Ilinden knock out Premiers to advance to Grand Final
Rockdale Ilinden summoned all their strength to secure a 2-1 triumph over newly crowned Premiers NWS Spirit at Christie Park in a Sunday night thriller, emerging victorious after 120 minutes of play to set up a huge Grand Final meeting with APIA Leichhardt next Saturday at Jubilee Stadium.
The visitors showed no signs of trouble despite playing midweek, navigating the hurdle of extra time to down the Premiers in an epic Preliminary Final clash to book their ticket in the Grand Final.
The first half belonged largely to Rockdale as they created numerous opportunities without finding the back of the net.
The visitors’ first major chance came in the ninth minute when Isaac Danzo delivered a sumptuous ball towards Moudi Najjar near the six-yard box, with the winger sending his header just wide of the left post.
Najjar popped up with a headed effort again in the 30th minute, this time meeting an excellent Ali Auglah free kick from the right and guiding it on target to force Spirit keeper Christopher Marques into a diving save at the bottom left.
Ilinden came inches away from taking the lead in the 36th minute after Brendan Cholakian delivered a perfect ball from inside the box towards Lochlan Constable, whose first-time strike went just wide of the left post.
The travellers kept their momentum going after the break and finally broke through in the 47th minute after Hunter Elliott found Najjar in the box, who then sent it across goal for captain Alec Urosevski to smack in from close range.
Auglah came close to making it two in the 54th minute when he went for goal in the box, though Marques did well to smother him and make the save, with Spirit then winning a penalty from the next play following a foul on Takumi Ofuka by Elliott at the edge of the box in the 55th minute.
The hosts nearly squandered their golden opportunity as Andre Takami’s effort was saved by Nicholas Sorras at the bottom right, but Harry Keys managed to reach the rebound first and smash it into the net to make it 1-1 in the 56th minute.
Spirit captain Grant Cornwell nearly put his side in front in the 78th minute with a strong header from a Jordan Perez corner, though Sorras intervened with a superb save to keep it level.
Neither side could find a winner as the game progressed into extra time.
Ilinden came out sharp and managed to regain the lead in the 91st minute after Urosevski delivered a delightful pass towards Najjar, who then deposited it into the bottom right.
The premiers won a free kick at a dangerous position with Ofuka stepping up and releasing a strike at goal in the 105+2nd minute, but Sorras managed it well as he stepped across and punched it away.
The hosts came agonisingly close to equalising in the 118th minute when a corner saw Kyah Williams unleash a strike bound for the back of the net, with Elliott stepping and making a crucial goal-line block to preserve Rockdale’s lead.
Paul Dee heaped praise on his Rockdale side for a “great performance” that gave them the victory against the premiers.
“I said to Perko (Perkovic) that Spirit have had an unbelievable season. They are a terrific, well-drilled team so I knew it was going to be a very tough task at Christie Park,” Dee told Football NSW.
“I’m just glad our boys put in a very good performance today. I think we deserved the win and it is an award for our fans who have been loyal to us from the start.”
He said their display off the back of their game against Blacktown City on Wednesday is testament to the players, whom he has worked to help them gain self-belief all season.
“I think it just shows the desire in the team to make another Grand Final and try to do one better than we did last year,” Dee said.
“I have said it the whole way through, it is real self-belief you want out of a squad. We want to play a good brand of football and have confident players that are brave even under pressured situations, and the Grand Final will be, but I want the boys to back themselves because they have all the talent in the world.”
When asked about their Grand Final opponent, Dee stated:
“There is a long history between us and APIA so it will be great for the fans. It will be a good spectacle in the final and we are going to go there to win.”
Ilinden will take on APIA Leichhardt FC next Saturday at Jubilee Stadium for the right to be crowned the 2025 NPL Men’s NSW Champion with kick off set for 6pm.
Match Stats
NWS Spirit 1 (Harry Keys 56’)
Rockdale Ilinden 2 (Alec Urosevski 47’, Moudi Najjar 91’)
Sunday 7 September
Christie Park
Referee: Eric Saba
Assistant Referees: Patrick Teleki and Hayden Michlmayr
Fourth Official: Matt Staples
NWS Spirit FC: 1. Christopher Marques, 5. Jordan Perez (16. Charlie Broomhead 101’), 6. Corey Kavanagh (17. Jacob Chidiac 106’), 7. Frankie Ljucovic (19. Zayne Ahluwalia 84’), 8. Grant Cornwell, 11. Ollie Wiggin (3. Kyah Williams 112’), 13. Simon Nicholas, 15. Jamie Percevski, 18. Andre Takami, 21. Harry Keys, 22. Takumi Ofuka
Substitutes not used: 12. Jay Coates, 46. Benjamin Duroux
Yellow cards: Simon Nicholas 32’, Zayne Ahluwalia 90+2’, Jordan Perez 97’
Red cards: Nil
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Nicholas Sorras, 2. Hunter Elliott, 5. Giorgio Speranza (4. James Nikolovski 117’), 6. Isaac Danzo (99. Matthew Keremelevski 117’), 7. Alec Urosevski (23. Oliver Puflett 103’), 9. Moudi Najjar, 10. Brendan Cholakian (88. Christopher McStay 103’), 11. Lochlan Constable (18. Jerry Skotadis 103’), 14. Brayden Sorge, 22. Blake Ricciuto, 24. Ali Auglah
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Ronan Mulgrew
Yellow Cards: Ali Auglah 17’, Brendan Cholakian 83’, Hunter Elliott 105+1’
Red Cards: Nil
-By Dimitri Kallos
