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Wolves outgun Olympic in rescheduled fixture

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Wollongong Wolves secured three points with a 1-0 victory over Sydney Olympic on Wednesday night in a round 4 rescheduled NPL NSW Men’s fixture at Belmore Sportsground.

A well-taken penalty from Lachlan Scott in the 20th minute was all it took for the visitors to take away the win, despite a hard-fought battle between the two teams with the win lifting the 2019 Premiers to sixth on the ladder, a point adrift from the top five.

Wollongong dictated play in the opening stages of the match with a great display of attacking prowess from their forward line which saw Olympic’s Jason Madonis forced to make an impressive clearance off the line in just the 15th minute.

Fans didn’t have to wait long for a goal, with a penalty awarded in the 20th minute after a hand ball from Daniel Dias.

Scott stepped up to take the penalty and calmly sent his strike down the middle of the goal and over Olympic keeper Christopher Parsons, who dove to his left to notch up his second of the year.

­­Madonis again pulled off a crucial clearance in the 24th minute after a great combination play from the visitors.

Scott created several opportunities in the following minutes, but Parsons was prepared and managed to keep the dangerous striker at bay.

Olympic had a chance from a free kick in the 31st minute, however Wollongong keeper Hayden Durose managed to reject a terific ball from Brendan Cholakian.

Olympic came out firing in the second half with a cross from Marley Peterson meeting the head of Oliver Puflett in front of goal, however the header hit the post.

Puflett had another chance just moments later after receiving a ball from Michael Glassock, but his header was this time collected by Durose.

Peterson fired a ball towards goal in the 50th minute, but it ricocheted off the woodwork, leaving the home side still without a goal.

The late stages of the second half were an intense battle between both teams as Olympic mounted pressure on a heavily defensive Wollongong, however neither team were able to convert their chances, leaving Wollongong with a 1-0 victory at the final whistle.

Wolves coach Luke Wilkshire was pleased with his team’s efforts after a short break.

“We showed desperation and the fight for the three points,” he said.

“We had to work hard for it in the end but I think it was a very good first half display and a well-deserved three points.

“We played just on Sunday so we had some fresh legs, we’ve had a few injuries, and the boys that have come in did a great job.

Olympic coach Ante Juric was proud of his team’s fight until the final whistle.

“We never gave up,” he explained.

“The first half was very, very disappointing, very poor.

“The second half we came out and we dominated, and we probably should have got a draw out of that.

“We just need to be switched on, we weren’t at the start and that showed and that’s why we were 1-0 down.”

Match Stats

Sydney Olympic FC 0

Wollongong Wolves FC 1 (Lachlan Scott (pen) 20′)

Wednesday 14th April, 2021

Belmore Sportsground

Referee: M. Bailey

Assistant Referees: C. Wright and S. Allum

Fourth Official: S. Quinn

Sydney Olympic FC: 2. Thomas Whiteside, 4. Benjamin van Meurs, 5. Michael Glassock (39. Peter Politis 78’), 8. Jason Madonis, 9. Oliver Puflett (14. Peter Kekeris 74’), 10. Brendan Cholakian, 17. Marley Peterson (22. Fabio Ferreira 65’), 18. Yu Hasegawa (35. Mohamed Adam 45’), 21. Fabian Monge (6. Nikola Kulekski 45’), 23. Daniel Dias, 70. Christopher Parsons

Substitutes Not Used: 20. Luke Kairies

Yellow Cards: Jason Madonis 20’, Nikola Kuleski 55’, Peter Politis 78’)

Red Cards: Nil

Wollongong Wolves FC: 2. Taylor McDonald, 4. Nikola Djordjevic, 6. Ethan Kambisios, 7. Marcus Beattie, 10. Van Elia (16. Fletcher McFarlane 67’), 14. Brendan Low, 15. Daniel Loe, 18. Hamish Lamberton (, 8. Nav Darjani 78’), 20. Liam Wille (17. Jarvis Paterson 58’), 23. Hayden Durose, 24. Lachlan Scott (13. Stefan Dimoski 78’)

Substitutes Not Used: 1. Aidan Munford, 19. Evan Ball

Yellow Cards: Van Elia 30’, Ethan Kambisios 66’

Red Cards: Nil

Player Ratings

3 – Lachlan Scott (WW)

2 – Taylor McDonald (WW)

1 – Jason Madonis (SO)

-By Football NSW Reporter Madeline Riley (@madelineriley23)

 

Round 8 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s

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It’s week eight in the National Premier Leagues NSW men’s competition, and the battle for the Premiership is heating up.

Rockdale Ilinden is back in top spot for the first time since week two, but Manly United and Sydney United 58 are in close pursuit.

This week’s matches get underway with four games on Saturday night, starting with Northbridge Bulls hosting Manly United and Sutherland Sharks at home against Rockdale.

Later on Saturday, Marconi and Sydney Olympic go head to head at Marconi Stadium while Mt Druitt Town Rangers and Sydney United 58 face off at Popondetta Park.

On Sunday afternoon, it’s Wollongong Wolves v Blacktown City, and in the final match of the round, APIA Leichhardt heads to Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre to play Sydney FC.

Remember, NPL.TV has live streams and replays of every National Premier Leagues NSW match, so there is no reason to miss any competition action.

 

Northbridge Bulls v Manly United FC, 3 pm Saturday at Sydney United Sports Centre

Northbridge Bulls will be looking to return to the winner’s circle when they host Manly United at Sydney United Sports Centre this Sunday.

The Bulls need the competition points to move back into the top five after dropping to seventh following last week’s loss against Marconi.

A dominant win against Sydney United 58 in round six sent shockwaves around the competition and was signs of what the Mile Sterjovski coached side is capable of on their day.

Northbridge has been able to share the goalscoring around this season, with eight different players finding the back of the net and four scoring two or more goals.

Rory Jordan is the Bulls leading scorer this season and has been a handful for opposition defences.

Moudi Najjar is another player who has been in top form and will be looking to carry that on against Manly.

Manly United come into this match on the back of their first defeat of the season as they went down 2-0 to Sydney Olympic.

It was the Northern Beaches side’s first slip up of the campaign, but coach Adam Griffiths will be confident his side will be back to business and keep the pressure on the Rockdale and Sydney United in the premiership race.

Experienced striker Richie Cardozo has been a strong veteran presence for Manly this season, and his ability to both score and create opportunities remains invaluable.

Manly will be favourites for the match, but Northbridge is more than capable of pulling off an upset.

 

Sutherland Sharks FC v Rockdale Ilinden FC, 3.30 pm Saturday at Seymour Shaw Park

A return home to Seymour Shaw Park could be the perfect formula for Sutherland Sharks as they host competition leaders Rockdale Ilinden this Saturday.

It could prove to be a chance for Nick Dimovski’s side to get back to basics and hopefully end their run of games without a win.

A dramatic 2-2 draw against Sydney FC last week helped the Sharks avoid suffering their third straight defeat with James Andrew scoring an incredible injury-time equaliser.

It was Andrew’s second goal of the game, and continues his impressive run of form.

Chris McStay has been a brilliant signing for Sutherland and is a true general in the middle of the park.

They will be up against a Rockdale team that is back on top of the table and will be determined to stay there.

A 1-0 win against Northbridge Bulls, courtesy of an Alec Urosevski penalty late in the contest, was a valuable three points for the reigning Premiers in their endeavour to defend their title.

Urosevski and the entire Rockdale attack were stifled by a desperate Northbridge defence last week, but the veteran striker could still find his way onto the scoresheet.

It is this game-changing ability that makes Urosevski such an important member of the team.

Tomoki Wada will be the man creating the midfield chances for the Steven Zoric coached side, and the Japanese maestro will be a tough man to contain.

Matches between these two sides are always exciting, and this one will be no different.

 

Marconi Stallions v Sydney Olympic, 6 pm Saturday at Marconi Stadium

Marconi Stallions will be looking to turn their fortunes around on Saturday night when they host Sydney Olympic at Marconi Stadium.

The Stallions have only won once this campaign and in dire need of three competition points if they are to remain in the playoff hunt.

A 1-1 draw against APIA last week was a frustrating result for the Peter Tsekenis coached outfit, who were reduced to ten men for the final 25 minutes after the send-off of Mark Rodic.

Connor Evans remains the key man in the midfield centre for the Stallions and will play an important role in containing Sydney United’s slick ball movement.

Mitch Mallia scored his second goal of the season against APIA and will hope it is the start of more goals to come.

They will face off against a Sydney Olympic team that will be riding high after a 2-0 win against Manly United in round 7.

The Ante Juric coached outfit are on the hunt for more victories for the 2021 campaign.

Olympic struggled to get going earlier in the campaign, but after their 2-0 win against Manly will be hoping it is the start of a quick climb up the ladder.

Jason Madonis has been rediscovering his best form in recent weeks and will be looking to add to his goal tally again this round.

Juric will hope his dynamic attackers Brendan Cholakian, Oliver Pufflet, Fabio Ferreira and Peter Kekeris can follow the lead of Madonis and improve his side’s goalscoring output.

This will be a tough contest between two sides brimming with talent. You won’t want to miss this.

 

Mt Druitt Town Rangers v Sydney United 58, 7 pm Saturday at Popondetta Park

The Mt Druitt Town Rangers tasted derby delight last round and will be out for back to back wins when they host Sydney United 58 on Saturday night.

A 1-0 win against local rivals Blacktown City helped the Rangers claim Mayoral Cup honours, and coach Stewart Montgomery will be hoping it is the start of plenty more winning results.

Jack Stewart has been a game-changer for Mt Druitt on several occasions this season, and it was his goal that snatched victory last round.

His ability to turn a game with a moment of brilliance is a true asset to the Rangers, and one opponent must consider when up against Mt Druitt.

Making the most of opportunities is something the Rangers will need to focus on against a talented side such as United 58, who won’t give their opponents many chances.

United come into this game needing a win to end a recent drop in form after taking only a point from their past two games.

Tomi Vidovic needs to find a way to get his team performing at both ends of the field and return to their earlier form, which saw them net an incredible 12 goals in four games while only conceding three.

Striker Chris Payne will be absent after receiving a red card last round, putting the pressure on Patrick Antlemi, who was subbed last week due to injury, to shoulder the goal-scoring load.

Mat Sim has had some impressive moments in recent weeks and was a real handful in the dying stages of last week’s 0-0 draw with Wollongong.

There is a lot on the line for both teams so expect this one to go down to the wire.

 

Wollongong Wolves v Blacktown City FC, 2.30 pm Sunday at Albert Butler Memorial Park

Wollongong Wolves will be desperate to move away from the bottom of the table, starting with a win against Blacktown City at Albert Butler Memorial Park this Sunday.

The Wolves have won only once this season and would have been left frustrated they didn’t add to their win tally last week against a Sydney United 58 side, which was forced to play with only ten men for nearly an hour.

Coach Luke Wilkshire’s young outfit has been lacking a winning edge, and a return home to Wollongong could be the perfect formula to rediscover their form.

Despite the difficult results, Taylor McDonald has been a leader for the Wolves and will once again be a vital part of their game plan.

They will take on a Blacktown City side desperate to bounce back after a loss.

Blacktown slumped to a 1-0 loss against Mt Druitt last week to end a run of winning results.

Coach Mark Crittenden will be determined to get his side to rediscover their winning ways as quickly as possible to remain in the playoff picture.

Suleyman Bangura and Carlos De Olivera have been two of City’s stand out players this season, with the young stars proving to be important cogs in the Blacktown machine.

Travis Major will again be the centrepiece of the Blacktown City attack, and his combination of speed, strength and finishing should create plenty of headaches for the Wolves backline.

Blacktown will be favourites for this match, but at home, Wollongong could pull off an upset.

 

Sydney FC v APIA Leichhardt FC, 6.30 pm Sunday at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.

Sydney FC will be out to get the better of APIA Leichhardt when the two sides face off at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre this Sunday night.

The Young Sky Blues were left heartbroken as they conceded an equaliser in Injury time to settle for a 2-2 draw against Sutherland Sharks.

The result stretched their run of games without a win to four and left them only three points above APIA at the bottom of the table.

Coach Jim van Weeran will need a big performance from his side and will look to players such as Callum Talbot, Jaiden Kucharski and Jordi Swibel to lead from the front.

They take on an APIA side that has failed to get going this season with only one win so far this campaign.

New coach Paul Dee has had a few weeks to find his feet, but results are needed sooner rather than later with the side at the bottom of the table.

Paul Galimi has had some brilliant performances this season and will once again be a rock at the back for APIA alongside another top performer for the club Josh Symons.

The pressure will be on Blake Powell to find his scoring touch, with goals so far being in short supply for the Lambert Park based side.

This is a crucial game for both teams, so neither side will want to leave with anything other than the full three points.

Olympic and Wolves ready to clash in rescheduled fixture tonight

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Belmore Sports Ground will play host to a juicy round 4 rescheduled fixture in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition as Sydney Olympic host the Wollongong Wolves with both teams sniffing for maximum points.

Luke Wilkshire’s men in particular will be on the hunt for just its second victory of the 2021 campaign, currently sitting in eleventh position, a win away from the South Coast is a must after a disappointing start to the year.

The Wolves were left frustrated as they failed to capitalise on a ten-men Sydney United 58 outfit last Sunday. Taylor McDonald was once again a standout figure as was Marcus Beattie, but the Wolves will be expecting more from new recruits Leroy Jennings and Van Elia, both of which have failed to hit the back of the net thus far in 2021.

As for Olympic, Ante Juric’s men returned to the winner’s circle with a determined 2-0 away victory against a previously undefeated Manly United squad at Cromer Park on Friday.

Jason Madonis and Fabian Monge were the scorers, and both will be keen to continue their goalscoring runs tonight.

A win tonight will see the former NSL giants climb to third on the Premiership ladder.

Blues keeper Christopher Parsons has been in decent form while it was pleasing to see former Western Sydney Wanderers star Mohamed Adam make an appearance once again off the bench.

Danial Dias has been a shining light for Olympic and will be one to watch out for with kick-off set for 7:30pm tonight.

Don’t forget you can catch all the action and excitement LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on NPL.TV.

Markka Cup a smash hit at Marconi

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The “innovative “Markka Cup is proving a winner for Marconi Stallions FC as another round of matches is set to be played during the half time break of the Round 8 NPL match against Sydney Olympic.

This weekend will see teams from Marconi Stallions FC, Bossley Park and Hinchinbrook play against each other in the Under 6 and Under 8 age groups.

The Markka Cup has had an impact on the crowd numbers at Marconi Stadium – numbers are up significantly in 2021.

Markka is a subsidiary company of Marconi Stallions FC apparel sponsor Legea /Hallmark.

Markka provides equipment to clubs – bibs, balls, small goals etc.

Marconi Stallions FC have invited two neighbouring clubs Bossley Park and Hinchinbrook to come to Marconi Stadium on Home Game Day and play at half time of the NPL matches during this season.

Legea and Hallmark Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director Wayne Spagnol is supporting the initiative which is aimed at giving the “juniors “the opportunity to play on the Main Stadium. It is also part of the club’s plan to unite the club from the juniors right through to the NPL team.

The NPL players will be holding training sessions with the Pre SAP /junior teams throughout the season so that the young players of the future can get to know the club senior players when they train with them.

Part of the experience on game day is for the junior players to walk out with the seniors prior to their half time experience.

The reaction so far has been very good – a great experience for the young ones walking out with the seniors, the game time, and crowd support.

Pre SAP and Marconi Stallions Junior Manager Tania Corvelo is pleased with how the Markka Cup is going so far.

“The feedback from both neighbouring clubs has been very positive they are enjoying the opportunity and the experience to play on the Main Stadium in front of a good crowd of people.”

“It also helps to build good relationships with neighbouring clubs like Bossley Park and Hinchinbrook.”

Markka have agreed to donate $250 worth of football equipment to each of the competing clubs.

Markka Cup matches will continue at the Stallions FC home games in the coming weeks.

-Marconi Stallions Press Release

Stallions raise much needed funding for Cancer Council

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National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s side Marconi Stallions have raised over $4300 for the “Balls for Balls” Fund raising Cancer Council campaign for treatment of men’s cancers since kicking it off on Good Friday.

Two boys , deserve special praise and mention for their efforts so far with Marko Flaiban (Under 13)  raising $1360 and Kyden Salim raising $1640 .

Marconi Stallions Football Office Administrator Josie Spinozzi who is driving the club’s campaign has been delighted with the progress so far.

“ I am surprised at how much money has been raised in such a short period of time and the two boys have shown the way to the rest of our club  to jump on board and support this most important cause.

“No amount of money is too small.”

Marconi Stallions FC is one of many Sporting Clubs in Sydney’s Western Suburbs to be supporting the Cancer Council’s “Balls for Balls” Fundraising event.

“ This year, over 76,700 men are expected to be diagnosed with cancer.

“That is around 8,800 more men than women,” Denise Daynes Cancer Council NSW Community Coordinator said.

“Skin cancer prevention is a key focus of this campaign ,as we know that men over the age of 40 are 1.5 time more likely to be diagnosed and 2.5 times more likely to die of melanoma than women,” said Ms Daynes.

Club Marconi have been long time supporters of Cancer Council and have already committed to supporting the Balls for Balls campaign.

The club is already making donations through a promotion in the licensed club.

“We are keen to promote sunsafe behaviour with our players,” said Marconi Stallions Football Manager Tony Peters .

“We have asked our players to participate in a football juggling fund raiser.

“This campaign is a great way to increase our players skills, whilst encouraging them  to raise funds for a great cause.

“Our best jugglers will be demonstrating their skills at our match against Blacktown City on May 1st .”

For the next month , coaches will conduct competitions at training to see which player in their team is the one to represent them.

During the process, players will be seeking sponsors as they reach set targets. They can also keep a Juggling Log Book  to check on their progress during the next month.

One of the early favourites in the juggling competition is Jetzen Lopez the youngster who went to Borussia Dortmund in 2020

He has exceptional skills in this area.

-Marconi Stallions Press Release