Sitting in 8th position, five points from a finals place, a Wollongong season that provided plenty of promising signs looks to have come to an end.
“We could have got something more from it but that’s the way it is.
Manly United 1 (Lobb 63’)
Home of the National Premier League Men's NSW
Rockdale City Suns have edged closer to locking up a spot in the finals after a 2-1 win against Marconi Stallions at Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday
Goals to Bai Antoniou and Aleks Canak mid-way through the second stanza gave the Suns the upper hand.
Sean Rooney struck with a curling free-kick in the final ten minutes to halve the deficit but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal for the visitors.
Rockdale now have a firm grip on fifth spot with 29 points, five ahead of sixth placed Manly United.
Alec Urosevski was caught offside as the Suns pressured Marconi in the early stages without threatening keeper Nenad Vekic.
The visitors had an early claim for a penalty turned down when James Andrew went tumbling in the box.
A searching Urosevski free-kick, courtesy of a Marc Warren foul on Toufic Alameddine, in the 8th minute soared over the bar as the Suns’ continued their unrelenting pressure.
Brayden Sorge should have found the net in the 13th minute after a Blake Ricciuto header from a corner was bundled into the path of the Suns’ defender, via a reflex Vekic save, only to be blasted over from 6-yards out. Rockdale were getting closer.
Alex Canak couldn’t react quickly enough 5 minutes later, from yet another corner, that snuck through a sea of bodies to hit his foot before trickling out for a goal-kick, almost in slow-motion. Another opportunity for the home side they could ill afford to let slip.
A worrying injury to Trent McClenahan, not given to staying down, halted proceedings for some moments before the defender was replaced by Steven Hesketh. He appeared to catch his studs in the turf and and twist his knee which didn’t look too good.
Urosevski, down the left, linked up with Alameddine on the half-hour but the first time effort, difficult as it was with the ball slightly behind, was volleyed over by the midfielder.
Covic, at the other end, was little more than a spectator during the opening stanza but it was a credit to Rockdale, and Blake Ricciuto in particular, at the heart of a makeshift defence.
A catalogue of squandered opportunities by the home side saw a nil-all scoreline at the break, something neither coach would be too pleased with.
A further stoppage at the start of the second-half saw Stallions’ skipper Chris Nunes replaced by Yianni Nicolaou due to another injury. In a tough unrelenting encounter, there was no hint of foul play causing the injury and in a recurring theme, Urosevski was also forced from the field after pulling a hamstring to be replaced by Bai Antonoiu.
Rockdale finally opened the scoring when Canak pounced on a loose ball after a goalmouth scramble to fire home with some venom from close range in somewhat controversial circumstnace, the Stallions defenders claiming an initial offside before the strike but the goal stood.
One was quickly followed by a second as Suns’ sub Antoniou netted with a sweet shot to double the lead.
It would be a long road back for the visitors from here.
The never say die attitude of Marconi was evident when attempting to pull the match back but it was too little too late with Rooney coming closest from a header that whistled past the upright until he curled home a peach of a free-kick to narrow the margin.
Michael Beauchamp was left to hold his head in his hands in stoppage time when a bullet header from almost under the bar went harmlessly over and with it the opportunity of an equaliser in the final action of the match.
“We spoke at the break and said we should be a few up,” commented Suns’ coach Paul Reid at the whistle.
“Marconi were desperate, they blocked on the line but we said we cannot give them a chance,” he said.
“They had one chance in each half, Rooney took a great free-kick and it made things a little nervous for the last 10-minutes but apart from that, and the header at the end, I feel we dominated the game and probably should have won more comfortably.
“We took our chances in the second-half and maybe could have added to the scoreline but at the end of the day, they were two points behind us in the final’s race and are now 5 behind and it puts us in a great position.
“We’ve created a lot of chances during the year and not taken them,” rued Stallions coach Peter Tsekenis.
“Today we didn’t create many and I’d have to say that is the worst match in terms of creating chances I can think of,” he said.
“They were hurting us with the early long ball tactics and it worked at times but we sorted it out however I feel the match hinged on a couple of moments and we had a good shout for a penalty early on that I would like to look at again and their first goal, which we thought was offside, is another.
“We got ourselves back in the game and had the chance to equalise right at the end and come away with a decent result but it wasn’t to be but that’s football and we have a midweek game coming up and we’ll concentrate on that.
“We’ve played worse and won and also better but lost but there were pivotal moments in the 90-minutes that didn’t go our way.”
Match Stats
Rockdale City Suns 2 (Canak 59’, Antoniou 66’)
Marconi Stallions 1 (Rooney 82’)
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Sunday 22nd July, 2018
Referee: Stephen Lucas
Assistants: Nick Backo & Scott Edeling
Fourth Official: Cameron Wright
Rockdale City Suns: 1.Ante Covic, 4.Trent McClanahan (3.Steven Hesketh 28’), 6.Blake Ricciuto, 7.Alec Urosevski (9.Bai Antoniou 56’), 8.Alex Canak, 10.Harris Gaitatzis, 12.Idriss El Hafiane, 14.Brayden Sorge, 17.Toufic Alameddine (11.Jonathan Grozdanovski 78’), 19.Patrick Savor, 21.Michael Neill
Substitutes not used: 16.Isaac Savor, 25.Jake Soutter
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards:
Marconi Stallions: 1.Nenad Vekic, 2.Mark Warren, 3.Liam Youlley (8.Sean Rooney 72’), 5.Michael Beauchamp, 6.Sean O’Connell, 9.Charles Mendy, 10.Marko Jesic, 12.James Andrew (11.Judah Cleur 63’), 14.Peter Pelekanos, 22.Brandon Vella, 23.Christopher Nunes (38.Yianni Nicolaou 48’)
Substitutes not used: , 15.Mateo Poljak, 21.Kristian Sekutkovski
Yellow Cards: Warren 70’
Red Cards:
-By National Premier Leagues NSW reporter Micky Brock
A second half resurgence was enough for Sydney Olympic to claim a 3-2 victory over Sydney FC at Lambert Park on Saturday night.
After a slow first half, the visitors picked up the pace in the second stanza to secure an important three points that put them back in contention for the NSW National Premier Leagues Premiership, despite a last-minute penalty to Sydney FC.
Goals to Max Burgess, Alejandro Sanchez and Nikola Kuleski cancelled out two penalty conversions from Sydney FC’s Jeremy Cox and Jerry Skotadis.
Action started from the opening minute for Olympic with Jinya An creating some promising movement in the front half, sending a ball into the box with no one to finish.
Olympic continued the pressure with Will Angel driving down the wing in the 10th minute, sending a ball towards goal with no avail.
The opener came in the 12th minute as Max Burgess beat Sydney FC defender Joel King to manoeuvre the ball in front of goal and calmly finish, taking a 1-0 lead.
Olympic looked ready to fire again when an impressive ball from Tom Whiteside met Alejandro Sanchez who rebounded it off Sydney FC for a corner in the 15th minute.
Jason Madonis met the end of the corner ball, but Sydney FC keeper, Duro Dragacevic, tipped the ball over the crossbar.
Sydney FC came back into the game with a penalty awarded after a foul from Zac Mackenzie in the 23rd minute.
Jeremy Cox sent the ball past Olympic custodian Paul Henderson to equalise for the home team.
Jerry Skotadis positioned himself dangerously to have a chance at taking the lead for Sydney FC in the 41st, but his shot flew wide.
Madonis made a swift run through Sydney FC’s defence to have a shot on goal, but Dragacevic calmly collected to keep the score tied.
Olympic came out firing in the second half, taking back the lead in the 50th minute.
A cross in from Angel met Sanchez in the box who flicked a header to the back of the net.
Olympic capitalised an opportunity to extend their lead in the 58th minute, with a free kick awarded after a dangerous tackle on Madonis.
Kuleski sent the free kick between the sticks to extend the lead for the visitors.
Max Burgess had another shot saved by Sydney FC keeper in the 69th minute, with keeper managed a hand to a strong strike from Sanchez just moments later.
A last-minute penalty awarded to Sydney FC after contact in the box from Zac Mackenzie wasn’t enough to keep the home team in the game, with Olympic taking away three points in a 3-2 victory.
Sydney FC coach Robbie Stanton praised his team’s effort despite their defeat.
“The effort, the commitment and the right football attitude was there,” Stanton explained.
“I think it just got down to front third execution, they just took their chances when they came.”
Sydney Olympic coach, Abbas Saad, expressed his pleasure in a win after a tough few weeks for Olympic.
“I’m just happy we’re back onto winning ways. I think they boys deserve it.”
He also praised the performance of Sydney FC in what was a tight match between the two.
“They’re a good team.
“They’re young, they’re exuberant, they’re fearless and they’re very well coached and they kept coming at us and that’s credit to them.”
Match Stats
Sydney FC 2 (Jeremy Cox (pen) 23’, Jerry Skotadis (pen) 90+2’)
Sydney Olympic 3 (Max Burgess 12′, Alejandro Sanchez Lopez 50’, Nikola Kuleski 58’)
Saturday July 21, 2018
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Sydney FC: 2. Brendan Curtis, 3. Patrick Flottmann, 4. Liam Mcging, 6. Andreas Agamemnonos, 7. Jerry Skotadis, 8. Sam Mcillhatton, 9. Daniel Maskin (10. Giusseppe Tilio 74’), 14. Joel King, 15. Jeremy Cox (13. Jordan Swibel 65’), 16. William Mutch (11. Harry Van Der Saag 60’), 30. DuroDragicevic
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Mitchell Evans, 12. Finn Ballaro-Mcbride
Yellow Cards: Brendan Curtis 31’, Liam McGing 77’, Jerry Skotadis 86’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic FC: 1. Paul Henderson, 2. Thomas Whiteside, 6. Nikola Kuleski (9. Radovan Pavicevic 84’), 7. William Angel (5. James Demetriou 62’), 8. Jason Madonis, 10. Max Burgess, 11. Jinya An, 12. Zachary Mackenzie, 14. Alejandro Sanchez Lopez, 19. Darcy Burgess (33. Nikolas Tsattalios 74’), 23. Riley Woodcock
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Eze Consoni, 21. Stephen Athanaseris
Yellow Cards: Zachary Mackenzie 90+2’, Nikolas Tsattalios 90+2’
Red Cards: Nil
-By National Premier Leagues NSW Reporter Madeline Reilly
Super sub Sam Wilson was the hero firing home the winner for Manly United in a tense 1-0 victory against Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw on Saturday night.
United scooped all three points after Wilson’s incredible 89th minute winner which broke the hearts of Sutherland fans as the game looked destined for a draw.
The Sharks struggled to find their rhythm against a robust Manly side with their key playmakers unable to find the quality which could’ve been the difference.
From the opening whistle, both sides got into their work. Much of the play came through the midfield as both sides struggled to create clear cut chances in the opening quarter on a crisp night at Seymour Shaw park.
It seemed like the set piece was the best avenue to find an opening. Manly United FC had two terrific chances from free-kicks but they flew harmlessly wide, the latter from the head of Leigh Egger.
The home side were similarly stunted. Nicholas Olsen found himself in some promising positions but there was a lack of end product which saw them be wasted.
Sutherland’s best chance was a half one where Adrian Vranic dipped a first time effort over the bar as the sides headed into the break locked at 0-0.
Coming out from half-time, the game opened up as Dylan Macallister cleverly responded to a knockdown before he arrowed an effort inches wide of the post.
Still the contest relied on set pieces for the majority of action.
Brendan Cholakian hammered one into the wall on the hour mark then down the other end, Jacob Tratt had his effort cleared off the line then the follow up bounced wide.
Tratt continued to be right in the thick of the action as the defender lept high in the air to thump a header over the bar.
Sutherland started to sense that the three points was right in their grasp.
They produced the movement of the contest on 66 minutes when a sweeping move ended with Ryoga Suyama on the edge of the box.
The attacker tried to place his effort but saw it bounce frustratingly past the post.
That was the best it got for the Sharks.
The final fifteen minutes were peppered with shots by an increasingly desperate Manly United side.
Macallister and Cholakian started to find space, testing Sharks keeper, Ryan Norval with a pair of efforts before Travis Oughtred and Dom Ferguson roamed from their defensive position in search for the winner.
Ultimately there was a goal coming in the contest.
It came only 60 seconds before injury time as Norval produced a superb save that fell directly to Manly substitute Sam Wilson.
He calmly slotted home to hand the visitors a 1-0 victory.
Following the result, Manly United coach Paul Dee was full of praise for his side’s effort.
“It was a real dogfight that game.
“You saw both teams were desperate for the win. There was high intensity but it compromised the quality,” he said.
“We’re real happy to get a goal near the end there. We’re a fit team so we’re motivated to get out there, worked our way into the game. That was a really good weekend for us, and it’s a cliché but we’re gonna take a week at a time.”
The loss was a bitter pill for Sutherland Sharks coach Grant Lee to swallow.
He knew his side was in for a tough contest against Manly but lamented that his side has fallen to the visitors twice this season in late circumstances.
“It’s where we are.
“In saying that I thought we were the better team tonight. I would’ve been disappointed if we got the draw but football is a cruel game, but that’s what beautiful about it too,” he said.
“That is the sort of game you have against them [Manly], we had a similar contest against them earlier this season which we also lost at the end. It is never a free-flowing game against them but I thought we stayed in our systems well tonight, but couldn’t find the goal.”
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 0
Manly United FC 1 (Wilson ‘89)
Saturday 21 July 2018
Seymour Shaw, Miranda
Referee: A. Mansour
Assistant Referees: A. Giev, J. Park & K. Humphreys
Fourth Official: M. Bailey
Sutherland Sharks FC: 1. NORVAL Ryan, 2. TRATT Jacob, 5. BARTELS Bradley, 6. EVERETT Lachlan, 8. PATRAMANIS Evan, 9. VRANIC Adrian (11. TANOVSKI ‘85), 15. LITTLER Nicholas, 16. SUYAMA Ryoga (3. STEWART ‘88), 17. JENNINGS Leroy, 20. HAYASHI Keisuke, 22. OLSEN Nicholas
Substitutes not used: 12. BROWN Blair, 21. LOE Niklas, 26. SUTHERLAND Harry
Yellow cards: Bartels and Littler
Red cards: nil
Manly United FC: 1. MITCHELL Dylan, 2. PAULL Kieran, 3. LOBB Jamie, 4. OUGHTRED Travis, 6. FERGUSON Dom, 8. MACURA Sasa, 9. MACALLISTER Dylan (11. TANESKI ‘76), 10. CHOLAKIAN Brendan, 12. EGGER Leigh, 13. BALDERSON Scott (7. CHENG ‘79), 23. ALESSI Daniel (5. WILSON ‘45)
Substitutes not used: 14. ROOKE Mitchell, 20. CATLIN Shaun
Yellow cards:
Red cards: nil
-By National Premier Leagues NSW reporter Justin Davies
Blacktown City came from behind to earn a hard fought three points against Hakoah Sydney City with a 2-1 at Hensley Athletic Field on Saturday.
A Joey Gibbs double, his tenth in 2018, in as many minutes was the difference for the visitors as Hakoah once again tasted defeat after leading.
Amaury Gauthier opened the scoring for Hakoah on the cusp of halftime to give the home side a 1-0 advantage going into the interval.
However, the home side couldn’t contain a relentless Blacktown attack and Gibbs netted twice in two minutes.
Hakoah tried to fight back but it was too little too late as Blacktown scooped the three competition points.
City came into this contest as strong favourites as they looked to consolidate their position in the top four.
Hakoah on the other hand were coming off a disappointing loss to APIA Leichhardt Tigers in the Waratah Cup last weekend.
In a first half which was slow to start, City looked to assert their dominance early on as they dictated the tempo.
Hakoah looked to squeeze the space and make it difficult for City to keep possession.
The first chance did not occur until the 12th when Devante Clut blazed his shot well wide after making space just outside of the box.
City continued to dominate possession and territory but Hakoah continued to prove tough in defence as Gibbs had the next chance for City in the 20thminute but he found his swivel volley easily collected by Hakoah goalkeeper Anthony Bouzanis.
The best chance City created inside the first 30minutes fell again to Gibbs as his header was deflected wide after a lovely cross from the left by City captain Matthew Lewis.
City’s frustration was nearly compounded in the 32nd minute as a sloppy turnover presented a chance to Andre De Jong of Hakoah but he could only send his shot over the bar.
The deadlock was nearly broken in the 35th minute as a wayward clearance was well turned away by Hakoah keeper Bouzanis as he did well to keep the scores level.
For all of City’s dominance they were punished for not being able to take their chances as Hakoah against the run of play took the lead just before half-time.
A lovely exchange of passes on the right ended in a cut back and Gauthier was quickest to react as he tapped in ahead of the City defenders.
A major upset was now on the cards as Hakoah went into the break 1-0 up.
City needed to respond in the second half as they again looked to gain control of the ball and dominate territory.
Gibbs again had a headed chance for City a few minutes after the break but he saw his effort easily saved by Bouzanis in the Hakoah goal.
Hakoah continued to frustrate City as Oliver Green looked to double Hakoah’s lead in the 55th minute but he saw his curled effort finish well wide of the City goal.
Gibbs frustrating night continued a few minutes later as he saw his toe poked effort well saved by Bouzanis after jumping on a rebound.
Hakoah should have doubled their lead in the 63rd minute after De Jong found himself free in the box from a Hakoah free kick but could only direct his volley wide of the target.
These misses would prove costly for Hakoah as City’s persistence paid off in the 74th minute as Gibbs finished clinically into the bottom far corner.
Barely a minute later the game was completely turned on its head.
Gibbs added a second for City as he pounced on a lovely cross from the left to side volley into the back of the net.
City continued to dominate after taking the lead as Gibbs was denied a hat-trick five minutes later for off-side.
Hakoah looked to press for an equaliser but Blacktown’s defence repelled Hakoah’s aerial assault.
Gibbs again came close to completing his hat-trick in the 89th minute but was denied by a point blank save by Bouzanis.
City ran the game out and earned themselves an important 2-1 win to consolidate their top four position while the loss leaves Hakoah eleventh in the standings.
Blacktown City coach Mark Crittenden will know his team will need to improve as the season enters the business end of the season albeit with a list of injuries to contend with while Hakoah coach Gavin Rae was left frustrated after his team came up short after a resilient effort.
Match Stats
Hakoah Sydney City 1 (Gauthier 44’)
Blacktown City 2 (Gibbs 74’, 75’)
Saturday, July 21 2018
Hensley Athletic Field, Eastgardens
Hakoah Sydney City: 1.Bouzanis, 19.Cox, 11.Crighton, 10.De Jong, 6.Draper, 21.Gauthier, 8.Green, 3.Kouta, 60.Noji, 16.Orchard, 5.Stamatellis
Substitutes: 20.Combes, 13.Ezekiel, 17.Jones, 12.Roberts
Yellow Cards: Orchard
Blacktown City: 1.Prendergast, 8.Araujo (19’ Cairncross 88’), 23.Bragg (17.Askew 68’), 7.Clut, 10.Evans, 9.Gibbs, 6.Lewis, 5.Lynch, 3.G.Speranza, 4.R.Speranza, 22.Spyrakis
Substitutes not used: 16.Rodic,18.Versi, 20. Savicic
Yellow Cards: Clut, G.Speranza
-By National Premier Leagues NSW Sebastian Kalos
P: 02 8814 4400
E: reception@footballnsw.com.au
Valentine Sports Park
235 - 257 Meurants Lane
Glenwood NSW 2768
PO Box 6146
Baulkham Hills BC NSW 2153
Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm