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‘Choc’ remains upbeat in tough times

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In what’s been a shock to the system to everyone affected due to COVID-19 as everyday life has changed for all, National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s personalities such as Manly United’s Brendan Cholakian have remained positive by keeping fit and healthy.

With so many players in the NPL shaken up by losing jobs, Cholakian has been blessed that its been business as usual for him and his wife albeit at home.

“COVID-19 has obviously impacted so many people across the globe already.

“I honestly feel blessed that I am still able to work (Client Engagement Consultant for Complispace) from home  and I am in a better position than some others.

“The bit I am missing the most is football really.”

With football setting an April 14th deadline across the nation, Cholakian has been busily training on his own ensuring whenever the next game commences, he’d be ready to go.

“Since football lockdown, I’ve just been trying to keep myself ticking over and staying fit.

“All the staff at Manly United have made this easier for us lads by putting together some personal programs to try and keep us working hard and maintaining the fitness levels we have built up so far.

“It’s always hard to maintain my usual fitness routine when gyms are closed and no team trainings, but I have just been trying to do what I can by going back to basics.

“Getting down to the park with a bag of balls and just working on technique and working on getting kilometres into the legs, trying to keep the ball involved as much as possible.

“It’s not easy, there is no better feeling than being competitive at training with teammates and playing games but this is just the situation at the moment.”

Having developed as a cult hero status at Cromer Park up at the Northern Beaches, Cholakian pleaded with the public to remain positive in these tough times ahead.

“My message would be to the NPL NSW football public to take this seriously.

“Yes it sucks not having NPL Football on each week but hopefully if we can lock this down quickly, it will mean we can get back out onto the pitch sooner rather than later.

“I just miss being with the lads at training, competing and working hard in training with them.

“The change rooms and the amount of banter we sling at each other, it’s something you can sometimes take for granted, but in situations like this, you realise your team are like your brothers..

“I also just miss match-day.

“There is no better feeling than walking out onto the pitch each weekend and going to battle for three points.

“Its something I desperately need in my life as I am keen to get back out there as soon as possible.”

Here here Brendan, we all feel your pain.

Cholakian has been busy hitting crossbars at his local park as shown below, something he hopes not to do when the games kick off once more with the ball hitting the back of the net.

Peterson riding the waves at Manly

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After a stint with Western Sydney Wanderers, Marley Peterson has returned to Manly United and is eager to build on an exciting cameo which won his side their first three points of the season on Saturday night albeit after the temporary football lockout due to COVID-19.

The 21-year-old led the line for Paul Dee’s men during their first two outings this season, but his most decisive impact to date arrived as a super-sub against Sydney United 58 last weekend.

Shortly after being introduced, Peterson found himself in the right place at the right time to power home a header which broke the deadlock with five minutes to play.

The young attacker said the 2-0 win was well deserved following two unfortunate defeats to kick off 2020.

“I think we’ve been really unlucky in our past two games and should have got something out of them,” Peterson said.

“Obviously I played a few more minutes in those but I was just really happy to help the team win.

“Starting on the bench was more of a tactical thing, not exactly based on performance, but I am obviously still very happy that I was able to show I would still like to play as much as possible.”

Peterson broke into the Manly first grade side as a teenager back in early 2018 and impressed enough to earn a move out west, linking up with the Wanderers’ A-League academy.

There he had no troubles finding the back of the net for their National Premier Leagues 2 NSW side, but unfortunately did not quite manage to secure an A-League contract.

“I had a good two-year stint at the Wanderers but it didn’t work out in progressing into the A-League team,” he reflected.

“The Wanderers helped me develop so much, playing and training full time with the professional squad during the last four months I was there.”

Peterson barely had to think twice when a return to the Northern Beaches came calling ahead of the 2020 campaign.

“I saw it as a great opportunity to come back to my home club and play well this year with the first team,” he said.

“Coming back to semi-pro level it’s still a serious, great environment to continue progressing as a player.

“As a forward player I always want to score and hopefully I can replicate my form from last year to help the team win.”

Manly United’s 2019 campaign was highlighted by a run to the FFA Cup round of 16 that Peterson believes must act as inspiration for a tilt at finals football this season.

“I think we have to build on our success last year in the FFA Cup and bring that more into the league,” he enforced.

“Even though we haven’t had the best start we believe we can definitely push up there to challenge for finals and the championship.”

– By Chris Curulli (Twitter handle @ChrisCurulli)

Late goal surge gives Manly United maiden 2020 victory

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Manly United left it late to clinch their first three points of the National Premier Leagues NSW men’s season with a tight 2-0 triumph over Sydney United 58 at Cromer Park on Saturday night.

The hosts struck with two goals in the last five minutes as a bullet header from substitute Marley Peterson and Yianni Perkatis own goal shocked a United 58 side who were unable to push on following their 5-0 rout of Mt Druitt last weekend.

The first opportunity of the evening presented itself after 16 minutes as Brendan Cholakian failed to gather enough of a connection on his back-post header.

Two minutes later Jack Fulton almost left an immediate impact on his first start of the season, however his low strike was smartly rebounded to safety by Thomas Manos.

Manly continued to knock on the door and in the 28th minute Sam Gallagher’s front post header soared marginally wide of the mark.

Yianni Fragogiannis created the visitors’ only clear-cut chance of the period with an effort from distance that was comfortably gathered by Dylan Mitchell.

Manly forged a pair of opportunities of their own late in the half however Jack Fulton’s diving header and Scott Balderson’s strike both sailed over the bar.

Sydney United started the second half on the offensive as former Manly winger Matthew Sim saw a deflected effort dip wide of the mark and another into the arms of Mitchell.

Just shy of the hour mark Patrick Antelmi came within inches of breaking the deadlock.

The in-form striker’s close-range header thundered off the crossbar after he appeared destined to score.

The match then settled into a tight arm-wrestle before both Paul Dee and Zeljko Kalac turned to their benches for inspiration.

It was ultimately Dee who struck gold in the 85th minute as fullback Kieren Paull found a pocket of space in the final third before releasing a precise ball that was emphatically nodded home by the substitute Peterson.

Manly continued to push on and just four minutes later a touch of fortune saw them seal their first taste of victory in 2020.

Some clever work from Jamie Glover out wide saw him whip in another threatening ball that United 58 defender Yianni Perkatis inadvertently turned into the back of his own net.

Cromer Park breathed a collective sigh of relief at the final whistle which confirmed Manly’s first competition points of the season, drawing them level with Sydney United on one win out of three to kick off the campaign.

Manly United boss Paul Dee was pleased to see that his side’s hard work had paid off.

“The boys deserved the win after a really hard game against a strong team,” he said.

“We’ve been working hard, trying to stay positive and just concentrating on the things that we know well.

“I think the boys who came in did a great job. It’s always a good thing when you have a squad where people are fighting for positions.

“The boys have tried really hard in the last couple of weeks to make it count in the final third, and after a couple of good deliveries from out wide today we scored the goals, so I’m pleased overall.”

United 58 skipper Adrian Vlastelica remained confident his side will bounce back in the near future.

“I think we played well for most of the game but just lost our concentration at the end and we got punished,” he said.

“The intensity and the effort were there but we just didn’t take our chances in the end.

“We have Rockdale next week and will be back training on Tuesday ready to build for a good result at home then.”

Match Stats

Manly United 2 (Marley Peterson 85’, Yianni Perkatis OG 89’)

Sydney United 58 0 

Saturday 14th March, 2020

Cromer Park, Dee Why

Referee: Michael Weiner

Assistant Referees: L. Greenshields, J. Bell

Fourth Official: I. Libri

Manly United: 1.Dylan Mitchell, 2.Kieren Paull, 5.Sam Gallagher, 7.Jack Fulton (9.Richard Cardozo 69’), 8.Dominic Ferguson, 10.Brendan Cholakian, 13.Scott Balderson (4.Sasa Macura 62’), 15.Patrick Weir, 16.Dean Bereveskos, 23.Bradley Mcdonald (17. Marley Peterson 79’), 24.Jamie Glover, 22.Paul Katsetis

Substitutes Not Used 20.Mackenzie Syron (GK), 6.Joseph Fox

Yellow Cards: Scott Balderson 33’, Dominic Ferguson 50’, Jamie Glover 75’

Red Cards: Nil

Sydney United 58: 21.Thomas Manos, 2.Cristian Gonzalez, 3.Jordan Roberts, 4.Adrian Vlastelica, 8.Matthew Sim, 9.Patrick Antelmi, 11.Yianni Perkatis, 12.Liam Rose, 15.Tariq Maia, (10.Devante Clut 62’), 22.Yianni Fragogiannis (18.Glen Trifiro 71’), 27.Jacob Esposito (99.Joshua McDonald 57’)

Substitutes Not Used: 1.Daniel Nizic, 20.Adrian Vranic

Yellow Cards: Jacob Esposito 44’, Adrian Vlastelica 72’, Liam Rose 78’, Josh McDonald 82’

Red Cards: Nil

Player Ratings

3- Patrick Weir (MU)

2- Kieren Paull (MU)

1- Scott Balderson (MU)

– By Chris Curulli (Twitter handle @ChrisCurulli)

Lewis strikes gold yet again for Blacktown City

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For the second consecutive week, skipper Matthew Lewis proved to be the match winner as his spot kick sealed a hard-fought three points for Blacktown City against Manly United at Cromer Park on Saturday night.

For both sides the result offered a similar story to their season openers last weekend.

Manly often appeared disjointed in the final third and were punished for a momentary lapse of concentration.

On the other hand Mark Crittenden’s men excelled defensively, allowing for them to grind out another victory by the narrowest of margins.

A scrappy opening ten minutes set the tone for a tight first half where neither side seriously threatened their opponent’s penalty area.

Manly were marginally brighter early on, however the only opportunity they were able to create was a speculative long-range effort from Scott Balderson which sailed over the crossbar.

Blacktown showcased their customary defensive solidity however struggled to penetrate a similarly stubborn Manly back four.

The second half saw proceedings begin to open up with a handful of opportunities for both sides.

The evening’s first clear sight on goal arrived after 54 minutes as Dejan Pandurevic tricked his way past his marker and rattled the palms of Prendergast from close range.

Then after being majorly subdued during the first period, former Manly flyer Charles Mendy placed his stamp on the contest.

The attacker was released in behind after 62 minutes, and as he charged through on goal he was brought down by the outstretched leg of Manly skipper Sam Gallagher.

Lewis’ spot kick sent Dylan Mitchell the wrong way as he calmly slotted home into the bottom right corner.

Mendy continued to haunt his former club as moments later he found himself through again, but his low strike was denied by a smart Mitchell save.

The visitors almost doubled their lead on 73 minutes as Adam Berry’s long rang rocket flew narrowly wide of the top right corner.

Manly then began to push hard for an elusive equaliser as substitute Richie Cardozo’s in-swinging corner was tipped over the crossbar by Tristan Prendergast.

Paul Dee’s other substitution almost paid dividends as Jamie Glover’s flick-on at the near post was scrambled wide.

The hosts so nearly snatched a point at the death from the boot of Brendan Cholakian, however the tricky midfielder’s long-range strike was deflected over the bar.

Cholakian’s following corner evaded everyone inside the crowded Blacktown penalty area, only to drift agonisingly wide of the back post.

Blacktown boss Mark Crittenden was understandably delighted with the gutsy result and warned his side still possess plenty of room for improvement.

“We always try and work hard and keep ourselves organised,” he said.

“Cromer is always a hard place to come to and we knew Manly would be very physical and fit.

“To the boys’ credit we made some adjustments and they played dividends.

“Charles Mendy up front won us the penalty that won us the game.

“It’s been solid but we still have massive improvement to come don’t worry about that. We are nowhere near where we want to be yet.”

On the other hand, Paul Dee was left frustrated for the second week running.

“We had our chances to win that game and we didn’t take them,” he reflected.

“Credit to Blacktown, they were resilient and converted their chance from the penalty.

“We are certainly creating enough opportunities in the final third but haven’t been able to get that decisive final touch.

“I think the brand of football we are playing is quite good and there’s a few positives coming out but those are two similar stories from our first two weeks.”

In round 3 Manly United will continue their search for competition points in 2020 at home to Sydney United 58 while Blacktown will seek to maintain their flawless record when they host Sutherland Sharks.

Match Stats
Manly United 0
Blacktown City 1 (Matthew Lewis 63’)
Saturday 7th March, 2020
Cromer Park, Dee Why

Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: E. Kocbek, H. Fenton-White
Fourth Official: J. Ewin

Manly United: 1.Dylan Mitchell, 2.Kieren Paull, 4.Sasa Macura (23.Bradley Mcdonald 66’), 5.Sam Gallagher, 6.Joseph Fox (24.Jamie Glover 77’), 8.Dominic Ferguson, 10.Brendan Cholakian, 13.Scott Balderson, 14.Dejan Pandurevic, 17.Marley Peterson (9.Richard Cardozo 65’), 22.Paul Katsetis

Substitutes Not Used 20.Mackenzie Syron (GK), 16.Dean Bereveskos

Yellow Cards: Sam Gallagher 63’
Red Cards: Nil

Blacktown City: 1.Tristan Prendergast, 3.Daniel Collins, 5.Grant Lynch, 6.Matthew Lewis, 11.Rhett Desilva (15.Jak O’Brien 84’), 12.Lachlan Campbell, 16.Charles Mendy (21. Will Mutch 81’), 17.Dakota Askew, 19.Adam Berry, 23.Leroy Jennings, 24.Jackson Bandiera (18.Suleyman Bangura 59’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Dylan Niski (GK)

Yellow Cards: Matthew Lewis 50’, Grant Lynch 75’, Daniel Collins 91’
Red Cards: Nil

Player Ratings

3- Matthew Lewis (BC)
2- Lachlan Campbell (BC)
1- Charles Mendy (BC)

Ilinden overcome fast finishing Manly United

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Rockdale Ilinden FC have opened their season on a winning note overcoming Manly United 2-1 at Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday. 

Goals to Alec Urosevski and Nikola Taneski were the difference for the home side as they held on despite a fast finishing Manly side putting the pressure on late.

Urosevski opened the scoring after 11 minutes from the penalty spot but Manly evened the ledger in the 38th minute when they too successfully dispatched a spot kick.

Manly were the aggressors in the second half but it was Rockdale who found the winner when Taneski scored against the run of play midway through the second stanza.

A late salvo from the Northern Beaches side nearly snatched a draw but it wasn’t enough as new Ilinden boss Steven Zoric tasted victory in his first official game in charge.

Urosevski thought he had opened his account for the season in the 8th minute when he hit the back of the net after being played in by Jordan Figon, but he was ruled to be offside.

However he didn’t need to wait long to get a second chance with Rockdale awarded a penalty after Sam Guilisano’s free-kick hit the hand of a Manly defender in the penalty area.

Urosevski didn’t miss this time firing into the back of the net with a driven effort from the spot.

The home side lost major offseason acquisition Tomislav Arcaba to injury after only 21 minutes with the shot stopper forced from the field and replaced by Daniel Bradasevic.

The game was slowly beggining to open up and Rockdale right back Sam Guilisano was finding acres of space to move on his flank.

The former APIA winger creating a number of headaches for the Manly defence.

In the 37th minute the game took a turn when Keiran Paull was taken down by an overzealous shoulder check in the penalty area from Rockdale captain Daniel Petkovski.

Cholakian made sure his effort counted sliding his spot kick under the outstretched arms of substitute keeper Bradasevic.

New Ilinden signing Amaury Gauthier fluffed a brilliant chance to give his side the lead when he fired wide from only six yards out.

Manly had the last chance of the half with Marley Peterson firing high over the bar as both teams went to the break deadlocked at 1-1.

Manly started the better of the two sides after the restart and had Rockdale camped in their own half.

Dejan Pandurevic was becoming a handful for his marker and but was let down by his finishing.

The pressure was mounting on Ilinden as they fought to keep out the energised Manly attack.

But in a cruel twist of fate, it was Rockdale who found the next goal when Nikola Taneski hammered home from inside the penalty area.

It was against the run of play but it was exactly what the doctor ordered for the home side.

The visitors refused to give in and went straight back on the attack.

Manly winger Scott Balderson was lucky not to have been sent off in the 78th minute when he cleaned up Banri Kanaizumi with a shocking studs up challenge.

Japanese import Tomoki Wada was denied by the cross bar in the 82nd minute after his deft chip had beaten the keeper.

Bradasevic made an incredible reaction save in added time to deny Balderson, but the flag was already raised for offside.

Richie Cardozo attempted an audacious bicycle kick with one of the final plays of the game but the Manly striker’s effort sailed wide.

It would be the last chance of the game with the final whistle sending the Rockdale faithful into raptures.

Rockdale coach Steven Zoric was full of praise for his side admitting the victory was a massive weight off his shoulders.

“The Boys really stood-up today and dug-in when things were seemingly going against us,” Zoric said.

“They showed great discipline to keep their head and get what was a brilliant win for the club.

“For me it was a bit of a relief to be honest. As my first game in charge I really wanted to start the season on the right note and so to get the result meant a lot to me personally.

“I’m really confident in what these boys have to offer and was pleased with the effort today.”

Manly boss Paul Dee was able to look to the positive despite the loss.

“It was a really tough game for both sides and I was really happy with a number of things we did today, unfortunately the result didn’t go our way,” Dee said.

“We were lacking in the final third but that’s something we should be able to fix with more gametime.

“Next Saturday we are home and it is Back to Manly day so I’m confident we can give an improved showing in our next match.”

Match Stats

Rockdale Ilinden FC 2 Urosevski 11’, Taneski 65’

Manly United 1 Cholakian 38’

Sunday, March 1 2019

Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale

Referee: Katie Patterson

Assistant Referees: R Osborne, M Reidy

Fourth Official: N McOrist

Rockdale Ilinden FC: 22. Tomislav ARCABA (1. David Bradasevic 22’), 2. Daniel PETKOVSKI, 3. Michael NEILL (10. Nikola TANESKI 44’), 6. Banri KANAIZUMI 7. Alec UROSEVSKI, 8. Tomoki WADA, 11. Amaury GAUTHIER, 14. Brayden SORGE, 18. Samuel GUILISANO, 19. Patrick SAVOR, 23. Jordan FIGON (15. Mohamed AHMED 58’)

Substitutes not used: 4. Mitchell Stamatellis, 9. Dimi PETRATOS, ,

Yellow Cards:  Savor 32’, Neill 43’, Ahmed 84’

Red Cards:

Manly United: 1. Dylan MITCHELL, 2. Kieran PAULL, 5. Sam GALLAGHER, 8. Dom FERGUSON, 10. Brendan CHOLAKIAN, 11. Joseph FOX (13. Scott BALDERSON 69’), 14. Dejan PANDUREVIC, 16. Dean BEREVESKOS 17. Marley PETERSON (9. Richard Cardozo 76’), 22. Paul Katsetis (24. Jamie GLOVER 85’)  23. Bradley MCDONALD,

Substitutes not used: 15. Patrick WEIR, 20. Mackenzie SYRON

Yellow Cards: Balderson 79′

Red Cards: 

Player Ratings

3 – Banri Kanaizumi (Rockdale)

2 – Brendan Cholakian (Manly)

1 – Alec Urosevski (Rockdale)