Ten-Man Manly Humble Rockdale in Four-Goal Blitz

Manly United delivered one of the standout results of the season with a commanding 4–1 victory over Rockdale Ilinden, producing a ruthless and energetic display that belied their position on the ladder.

Even more impressive was the fact the hosts played a significant portion of the second half with ten men, yet still added two further goals to complete a memorable win that lifts them within five points of a finals berth.

The tone was set from the opening exchanges in a fiery start that reflected the familiarity between the two sides. Just moments in, Harry Van Der Saag crashed into Jasper Chipman, showing there would be no sentiment against his former club.

Minutes later, another ex-Manly player, Brendan Cholakian, responded in kind with a heavy challenge on Max Martinello as tensions simmered early.

Rockdale initially looked to settle better and began to carve out chances. In the ninth minute, Cholakian unleashed a powerful long-range effort that forced an outstanding low save from Manly goalkeeper Harry Turner. The visitors continued to press, and Turner was again called into action in the 16th minute, producing a sharp dive to his near post to deny Harry McCarthy what appeared to be a certain goal.

Manly weathered that early pressure and gradually worked their way into the contest. Luke Nieuwenhof came close in the 32nd minute, rattling the crossbar with a thunderous strike.

The warning signs were there—and just two minutes later, the breakthrough arrived. Ayumu Kimura showed sharp instincts inside the box, applying a deft first touch to guide the ball past former Manly goalkeeper Levi Kaye and hand the hosts a 1–0 lead.

Buoyed by the opener, Manly carried their momentum into the second half and struck again in the 51st minute. Kimura turned provider with an inch-perfect delivery into the area, allowing substitute Sam Griffiths to finish clinically and double the advantage.

However, the match took a dramatic turn just four minutes later. Luke Nieuwenhof was shown a red card after an outstretched challenge, reducing Manly to ten men and seemingly handing Rockdale a route back into the contest.

Instead, it sparked an even greater response from the home side.

Demonstrating remarkable composure and attacking intent despite the numerical disadvantage, Manly continued to press forward. De Robillard produced one of the moments of the match, winning possession deep in his own half before embarking on a surging run through the Rockdale defence, calmly slotting past Kaye to make it 3–0.

The hosts were not done there. Just six minutes later, Matthew O’Donoghue went on a powerful solo run, with his initial effort denied by Kaye. The defender reacted quickest, however, rising to head home the rebound and extend the lead to 4–0 in emphatic fashion.

Rockdale searched for a response late in the match and came close in the 85th minute when Mohamed Adam’s effort was inadvertently blocked by a teammate.

They eventually found the back of the net in stoppage time through Jerry Skotadis, who curled a finish into the far corner, but it proved nothing more than a late consolation.

At full-time, Manly United coach Vladimir Knezevic was understandably delighted with the performance.

“We knew that if we played with full intensity and kept possession it would pay off, and I’m so happy for the boys—we deserved it after the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“In the off-season we started a process of bringing through young players more regularly, and results like this show what they’re capable of. Hopefully it helps them push on to opportunities in Europe or the A-League.

“For me and my staff, we stay positive at all times. It hasn’t always come off this season, but today the boys were courageous, and I’m really proud of this group.”

In a result few would have predicted, Manly United combined resilience, attacking flair, and clinical finishing to dismantle one of the competition’s stronger sides sending a clear message that their finals ambitions remain very much alive.

Match Stats

Manly United 4 (Ayumu Kimura 34’, Sam Griffiths 51’, Stephan De Robillard 61’, Matthew O’Donoghue 67’)

Rockdale Illinden 1 (Jerry Skotadis 93′)

Sunday 19 April, 2026

Cromer Park

Referee: Adrian Arndt

Assistant Referees: Amber Morris and Arinath Gobinath

Fourth Official: Mia Velarde

Manly United: 3.Matthew O’Donoghue, 4.Jesse Piriz, 5.Aaron O’Driscoll, (6.Saxon Hillyer 78’), 7.Stephan De Robillard, (8.Kakeru Ono 78’), 9.Benjamin Koop, 10.Darcy Burgess, 11.Ayumu Kimura, 15.Max

Martinello, (16.Will Faulder 89’), (17.Samuel Griffiths 45’), 18.Luke Nieuwenhof, 21.Harry Turner, 33.Jasper Chipman

Substitutes not used: 12.Mitchell Seaman, 14.Max Walker, 20.George Russell

Yellow cards: Luke Nieuwenhof 29’, 55’, Aaron O’Driscoll 44’

Red cards: Luke Nieuwenhof 55’

Rockdale Illinden: 1.Levi Kaye, 2.Hunter Elliott, 3.Lachlan Griffiths, (4.Reo Kunimoto 59’), 5.Giorgio Speranza, 6.Isaac Danzo, 7.Ollie Wiggin, (8.Jerry Skotadis 59’), 9.Moudi Najjar, 10.Brendan Cholakian, 11.Lachlan Constable, (17.Mohamed Adam 65’), 22.Harry McCarthy, 26.Harry Van Der Saag

Substitutes not used: 14.Paul Kalamvokis, 19.Dean Jovcevski, 21.Ronan Mulgrew, 27.Lukas Ribarevski

Yellow cards: Brendan Cholakian 5’, Harry Van Der Saag 26’, Lachlan Constable 66’

Red cards: None

Player ratings

3 – Ayumu Kimura (MU)

2 – Matthew O’Donoghue (MU)

1 – Stephan De Robillard (MU)

-By Tobias Canning