After defeating Blacktown City last week, Hakoah Sydney City East continued its good run in the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition after scoring three second half goals, downing the Sutherland Sharks 3-1 at Seymour Shaw on a rainy Saturday evening.
It was the quintessential game of two halves with the hosts taking the lead through Japanese import Tomihiro Kajiyama’s fine first-half strike, but there was no stopping a resurgent Hakoah in the second half who romped to victory with goals to Lee Jones, and a double to Kevin Lopes.
The home side took control early on and were ahead after the ten minute mark when Kajiyama stepped inside on the edge of the box and unleashed a supreme curling strike into the far corner.
It was a fine strike from the Japanese import and the winger went close to securing a quick-fire double moments later but fired over the bar after a menacing counter attack from Sutherland.
The Sutherland pressure continued midway through the opening stanza and James Andrew might have done better when breaking through the left channel but his effort was tame and easily collected by Hakoah custodian Matthew McKenzie.
Chances were few and far between for Hakoah Sydney City East although they did provide the standout moment of the first half when midfielder Gavin Rae spotted Sutherland stopper Nikolas Loe off his line and attempted an ambitious lob from inside his own centre circle.
It looked as though Rae’s effort may have been creeping over the goalkeepers head for a miraculous goal but Loe managed to pluck the ball from the sky and recovered excellently to deny forward Neil Jablonski a tap in.
It was fitting that the visitors’ best and only chance of the opening stanza arrived from a shot inside their own half and evidently unimpressed with his side’s first half performance, Hakoah boss Mark Robertson and made two changes at half-time with Steven Abbott and Jordan Mundell replacing Andre de Jong and former Shark Jacob Bandur.
It proved to be an inspired decision from the manager as Hakoah produced a stellar second-half performance in which Mundell was hugely influential.
The forward nearly provided a moment of instant vindication when he rampaged past Sutherland defenders in the area but was denied by the fingertips of Loe and saw his follow up blocked off the line.
Yet, Hakoah were growing in momentum and flooding forward with effortless cohesion and verve. Deklan Gilmartin’s effort from distance had to be palmed away by Loe, and the pressure eventually told when Lee Jones’ free kick from wide evaded a sea of defenders and squirmed underneath the Sutherland keeper to draw the scores level.
The away side continued the onslaught and completed the turnaround ten minutes later when Lopes headed home after Sutherland failed to clear their lines at the second opportunity.
And Mark Robertson’s men added considerable glitz to the result late on when Lopes again, who came on as a substitute, applied an assured finish outside the box after pouncing on a careless piece of play at the back from Sutherland. It was his fifth goal of the season.
Sutherland manager Carlos Villazon admitted his side struggled to deal with the physicality of Hakoah’s attack force, and acknowledged his side must remedy a string of poor showings in the second half.
“I don’t know what the answer is”, he confessed.
‘“We seem to have the same problem every week.
“We create lots of chances in the first and we are punished in the second.
“Today we struggled with the long ball and Hakoah were very physical, that’s what won them the game”.
Match Stats
Sutherland Sharks 1 (Kajiyama 12’)
Hakoah Sydney City East 3 (Jones 65’, Lopes 76, 84’)
Saturday 23rd April 2016
Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks: 17. ANDREW, James (4. KAYES, Stephen), 10. DA SILVA, Joshua (7. PRESS, Jack), 37. FABIANO, Claudio, 9. FIGON, Jordan, 6. GORDON, Matthew, 23. HAYES, Steven, 35. KAJIYAMA, Tomohiro, 5. LITTLER, Nicholas, 21. LOE, Nikolas, 3. MURAYAMA, Takuya
Substitutes Not Used: 1. DENHAM, Nathan, 16. GOMEZ CASTRO, Laureano, 8. MCSTAY, Christopher
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Hakoah Sydney City East: 16. ANDRICOPOULOS, Costa, 15. BANDUR, Jacob (12. ABBOTT, Steven), 5. BOWDEN-HAASE, Nathan, 18. D’MELLO, Aaron (31. LOPES, Kevin), 23. DE JONG, Andrew (13. MUNDELL, Jordan), 10. GILMARTIN, Deklan, 9. JABLONSKI, Neil, 14. JONES, Lee, 20. MCKENZIE, Matthew, 11. RAE, Gavin, 4. WALKER, Bradley
Substitutes Not Used: 1. COSTA, Anthony, 3. BLUMBERG, Dylan
Yellow Cards: 5. BOWDEN-HAASE, Nathan, 11. RAE, Gavin
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Gavin Rae (Hakoah)
2 – Jordan Mundell (Hakoah)
1 – Lee Jones (Hakoah)
-By Jacob Windon
Round 7 Preview – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s
THERE is a new name at the top of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s going into Round 7 as the battle for positions on the ladder really heats up.
Sydney United 58 overtook Blacktown City in Round 6 after a slip up from the Seven Hills based side against Hakoah Sydney City East.
It is only going to be harder to win with all six teams beginning to hit their stride.
A clash between an in-form Rockdale City Suns and a dangerous Manly United outfit at Cromer Park on Sunday is this week’s Match of the Round.
Match of the Round.
Manly United FC v Rockdale City Suns, 3pm Sunday at Cromer Park
After two straight wins Manly United has jumped up the table to fourth and are playing some impressive attacking football.
This week they will attempt to make it three wins from three when Rockdale comes to Cromer Park.
The Suns will one of Manly’s biggest challenges to date this year with Paul Reid’s side playing some of the most consistent football of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition.
Toufic Allameddine is playing some of the best football of his career while Alec Urosevski has also been a constant threat for Rockdale. Manly’s defence will need to be at its best to keep the Sun’s off the score sheet.
At the other end of the park Manly’s trio of Dejan Pandurevic, Brendan Cholakian and Luke Giverin will be the go to players if the home side is to come away with all three points.
A win for Manly will move them into third place while a loss could see them drop into the log jam in the middle of the table.
Saturday
Sutherland Sharks FC v Hakoah Sydney City East, 6.30pm at Seymour Shaw
Mark Robertson’s Hakoah Sydney City East is flying high after last week’s shock win against Blacktown City but Sutherland Sharks are ready and waiting to bring them back to reality when the two sides go head to head.
Sutherland is in desperate need of a win after an inconsistent start to the year and what better time than at home against the competition’s new boys in front of your home support.
It is sure to be an open match with the Sharks reputation for swashbuckling attack to be a feature once again.
Josh Da Silva has found the back of the net a few times this season for Sutherland and the new signing could once again be a factor for the home side.
Hakoah’s captain Neil Jablonski lead from the front last week and will continue his role as the point of the Sydney City East attack on Saturday night.
It could be a very open clash with end to end action and plenty of goals.
Sunday
Sydney Olympic FC v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 3pm at Belmore Sports Ground
It has been a tough few weeks for Sydney Olympic but nothing would bring the confidence back to Grant Lee’s side better than a win against reigning PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Champions Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
That is the challenge for Olympic on Sunday when they host Brian Brown’s Bonnyrigg side at Belmore sports ground.
Bonnyrigg has yet to reach the peak of its powers this season and a big performance from Olympic could create headaches for the White Eagles.
Robbie Younis will return to the Bonnyrigg line up this week after a one week suspension and is sure to be desperate to return to his goal scoring best.
A class performance in Round 4 from Will Angel provided fans with plenty to cheer for and they will be hoping the winger can replicate that again this weekend.
Harris Gaitatzis and Chris Triantis will also be players to keep an eye on for Olympic.
A win will help the Belmore boys move off the bottom of the ladder while a loss will only make it harder for them to shake the dreaded prospect of a wooden spoon in 2016.
Blacktown City FC v Wollongong Wolves, 3pm at Lily’s Football Centre
Wollongong Wolves will need to be ready for anything in Round 7 as Blacktown City is set to come out firing on all cylinders.
Mark Crittenden’s men will be desperate to make up for last week’s shock loss to Hakoah and return to the same form which helped them win five straight games to start the season.
Jacob Timpano’s side has shown an impressive ability to counter attack this season and it will be needed this week with Blacktown’s three headed hydra of Joey Gibbs, Danny Choi and Travis Major hungry for goals.
Brett Wilson and Nicholas Bernal are the names to keep an eye on for the Wolves with both men able to steal a goal in the toughest of matches.
Sydney United 58 FC v Parramatta FC, 4pm at Sydney United Football Centre
The pressure is on Sydney United 58 to maintain its spot at the top of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition and nothing short of its best will be required to stay in front of the chasing pack.
This week Mark Rudan’s side will take on Parramatta FC at home and will set out to extend its winning run to six straight.
United 58 has incredibly not conceded a goal in four league matches with Thomas Manos and Yianni Fragogiannis in career best form
The match will also act as a homecoming for former United 58 captain Ibrahim Haydar who will skipper the visitors against his old side after making the move to Parramatta FC in the offseason.
It will be a mighty test for Parramatta against a team in incredible form
APIA Leichhardt Tigers FC v Blacktown Spartans, 4.30pm at Lambert Park
It was a roller coaster ride of emotions for APIA fans in Round 6 as the Tigers clinched an incredible 3-3 draw against Rockdale City Suns with a last minute Franco Parisi goal.
This week John Carnevale’s side will be out to return to the winners circle in front of its home fans when they host Blacktown Spartans at Lambert Park.
APIA has shown flashes of brilliance this year but a combination of injuries and momentary lapses has cost the pre-season competition favourites dearly.
It has been an equally up and down season for the Spartans who have looked below par at times at home but on the road appear a completely different side.
Ben De Haan will hope his team can at least continue its impressive form in away games this week.
Keep an eye on Themba Muata-Marlow who this week returns from suspension for APIA. The former Newcastle Jets defender has been a star addition to the Tigers this season.
Team of the Week – Round 6 – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s
After every round of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Men’s season Team of the Week brings to focus the best players from that weekend.
Off the back of a stellar man-of-the-match performance from Panni Nikas, Sydney United 58 condemned Spartans to another loss at Blacktown Sports Park. In a physical encounter, it was Nikas who proved to be the difference in the second half with a goal and an assist to set up the 3-0 win. United 58’s left midfielder Yutaro Shin also proved to be a handful for the Spartan defence, providing some lovely crosses and cutbacks to apply pressure to the home side’s goal.
A second half rally powered the Bonnyrigg White Eagles to an impressive 3-1 victory, sparked by some classy plays from midfielder Mun-Soo Gil. The Japanese import had the ball on a string with some deft touches and ball control, the highlight being a run that started in the Bonnyrigg half and finished with Gil setting up a wonderful goal. Captain David Vrankovic provided a strong defensive performance, limiting the chances of the Sutherland attack in the first half and controlling possession on the offensive.
A clinical attacking effort from Captain Neil Jablonski inspired Hakoah to an upset win over Blacktown City, handing the competition front-runners their first loss of the season. The Scotsman proved to be difficult to contain for City’s defence, consistently finding space in attack before nailing the match-winner in the 70th minute. Not even a goal from super-sub Joe Gibbs could pull back the deficit, as Hakoah recorded a 3-1 win to delight their home ground crowd.
Some heroics in-goal from Parramatta keeper Luke Turnbull proved decisive in his side’s 3-1 win over Sydney Olympic. The shot stopper had a busy first-half as the Olympic attack threatened dangerously, forcing Turnbull into some spectacular saves. A steely display from Ibrahim Haydar also assisted in keeping the Olympic strikers at bay, with a late goal capping off a great night for the Parramatta defender.
Sunday’s match between Rockdale and APIA was a high-scoring affair, with both sides sharing the points in a 3-all draw. Young Rockdale midfielder Blake Ricciuto demonstrated class and skill in a great first half that saw him thread some neat passes through APIA’s defence. His efforts were rewarded with a goal in the second half that gave his side a two-goal lead. However a resolute APIA outfit was able to snatch a draw in the closing stages.
Manly continued their rise up the ladder with a 2-0 win thanks to man-of-the-match Sam Galagher. The former Olyroo was magnificent in defence, delivering good ball to his midfielders and bailing his side out of trouble when the Wollongong attack pressed. A Dejan Pandurevic rocket from outside the box broke the deadlock right on half-time, the striker consistently troubling the home sides goal-keeper with an array of shots.
GK – Luke Turnbull – Parramatta FC
LB – David Vrankovic – Bonnyrigg White Eagles
RB – Sam Galagher – Manly United
CB – Ibrahim Haydar – Parramatta FC
LM – Yutaro Shin – Sydney United 58 FC
RM – Mun-Soo Gil – Bonnyrigg White Eagles
CM – Panni Nikas – Sydney United 58 FC
CM – Blake Ricciuto – Rockdale City Suns
ST – Dejan Pandurevic – Manly United
ST – Joe Gibbs – Blacktown City
ST – Neil Jablonski – Hakoah Sydney City East
Round 7 Preview – PS4 NPL NSW Men’s U20
It’s proving to be a hugely unpredictable PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s U20 season as we near a third of the way through the 2016 campaign.
After notching crucial first wins of the season, Sydney United 58 and Parramatta clash at Sydney United Sports Centre, whilst a resurgent Bonnyrigg White Eagles travel to Sydney Olympic seeking a fourth straight win.
But the match of the round is at Seymour Shaw where Sutherland Sharks take on Hakoah Sydney City East.
Match of the Round
Sutherland Sharks v Hakoah Sydney City East, 4:30pm at Seymour Shaw
There’s only one PlayStation®4 NPL NSW Men’s U20 fixture on Saturday but it’s a match deserving of its lone standing with Sutherland Sharks hosting Hakoah Sydney City East at Seymour Shaw.
Both sides have offered glimpses of significant potential this season and in many ways this is a meeting between two potential dark horses for the PlayStation 4 NPL NSW Men’s U20’s crown. Inconsistency however has plagued both outfits in recent weeks with the two teams occupying sixth and seventh position respectively heading into Saturday’s encounter.
Sutherland highlighted there is a steeliness to offset their youthful squad when they notched back to back 1-0 wins over reigning champions Blacktown City and Sydney United 58 in Rounds 2 and 3, whilst Hakoah showed they mean business in winning their first two matches on their return to top flight action.
The visiting side may not have secured a win since Round 2 but Hakoah still boast plenty of goal threat with forwards Emilio Manos and Richard Blanco sharing the goals up front, whilst midfielder Brad Paikin is this round seeking his fourth consecutive goal in as many weeks.
Sunday
Sydney Olympic v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 1.00pm at Belmore Sports Ground
Sydney Olympic had won two in a row prior to last week’s defeat at Parramatta, and Harry Paras’ side must look to avoid back to back defeats against a Bonnyrigg side conversely seeking their fourth straight win.
The White Eagles have registered three wins and claimed the scalps of Blacktown City, Manly United and Sutherland Sharks most recently in Round 6 to rocket into fifth place. They’re the competition’s form team with 10 goals in their last three matches and have been watertight at the back – conceding just five goals in total this season, a league low.
Stephen Sigmund’s side will be wary of a Sydney Olympic outfit capable of mixing it with the best, especially with Adrian Vranic up front whose eight goals in four matches have made him indispensable to the Olympic cause.
However, conceding soft goals remains the problem for the eighth-placed Olympic: only Rockdale (15) have conceded more than Olympic’s 13 this campaign. They will need to amend this trend to put a stop to Bonnyrigg’s momentum.
Manly United v Rockdale City Suns, 1.00pm at Cromer Park
Manly United moved three points clear at the top of the table with a hard-fought victory at Wollongong on Sunday and they will fancy their chances at extending their lead when they host Rockdale City Suns at Cromer Park.
The encounter will see the competitions most potent attack come up against the league’s leakiest defence, with Rockdale shipping 15 goals in six matches so far this campaign.
The side did put three past APIA Leichhardt on the weekend thanks to Tolgay Ozbey’s hattrick, but eventually lost 4-3, a result illustrative of the side’s troubles this season.
With Blacktown City hosting Wollongong Wolves and Blacktown Spartans travelling to APIA Leichhardt, Andrew Christiansen’s outfit could find themselves more than three points clear at the end of the round.
Blacktown City v Wollongong Wolves, 1.00pm at Lilys Football Centre
Blacktown City smashed Hakoah Sydney City East 4-1 in Round 6 to reaffirm their status as one of the competition’s teams to beat, and Ben Wright’s side will look to make a statement of similar intent on Sunday when they take on Wollongong Wolves.
Wollongong’s three match winning streak ended last round with Manly United running out comfortable 2-0 winners at WIN Stadium, but Alfredo Esteves’ side have shown enough quality in the opening six rounds to approach this clash at Lilys Football Centre with confidence.
However, in what looks to be an ominous sign for the visitors, Blacktown forward and last season’s golden boot winner Jonathan Grozdanovski appears to be hitting his stride with the striker collecting a brace against Hakoah in Round 6.
Sydney United 58 v Parramatta, 2.00pm at Sydney United Sports Centre
Both Sydney United 58 and Parramatta salvaged their first wins of the season in Round 6 with victories over Blacktown Spartans and Sydney Olympic respectively.
And it was Sydney United 58 who were staring down the barrel of five defeats in six games when they went 2-0 down seconds into the second half at Blacktown Football Park, but Davor Bajsic’s men mounted a remarkable comeback inspired by James Temelkovski and Anthony Vrlic to win 3-2.
Nicholas Chymiak and James Taunton were on hand to give Parramatta their first points of the season over Sydney Olympic and with the table starting to take formation, there could be a six-pointer brewing at Sydney United Sports Centre.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers v Blacktown Spartans 2.15pm at Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt got their first win of the season in last Sunday’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Rockdale City Suns and Danial Cummins’ side will look to make it two wins on the bounce when they host Blacktown Spartans at Lambert Park.
Duncan Stewart and Samuel Gulisano have started brightly for APIA Leichhardt with two goals apiece in three games, and they face a third-placed Blacktown Spartans side who often look vulnerable at the back and have lost two of their last three.
The manner in which Blacktown surrendered their 2-0 advantage over Sydney United 58 in Round 6 will no doubt still be fresh in the minds of Samuel Jacobs’ ranks, who need to deliver a the right response at Lambert Park.
Hakoah end Blacktown City’s unbeaten streak
Fairy tales do come true and it is exactly what happened on Saturday night for Hakoah Sydney City East as they claimed a shock 3-1 win against Blacktown City FC during the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s clash at Hensley Athletic Field.
David overcame Goliath as the bottom of the table Hakoah put on a well-rounded performance against the previously unbeaten and top of the table Blacktown.
An early screamer to Hussein Akil as well as second half goals to Neil Jablonski and Jordan Mundell helped Sydney City East to only its second win of the season.
From the opening kick-off Hakoah were determined to prove they would not be push overs and it took only 10 minutes for the home side to make their mark.
Akil sent the crowd at Hensley Athletic Field into raptures when the left winger unleashed a stinging shot from 25 yards out which cannoned into the back of the net past the outstretched arms of a diving Tristan Prendergrast in the Blacktown City goal.
Blacktown City refused to let the goal affect their attacking drive and only moments later Mitch Mallia missed a golden opportunity in the 15th minute.
The winger found open space after he beat his defender and made a 25 yard run but could only hit his shot right into the arms of Hakoah goalkeeper Matthew McKenzie.
It would be a turning point in the match as Mark Robertson’s Hakoah side took control of possession and field position.
City keeper Prendergrast was kept busy as wave after wave of Hakoah attacks had the Blacktown defence on the back foot.
Aaron D’Mello and Neil Jablonski were the biggest threats for Hakoah as they searched for a second goal.
Connor Evans was left ruing a missed opportunity in the 35th minute as Blacktown spurned a rare first half opportunity.
A looping ball into the box was headed down by Sasa Macura into the path of Evans who could only air-swing from five yards out when he had only the keeper to beat.
At the other end of the field Hakoah had a missed chance of their own when Jablonski headed wide from six yards out after a pin point delivery from Lee Jones.
The visitors had a burst of energy in the dying moments of the half but it wasn’t enough as Hakoah Sydney City East took a 1-0 lead in to the half time break.
Strong words from Blacktown City coach Mark Crittenden inspired his side to find an extra gear in attack when they return from the break.
Travis Major had the first chance of the second half when Patrick Antelmi delivered a free kick from the western sideline but the striker sailed his header over the crossbar from only six yards out.
While Blacktown City held the upper hand in the second half, Hakoah were the first to score.
An incredible counter attacking move from the home side in the 55th minute was finished by Jordan Mundell to make it 2-0 after he received a classy assist from Jablonksi.
It sparked Hakoah into an incredible attacking run with Lee Jones unlucky to have not scored when his volley from 25 yards out ricocheted off the crossbar and onto the goal line before being cleared by the Blacktown City defence.
Crittenden looked to his substitutes bench in a desperate attempt to kick start a Blacktown City fightback.
The addition of Joey Gibbs made an instant impact with the lanky striker scoring Blacktown City’s first of the game with a tap in at the near post in the 65th minute.
But as soon as Blacktown City thought they were in with a shot, Hakoah captain Neil Jablonski quickly reminded them it was not going to be their night.
The burly striker cooly side footed past a diving Prendergrast after Blacktown lost possession at halfway
Hakoah defender Bradley Walker went inches away from adding a fourth goal.
The defender volleyed high over the crossbar from only metres out from goal with only the keeper to beat.
Over enthusiastic goalkeeping nearly cost Hakoah dearly in the 84th minute when shot stopper McKenzie handled the ball outside the 18 yard box.
From the ensuing free kick Joey Gibbs broke free of his marker but once again couldn’t control his header as it sailed high from close range.
It would be Blacktown’s last real chance as Hakoah held on for a historic win for the newly promoted side.
Hakoah Sydney City East coach Mark Robertson and his squad were on cloud nine after the match.
“The game was always a potential banana skin for Blacktown City and our boys executed our game plan perfectly to get the win,” Robertson said.
“It has taken a few weeks for the squad to gel and find our combinations, I have said since day one that we would be a side which would fire after round five.
“This win marks the start of our season.”
Poor finishing and poor discipline was the deciding factor according to Blacktown City coach Crittenden.
“We were very sloppy at times and paid the price,” Crittenden said.
“Too many opportunities went begging while Hakoah was able to hit the back of the net.
“We will go back to the drawing board and get ready for a big game next week.”
Match Stats
Hakoah Sydney City East: 3 (Akil 10’, Mundell 55’, Jablonski 70’)
Blacktown City FC: 1 (Gibbs 65’)
Saturday, April 16 2016
Hensley Athletic Field, Eastgardens
Referee: S. Lucas
Assistant Referees: A. Giev and R. Osbourne
Fourth Official: T. Harris
Hakoah Sydney City East: 40. MCKENZIE Matthew, 4. WALKER Bradley, 5. BOWDEN-HAASE Nathan, 7. HUSSEIN Akil (23. DEJONG Andre (31. LOPES Kevin 56’), 9. JABLONSKI Neil (12. ABBOTT Steve 72’), 11. RAE Gavin, 14. JONES Lee, 15. BANDUR Jacob, 16. ANDRICOPOULOS Costa, 17. MUNDELL Jordan, 18. D’MELLO Aaron
Substitutes not used: 3. BLUMBERG Dylan.
Yellow Cards: Matthew Mckenzie 3’, Aaron D’Mello 50’, Jacob Bandur 75’
Red Cards:
Blacktown City FC: 20. PRENDERGRAST Tristan, 3. SPERANZA Giorgio (9. GIBBS Joey 60’), 4. SPERANZA Roberto, 6. LEWIS Matthew, 7. MAJOR Travis 8. MACURA Sasa, 10. EVANS Connor (18. ASKEW Dakota 66’), 11. CHOI Danny, 14. MALLIA Mitchell, 16. ANTELMI Patrick (21. SASAKI Riku 60’) , 19. CAIRNCROSS Zach
Substitutes not used: 1. VEKIC Nenad, 12. GROZDANOVSKI Jonathan.
Yellow Cards: Giorgio Speranza 23’, Patrick Antelmi 59’, Roberto Speranza 69’, Zachary Cairncross 89’
Red Cards
Player Ratings
3 – Neil Jablonski (HSCE)
2 – Matthew McKenzie (HSCE)
1 – Joe Gibbs (BC)