NSW State League Division Two Round 17 Review
Luddenham?s 0-0 draw with bottom-side Hakoah saw them reeled in by Wanderers and Hurstville, who beat Prospect 4-0 and Hawkesbury 2-1 respectively. Roosters rounds out the top-five following their thrilling 4-3 victory over a luckless Gazy, while Springwood stayed in touch with a 4-1 win against Bathurst.
The round 17 results have made the top of the table a little clearer, with the top-five opening up a little gap over Springwood, Prospect, Belmore and Bathurst. But the road ahead should throw up more competition for finals positions as the post-season draws nearer.
The points table shows Fairfield Bulls (32), Luddenham (30), Wanderers (30), Hurstville (30), Roosters (28), Springwood (25), Prospect (24), Belmore (23), Bathurst (22), Gazy (17), Hawkesbury (13) and Hakoah (9).
On the goalscoring front with five rounds to go:
12 goals: Khaled Elkerhani (Fairfield), Niram Kanoun (Fairfield),
11: Michael Di Meglio (Hurstville),
10: Elias Navarrete (Wanderers), Ercan Topal (Roosters),
9: Jarred Portegies (Bathurst),
8: Michael Amed (Gazy), Huso Merdanovic (Gazy),
7: Michael Wood (Luddenham), Paul Curjak (Prospect),
6: George Iliopoulos (Belmore), Bryan Campbell (Springwood), James Christie (Bathurst),
5: Alaa Ali Khan (Fairfield), Mauricio Sanchez (Wanderers), Emmanuel Papageorgiou (Hurstville), Angelo Vagenas (Hurstville), Luis Freitas (Prospect), Rob Portelli (Prospect), Joliyan Berhko (Gazy), Kelston George (Hawkesbury), Josh Morgenstern (Hakoah),
Springwood down Bathurst
The threat of a long walk home from Bathurst if they didn?t score some goals proved plenty of incentive for Springwood United as they routed Bathurst ?75 4-1 at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night. The win kept Springwood in sight of the top-five but, more importantly, the four goals (and a trip home) lifted spirits at the club.
Coach Errol Warwick-Day had delivered an ultimatum once the players had already arrived at a cold Bathurst ground that they would be walking home to the Mountains unless they provided some results to all the goalmouth action they had conjured up this season; and provide it they did.
After a brisk start, United forward Bryan Campbell put the visitors in front on the half-hour mark and Springwood looked like they had come to play. But, right on the stroke of halftime, James Christie touched in a free-kick to level the scores for Bathurst.
Springwood coach Errol Warwick-Day called it a top result. ?We finally scored some goals! I told the players that if they didn?t score they had to walk home. It was bloody cold out there. [At 1-1] I reiterated the walking home call at halftime and the players went out there [in the second half] with venom,? he said.
?We did a lot of goal setting during the week and we worked really hard towards achieving goals [against Bathurst]. The players did it, so I am proud of them.?
Bathurst coach Mark Rooke was not as happy. ?It was probably not a 4-1 result, they profited on our mistakes; for some reason we were non-existent in defence,? he said. ?We certainly had our chances and should have done better in the first half. The momentum swing came when we had a penalty turned down and then they cleared a free-kick and scored. They lifted and we dropped. Well done to those guys, they put us under some pressure.?
Bathurst ?75 (James Christie 44m) Springwood 4 (Bryan Campbell 32/81m Peter Henderson 61m Matthew Schensual 69m)
Grade 20: Bathurst ?75 0 Springwood 0
Roosters clip Gazy
Roosters FC edged out Gazy Lansvale 4-3 in a cliff-hanger at Mona Oval on Sunday afternoon in a result that has different impacts for both sides. Gazy are gone from the playoff race while Roosters keep their fifth place on the ladder.
Roosters impressed early and their captain Ercan Topal scored in the 18th minute to establish a 1-0 lead. Adem Taslak followed his skipper?s lead with another Roosters goal not a minute later and Topal?s second goal on the half-hour mark made it 3-0 to the home side.
But Gazy refused to lie down and Joliyan Berhko scored not long after to go into halftime 3-1 down. Berhko?s second midway through the second term made it interesting and a Michael Amed equaliser with 10 minutes to go made it downright nailbiting for spectators and coaching staff.
But just as the time whittled away Adem Taslak stood tall for the Roosters, and his goal lifted the home side to a popular victory. Amazingly, goals to Kanli and Taslak means the Roosters have now found 15 goalscorers for the season. Topal?s 10th of the season means he is just two off the leading pace.
Roosters FC 4 (Ercan Topal 18/31m Eren Kanli 19m Adem Taslak 86m) Gazy Lansvale (Joliyan Berhko 34/70m Michael Amed 78m)
Grade 20: Roosters FC 2 Gazy Lansvale 3
Luddenham held by Hakoah
Hakoah pulled off the round?s upset in holding high-flyers Luddenham United to a 0-0 draw at Luddenham Oval on Sunday afternoon. In bottom spot, Hakoah did not create many chances and they snuffed out Luddenham?s few to grind out the result, their fifth away draw of the year. United now share second spot with Hurstville and Wanderers.
Luddenham coach Andrew Montgomery wasn?t overly pleased with the result. ?We still played very well but Hakoah had all their players behind the ball and didn?t really have a shot,? he said. ?[The draw] is definitely not the ideal situation but all credit to them [Hakoah], even though it was negative they defended very well. The boys are still confident. The maths has hasn?t changed; we just have to win our games.?
Hakoah coach Paul Watkins thought his side did well to grab some points on the road. ?I don?t think we just sat back and defended; there were not many chances on either side, it a dour sort of affair,? he said. ?We played some football in the first half, but had no fresh substitutes in the second half so we sat back deeper than we would have liked.?
?Given our position on the table, I was pretty proud of the players. It?s been a tough year, but we are better than where we are on the table and teams are finding that out as we slowly get back to full strength.?
Luddenham United 0 Hakoah 0
Grade 20: Luddenham United 2 Hakoah 2
Hurstville edge out Hawkesbury
Hurstville City Minotaurs clawed their way past Hawkesbury City 2-1 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon to grab a three-way piece of second place. Hawkesbury again showed true grit in canceling out Michael Di Meglio?s early strike for Hurstville, Michael McCrory equalising on the half-hour mark, but Di Meglio?s second just before halftime gave the Minotaurs a decisive 2-1 edge.
Hurstville City Minotaurs coach Peter Sarikakis was pleased with the manner of the victory. ?[Hawkesbury are big boys and are very physical, but we absorbed the pressure and Michael [Di Meglio] should have scored 2-3 more today, he is on fire,? he said. ?We still have a lot of boys out but those who are there are putting in a lot of work. We?ve played the top teams and have done well against them. My aim is to finish first.?
Hawkesbury coach Gary Lewis said two mistakes in the first half cost his side. ?We should have been a few up; their keeper made some great saves. The boys dominated the opening and they withheld us, and then we got punished,? he said. ?Defensively Hurstville were very strong and I was pleased with the way the boys stuck with them. It?s even more disappointing for reserve grade. Because we have so many of their players in first grade, it is effecting their season now.?
Hurstville City Minotaurs 2 (Michael Di Meglio 14/42m) Hawkesbury City 1 (Michael McCrory 29m)
Grade 20: Hurstville City Minotaurs 5 Hawkesbury City 1
Wanderers beat Prospect
Fairfield Wanderers signaled their finals intent with a 4-0 win over Prospect United at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon. The win edged Wanderers into a three-way tie for second place with Luddenham and Hurstville, but they didn?t have it their own way against an unlucky Prospect. But an early goal, when Elias Navarrete beat the offside trap and chipped the United keeper early in the game, it was all catch-up from there.
The game was well in the balance until Prospect?s best player Anthony Maxwell was given two yellow cards and marched form the field for a brain-snap and Wanderers took full advantage with further goals to Christian Olivares and Luis Ascalante.
Wanderers coach Walter Alvarez said the scoreline was not the real difference between the sides. ?They had their chances in the first half, but we hit them with an early goal and Prospect played catch-up from there,? he said. ?The second half we came out to try and keep possession, but when their best player got sent off, it was a shame for the game.?
Prospect coach Tony Caruso was also disappointed. ?We shot ourselves in the foot and had two players sent off; we are doing our best Jekyl and Hyde impersonation lately,? he said. ?We were competitive but the send-off saw our heads drop a little bit. Coming back from two goals down is hard enough without also being down to 10 men. These things happen and there?s still a fair way to go in the competition.?
Fairfield Wanderers 4 (Elias Navarrete, Christian Olivares x 2, Luis Escalante) Prospect United 0
Grade 20: Fairfield Wanderers 2 Prospect United 2
Bulls bite Belmore
Fairfield Bulls continued their steamroll towards the minor premiership with a 4-1 defeat of a disjointed Belmore Hercules at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon. It was victory number seven in a row for Fairfield who were again led by strike force Khaled Elkerhani and Niram Kanoun. Both strikers scored doubles ? their respective dozens of a glittering year for the dynamic duo ? as the Bulls turned a 1-0 halftime lead into a three-goal win.
Fairfield coach Michael Mamoo was delighted. ?A 4-1 win against Belmore, when you look at their results, it was a good win,? he said. ?We did our homework on them and my boys really stood up. The defence was a lot tighter ? it was a great result from the boys.?
Belmore coach Ernesto Meduri felt a little flat after the defeat. ?I was a little disappointed for my side; they did not play very well,? he said. ?I expect more from the team, but they did not have a very good day and the other team is very strong. The Bulls played very well and well done to them.?
Fairfield Bulls 4 (Niram Kanoun 11/84m Khaled Elkerhani 46/76m) Belmore Hercules 1 (Michael Maropoulos)
Grade 20: Fairfield Bulls 0 Belmore Hercules 0
Round 17 results
First grade
Bathurst ?75 (James Christie 44m) Springwood 4 (Bryan Campbell 32/81m Peter Henderson 61m Matthew Schensual 69m)
Hurstville City Minotaurs 2 (Michael Di Meglio 14/42m) Hawkesbury City 1 (Michael McCrory 29m)
Fairfield Wanderers 4 (Elias Navarrete, Christian Olivares x 2, Luis Escalante) Prospect United 0
Fairfield Bulls 4 (Niram Kanoun 11/84m Khaled Elkerhani 46/76m) Belmore Hercules 1 (Michael Maropoulos)
Roosters FC 4 (Ercan Topal 18/31m Eren Kanli 19m Adem Taslak 86m) Gazy Lansvale (Joliyan Berhko 34/70m Michael Amed 78m)
Luddenham United 0 Hakoah 0
Grade 20
Bathurst ?75 0 Springwood 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 5 Hawkesbury City 1
Fairfield Wanderers 2 Prospect United 2
Fairfield Bulls 0 Belmore Hercules 0
Roosters FC 2 Gazy Lansvale 3
Luddenham United 2 Hakoah 2
Next week?s games
Round 18 of State League division two has three games scheduled for Saturday, Hawkesbury City versus Springwood United at Benson Lane Field (5pm kick-off), Prospect United take on Fairfield Bulls at William Lawson Reserve (5pm), and Bathurst ?75 welcome Wanderers to Alec Lamberton Field (7pm). On Sunday (all matches at 3pm), Belmore Hercules play Luddenham United at Blick Oval, Gazy Lansvale meet Hurstville City Minotaurs at Cherrybrook Park, and Hakoah host Roosters FC at Wentworth Park.
– Daniel de Nardi
