A thrilling climax to the 2016 regular season looms on Sunday with Manly United, Sutherland Sharks, Bonnyrigg White Eagles and APIA Leichhardt Tigers all in the running to be crowned Premiers, while Sydney Olympic and Blacktown City will battle it out for the final position in the top five.
Here’s the permutations for the Premiership contenders on what will be a gripping afternoon of action:
1st – Manly United, 40pts (+16)
The competition leaders will likely seal the Premiership with a win over Blacktown City, but must be wary of second-placed Sutherland who are equal on forty points but trail United by two goals difference.
2nd – Sutherland Sharks, 40pts (+14)
Should Manly collect three points over Blacktown City, Sutherland Sharks will need to bolster their goal difference against fourth-placed APIA Leichhardt to stand a chance of winning the Premiership with the Sharks trailing United by two goals.
3rd – Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 39pts (+20)
The White Eagles are outsiders but hold a significant trump card in their superior goal difference over their rivals. All results falling their way, Bonnyrigg could be crowned Premiers with a win over Wollongong Wolves but will see their hopes crumble with Manly and Sutherland wins. Stephen Sigmund’s side could also finish first with a draw should Manly lose and APIA Leichhardt beat Sutherland by less than four goals.
4th – APIA Leichhardt Tigers, 37pts (+16)
The Lambert Park outfit have a lot of ground to make up but should APIA land a win over Sutherland Sharks, they will finish first if Bonnyrigg and Manly lose. George Sidis’ men could also seal an unlikely triumph if they beat Sutherland Sharks, see Manly lose to Blacktown and Bonnyrigg collect a point against Wollongong – but they would need to beat Sutherland by a four goal margin.
Match of the Round
APIA Leichhardt Tigers v Sutherland Sharks, 1.00pm at Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt might be rank outsiders to claim the 2016 Premiership but the Tigers hold the key in deciding the final complexion of the competition ladder when they host Sutherland Sharks at Lambert Park.
With Sutherland trailing leaders Manly United on goal difference, Allan Edmondson’s side will need to deliver one of the performances of the season to maintain their Premiership bid.
They could hardly have asked for a sterner test – APIA Leichhardt have truly hit peak form in the latter stages of the season, winning four of their last five. Spearheaded by the prolific Duncan Stewart, who last week grabbed his 20th goal of the season against Blacktown City, George Sidis’ fourth-placed outfit will be looking to continue their sterling form into the finals series – and could even seal an unlikely Premiership should results go their way.
Manly United v Blacktown City, 1.00pm at Cromer Park
While the fate of the Premiership isn’t truly in anyone’s hands, Manly United profess the strongest chance of claiming the first trophy of the 2016 Men’s 20’s campaign when they host Blacktown City at Cromer Park.
But following consecutive draws – including the concession of a sensational last-gasp equalizer against Sydney United last weekend, has seen ramped up the pressure on the competition leaders who will have a nervous eye on events unfolding at Lambert Park.
Similarly, Blacktown City will be glancing sideways at Sydney Olympic who leapfrogged the reigning champions into the top five last week with a 1-0 win over Rockdale. Ben Wright’s side trail the Blues by goal difference (-1) and with both Olympic and Blacktown on 31 points it’s shaping up to be a fixture of gargantuan proportions for both the premiers-elect and finals hopefuls..
Wollongong Wolves v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 1.00pm at WIN Stadium
It will be a tall order for Bonnyrigg to claim the Premiership with the White Eagles banking on a slew of results to go their way but Stephen Sigmund’s side nonetheless seek to enter the finals series on a high when they face Wollongong at WIN Stadium.
Consecutive victories over Hakoah Sydney City East and Sydney United 58 have steadied the ship for the third-placed side ahead of the final round of the season and the White Eagles will hope to leave the South Coast unscathed ahead of the finals.
However, it won’t be a stroll for Bonnyrigg with Wollongong still hunting crucial club championship points.
Blacktown Spartans v Sydney Olympic, 1.00pm at Blacktown Football Park
There’s still plenty at stake for both Blacktown Spartans and Sydney Olympic when the pair face off at Blacktown Football Park.
Olympic will be hoping to secure their position in the top five with a win, with the side only set for finals football on the virtue of one goal difference. The Blues will need to beat the Spartans and hope Blacktown City don’t beat Manly United by a greater goal difference in order to finally secure their spot.
With the Spartans playing for club championship points to retain their position in the top flight, it promises to be another encounter of epic proportions.
Hakoah Sydney City East v Sydney United 58, 1.00pm at Hensley Athletic Field
The first of two dead rubbers that Round 22 has to offer, Hakoah Sydney City East conclude their season back in the top flight with a home fixture against Sydney United 58.
In a campaign that began so promisingly for Hakoah, the side have now slipped to ninth position after a run of four straight defeats. They were held scoreless in three of those losses, the latest being a 3-0 defeat to Bonnyrigg White Eagles last weekend.
Coming up against a Sydney United 58 team buoyed by their draw against the league leaders last weekend, Hakoah will be desperate to avoid a fifth straight defeat – a loss that would see the team potentially slip as far as eleventh.
Rockdale City Suns v Parramatta, 1.00pm at Ilinden Sports Centre
Rockdale City Suns were consigned to the wooden spoon last weekend following a 1-0 defeat to Sydney Olympic and the Ilinden side will wrap up a disappointing campaign at home to Parramatta.
The Melita outfit have begun to demonstrate why the season will go down as a hugely frustrating one for Mark Zecchin’s side, with the Eagles stringing together three wins on the trot against Wollongong, Bonnyrigg and Hakoah in their last three outings.
Parramatta are now on course to finish just outside the finals positions with another win on Sunday afternoon – a situation that will further antagonize the Melita Stadium faithful but offer plenty of renewed promise for next season.
– By Jacob Windon
Team of the Week – Round 21 – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s
After every round of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Men’s season Team of the Week brings to focus the best players from that weekend.
A resounding 5-1 win for the Bonnyrigg White Eagles kept them in the hunt for the finals, thanks to a late brace from Aaron Peterson. The classy striker struck late in the match to seal the result for the home side, and condemn Hakoah Sydney City East to their fourth straight loss. With the match locked at 1-1 at the hour mark, Peterson stepped up a gear and appeared goal-bound before being hacked down by Remy Wolanski. Bonnyrigg then sprang to life and ran riot over the 10-man Hakoah outfit, Peterson bagging his brace in a matter of minutes. Teammate Samuel Gallaway was a rock in defense, scrambling well to halt the Hakoah charge. The former Newcastle Jets player showed off his experience with some strong runs up the left edge.
Wollongong ended Parramatta FC’s hopes of a finals appearance with a late goal to Joshua MacDonald. The talented young striker, who previously had a stint with Western Sydney Wanderers youth side, challenged the Parramatta defense on numerous occasions, but couldn’t find the final touch. However a deflected volley in the closing stages of the match found its way into the goal, handing Macdonald his well-deserved prize. Parramatta can count themselves unlucky after midfielder Ante Tomic played a fantastic second half, narrowly missing the goal from a sublime free kick. A resilient Tomic again went close late in the half when his shot bounced off the bar in a frustrating night for Parramattta.
It wasn’t pretty but Sutherland kept themselves in finals calculations with a narrow 1-0 win over Blacktown Spartans. In a match lacking attacking flair, it was the defenders who had to find another level. Sharks centre back Perry Moustakas showed plenty of heart and determination, leading his troops at the back with aplomb. With the experience of first division football in Cyprus under his belt, Moustakas was calm and composed as his side struggled to gain momentum. Stephen Kayes was a workhorse in midfield for Sutherland, desperately trying to spark his side as the match tempo slowed. Kayes created numerous chances in the second half, with the Spartan defense finally cracked by a Jack Press goal in the 66th minute.
Rockdale Suns secured their spot in the top five with a 2-0 victory that keeps their Sydney Olympic opponent’s finals ambitions on a knife-edge. In a fiercely fought contest, Olympic shot stopper Paul Henderson was run ragged by a relentless display from the Suns attack. The veteran was magnificent in the first half, keeping the Suns scoreless at half time after they had dominated possession. Suns midfielder Blake Ricciuto kept the pressure on the Rockdale engine room, moving the ball across the park with skill and precision. As a key cog in his sides counter attacks, Ricciuto had a hand in Rockdale’s final goal that sent the crowd into raptures.
A stunning upset in Blacktown saw the City outfit crash to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of APIA Leichhardt. A master class from Japanese import Tasuku Sekiya bamboozled the City defense as APIA halted City’s impressive winning streak. Sekiya was switched on from the opening whistle, forcing the City keeper into a desperate save after two minutes. The dazzling striker continued to menace the home side, some dogged defense keeping him at bay. But Sekiya unleashed from just inside the 18-yard box in the 38th minute to give his side the lead. A goal 60 seconds later doubled APIA’s lead, as the visitors held on to record a thrilling win.
Hat-trick hero Adam Parkhouse shocked Sydney United 58 as his Manly outfit spoilt the party for the 2016 PS4 NPL NSW Premiers. The 4-2 result will now certainly strengthen Manly’s credentials as Championship contenders. Manly defender Sam Gallagher performed brilliantly at the back, taking down the highly fancied United 58 attack and scoring the opener with a classy volley. Parkhouse netted his first on the stroke of half time before exploding in the second term, nearly scoring a marvelous goal after beating numerous defenders with a combination of skill and speed. With Western Sydney’s Tony Popovic watching on, Parkhouse scored his third in the 73rd minute to cap off an outstanding win for Manly.
GK – Paul Henderson Sydney Olympic
LB – Samuel Gallaway Bonnyrigg White Eagles
CB – Perry Moustakas Sutherland Sharks
RB – Sam Gallagher Manly United
LM – Ante Tomic Parramatta FC
CM – Stephen Kayes Sutherland Sharks
CM – Blake Ricutto Rockdale City Suns
RM – Adam Parkhouse Manly United
ST – Aaron Peterson Bonnyrigg WE
ST – Josh MacDonald Wollongong Wolves
ST – Tasuku Sekiya APIA Leichhardt Tigers
Grand Final venue announced
Leichhardt Oval will be the venue for the 2016 PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Grand Final.
Following its impressive hosting of last season’s Grand Final that saw the Bonnyrigg White Eagles defeat Blacktown City FC 2-0 as well as hosting last year’s Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 clash between the Balmain Tigers and Melbourne Victory in front of just under five thousand fans, Leichhardt Oval will hold the pinnacle event in the PS4 NPL NSW Men’s competition.
Steeped in history, Leichhardt Oval hosted Sydney Olympic and APIA Leichhardt Tigers in the National Soccer League.
It’s this sort of heritage that drew Football NSW to the boutique venue, following the Heritage Round which ran for the second consecutive year this season.
Football NSW’s Head of Competitions Troy McColl was delighted upon announcing the news of Leichhardt Oval being named as the host venue for 2016.
“We saw during the 2015 Grand Final how great the facilities were especially the condition of the pitch.
“It’s going to be a great day at Leichhardt Oval which will see Football NSW host its showpiece event in the top tier Men’s competition.
“It’s a neutral venue in a central location as well as being held within the Leichhardt community, an area that traditionally love their football, which I am confident will come out and give this Final some support.
“Good luck to all teams vying for those spots on what will be a huge day for Football NSW at Leichhardt Oval.”
Whilst the teams are yet to be decided, preparations are well underway to ensure the showcase event on the PS4 NPL NSW Men’s calendar is not to be missed.
Adults $15, Concession $10 (eligible concession card required at gate), Children U-16 are free. Sunday 11th September, Leichhardt Oval.
Suns halt Olympic’s finals hopes
Rockdale City Suns sent Sydney Olympic’s finals hopes spiralling with a 2-0 victory in their PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Mens clash at Seymour Shaw Park on Sunday night.
Olympic goalkeeper Paul Henderson turned in a brilliant man of the match performance but the 75th minute dismissal of Rwanda born defender Jean-Pierre Hakiri enabled the Suns’ Peter Makrillos and Aleksandar Canak to steal the spoils.
The win ended a horror run of results for Rockdale and tied up fourth spot for Paul Reid’s side.
A boisterous crowd and a place in the finals proved to be an explosive concoction as both teams played with a vigour befitting such a critical match.
Both teams pressed early with efforts by Rockdale’s Toufic Alameddine and Olympic’s Joshua Gaspari providing early excitement for the fans despite not troubling the scoreboard.
The Suns had a golden opportunity to open the scoring when in the ninth minute a pinpoint Blake Ricciuto free kick was headed wide by Idriss El Hafiane.
Rockdale created a number of goal-scoring chances in the first 15 minutes but couldn’t capaitalise with Alameddine and Ricciuto causing mayhem with their physicality and skill.
In the 17th minute, Suns’ player coach Paul Reid sent a great ball to Ricciuto who showed sublime skill inside the box, before passing to a teammate. The opportunity eventually cleared the bar.
A minute later, Olympic’s Howard Fondyke hit wide a long range volley, one of the few shots on target by the home side.
As dominant as the Suns were, Olympic stopper Jean-Pierre Hakiri marshalled his troops well, intervening with a timely tackle or clearing header and distributing well; while evergreen goalkeeper Paul Henderson was, as always, rock solid between the sticks.
In the 25th minute Olympic’s Jake Green attempted a shot from the left, but it was a harmless effort that skewed wide.
A minute later a dangerous Suns cross from the left was parried by Henderson, with the move ultimately cleared off the line.
Rockdale continued to string together some lovely passages of play while Olympic seemed to be out of sorts and struggled to make an impact. An errant pass here, sloppy control there, the home side were just a little off colour.
The rain started falling on the half hour mark and Alameddine set off on a brilliant run before passing to Ricciuto. Alameddine then hit a rasping shot that took a wicked deflection, only for the evergreen Henderson to pull off a brilliant save.
In the 34th minute Rockdale hit the side netting but it was Olympic who probably had the best chance of the opening half when in the 43rd minute Joshua Gaspari sent in an inch-perfect cross to an unmarked Harris Gaitatzis, who failed to beat Suns keeper Andrew Bazi from point blank range.
The first half may have lacked a goal but it certainly wasn’t lacking in passion and intensity, with the Suns the sharper and more dangerous side.
After the restart, Olympic seemed to awake from their first half slumber. Two minutes into the half, Fondyke hit a long range speculator that was well saved by Bazi, and two minutes later, Henderson was again in action, thwarting yet another Rockdale raid.
With almost an hour of play gone, Hakiri leapt high above the Suns defence to nod a corner goalwards but somehow the ball sailed wide. Yet another golden opportunity that went to waste.
Two minutes later Henderson again showed his brilliance, stopping yet another raid by the Suns. He was called upon again a moment later, deflecting a Makrillos effort wide of the target.
Things got heated when Hakiri brought down Makrillos from behind, receiving a yellow card for his troubles. Then in the 69th minute Suns keeper Bazi dived low to snuff out a dangerous low cross by Gaitatzis.
Things were hotting up. In the 73rd minute courageous Suns keeper Bazi was replaced by David Bradasevic after suffering an injury.
Two minutes later, the complexion of the game changed completely when Hakiri received his marching orders for a second yellow card.
Hakiri’s dismissal seemed to invigorate Rockdale, who just a minute later opened the scoring through Makrillos. Pandemonium erupted as the Suns celebrated with a fervour equal to the passion of their fans.
Rockdale started to dominate, launching numerous raids on the Olympic goal. Bradasevic showed his worth when in the 81st minute he put his body between the goal and a rasping long range effort by Olympic.
Rockdale kept coming and in the 85th minute Ricciuto hit first time from inside the box but again Henderson was up to the task, denying the bushy haired midfielder a goal. Controversy erupted when referee Adrian Arndt waved away Olympic claims for a penalty.
In a twinkling, Rockdale launched a lightning-fast counter-attack that led to an Aleksandar Canak goal, extending the Suns’ lead to 2-0.
Rockdale player coach Paul Reid was very pleased with his side.
“It was a really good performance by us and I guess it could have even been more than 2-0,” he said. “I guess they did get a player sent off but before that we were the dominant side. It was a really impressive performance by us and something we’ll take into the semis.
“I think we pressured them well. We had a game plan and the boys stuck to it. We knew how Olympic would play and we put them under pressure from the start. We were on the front foot and we did create a lot of chances tonight, especially in the first half, but we didn’t put them away. Two nil is a great result for us, another clean sheet and as I said, we’ll take this form into the semis.”
Meanwhile, Olympic coach Grant Lee rued a missed opportunity.
“I think the first half we were a little bit disjointed,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of things happen off the park this week, which probably distracted us a little bit and also changed our formation. We lost two of our key players, a centre back and midfielder, which upset the midfield rotation. But to be fair to Rockdale, they worked very hard in the midfield and they were playing their one-twos and moving, while we weren’t tracking their runners well enough. They caused us a few problems.
“Second half we came out and rectified that and did really well until Jean-Pierre was sent off, which I thought was (a) soft (decision). Then of course they score a free kick from it and at a man down and a goal down I think we responded really well. Changed our shape, had a really good go at them, and created a lot of opportunities. Then there was the non-penalty decision and they scored on the counter. But it is what it is. The boys played well and I don’t think we deserved to lose 2-0.”
Match Stats
Sydney Olympic FC 0
Rockdale City Suns 2 (Makrillos 77’, Canak 87’)
Sunday 7 August 2016.
Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Lance Greenshields, Mitch Clark
Fourth Official: Jarryd McFarlane
Sydney Olympic FC: 1. Paul HENDERSON (GK), 2. Brayden SORGE, 6. Mitch STAMATELLIS, 7. William ANGEL, 8. Howard FONDYKE, 10. Harris GAITATZIS, 14. Jake GREEN (4. Leigh EGGER 84’), 16. Oliver GREEN (3. Anthony TOMELIC 52’), 67. Jean-Pierre HAKIRI, 90. Joshua GASPARI, 92. Christopher GLIGOR.
Unused Subs: 20. Denver CRICKMORE, 37. Eoin MONTFORD, 82. Nikita ANDRICOPOULOS
Coach: Grant LEE
Yellow Cards: Jean-Pierre HAKIRI (63’, 75’)
Red Cards: Jean-Pierre HAKIRI (75’)
Coach: Grant LEE
Rockdale City Suns: 22. Andrew BAZI (GK – David BRADASEVIC 73’), 2. Daniel PETKOVSKI, 4. Trent MCCLENAHAN, 5. Paul REID, 6. Blake RICCIUTO, 8. Aleksandar CANAK, 10. Peter MAKRILLOS (7. Alec UROSEVSKI 89’), 12. Idriss EL HAFIANE, 15. Nicholas PETRILLO, 17. Toufic ALAMEDDINE (11. Hristijan TANOSKI 85’), 19. Patrick SAVOR.
Unused Subs: 14. Alek LEKOVSKI, 16. Isaac SAVOR,
Player Coach: Paul REID
Yellow Cards: 12. Idriss EL HAFIANE (65’), 6. Blake RICCIUTO (90+4)
Red Cards: N/A
Coach: Paul REID
– By Derek Royal, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Reporter.
Blacktown City stunned by hungry Tigers
APIA Leichhardt has shocked Blacktown City 2-1 in their PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Mens clash at Lily’s Football Centre on Sunday.
Two goals in under 60 seconds on the cusp of halftime was the big difference as Tasuku Sekiya and Jordan Murray struck for the visitors in the 38th and 39th minute.
A late comeback lead by Danny Choi helped Blacktown avoid the shutout, but it wasn’t enough for Mark Crittenden’s side to avoid an embarrassing loss.
APIA took the game to their opposition right from the opening whistle.
Tasuku Sekiya skipped past his marker in only the second minute for APIA and forced Blacktown shot stopper Nenad Vekic into a quality to save.
City began to push and probe down the flanks but occasionally found themselves caught out to APIA’s quick counter attack.
Roberto Speranza forced Tigers’ keeper Ryan Norval into tipping over the bar with a cheeky chip shot in the 28th minute.
However, yet again, the corner amounted to little and in reply Vekic made an instinctive save with his feet from Jordan Murray seconds later at the other end.
Sasa Macura came closest to getting on the score sheet for Blacktown in the 35th minute when he forced Norval into an exceptional reaction save.
The deadlock was broken in the 38th minute when Sekiya lashed home from just inside the area.
The midfielder’s shot left Vekic with no chance of making the save and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The goal shocked the Blacktown defence and APIA took full advantage hitting the back of the net for a second time only 60 seconds later courtesy of Jordan Murray.
APIA took a two goal lead to the break as Mark Crittenden’s Blacktown City side paid the price for a drop in concentration.
From the restart Vekic was forced into yet another save when he parried Adrian Vlastellica shot from close range.
Shane D’Cunha couldn’t direct his shot on target when played in by Patrick Antelmi and a good opportunity was wasted as City fought back.
Antelmi lifted a left foot effort over the bar after creating space inside the box with neat close control but Blacktown simply couldn’t find the net to reduce the deficit.
Blacktown switched to a back three when Roberto Speranza was replaced by Danny Choi on the hour mark. If City were to gain anything from the match they needed to throw the dice by pushing five into midfield.
Conner Evans tried a shot from distance as Blacktown began to push APIA back.
Patrick Antelmi unleashed a thunderbolt in the 72nd minute after working an opening that wasn’t far off the target. City were threatening but when Mitch Mallia curled one wide moments later it was just another sign it might not be the home side’s day.
Skipper Zach Cairncross was next to show but was left looking to the heavens when his header went wide of the upright. City were throwing everything at the Tigers but could not create the telling opening to find the net. Substitute Danny Choi finally made a breakthrough when he powered home in the 86th minute. City had left it late but it was game on once more.
An equaliser proved a bridge too far in the final wash-up leaving City coach Mark Crittenden to rue his sides lacklustre opening to the match.
“I thought the first-half was probably our worst of the season so far. It is a timely reminder to everyone you simply can’t just turn up and expect to win,” he said.
“They were well structured and we laid out at the break what we needed to do. We changed it up a bit but we left it too late to score.”
Daniel Cummins praised APIA’s performance.
“I felt our structure today was superb especially considering what happened last week. The lads came back and showed a bit of desire today,” he said.
“We played for each other and did a good job to come to Blacktown and win.
“We go into the final round next weekend buoyed by this win and it has shown a little of what we can do when we are on form and put our mind to it.”
Match Stats
Blacktown City 1 (Choi 86’)
APIA Leichhardt 2 (Sekiya 38, Murray 39)
Sunday, 7th August, 2016
Lily Homes Stadium, Blacktown
Referee: Peter Bankes
Assistant Referees: James Tesoriero & Raymond Osborne
Fourth Official: Sebastian Brennan
Blacktown City: 1. VEKIC Nenad, 4. SPERANZA Roberto (11. CHOI Danny 59’), 6. LEWIS Matt, 7. MAJOR Travis, 8. MACURA Sasa (21. SASAKI Riku 70’), 9. GIBBS Joey, 10. EVANS Conner, 14. MALLIA Mitchell, 15. D’Cunha Shayne, 16. ANTELME Patrick, 19. CAIRNCROSS Zach ©
Substitutes Not Used: 20. GALLO Luca
Yellow Cards: Cairncross 90+3
Red Cards:
APIA Leichhardt: 92. NORVAL Ryan, 2. MILLGATE Nathan, 5. HOOPER Brendan, 8. BIZCO Corey (23. OLSEN Nick 84’), 11. MURRAY Jordan (9. ELASI Nathan 84’), 16. SYMONDS Sean, 17. VLASTELLICA Adrian, 18. UCCHINO Adrian ©, 19. LUNDY Brandon, 20. SEKIYA Tasuka (15. MUATA-MARLOW Themba 90+4), 22. SOLE Zane
Substitutes Not Used:, 10. PARISI Franco, 50. TUXFORD Blake
Yellow Cards: Sole 78’, Ucchino 89’, Lundy 90+2
Red Cards:
-By PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Mens reporter Micky Brock