Sydney FC stunners sink Olympic in 2–0 result at Ilinden
Sydney FC defeated Sydney Olympic 2–0 at Ilinden Sports Centre on Friday evening to kick start round 15 with two moments of individual brilliance proving the difference in an otherwise competitive contest.
A much-changed Sydney Olympic side travelled to Ilinden Sports Centre to take on Sydney FC and turned in a strong performance but were undone by two wonder strikes either side of half-time.
They fell behind to a wonderful curling strike from Taye Hedley and a Mathais Macallister volley, after Reef Farias headed back across goal from a corner, which sealed the result and gave the home side the three points.
Hedley opened the scoring with a blistering strike that dipped and curled into the top corner of the net.
Reef Farias, outstanding at the back and going forward throughout the match, rose highest at the back post to head the ball back across goal from a corner for Macallister to sweetly volley home and double the lead.
It was all Sydney FC in the opening stages as they looked to pressure the visitors straight from the start and, but for some wayward crosses into the area, could well have found themselves ahead early in the fixture as they looked to test stand-in goalkeeper Anthony Carreras in front of a sparse attendance. Olympic did force Alex Zaverdinos to punch clear a couple of times but also did not threaten to find the net.
Peter Politis pulled off a remarkable tackle and clearance on the quarter-hour to keep the Light Blue side at bay, particularly when the ball came back off the woodwork.
Yujo Fujita broke down the left and got in behind the Sydney FC defence but, attempting a backheel to cut back inside, missed the ball altogether and it rolled out for a goal kick. The nippy winger was proving a handful as Olympic grew into the match. They had a penalty appeal turned down in the 25th minute and were forced to settle for a corner. Politis was thwarted when his effort was blocked and cleared.
Reef Farias, getting forward, beat three Olympic players in midfield and unleashed a shot from 35 yards out that was narrowly off target, with Carreras watching the ball sail over the line. The pace of Sydney FC was certainly causing problems, but the perennial issue of the final ball and/or option remained. Olympic, for their part, were showing they were more than capable down both flanks and were ready to occupy the spaces the home side were inevitably leaving.
From an Olympic corner, FC broke upfield and after a couple of attempts the ball fell to Zinadein Ardiansyah, who whistled a shot past the post that had the Olympic goalkeeper diving desperately to his left with 10 minutes of the half remaining. It was proving to be entertaining end-to-end football, with the only thing missing being a goal.
That was until the Hedley screamer in the 41st minute, when he picked up the ball, spun and unleashed a stunning curling effort into the top corner of the net to give Sydney FC the lead prior to the break.
It was a delightful move and strike and well worthy of a goal. It left Carreras with no chance of making a save, such was the pinpoint accuracy of the shot.
Olympic responded strongly, forcing another corner that Zaverdinos again punched clear in a crowded area, but they could not find the equaliser before half-time and went into the break trailing by a single goal.
Sydney FC were once again on the front foot at the beginning of the second half and again struggled to find the net. When Michael Glasson appeared to be hauled down inside the area, the thought of doubling the lead from the penalty spot was appealing, but it did not eventuate as the claims were waved away. It looked like a penalty at first glance in real time, but Olympic breathed again and battled on.
Glasson should have made it 2–0 in the 53rd minute when, set up and in space, he somehow skewed his shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat. The Olympic goal was living a charmed life.
Fujita, at the other end, showed his pace again only for Farias to make a last-ditch tackle in the area that Zaverdinos was able to keep in play and eventually gather.
Olympic, as in the opening half, were under siege but grew into the match once more and hit on the break a number of times. They were slowly getting closer to restoring parity, although they were now leaving gaps in behind that the home side were relishing. The tackling at times was, in football parlance, “hard but fair”, if somewhat robust. It was a fairly evenly contested match with chances at both ends.
The landscape changed when Macallister volleyed home from a Farias header at the back post into the path of the Sydney FC striker to double the lead. Hedley could have added a third four minutes later but his accuracy this time was wayward.
Substitute Sebastian Kakucka blasted his effort into the side netting as Olympic fought back but lacked the critical finishing touch.
Macallister had further chances to finish the game off: the first from a free kick that skimmed over the woodwork, and the second a header from almost under the bar that was cleared for a goal kick. However, the two goals were enough to secure the win against a stubborn Sydney Olympic.
Match Stats
Sydney FC: 2 (Taye Hedley 41’, Mathias Macallister 67’)
Sydney Olympic: 0
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale Friday ,15th May 2026
Referee: Rory McFarlane
Assistants: Jake Rose & Patrick Pike
Fourth Official: Mia Velarde
Sydney FC: 30. Alex Zaverdinos, 3. Reece Farias, 8. Samuel Lancaster, 9. Zac Fowler (26. Nickolas Alfaro 56’), 10. Taye Hedley (11. Junior Conde 76’), 14. Jared Middleton, 15. Zinadein Ardiansyah (22. Mathias Macallister 56’), 18. Ethan Dyer, 19. Mitchell Glasson (33. Marin France 67’), 27. Lachlan Middleton, 29. Joe Lacy (34. Tyler Williams 67’)
Subs Not Used: 11. Junior Conde, 40. Max Bertoia
Yellow Cards: Zac Fowler 54’, Mathias Macallister 73’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic: 40. Anthony Carreras, 2. Peter Politis, 3. Sam Bosnjak, 4. Joshua Hong, 5. Ian Gordon ) 33. Max Luburic 84’), 11. George Louca (21. Sebastian Kakucka 56’), 13. Liam Saba (30. Joshua Da Silva 84’), 16. Bailey Callaghan, 24. Ben Giason, 31. Yujo Fujita, 34. Marcus Fernandez (10. Lucas Williams 68’)
Subs not used: 1. Brodie Cutajar, 14. Jacob Tresoglavic, 15. Daniel Wong
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards:
Player Ratings
3 – Taye Hedley (SFC)
2 – Reece Farias (SFC)
1 – Peter Politis (SO)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
