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 tightly fought contest between Blacktown Spartans and Manly United ended in a thrilling draw, which saw both sides waste chances in front of goal. Tough tackling defender Luka Dukic stamped his authority in defence with some strong tackles, giving the Manly attack very little room with the ball. Despite Dukic’s stellar efforts, the visitor’s pressed relentlessly, with skipper Brendan Cholakian unleashing some stylish shots that whizzed just past the goal. The striker worked tirelessly up front as he searched for the match-winner, but ultimately the sides couldn’t be split, having to settle with the 1-1 result.
Despite committing a comical error that put his side on the back foot, Ibrahim Haydar made amends with a commanding performance in defence, lifting Parramatta to a 2-1 win over Bonnyrigg. An own-goal in the 14th minute gifted Bonnyrigg an early lead, however the Parramatta captain lifted his intensity up a gear in the second half, continually shutting down the home side’s intimidating attack. Ante Tomic again showed his class with an excellent display before half-time, darting around the Bonnyrigg goal-keeper before getting a deft touch to seal the goal. Tomic went on to secure his brace in the second term and earn man-of-the-match as well.
In a week where Leicester City captured the imagination of the football world, it was their former goal-keeper Paul Henderson who starred for Sydney Olympic in a heart-stopping win over Hakoah. The veteran shot stopper, who made 63 appearances for the English Premier League Champions, made some stunning saves to deny Hakoah’s strikers, who let loose shot after shot at the Olympic goal. However Henderson didn’t buckle, his expert performance paying off with Olympic snatching a 3-1 win in the dying minutes.
Rockdale City Suns held on to record a 3-2 win over Blacktown City, with the return of crafty midfielder Blake Ricciuto inspiring his side. After spending much of the week in hospital, the Rockdale midfielder was on fire in the opening exchanges, and deservedly scored the first goal in the 13th minute with a clinical finish from just inside the penalty area. Ricciuto was a machine in midfield, regularly providing good ball forward. He was ably supported by striker Dylan Macallister, who secured Rockdale’s second goal with a superb touch. The former Olyroo turned provider in the second half when his header was pounced on by Hristijan Tanoski.
Sydney United 58 consolidated their place on top of the ladder with a comprehensive win against APIA. Young gun Masato Mochizuki produced an excellent display in defence, sounding a warning shot to the competition on the sheer depth of talent that Mark Rudan has at his disposal. Mochizuki made regular bursts down the left edge and showed no signs of nerves when facing APIA’s attack. Panni Nikas picked up man-of-the-match honours with a standout performance in midfield, and a perfectly executed penalty that gave his side an early lead. Nikas controlled the tempo of the game beautifully, applying continuous pressure to APIA that saw his side record a 3-0 win.
The final Match of the Round saw Sutherland continue their slide down the ladder after a 3-1 loss to Wollongong. Chilean striker Nicolas Bernal continued to shine in his first National Premier League season, leaving the Sharks defence clueless with some smooth runs and ball play. Bernal had notched up a brace by the 32nd minute and almost had a hat-trick a few minutes later. A great performance from Darcy Madden also helped to spark the home side, with some electrifying runs down the right wing. The Wollongong defender capped of a dominant first half with a goal that gave his side a healthy lead that proved too difficult to chase.
GK – Paul Henderson – Sydney Olympic
LB – Masato Mochizuki – Sydney United 58 FC
CB – Luka Dukic – Blacktown Spartans
CB – Ibrahim Haydar – Parramatta FC
RB – Darcy Madden – Wollongong Wolves
LM – Ante Tomic – Parramatta FC
CM Panni Nikas – Sydney United 58 FC
RM – Blake Riccutto – Rockdale City Suns
ST – Dylan Macallister – Rockdale City Suns
ST – Brendan Cholakian – Manly United
ST – Nicolas Bernal – Wollongong Wolves
Round 9 Preview – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s U20s
The current top four in the PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s U20’s competition are all in action against each other in a heated Round Nine that also sees Bonnyrigg White Eagles travel to Sydney United 58.
But the match of the round is at Lambert Park where Sydney Olympic host Wollongong Wolves, with both sides vying to enter the top six.
Match of the Round
Sydney Olympic v Wollongong Wolves, Sunday 1.00pm at Lambert Park
Sydney Olympic have staked a reputation as one of the more entertaining outfits to grace the PlayStation4 NPL NSW Men’s U20’s league this season and an end-to-end encounter beckons again when they host Wollongong Wolves at Lambert Park.
Although the side have been anchored by their propensity to lapse defensively, only leaders Manly United (18) have scored more goals than Sydney Olympic (17) this campaign. The Belmore side hold one of the competition’s most talented assets in forward Adrian Vranic who has scored nine in seven this season and with the likes of Sebastian Malfara and Michael Loupis coming to the fore in recent weeks, the goals are flowing freely for John Theodoropoulos’ team.
The former collected a brace in the side’s commanding 4-0 win over Hakoah Sydney City East last weekend, a performance that yielded Olympic’s first clean sheet of the season. New manager Theodoropoulos will continue to improve his side’s defence starting against a Wollongong Wolves side who are looking to avoid a fourth defeat in a row.
The fixture list has not been kind to Alfredo Esteves’ side, who were on the end of defeats to competition frontrunners Manly United and Blacktown City in consecutive weeks before falling 3-0 to Sutherland Sharks at home in disappointing fashion in Round Nine.
Saturday
Sutherland Sharks v Rockdale City Suns, 4.30pm at Seymour Shaw
Sutherland had won just one from four prior to what looked a daunting away trip to Wollongong Wolves in Round Eight but Allan Edmonson’s men inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the South Coast side to leapfrog the Wolves into the top six.
The Sharks now return to Seymour Shaw after what should be a morale boosting victory to host a Rockdale City Suns side who have not yet picked up a single point away from Ilinden Sports Centre, and will be desperate to avoid a fifth consecutive loss.
The tenth-placed side offered plenty of resilience against Blacktown City last weekend but were eventually downed 1-0, and in a season that has consistently offered plenty of surprises it would be folly to write off Rockdale despite their current malaise.
Blacktown City v Blacktown Spartans, 5.00pm at Lilys Football Centre
The two sides from Blacktown come face to face for the first time this season at Lilys Football Centre on Saturday and the derby carries an air of significance that has been absent in previous meetings between the two sides.
The Spartans have proven to be one of the competition’s surprise packages so far and trail the traditional heavyweights by five points on the competition ladder. Samuel Jacobs’ side are neatly positioned in fourth place but have stumbled of late, winning just one of their last five encounters – a 3-0 triumph over lowly Rockdale in Round Five.
With the likes of Sydney Olympic, Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sutherland lying just a point away from the Spartans in fourth, another poor result threatens to see the team slide out of the top six for the first time this season.
It will be a big test of the side’s credentials against a Blacktown City team who have rampaged back into top form, winning four of their last five to stand a point behind leaders Manly United.
The clash will be influenced heavily by two potential golden boot candidates within either camp, with Blacktown Spartans’ Alex Mooy (seven goals in eight) and Blacktown City’s Jonathan Grozadanovski (six goals in six) facing off in what could be a crucial head to head match up in one of Round Nine’s big affairs.
Parramatta v Hakoah Sydney City East, 5.00pm at Melita Stadium
Parramatta were consigned to another week at the foot of the PlayStation4 NPL NSW Men’s U20 table after a 2-1 defeat at Bonnyrigg Sports Centre last weekend saw Mark Zecchin’s side’s mini-revival cut prematurely short.
It’s been a frustrating season so far for the Melita Stadium outfit and although the team have lost five of their seven matches they have remained fiercely competitive throughout, edged by a single goal on three occasions with the other two defeats valiant efforts against heavyweights Blacktown City and Manly United.
Despite the consistency in performance results have been at a premium and with the top six beginning to edge away, Parramatta must show they will not be considered also-rans when Hakoah Sydney City East come knocking on Saturday afternoon.
The league newcomers themselves have struggled for form since the opening weeks of the season, winning just one out of their last five and conceding thirteen in four of those encounters. Hakoah’s 1-0 triumph over Sutherland in Round Seven highlighted a steady template for improvement for the Pat Darvill and Dino D’Agrosa-coached side and the two Hakoah custodians might opt for a similar back to basics approach here as they look to keep a talented team in touch with the top six.
Sunday
Sydney United 58 v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 12.00pm at Sydney United Sports Centre
The young Sydney United 58 from Edensor Park has endured a tough eight rounds so far, claiming just one win over Blacktown Spartans in Round Six. Davor Bajsic’s outfit managed a point against fellow strugglers Parramatta a week later in Round Seven but were convincingly beaten 3-0 by a high-flying APIA Leichhardt Tigers team last weekend in another setback.
The visit of one of the competition’s form teams in Bonnyrigg White Eagles will provide another firm examination of Sydney’s dwindling finals prospects. The Stephen Sigmund-coached White Eagles have been flying since since Round Four with four wins in their last five and with the top four all in action against each other this weekend, the way could be clear for Bonnyrigg to continue their impressive ascent.
Manly United v APIA Leichhardt Tigers, 1.00pm at Cromer Park
A 1-1 draw at Blacktown Football Park last weekend represented just the second blip of Manly United’s campaign as the competition leaders. Mitchell Rooke’s late equalizer could prove to be a significant one come the end of the season, and it exemplified the high standards Andrew Christiansen’s charges have exhibited in their excellent season so far.
Those standards must come to the fore again on Sunday when United host an APIA Leichhardt Tigers team who have rocketed into third-place with four wins in a row, including consecutive demolitions of Sydney Olympic and Sydney United. The Tigers missed the start of the season through their involvement in the Viareggio tournament in Italy but have exceeded expectations since their arrival and currently appear genuine a premiership threat.
-By Jacob Windon
Round 8 Review – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s U20s
APIA Leichhardt Tigers may have missed the start of the 2016 PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s U20 competition but the side from Lambert Park are seemingly intent on making up for lost time and were once again the big movers in an action-packed Round 8.
Elsewhere, competition leaders Manly United dropped points at Blacktown Football Park, whilst Sydney Olympic hit their stride with a demolition of Hakoah Sydney City East.
The Match of the Round was at Bonnyrigg Sports Club where the White Eagles continued their excellent recent run of form.
Match of the Round
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2-1 Parramatta, Saturday 5pm at Bonnyrigg Sports Club
Bonnyrigg White Eagles continued their surge up the PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s U20 competition ladder with a gritty 2-1 victory over Parramatta at Bonnyrigg Sports Club.
The White Eagles entered the encounter with the last-placed visitors as one of the competition’s in-form outfits and second half goals to Jake Douglas and Andre Guzman secured an impressive fourth win from five for Stephen Sigmund’s side.
It was another afternoon of regrets for Parramatta who netted a consolation through Nicholas Chymiak in what was the last kick of the game.
Despite surrendering the bulk of field position and possession, the visitors were largely untroubled throughout and were left to rue two defensive lapses that spoiled what was otherwise a well-organised defensive performance.
And to add insult to injury, the visitors could have easily emerged victors themselves had forward Andreas Vais not spurned a golden chance after the half-time break.
Bonnyrigg started on the front foot in front of their home faithful with former Western Sydney Wanderers product Martin Lo pulling the strings for the White Eagles.
Although the home side played much of the first-half on the cusp of the Parramatta box, they were unable to forge genuine goal scoring opportunities, instead reduced to hopeful snapshots from outside the area.
This meant the visitors enjoyed several chances on the transition, and Andreas Vais went closest to breaking the first half deadlock following a quick counter but only managed to pull his shot wide of the far post from a promising scenario.
The second half began to open up for both sides and it wasn’t long until the matches best chance fell to Vais, who steered Matias Da Silva Santos’ cross over the bar from close range.
It would be the affairs turning point with Bonnyrigg opening the scoring through Jake Douglas who gleefully tapped home after Asmir Kradric had escaped the shackles of the Parramatta rearguard.
The momentum was now with the White Eagles who probed for long periods and eventually doubled their advantage through a fine moment of individual quality.
As it eventually did for Bonnyrigg on the day, it was perseverance that paid off for Andre De Guzman who looked to have taken one touch too many after breaking clear but recovered to nick the ball past Parramatta centre-half Michael Davidson and bury an unstoppable shot into the top left corner.
Nicholas Chymiak added a late consolation in what proved to be the final kick of the game to cap another frustrating afternoon for Mark Zecchin’s side.
The Parramatta manager remained upbeat despite the latest instalment in a series of tough defeats.
“It wasn’t our strongest performance of the season today yet we were in the contest throughout and created the matches best opportunities. That tells you a lot about the season we’re having.
“If that one goes in its 1-0 and we have a lead to build on. There’s still a long way to go in the season and we have a couple of high class players arriving soon”.
Although Bonnyrigg custodian Stephen Sigmund was elated with his side’s fourth win from five, he warned his side to avoid complacency.
“I was disappointed with the late goal”, he said.
“We need to be more clinical in the final third but I’m happy with how we’re performing at the moment and we’ll only get better”.
Match Stats
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Douglas 59’, Kradric 74’)
Parramatta 1 (Chymiak 90’)
Saturday 30th April 2016
Bonnyrigg Sports Centre
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 22 H. Bagot, 23 D. Cupac, 24 L. Debrot, 18 J. Douglas, 25 L. Faria, 27 A. Guzman, 28 L. Guzman, 29 Z. Kolundzic, 31 M. Lo, 65 A. Parashis, 32 J. Rose, 20 S. Savicic, 8 H. Tucker, 35 K. Zarafetas, 36 A. Kradric, 37 N. Krljar
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Parramatta: 34 A. Awaz, 31 A. Boyadijan 38 C. Carboni, 28 N. Chymiask, 21 M. Da Silva Santos, 39 M. Davidson, 25 D. Di Ruocco, 33 J. Diacono, 37 A. Gioiosa, 26 B. Lu, 35 J. Taunton, 36 A. Vais, 22 P. Katsetis, 27 M. Jackson, 29 G. Cerasoli
Yellow Cards: 21 M. Da Silva Santos
Red Cards: Nil
Saturday
Blacktown Spartans 1-1 Manly United, 5.00pm at Blacktown Football Park
A late equalizer from Mitchell Rooke earned competition frontrunners Manly United a point against Blacktown Spartans at Blacktown Football Park.
Blacktown led for the majority of the half thanks to Alex Mooy’s seventh strike of the season but weren’t able to hold on for what would have been a hugely important three points.
Samuel Jacob’s side are now without a win in their last three but remain in fourth place with a tantalising derby fixture against Blacktown City to come in Round Nine.
Manly United meanwhile open up a six point gap over the Spartans with their first draw of the season.
Hakoah Sydney City East 0-4 Sydney Olympic, 5.00pm at Hensley Athletic Field
A brace from Sebastian Melfara helped Sydney Olympic on their way to a resounding 4-0 victory over Hakoah Sydney City East at Hensley Athletic Field.
Michael Loupis and Stephen Athanaseris were also on the score sheet for John Theodoropoulos’ side who enter the top six in grand style.
It was the perfect response the Olympic side needed having suffered a midweek 4-2 loss to APIA Leichhardt Tigers, extending an increasingly inconsistent run of results for the Belmore club.
It’s back to the drawing board for Hakoah Sydney City East who appeared to have resolved their defensive issues after their 1-0 triumph at Sutherland in Round Eight, but with just one win in six there’s a lot of work to be done to arrest the slide.
Rockdale City Suns 0-1 Blacktown City, 5.00pm at Ilinden Sports Centre
Blacktown City remain hot on the heels of leaders Manly United after a gritty 1-0 victory over Rockdale City Suns at Ilinden Sports Centre.
Although it wasn’t a performance to savour from Ben Wright’s side it was a huge three points that places the side within striking distance of the competition frontrunners, who dropped points at Blacktown.
And it was once again Jonathan Grozdanovski – golden boot winner for Blacktown during last season’s championship winning campaign – who applied the finishing touch with a neat first half strike, the forward’s sixth of the season.
It was a fourth loss in a row for Rockdale who will need to rescue their faltering season at Sutherland in Round Nine.
Sunday
APIA Leichhardt Tigers 3-0 Sydney United 58, 2.15pm at Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt Tigers stormed into the top three of the PlayStation 4 NPL NSW Men’s U20 competition after cruising to a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Sydney United 58 at Lambert Park.
Duncan Stewart, Cameron Stephan and Samuel Gulisano were amongst the goals in what was the side’s fourth win in a row, a result that places the Lambert Park outfit in the top three despite having played two games less than Manly United and Blacktown City in first and second place respectively.
Having undertaken a mini-revival of their disappointing season to date in the last fornight, Sydney United 58 remain in 11th position and will look to Round Nine’s home fixture with Bonnyrigg as a potential make or break affair for Davor Bajsic’s side.
Wollongong Wolves 0-3 Sutherland Sharks, 3.00pm at WIN Stadium
A first half blitz from Sutherland Sharks stunned Wollongong Wolves at WIN Stadium with Allan Edmonson’s side running out comfortable 3-0 victors.
It was the perfect response from Round Seven’s disappointing showing at home to Hakoah Sydney City East, and the result will be more than enough vindication for their 1-0 loss last Saturday.
Marcus Beattie, Michael Kouta and Nathan Roberts were on the scoresheet for the visitors who leapfrog Wollongong into seventh place.
–By Jacob Windon
Round 8 Review – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s
Round 8 of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition is in the books with Sydney United 58 coming out on top of the pile once again after a thrilling weekend of action.
Mark Rudan’s side holds a three point lead in first spot over Blacktown City who were upset by an inspired Rockdale City Suns outfit 3-2 on Saturday.
In other match action Blacktown Spartans and Manly United shared the spoils, Wollongong returned to the winners circle against Sutherland and Sydney Olympic took home 3 points from its match against Hakoah Sydney City East.
Parramatta FC claimed the upset of the round with a hard fought 2-1 win away from home against Bonnyrigg.
Match of the Round
Rockdale City Suns 3 – Blacktown City FC 2 at Ilinden Sports Centre
An 81st minute Hristijan Tanoski goal has given Rockdale City Suns an inspired 3-2 PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s victory against a fast finishing Blacktown City FC.
Tanoski’s late goal at Ilinden Sports Centre on Saturday night sent the Rockdale fans into raptures as Paul Reid’s side was required to find a winner after Blacktown had clawed it’s way back from an early 2-0 deficit.
Goals to Rockdale’s Tanoski, Dylan Macallister and Blake Ricciuto cancelled out strikes from Blacktown players Sasa Macura and Joey Gibbs.
It was an emotional win for the Suns who went into the match without usual starters Alec Urosevski and Steve Hesketh while midfielder Blake Ricciuto made an inspirational return after nearly a week in hospital.
Blacktown Spartans 1 – Manly United FC 1 at Blacktown Football Park
Manly United has fought back to snatch a 1-1 draw with Blacktown Spartans in its PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Clash at Blacktown Football Park on Saturday.
Dom Ferguson’s 57th minute strike saved Manly from a frustrating away defeat after Jacob Ott gave the home side the lead after only five minutes.
It was a strong bounce back performance from Blacktown after leaking five goals to APIA last round.
On the other hand it was a frustrating result for Manly who paid the price for poor finishing.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 – Parramatta FC 2 at Bonnyrigg Sports Club
An Ante Tomic brace has helped a canny Parramatta FC side to a priceless 2-1 comeback victory against Bonnyrigg White Eagles in its PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash at Bonnyrigg Sports Club on Saturday.
Franco Consentino’s side got off to the worst possible start when Ibrahim Haydar sliced into his own net but Tomic’s excellently claimed double, which put him to four goals for the year, salvaged the three points for the visitors who valiantly withstood a landslide of second half pressure from their opponents.
It was a match won and lost in thirds for the home side, who had convincingly dominated the opening half hour but struggled to open up a well-drilled and energetic Parramatta.
But it was a shrewd performance from Parramatta who, helped immensely by a pair of tirelessly committed cameos from brothers Gosue and Marco Sama, executed their second-half defensive mission with impressive aplomb.
Hakoah Sydney City East 1 – Sydney Olympic 3 at Hensley Athletic Field
Sydney Olympic defeated Hakoah Sydney City East 3-1 in a gripping PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash at Hensley Athletic Field on Saturday night.
The sides were level at one-all and the match looked like ending in a draw before Olympic scored two goals at the death to clinch an unlikely and to many, an undeserved 3-1 victory.
A 31st minute strike to Michael Gaitatzis opened the scoring for Olympic but it was strikes to Jason Madonis and Oliver Green in the dying stages of the match which secured the win for the visitors despite a goal to Hakoah’s Declan Gilmartin.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers – Sydney United 58 FC at Lambert Park
Sydney United 58 FC has stretched its lead at the top of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition with a 3-0 win against APIA Leichhardt at Lambert Park on Sunday.
Goals to Panni Nikas, Chris Payne and Robbie Mileski helped Mark Rudan’s side to its seventh straight win.
It was a tough day at the office for APIA who challenged United 58 for most of the match but lacked the killer edge required to take down the competition’s top side.
APIA striker Jordan Murray continues to justify his reputation as one of the competition’s brightest young stars with another big performance. The former Wollongong local was a constant menace for the Sydney United 58 defence.
Wollongong Wolves – Sutherland Sharks at WIN Stadium
It was a return to form from the Wollongong Wolves with a 3-1 victory against local rivals Sutherland Sharks in its PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash at WIN Stadium on Sunday evening.
A first half domination, including a brace from Nicolas Bernal and a goal from Darcy Madden, set the tone for the match.
It was one way traffic in the first 45 minutes as Sutherland battled to stay in the match
The Sharks made headway in the second half but could not match the intensity of the Wolves
Only a late Joshua Da Silva strike prevented the home side from a clean sheet victory.
Olympic break Hakoah hearts at the death
Sydney Olympic defeated Hakoah Sydney City East 3-1 in a gripping PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash at Hensley Athletic Field on Saturday night.
The sides were level at one-all and the match looked like ending in a draw before Olympic scored two goals at the death to clinch an unlikely and to many, an undeserved 3-1 victory.
“We’ve had our fair share of bad luck this year where we’ve outplayed teams and got no joy so we’ll take the three points tonight, which is nice,” Olympic coach Grant Lee told Football NSW.
The early stages of the match were disjointed, and lacking in continuity and flow.
In the ninth minute, Hakoah’s Deklan Gilmartin let loose with a rasping shot from long range, which seemed to give his side the confidence to press hard and control possession. Indeed, in the early stages of the match, Hakoah was the livelier of the two sides.
Hakoah’s Bradley Walker and Kevin Lopes delivered telling crosses, testing Olympic’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Paul Henderson, but the experienced custodian was up to the task.
After 20 minutes nothing of real significance had happened as the match meandered aimlessly, leaving a feeling of restlessness and indifference amongst the big crowd.
Only Hakoah’s Lee Jones seemed to make an impact, keeping the visitor’s under pressure with some telling crosses. In the 23rd minute, Jones fired in a tantalising free kick, but again Henderson saved well. At this stage it seemed to be a personal duel between Jones and Henderson.
Olympic then countered swiftly, with Harris Gaitatzis skipping through the Hakoah defence, only to be denied by keeper Matt McKenzie. Two minutes later the Hakoah keeper was again brought into the thick of things when he rushed outside the box to head clear.
In the 25th minute Hakoah fullback Nathan Bowden-Haase rose above the defence to head towards goal, but again, the ageless Henderson denied the home side.
The tide seemed to flowing Hakoah’s way but just when the home fans started to gain in confidence, Olympic hit them against the run of play when in the 31st minute Michael Gaitatzis struck a brilliant, rasping free kick into bottom left-hand corner of the net.
McKenzie had no chance to stop the blistering strike and Olympic took the lead 1-0.
Suddenly the match opened up, with Olympic beginning to play with more verve but in the 39th minute Hakoah’s Lee Jones again sent in a menacing corner, Kevin Lopes rose above the defence and headed towards goal, only for keeper Henderson to again deny an equaliser.
The teams went to the break with Olympic leading 1-0.
Hakoah attacked early into the second half but again Henderson proved to be something of a nemesis. His opposite was just as reliable, with McKenzie cutting out a dangerous free kick by Gaitatzis in the 52nd minute.
In the 55th minute, Lee Jones sent in a free kick that Bowden-Haase didn’t quite connect with, giving Henderson an easy save.
In the 62nd minute Olympic almost extended their lead when McKenzie punched a weak clearance from a corner but the ensuing scramble amounted to nothing.
Hakoah took the direct route as they chased an equaliser, launching several long aerial attacks, but again to no avail.
Olympic then started to take control and in the 67th minute, were unlucky to head onto the bar from a corner. Jason Madonis then let loose with a long range speculator that soared over the bar. The visitors were beginning to take charge.
Olympic dominated the second half, especially the latter stages, showing the speed and accuracy they didn’t possess in the first 45 minutes. But just as they started to feel comfortable, Hakoah’s Deklan Gilmartin scored one of the most unfathomable and audacious equalisers. From the left-hand touchline the Hakoah number 10 sent the ball looping over the head of a despairing Henderson and into the back of the net. Was it a shot or was it a cross? We’ll never know but the goal was definitely worthy of goal-of-the-week status. Suddenly it was 1-1 and Hakoah found its second wind.
In the 84th minute, substitute Steven Abbott turned his man inside the box and unleashed a shot, only to see Henderson deny Hakoah yet again.
Hakoah had an opportunity to take the lead in the 88th minute, when Jones sent in a tantalising free kick, only to see Bradley Walker miss from close range. The home fans couldn’t believe their misfortune. But unfortunately for them, there was more to come.
With everyone looking at their watches and willing the referee to blow the final whistle, Olympic turned the game on its head, firstly through Oliver Green, who struck home after a messy goalmouth scramble, before Jason Madonis scored to seal a flattering 3-1 scoreline in injury time.
Agony for Hakoah. Ecstasy for Olympic.
Despite the win, Olympic coach Grant Lee wasn’t entirely satisfied with his side’s performance.
“It’s a completely different style of football that Hakoah play and we had to adapt to that style of football,” he said. “They’re very direct, they’re strong and aggressive and they work hard and put you under enormous pressure. I was a little bit disappointed tonight, but you can’t take away from our work ethic and what we tried to do out on the park. I was just disappointed in the way that we played, we’re far better than that.
“Because they were so physical and so quick to press I just thought we got a little bit nervous on the ball and we needed to get the ball on the deck and play more on the ground. We played into their hands. The ball was always in the air, it was always a contest, which is what they wanted, so we’ve got to give credit to them also.
“I thought the boys battled hard, I just think in these type of games we’ve got to be able to adapt and we’ve got to become a lot stronger physically and mentally.”
A disappointed Hakoah coach Mark Roberston rued the last-gasp defeat.
“If the game was about possession and the most passes I think we would have won, but it’s football and you’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net. We weren’t clinical enough and I don’t think we really looked like scoring, which is disappointing.
“We retained possession quite well. Their turnover of ball was a lot higher than us and the pleasing thing for me is we kept the ball. But the negative was we didn’t get in enough dangerous positions to punish them.
“The two late goals flatters Olympic but that’s life. You know, I think 1-1 would have been a fair result. We just didn’t perform well in the top third to even consider winning that game.
“The difference between the two sides was they put the ball in the back of the net. Our decision making in the final third and the defensive third just wasn’t good enough. We were sloppy.”
Match Stats
Hakoah Sydney City East 1 (Deklan Gilmartin 80’)
Sydney Olympic (Michael Gaitatzis 31’, Oliver Green 90’, Jason Madonis 90+2)
Saturday, 31 April, 2016
Hensley Athletic Field
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Joon Park, Daniel Stark
Fourth Official: Anthony Mansour
Hakoah Sydney City East: 20. MCKENZIE, Matthew, 4. WALKER, Bradley, 5. BOWDEN-HAASE, 9. JABLONSKI, 10. GILMARTIN, Deklan, 11. RAE, Gavin (8. ORGAD, Paul), 13. MUNDELL, Jordan, 14. JONES, Lee, 16. ANDRICOPOULOS, Costa (34. PAIKIN, Brad), 18. D’MELLO, Aaron (12. ABBOTT, Steven 67’), 31. LOPES, Kevin
Coach: Mark Robertson
Unused Subs: 1. COSTA, Anthony (GK)
Yellow Cards: 8. ORGAD, Paul 58’, 5. BOWDEN-HAASE, Nathan 77’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic: 1. HENDERSON Paul, 2. SORGE Brayden (3. TOMELIC Anthony), 4. EGGER Leigh, 5. MADONIS Jason, 6. STAMATELLIS Mitchell, 7. ANGEL William, 8. FONDYKE Howard, 9. TRIANTIS Chris (37. MONTFORD, Eoin 74’), 10. GAITATZIS Harris, 16. GREEN Oliver, 22. GAITATZIS Michael (11. BOUTOUBIA Jacob)
Coach: Grant Lee
Unused Subs: 20. CRICKMORE, Denver
Yellow Cards: 5. MADONIS, Jason 55’, 6. STAMATELLIS, Mitchell 90’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Paul Henderson (Olympic)
2 – Deklan Gilmartin (Hakoah)
1 – Lee Jones
-By PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s reporter Derek Royal