Suns close in on finals series finish
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
Olympic eclipsed by hungry Suns
A 77th minute Alec Urosevski strike has helped Rockdale City Suns stun league leaders Sydney Olympic at Ilinden Sports Centre on Sunday.
Urosevski’s goal came late in the game, sending Rockdale fans into raptures after what had been a relentless battle between the two teams.
It was an important win for the Sun’s against their rivals, keeping their finals hopes alive and knocking Olympic from the top spot on the ladder.
The action went from end to end in the opening stanza with neither Olympic or the Suns able to make their mark on the clash.
Jinya An had Olympic’s first chance in the 14th minute, travelling through Rockdale’s defence to let off a shot outside the box, which flew wide of the goal.
Rockdale’s Harris Gaitatzis retaliated minutes later, sending a solid strike into the arms of Olympic custodian Paul Henderson in the 19th minute.
After a slow first half, both teams came out firing in the second stanza, battling until the final whistle.
Toufic Alameddine set a spark to the second half, using his pace to create an opportunity for the hosts in the 48th minute.
He worked his way through open space to position himself dangerously, but Olympic’s Nikola Kuleski matched his pace to clear the ball for a corner and deny an opener.
Alameddine created another opportunity in the 61st minute, sending a shot towards Henderson, who collected to keep the game scoreless.
Max Burgess would have taken the lead for Olympic in the 62nd minute, if not for the brilliant reaction of Ante Covic.
Burgess let off a strike from close range after some movement inside the box, but Covic managed a sensational save to deny Olympic the opener.
The turning point of the game came for Rockdale in the 79th minute with Alec Urosevski capitalising on a rebound from Paul Henderson to hit the back of the net.
Henderson managed to deny Rockdale their first opportunity, but the rebound fell dangerously to Urosevski, who put it away neatly.
A desperate Olympic pushed hard in the dying stages for a winner but it was too little too late as Rockdale clung on for victory.
Olympic coach, Abbas Saad, expressed his disappointment in what was a very physical game.
“We battled, and we created some good chances and good moments, but we just weren’t clinical enough.
“Both teams were hungry enough to win the game.
“Sometimes it only takes on mistake and we made that mistake.”
Rockdale coach, Paul Reid, was happy to take three points from Olympic, praising his team’s performance in the match.
“I thought we thoroughly deserved the win,” Reid said.
“We knew it was going to be tough, but the boys were brilliant today.
“It’s two wins in a row now, we’ve got a week off and we’ve got a few sore boys, but they’ll have plenty of time to rest now and be ready to back up against Marconi in a couple of weeks.
Match Stats
Rockdale City Suns 1 (Alec Urosevski 77′)
Sydney Olympic FC 0
Sunday 8th July, 2018
Ilinden Sports Centre
Referee: Craig FIsher
Rockdale City Suns FC: 1. Ante Covic, 2. Daniel Petkovski, 4. Trent Mcclenahan, 6. Blake Ricciuto, 7. Alex Urosevski, 8. Aleksandar Canak (9. Bai Antoniou 67’), 10. Harris Gaitatzis (21. Michael Neill 90’), 12. Idriss El Hafiane, 14. Brayden Sorge, 17. Toufic Alameddine, 19. Patrick Savor (23. Jordan Figon 57’)
Substitutes Not Used: 11. Jonathan Grozdanovski, 25. Jake Soutter
Yellow Cards: Patrick Savor, Brayden Sorge, Daniel Petkovski
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney Olympic FC: 1. Paul Henderson, 2. Tom Whiteside, 6. Nikola Kuleski, 7. William Angel, 9. Radovan Pavicevic (33. Nikolas Tsattalios 76’), 10. Max Burgess, 11. Jinya An, 14. Alejandro Sanchez Lopez, 18. Brendan Hooper, 19. Darcy Burgess (5. James Demetriou 76’), 23. Riley Woodcock
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Ezequiel Consoni, 21. Stephen Athanaseris, 26. Billy Patramanis,
Yellow Cards: Max Burgess, Will Angel
Red Cards: Nil
Thriller at Rockdale as Suns oust Manly
A Harris Gaitatzis double has helped Rockdale City Suns return to the winners circle with a hard fought 4-3 victory against Manly United at Ilinden Sports Centre.
Rockdale were forced to hold off a fast finishing Manly side after racing to a 3-1 lead in just over 45 minutes of action.
It was a game that took a while to get going but in the end it produced seven quality goals.
Manly United took the lead through Brendan Cholakian but Aleks Canak and Toufic Alameddine both scored for the home side prior to the break.
Rockdale consolidated their lead early in the second half through Gaitatzis but ex-Suns attacker Dylan Macallister hit back for the visitors to make it 3-2.
However, Gaitatzis scored again before a late consolidation goal to Manly United rounded out the score line.
The first real chance of the game didn’t eventuate though until the 21st minute when Kieran Paull went through the middle for the visitors and found Scott Balderson on the right, but his dangerous cross went across the entire face of goal without troubling anyone in particular.
Some lovely work by Sasa Macura in the 29th minute could have been so much more when he ran half the length of the field and centred the ball with a nice touch, but somehow the Rockdale defence managed to knock it wide for a goal kick.
However, Manly United were not to be denied from the subsequent corner that seemed to innocuously avoid all and sundry but not Brendan Cholakian, unmarked, who headed in at the far post.
Rockdale City hit back in the 35th minute after some confusion in the Manly defence and a poor clearance from ‘keeper Dylan Mitchell.
It was left to Harris Gaitatzis who squared the ball from the right for Aleks Canak and he rarely misses such a gift and certainly didn’t do so this time. His shot was always destined to go into the back of the net.
In the 41st minute there was a double chance for Rockdale City Suns. The first shot was from Alec Urosevski but Mitchell managed to block without holding; the second attempt was a scramble in the box from close range that saw Gaitatzis denied by a brave Jamie Lobb who put his body on the line.
Right at the end of the first half the home side took the lead when Idriss El Hafiane found an unmarked Toufic Alameddine who, with a powerful low drive, forced the ball through the hands of goalkeeper Mitchell.
And even more spectacularly well into stoppage time Alameddine could have made it three when, from the left and with Mitchell well off his line, his spectacular attempt hit the crossbar.
It would have indeed been a goal for the end-of-year highlights package.
In the second half Rockdale City Suns did make it three in the 49th minute when Patrick Savor laid the ball off for Gaitatzis who, from just outside the box, hit a screamer that ended up in the top corner of the net.
Manly United got one back in the 64th minute when a cross from Brayden Cheng found Dylan Macallister totally unmarked and the experienced campaigner, against his former club, easily slotted home. It was poor defending if anything from the home side that contributed to that goal.
Harris Gaitatzis scored his second goal of the night in the 81st minute when substitute Bai Antoniou fed the ball across to him and he lined up the goal before finding the back of the net with a nice diagonal shot.
Right at the death Antoniou made a beautiful run down the flank before directly firing at goal but somehow Mitchell pulled off a spectacular one-handed block.
It could have been five there and then but four would certainly suffice even though in the 95th minute Mitchell Rooke from a free-kick outside the box directly hit the target to score Manly United’s third.
After the game Rockdale City’s coach Paul Reid was combination of a relieved and a happy man.
“I wasn’t our best performance but we have scored four,” he said.
“We probably had more chances in other games but we did take our chances today.
“I am just happy that the final whistle has gone. We were comfortable in the second half and we had a two goal lead twice but we let them back in it.
“It’s a clean sweep for us today for the Club Championship which is always a bonus.
However, we need to give teams less chances and I am sure Paul Dee will be disappointed that he hasn’t come away with a result but I am not going to complain.”
And indeed Paul Dee, Manly United’s coach, thought that he should have had something from such a high-quality encounter.
“We were very comfortable in the first forty minutes and it was a well-executed game plan but we just conceded two horrible, late goals in the first half and that swings the momentum,” he stated.
“We came here and were confident with our game plan. We were looking for three points and we were not sitting back playing for a draw.
“The first half went well for us, but conceding silly goals that lets teams back into games is a pattern for our season and we have done it too often.”
Match Stats
Rockdale City Suns: 4 (Canak 35’, Alameddine 45’, Gaitatzis 49’ & 81’)
Manly United: 3 (Cholakian 31’, McAllister 64’, Rooke 95’)
Sunday, 1st July 2018
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Referee: Tim Danaskos
Assistant Referees: Lance Greenshields, Daniel Stack
Fourth Official: Jarred McFarlane
ROCKDALE CITY SUNS: 1. Ante Covic, 2. Daniel Petkovksi, 4. Trent McClenahan, 6. Blake Ricciuto, 7. Alec Urosevski (9. Bai Antoniou 78’), 8. Aleks Canak (11. Jonathan Grozdanovski 74’), 10. Harris Gaitatzis, 12. Idriss El Hafiane, 14. Brayden Sorge, 17. Toufic Alameddine (23. Jordan Figon 89’), 19. Patrick Savor.
Substitutes not used: 3. Steven Hesketh, 25. Jake Soutter
Yellow Cards: Canak 16’, McClenahan 62’, El Hafiane 71’
Red Card: Nil
MANLY UNITED FC: 1. Dylan Mitchell, 2. Kieran Paull, 3. Jamie Lobb (5. Sam Wilson 58’), 4. Travis Oughtred, 6. Dominic Ferguson (12. Leigh Egger 75’), 8. Sasa Macura (7. Brayden Cheng 58’), 9. Dylan Macallister, 10. Brendan Cholakian, 13. Scott Balderson, 14. Mitchell Rooke, 23. Daniel Alessi.
Substitutes not used: 17. Gianni Stensness, 20. Sean Catlin
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By National Premier Leagues NSW reporter Joe Russo
Murray hat-trick smashes Suns
A red-hot Jordan Murray hat-trick helped APIA Leichhardt Tigers to a 4-1 win over Rockdale City Suns at Lambert Park.
Tasuku Sekiya opened the scoring in the first half after good work by Corey Biczo, before Murray struck thrice to take his tally to 14 goals for the season.
Half-time substitute Toufic Alameddine scored a consolation for the visitors, but it was far too little, far too late.
The first real chance of the game was in the 6th minute when a great diagonal shot from Jordan Murray across the face of goal caused an early ripple.
Rockdale tried their luck in the 13th minute: a long ball forward to Alec Urosevski on the left was met by a powerful drive that Ivan Necevski did very well to save. After these early chances to each side, it was APIA Leichhardt that started to take control of the game.
In the 20th minute a corner by Sean Symons reached his brother Joshua Symons who headed just wide of the target.
APIA did take the lead in the 25th minute as their pressure started to pay off. Tasuku Sekiya scored after a few chances had rebound off Rockdale City defenders, including a great chance by Murray, and in the end Sekiya neatly blasted the ball in.
APIA doubled their lead in the 34th minute when a cross from the by-line by Corey Biczo reached Murray who hammered home the winner. By this stage it was all one-way traffic in favour of the home side.
In the 38th minute a golden chance went begging for APIA Leichhardt when Sekiya ran through the defence before Biczo fired just over the crossbar from close range.
Rockdale could have hit back with a late chance in the 43rd minute when Bai Antoniou struck the side netting with a powerful shot.
Rockdale started the second half with a double substitution at the break. Toufic Alameddine and Harris Gaitatzis entered the arena for Jordan Figon and Bai Antoniou respectively.
However, it was APIA Leichhardt that made it three in the 47th minute when Murray did all the hard work himself before finding the back of the net.
Rockdale did manage to score one in the 56th minute when Toufic Alameddine chipped ‘keeper Necevski and the ball went in off the post.
Alec Canak struck powerfully in the 73rd minute and the ball only just finished on the wrong side of goal but had it have gone in, it may have really set the cat amongst the pigeons.
It wasn’t to be Jordan Murray scored his hat-trick in the 83rd minute after all the hard work was done by Joshua Symons on the right before he beautifully found Murray in a perfect position
Urosevksi went inches away from claiming a late consolation but his shot cannoned off the post and Necevski almost made a meal of the rebound.
After the game assistant coach of APIA Leichhardt Tigers John Calleja was very impressed with his side and clearly acknowledged the role of Jordan Murray in scoring a hat-trick.
“It was a very good performance and the boys played really well,” he said.
“The team trained really well too during the week and our first half in particular was very impressive.
“Jordan Murray seems to always do it against Rockdale. I remember when he was coming through the ranks at APIA and I was coaching the under-20s at Rockdale and he scored a hat-trick then too against us. It’s not only his goal scoring but his general play.
“We certainly haven’t given up on reaching Sydney Olympic even though the competition is theirs to lose, but you never know.”
Rockdale City’s coach Paul Reid was still upbeat despite the loss.
“We started off really brightly and we had a plan, but they took their chances and won the game,” he said.
“It’s disappointing because I had a good feeling about tonight. We started off so brightly and were the better team, but we conceded a goal when they had their first chance.
“We have conceded more goals than we would have liked in the last two weeks but we are better team than that and getting punished for our mistakes.”
Match Stats
APIA LEICHHARDT TIGERS: 4 (Sekiya 25’, Murray 34’, 47’ & 83’)
ROCKDALE CITY SUNS: 1 (Alameddine 56’)
Sunday, 24th June 2018
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
Referee: Ben Abraham
Assistant Referees: Matt McCorist, Peter Teleki
Fourth Official: Anthony Mansour
APIA LEICHHARDT TIGERS: 1. Ivan Necevksi, 3. Paul Galimi, 4. Sean Symons, 7. Howard Fondyke (13. David D’Apuzzo 65’), 8. Corey Biczo, 11. Jordan Murray (17. Sam Gulisano 85’), 15. Themba Muata-Marlow, 16. Sean Symons, 18. Adrian Ucchino, 19. Brandon Lundy, 20. Tasuku Sekiya.
Substitutes not used: 5. Stephan Addatini, 20. Franco Parisi, 22. Blake Tuxford
Yellow Cards: Muata-Marlow 45’
Red Cards: Nil
ROCKDALE CITY SUNS: 1. Ante Covic, 2. Daniel Petkovksi, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Alec Canak, 9. Bai Antoniou (10. Harris Gaitatzis 46’), 12. Idriss El Hafiane, 14. Brayden Sorge, 15. Nicholas Petrillo (4. Trent McClenahan 57’), 19. Patrick Savor, 21. Michael Neill, 23. Jordan Figon (17. Toufic Alameddine 46’).
Substitutes not used: 11. Jonathan Grozdanovski, 25. Jake Soutter
Yellow Cards: Savor 29’, Petkovski 67’, Alameddine 72’, Neill 87’
Red Card: Nil
-By National Premier Leagues NSW reporter Joe Russo