Ilinden hit Wanderers for eight
Rockdale Ilinden put Western Sydney Wanderers to the sword with an 8-1 flogging on Saturday night at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
The first half was action-packed as Ali Auglah notched a 12-minute hat-trick while Urosevski also scored to give Rockdale a four-goal advantage. Aiden Simmons scored for Western Sydney late in the first half to give his team a slim chance of getting back into the contest.
Nathan Barrie saw red soon after halftime for Western Sydney as Urosevski rammed in his second of the match. Brendan Cholakian and Brae Ovens added further goals for the side to round out the emphatic victory.
However, the Wanderers should have taken the lead within 10 minutes. Simmons clipped a neat ball over the top for Alaat Abdul-Rahman to race in on goal, but the striker dragged an excellent chance wide of the left post.
The visitors came close again in the 14th minute. Edmun Haddad mazed his way past several challenges before slipping Simmons into the left of the area, who prodded the ball narrowly wide of the far post.
Western Sydney were left to rue these two gilt-edge chances as Rockdale showed their clinical edge to take the lead 20 minutes in. Cholakian latched onto a ball into the right channel, cutting it back for Urosevski, whose subsequent shot was parried into Auglah’s path to poke home.
Less than five minutes later, Ilinden doubled their advantage with a scintillating counterattack. Cholakian fired a long ball down the left for Urosevski to play an inch-perfect pass across the box, where Auglah provided a simple finish to score.
The hosts continued their flowing football and scored a third goal before the half-hour mark. Urosevski picked up the ball in the right of the box and arced a left-footed strike past Sinnott.
It got even better for Rockdale when they scored their fourth goal in the 32nd minute. Sinnott spilt Urosevski’s left-sided cross into Auglah’s path, who tapped in and secured a remarkable 12-minute hat-trick.
The Wanderers provided some hope before halftime as they pulled a goal back in the final minute of regular time. Abdul-Rahman powered down the right and drilled a dangerous ball into the box, which Simmons eventually bundled home.
An enthralling first half concluded with the home side still holding a comfortable lead over their opponents.
It went from bad to worse for the Wanderers within the first two minutes of the second half as Barrie dragged down Urosevski in the box, conceding a penalty and was sent off.
Urosevski added further insult to injury by blasting the spot kick into the goal to put Rockdale 5-1 up.
Rockdale scored their sixth goal in the 54th minute through Cholakian, who found room for a shot in the left of the box and slotted the ball inside the near post.
It looked as if Rockdale would have their seventh in the 65th minute. Cholakian fizzed a shot past Sinnott from the edge of the area, but Wanderers defender Antony Barbic slid in desperately to divert the ball over the bar.
Seventy-four minutes in, Ilinden found their seventh goal when substitute Ovens rolled an accurate close-range shot into the bottom-right corner.
Ovens picked up his second goal of the match in the 88th minute, converting Urosevski’s cross from the left with a powerful header.
Ovens’ second goal rounded out the smashing for the hosts as they kept pace with the teams at the top.
Match Stats
Rockdale Ilinden FC 8 (Ali Auglah 20’ 25’ 32’, Alec Urosevski 30’ 48’ penalty, Brendan Cholakian 54’, Brae Ovens 74’ 88’)
Western Sydney Wanderers FC 1 (Aiden Simmons 45’)
Saturday 19 April 2025
Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Referee: Eric Saba
Assistant Referees: Joshua Eiser and Glen Stubbings
Fourth Official: Jack Nelson
Rockdale Ilinden FC: 1. Nicholas Sorras, 2. Hunter Elliot (14. Brayden Sorge 60’), 4. James Nikolovski, 5. Giorgio Speranza (99. Matthew Keremelevski 60’), 6. Isaac Danzo, 7. Alec Urosevski, 9. Moudi Najjar (18. Jordan Graoroski 67’), 10. Brendan Cholakian, 11. Lochlan Constable (88. Christopher McStay 42’), 22. Blake Ricciuto, 24. Ali Auglah (17. Brae Ovens 67’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Ronan Mulgrew
Yellow Cards: Brendan Cholakian 45+4’, Hunter Elliot 52’, Matthew Keremelevski 62’
Red Cards: Nil
Western Sydney Wanderers FC: 20. Lucas Sinnott, 2. Nathan Barrie, 5. Lachlan Tilt, 9. Alaat Abdul-Rahman (11. Kaan Nizam 55’), 10. Edmun Haddad (7. Dallo Sandy 55’), 18. Awan Lual (38. Noah Peacock 68’), 26. Antony Barbic, 27. Julian Cop (8. Nicholas Badolato 68’), 31. Aiden Simmons, 32. Saxon Hillyer (6. Ryley Hollingdale 76’), 34. Meliwethu Nkomo
Substitutes Not Used: 30. Marcus Petrovski
Yellow Cards: Nathan Barrie 45+4’ 47’, Aiden Simmons 57’, Richie Cardozo 73’, Ryley Hollingdale 90+1’
Red Cards: Nathan Barrie 47’
Player Ratings:
3 – Ali Auglah (RI)
2 – Alec Urosevski (RI)
1 – Brendan Cholakian (RI)
Report by Tim Gibson
