A tale of two halves as United 58 and Ilinden settle for point
Sydney United 58 and Rockdale Ilinden played out one of the most insane and intense matches of the 2023 season following a 3-3 draw at the Sydney United Sports Centre on Sunday.
It was a sensational start from Rockdale Ilinden as Antoniou opened the scoring with a deftly placed header from a cross off the right wing in the first minute of play as the hosts were caught cold from the outset.
It was a dream start for the visitors who doubled their lead only two minutes later through talisman Alec Urosevski leaving the hosts on the ropes in an uncharacteristically slow start from them to the match.
And it was compounded further when Nikola Ujdur got on the scoresheet with a shot from the edge of the area that went in off the far post to add a third inside 7’ minutes of play.
However Sydney United 58 found two quick goals in the second-half, both from Patrick Antelmi, to give themselves a lifeline in a match they struggled to come to grips with.
Ilinden were certainly up to the task whereas it seemed a matter of damage limitation for the home side who needed to dig deep into the reserves of grit and determination from such an early stage.
Credit to them, they awoke from their torpor and began playing some good football in getting upfield and start pressing Rockdale back albeit the best moves whilst Urosevski, who picked up a knock before the quarter-hour that sidelined the striker for several minutes receiving treatment on the touchline, was off the pitch. He was able to resume with no apparent after effects.
Apart from the explosive opening, it became the expected game between two fierce rivals and fairly evenly contested in reality.
That was until Urosevski found the net again in the 40’ minute that was wiped out for offside after a lightning quick counter attack allowed the Rockdale striker to utilise his pace and clip the ball past Daniel Nizic.
Another quick counter, this time down the left saw Mathieu Cordier collide with Nizic inside the area leaving both on the ground requiring treatment but thankfully, both were able to continue.
Hiyori Kawaguchi received the ball on the left and cut inside but was unable to reduce to deficit when David Bradasevic managed to get something on the effort that saw the ball squirm away beyond the far post with no United 58 player able to make contact and slot home.
However, after the early goal explosion it remained 3-0 to Rockdale at the break.
Miro Vlastelica rang the changes for the second-half bringing on Devante Clut and Matthew Bilic for Cristian Gonzalez and Andreas Agamemnonos respectively whilst Rockdale retained the original starting side.
Kawaguchi was forced to clear off the line, and spare the blushes of Nizic, from an Iain Ramsay flick that trickled agonisingly toward the net as once more Rockdale started to assert pressure and force the Reds deeper in what was proving a hotly contested affair.
And then it was the Antelmi show when netting twice, the first a side-footer home, who provided the Reds a lifeline when firstly side-footing home in the 64’ minute to reduce the deficit and reducing it further a minute later when he again found the back of the net.
What had been a dream start for the visitors was rapidly turning into a nightmare when half-time substitute Clut netted a screamer to in the 78’ minute to restore parity.
It provided the catalyst for a mammoth effort from United 58 to turn what seemed a likely loss into a share of the points with Bradasevic twice forced into super saves from Matthew Bilic in quick succession and from Antelmi late on that would have made the comeback complete.
Ujdur again tested Nizic late on but the ‘keeper was alert to the attempt and palmed the ball away to safety before Antelmi brought a save out of Bradasevic at the other end with Taisie Kaneko hitting the second effort into the ground and looping over the Ilinden gloveman and skimming the crossbar on its way over the woodwork.
A truly pulsating game ending all square leaving Rockdale Coach, Paul Dee, to state afterwards.
“It would be an understatement if I said that wasn’t a disappointing effort at the whistle,” he said.
“We controlled the first-half quite comfortably so to concede three goals in the manner we did in the second is disappointing, not good enough, not the standard we require.
“It was a terrific opening and we created plenty of chances but when we needed to close the game down we firstly didn’t take any and secondly dropped two points.
“When you go away from home and score three goals you would expect to win the game so to come away with a single point, particularly at this stage of the season simply isn’t good enough from our point of view.”
Miro Vlastelica was happy with the fightback but not the way in which his side started.
“Obviously it’s not good to be three goals down after 7’ minutes but it was a game of two halves,” he commented.
“We made some changes at half-time but even prior to that, we were unlucky not to score at the end of the first-half and go into the break two goals down, but we said during the interval that if we score one we would be coming back.
”We got the goal and then a very quick second and slowly got on top of them and perhaps should have won the game with the chances we created.
“It was a real game of two halves and with the changes we made and the boys who came on, credit to them as well, they made an impact.
“We don’t see it as a point gained but we were the better side, especially in the second-half and in the end we take the draw and that was probably a fair result overall.”
Match Stats
Sydney Utd 58 2 (Patrick Antelmi 64’, 65’, Devante Clut 78’)
Rockdale Ilinden 3 (Bai Antoniou 1’, Alec Urosevski 3’, Nikola Ujder 7’)
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Sunday 16th July, 2023
Referee: Sam Kelly
Assistants: Cameron Wright and Arinath Gobinath
Fourth: Jackson Mackie
Sydney Utd 58: 1. Daniel Nizic, 2. Cristian Gonzalez (10. Devante Clut46’), 3. Bailey Rule, 5. Anthony Tomelic, 6. Chris Payne (13. Alessandro Lacalandra 30’), 9. Patrick Antelmi, 11. Yianni Perkatis (7. Taisie Kaneko 73’), 12. Hiyori Kawaguchi, 14. Andrea Agamemnonos (17. Matthew Bilic 46’), 16. Ante Bakmaz, 18. Glen Trifiro
Subs not used: 19. Ante Vojvodic, 20. Luke Cukar
Yellow Cards: Chris Payne 30’, Yianni Perkatis 71’, Ante Bakmaz 75’, Bailey Rule 82’
Red Cards:
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. David Bradasevic, 2. Daniel Collins, 4. Nikola Ujder, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Isaac Danzo, 9. Bai Antoniou (42. Ben Wass83’), 10. Brendan Cholakian, 14. Brayden Sorge, 17. Iain Ramsay (6. Nikola Kuleski 69’), 21. Diego Celis, 66. Mathieu Cordier
Subs not used: 3. Lachie Griffiths, 16. Brae Ovens, 26. James Husoy, 34, Jason Cakovski
Yellow Cards: Bai Antoniou 49’
Red Cards:
Player Ratings
3 – Patrick Antelmi (SU58)
2 – Bai Antonoiou (RI)
1 – Nikola Ujder (RI)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock
