created problems for Rockdale although Prendergast was called into action with a double save from Urosevski however, it was the home side who would take the slenderest of leads into the break courtesy of the early strike from Pratezina.
Wells had a hopeful looping effort grasped by Sorras nine minutes into the second half before both Cholakian, his effort dipping but just wide, and Auglah forcing Prendergast into another fine save at his near post. Half-time substitute Stephan De Robillard forced Sorras into a save immediately after but the corner came to nought as United 58 looked to extend the lead.
Cholakian had another effort blocked by Vlastelica in the 58th minute as the home side threw everything, including their bodies, into defending their one goal advantage but Rockdale kept knocking on the door having finished the first-half the stronger.
United 58 opportunities were scarce but Sorras was on hand once more to deny Carlos De Oliveira with goal hero Pratezina replaced by Tariq Maia shortly thereafter.
The ever industrious Cholakian played the ball wide to the right for Urosevski to gather and centre for Auglah to side-foot home in the 65th minute and parity was restored.
Matthew Hatch drove into the area from the left and unleashed a powerful strike straight at Sorras who could do little but bat the ball away before the danger was cleared. If the game was to end all square it certainly wasn’t through a lack of commitment from the two sides in a final, frenzied quarter to the game.
Chris McStay played the ball out wide left and the resulting inbound cross found Najjar in the centre of the box but unable to get his header on target.
It was frantic end-to-end football, the pendulum swinging one way then the other as each sought to find a winner, neither wishing to settle for the draw, United 58 introducing Aidan Milicevic into the attack when replacing Wells in the hope fresh legs into a three pronged attack.
It proved a brave but fruitless action as second-half substitute McStay unleashed a thunderbolt that Prendergast did superbly well to turn around the post but from the corner it was another replacement, Blake Ricciuto, who powered the ball home to give Rockdale the lead in the final minute of normal time before the final sting of Auglah netting his second the game and for Rockdale.
It proved a game of high quality between two very competitive and competent sides but it was the visitors who were, perhaps, the hungrier on the day who secured the points in a resounding 3-1 win.
An impeccably observed one minutes silence was held before the game in remembrance for the Grandfather of United 58’s skipper, Adrian Vlastelica, who sadly passed away during the week. Our condolences to the family, may he rest in peace.
Match Stats
Sydney United 58 1 (Michael Pratezina 3’)
Rockdale Ilinden 3 (Ali Auglah 65’,90+4’, Blake Ricciuto 90’)
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park Sunday 13th April, 2025
Referee: Craig Fisher
Assistants: Matthew Harris and Luke Chapman Fourth Official: Hayden Langholz
Sydney United 58: 1. Tristan Prendergast, 3. Bailey Rule, 4. Adrian Vlastelica, 10. Carlos De Oliveira, 11. Matthew Hatch, 13. Alessandro Lacalandra (9. Patrick Antlemi 71’), 14. Liam McGing, 17. Michael Glassock, 23. Mason Wells (19. Aidan Milicevic 83’), 32. Leroy Jennings (22. Stephan De Robillard 46’), 43. Michael Pratezina (15.Tariq Maia 62’)
Subs not used: 5. Anthony Tomelic, 31. Josip Orlovic Yellow Cards: Liam McGing 34’
Red Cards: Nil
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Nick Sorras, 2. Hunter Elliott (14. Brayden Sorge 79’), 4. James Nikolovski, 5. Giorgio Speranza, 6. Isaac Danzo, 7.Alec Urosevski, 9. Moudi Najjar, 10. Brendan Cholakian (17. Brae Oven 79’), 11. Lachie Constable (88. Chris McStay 70’), 24. Ali Auglah (18.Jordan Graoroski, 90+4’), 99. Matthew Keremelevski (22. Blake Ricciuto 46’)
Subs not used: 20. Ronan Mulgrew
Yellow Cards: Matthew Keremelevski 28’, Brendan Cholakian 45+1, Hunter Elliott 63’, James Nikolovski 90+3 Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Ali Auglah (RI)
2 – Brendan Cholakian (RI)
1 – Michael Pratezina (SU58)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
