Olympic return to the winners circle
Sydney Olympic earned a 3-0 win over Central Coast Mariners in a rescheduled Round 8 clash on Wednesday night at Valentine Sports Park.
A Joel Wade own goal put Olympic into the lead within 10 minutes before Cyrus Dehmie added a second ahead of halftime.
Dehmie made it a brace in the second half to round out a comfortable win for Olympic.
Olympic gained some early territory in the Mariners’ half as they sought out the opening goal.
In the fifth minute, Jack Armson took aim from a free-kick, with his effort sailing over the bar.
Olympic came forward again two minutes later as Michael Vakis drove through the middle of the pitch and tried to roll the ball under Wade, but the goalkeeper saved with his feet.
The side’s pressure paid off nine minutes in as they took the lead. Zac Zoricich curled the ball down the left touchline for Clark, whose by-line cutback deflected off Wade and spun into the goal.
Sydney Olympic were close to doubling their advantage in the 15th minute when Vakis’ bouncing strike from outside the area struck the right post.
Olympic’s continued momentum resulted in the side winning a penalty around 10 minutes after Vakis’ shot; Ben Mewett bundling over Dehmie in the box. Dehmie stepped up and picked out the bottom left corner, out of Wade’s reach, who went unrewarded for diving the correct way.
Olympic had been working hard to press Central Coast when they tried to play out from the back. In the 37th minute, Teng Kuol snatched the ball on the edge of the box, but his run forward was smothered by the Mariners’ defence.
The hosts’ comprehensive first-half performance saw them go into the sheds with a two-goal advantage.
The second half got off to a quieter start, with neither team creating anything of substance in the first 10 minutes.
Central Coast started to find some attacking space up the field soon after as substitute Jesse Mantell lashed a strike from the edge of the box that Olympic goalkeeper Jack Gibson parried away.
However, Olympic piled on the misery just after the hour mark. Dehmie latched onto a misplaced back pass, going around Wade and slotting the ball home.
The drama kept coming with Central Coast awarded a penalty a couple of minutes after Olympic’s third goal. Ayouk Mow took responsibility and struck both posts before the ball was scrambled away for a corner.
The turbulent tone of the second half continued as the sides traded opportunities.
In the 84th minute, Mariners’ defender Michael Paragalli lashed an effort from the right of the box, which Gibson turned behind for a corner.
Moments later, Jai Rose had a shot from a similar area, but this time Gibson held onto the ball.
In the end, Sydney Olympic saw out a clean sheet and claimed a 3-0 win over Central Coast Mariners.
Match Stats
Sydney Olympic FC 3 (Joel Wade own goal 9’, Cyrus Dehmie 28’ penalty 61’)
Central Coast Mariners FC 0
Wednesday 28 May 2025
Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood
Sydney Olympic FC: 1. Jack Gibson, 5. Ziggy Gordon, 7. Michael Vakis (16. Bailey Callghan 68’), 9. Cyrus Dehmie, 10. Jack Armson, 11. Adam Parkhouse (19. Gianni Di Pizio 78’), 12. Zac Zoricich, 14. Seth Clark (22. Dylan Ruiz-Diaz 73’), 17. Joshua Hong, 18. Teng Kuol (6. Thomas Whiffen 78’), 28. Doni Grdic
Substitutes Not Used: 13. Monty Partington
Yellow Cards: Joshua Hong 49’, Michael Vakis 62’, Teng Kuol 71’
Red Cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners FC: 40. Joel Wade, 3. Michael Paragalli, 4. Rocco Smith, 5. Ben Mewett, 6. Jordan Small (17. Jesse Mantell 46’), 10. Ayouk Mow (9. Ahmad Elhelou 68’), 11. Jai Rose, 13. Logan Sambrook (15. Freddie Clunas 46’), 23. Laurence Taylor (22. Shumba Mutokoyi 80’), 24. Kye Schumacher (19. Prayaag Thapa 46’), 39. Harper Ryles
Substitutes Not Used: 30. Jared Williams
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Cyrus Dehmie (SO)
2 – Ziggy Gordon (SO)
1 – Seth Clark (SO)
Report by Tim Gibson
