State League Two Round 3 Review
Roosters remain undefeated in a 2-0 win over third-placed Springwood, setting up a delicious meeting with the Minotaurs at Mona Park this Sunday. Prospect remained the only other unbeaten team after their 1-1 draw with lowly Belmore, while Wanderers just beat Lansvale 3-2 to draw level on points with fifth-placed Gazy. In the other games, Hawkesbury and Fairfield continue their search for a win following a dramatic 2-2 draw, and Bathurst drew 0-0 with Hakoah.
Belmore, Prospect share points
A second-half wonder-strike from Darrel Fernandes helped Belmore Hercules gain a point in a 1-1 draw with Prospect United at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening. Fernandes struck on the hour-mark from outside the penalty area, his shot sliding into the corner to bring some joy to an otherwise injury-ravished Hercules outfit.
Prospect did very well to cling onto a one-goal lead for so long, Paul Curjak cleverly capitalising on a 10th minute corner, as Belmore launched countless raids on the United goal without further success. In the end, it was a point gladly accepted by Hercules coach Ernesto Meduri.
?I will not complain. I have been missing nine players to injury ? I have never seen so much in all my time of coaching,? he said. ?We played a very, very good game, and I am really happy with the guys. Slowly, slowly the players will come back in, maybe next week we have two more players; it has not been easy, so to take a point is good.?
For Prospect, it was their second home draw to start the season ahead of a Mountains double (Springwood at home and Bathurst away) over the next two weeks. Curjak?s goal bodes well; the neat finish was his second in two games and United will do well if they can find someone else to support his efforts in front of goal.
Prospect United 1 (Paul Curjak 11m) Belmore Hercules 1 (Darrel Fernandes 57m)
Grade 20: Prospect United 1 Belmore Hercules 1
Roosters crow over Springwood
Roosters FC burst the bubble of previously undefeated Springwood United with a 2-0 dispatch at Summerhayes Park on Saturday night. A goal in each half settled the affair as Roosters sent an ominous sign to new competition leader, Hurstville, who they meet in a mouth-watering clash this at Mona Park this Sunday.
Gurkan Girgin put the visitors in front with a well-taken goal on the half-hour mark, his second in two weeks, and John Kelly made sure of the win on 66-minutes by finishing off yet another good lead-up play from the Roosters. In securing victory, Kelly became the seventh Roosters player to net in three rounds. Coach Juan Ortiz is understandably delighted.
?It was probably the best game of the season; I?m very happy with the boys,? he said. ?We knew we were coming against Springwood, that it would be a 90-minute game, and we just played simple soccer, total football, which is the way I like to play, and both goals came from very good lead-up plays. [In regards to a win and draw on the road] We know that at home we can matches, it?s getting points away from home that?s been tough for us to do, so this result is very pleasing.?
Springwood United 0 Roosters FC 2 (Gurkan Girgin 30m John Kelly 66m)
Grade 20: Springwood United 1 Roosters FC 1
Hurstville down Luddenham
Hursvtille City Minotaurs notched up another victim, dismantling Luddenham United 3-0 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon to sit alone atop the division two leaderboard. Hurstville were perhaps a little untidy in the first half and the teams entered the dressing sheds scoreless. That?s when The General, coach Peter Sarikakis, took charge and urged his Minotaurs onto a second half demolition.
First Angelo Vagenas chimed in with a snapped-up chance minutes after the restart, before Terry Sidiratis added a penalty on the hour mark and Michael Di Meglio one more with 15 minutes to go to round out a solid Hurstville victory, the third consecutive game they have scored three goals. Sarikakis was glowing in his appraisal of Vagenas. ?He was the best player, and only 18 years old. He?s still learning, but I haven?t seen a player who can penetrate and take players on like he can in a long time.?
?We were a little bit flat [in the first half], maybe we thought it would be easy but [at 0-0 at halftime] The General took over and got them going. My biggest problem now is to remind them that we have to be serious with every game, and need to do more than just get on the park to win games. I am happy. My aim is not to lose a game; you have to aim at something and achieve as high as you can.?
Luddenham coach Andrew Montgomery was disappointed with the way his side gifted Hurstville their first goal, and knew it would be a tough comeback from there. ?We had a few chances but we cost ourselves the points,? he said.
Hurstville City Minotaurs 3 (Angelo Vagenas 47m Terry Sidiratis 62m Michael Di Meglio 75m) Luddenham United 0
Grade 20: Hurstville City Minotaurs 4 Luddenham United 1
Scoreless draw between Bathurst, Hakoah
Bathurst ?75 and Hakoah played out a scoreless draw at Alec Lamberton Field on Sunday afternoon. Both teams had a few chances to settle the encounter but no-one stuck their hand up, or their boot in, for the decisive touch and the game ended nil-all. Bathurst coach Mark Rooke believed both clubs knew they could have claimed all three points.
?There were a few missed ones, but both teams never got out of first gear I don?t think,? he said. ?We didn?t play with any uptempo game, which was a bit disappointing with three points there for the taking. Towards the tail end of the game Hakoah had their chances, and I think one goal would have stolen it either way.? It was a trying day for fans, who sat through a 0-0 result in grade-20 as well.
Bathurst 75 0 Hakoah 0
Grade 20: Bathurst 75 0 Hakoah 0
Wanderers pip Lansvale
Wanderers won a frantic epic against Gazy Lansvale 3-2 at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon, putting the home team ahead a third time before holding on for a tough victory. The Wanderers led the first time behind a superbly struck 45-yard power-driver from Elias Navarrete, but Lansvale hit back when Huso Merdanovic chipped a stranded goalkeeper to make it 1-1. But Wanderers were back in front five minutes later through Mauricio Sanchez scoring from a corner to lead 2-1 at halftime, despite a couple of missed Gazy opportunities.
It didn?t take long for the drama to continue when Lansvale?s James Saa converted a penalty on minutes to draw the scores level again, but Navarrete bobbed up on the run of play within 10 minutes to restore his team?s slender advantage. Gazy had a few chances to level again but the fulltime whistle blew with the Wanderers in front 3-2.
Lansvale coach Phil Pavela wanted more from his team played but always knew it would be a tough affair. ?It was a tight game, and end-to-end stuff in the first half. On the day they deserved their win,? he said. ?I wasn?t particularly happy with the way we played, too much of the long ball, and even though it could have gone either way, they played pretty well. It was virtually our first loss of the year, so I hope it will wake the boys up a bit, as I think we were maybe a little bit too confident.?
Wanderers 3 (Elias Navarrete x 2 Mauricio Sanchez) Gazy Lansvale 2 (Huso Merdanovic James Saa)
Grade 20: Fairfield Wanderers 0 Gazy Lansvale 0
Hawkesbury snatch draw against Fairfield
A late Hawkesbury goal saw City share the points with Fairfield Bulls in a 2-1 draw at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon. Khaled Elkerhani continued his impressive early-season form when he bustled his way through the defence to put Fairfield in front by halftime, and the game seemed to meander along until the 75th-minute mark before ? bang!
First Hawkesbury?s Edwin George had a penalty saved by Bulls keeper Khalid Kando and then Steven O?Dea netted for City to tie it up and 1-1 before Eddy Adam tapped home an Elkerhani pass to put Fairfield back in front. But the Bulls joy was shortlived when Hawkesbury fullback Tony Judge scrambled hard to shove in an 88th-minute equaliser. In fact, City could have won had Raph Larnach not blasted over an open goal from three yards out with only a couple of minutes left, but both sides had been guilty of missed opportunities.
Fairfield coach Michael Mamoo wasn?t overly impressed with the final score. ?My team has to learn to play for 90 minutes, not 80,? he said. ?We have been winning games up to the last 10 minutes. I think it?s a lack of experience, not being able to close the game up, and it is frustrating. It?s a pretty fair result at the end of the day. We missed two one-on-ones with their keeper. It just deflates you a bit.?
Hawkesbury coach Gary Lewis wished he had better news than another draw. ?I know it sounds like a broken record, but a draw was a fair result. The frustration is that it?s the third round and we haven?t had the same team on the paddock. I?m fairly happy with some aspects of the play, just frustrated not being able to field the same team consistently?.
Fairfield Bulls 2 (Khaled Elkerhani 28m Eddy Adam 81m) Hawkesbury City 2 (Steven O?Dea 75m Anthony Judge 85m)
Grade 20: Fairfield Bulls 2 Hawkesbury City 1
Round 3 results
FIRST GRADE
Prospect United 1 (Paul Curjak 11m) Belmore Hercules 1 (Darrel Fernandes 57m)
Springwood United 0 Roosters FC 2 (Gurkan Girgin 30m John Kelly 66m)
Bathurst 75 0 Hakoah 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 3 (Angelo Vagenas 47m Terry Sidiratis 62m Michael Di Meglio 75m) Luddenham United 0
Wanderers 3 (Cristian Navarrete x 2 Mauricio Sanchez) Gazy Lansvale 2 (Huso Merdanovic James Saa)
Fairfield Bulls 2 (Khaled Elkerhani 28m Eddy Adam 81m) Hawkesbury City 2 (Steven O?Dea 75m Anthony Judge 85m)
GRADE 20
Prospect United 1 Belmore Hercules 1
Springwood United 1 Roosters FC 1
Bathurst 75 0 Hakoah 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 4 Luddenham United 1
Fairfield Wanderers 0 Gazy Lansvale 0
Fairfield Bulls 2 Hawkesbury City 1
Next week?s games
On Saturday, Prospect meet Springwood in a top-five face-off at William Lawson Reserve (5pm kick-off) and Hawkesbury face Luddenham at Benson Lane Field (5pm), on Sunday Hakoah welcome the Wanderers to Wentworth Park (3pm), Belmore host Bathurst at Blick Oval, Lansvale play Fairfield in a cross-town derby at Cherrybrook Park, and Roosters take on Hurstville in a Mona Park blockbuster (matches at 3pm).
-By Daniel De Nardi
