State League Two Round 20 Review
Luddenham returned to the top of the table after beating Bathurst 1-0 and Wanderers moved into second place by disposing of former leaders Fairfield Bulls 2-0.
Prospect, Belmore and Gazy kept their finals aspirations alive following respective 3-2, 2-1 and 1-0 wins over Roosters, Hurstville and Springwood, while Hawkesbury came from behind to defeat Hakoah in a match that may have decided the wooden spoon.
The points table shows Luddenham (37), Wanderers (36), Fairfield Bulls (35), Hurstville (30), Roosters (28), Springwood (28), Prospect (27), Belmore (27), Gazy (26), Bathurst (22), Hawkesbury (16) and Hakoah (12). With four catch-up games to figure into the contest, the run home is going to be a real humdinger.
On the goalscoring front with two rounds to go:
14 goals: Niram Kanoun (Fairfield),
12: Khaled Elkerhani (Fairfield), Michael Di Meglio (Hurstville),
11: Ercan Topal (Roosters),
10: Elias Navarrete (Wanderers), Michael Amed (Gazy),
9: Huso Merdanovic (Gazy),
8: Bryan Campbell (Springwood), Jarred Portegies (Bathurst),
7: Michael Wood (Luddenham), Peter Henderson (Springwood), George Iliopoulos (Belmore), Paul Curjak (Prospect), James Christie (Bathurst),
6: Mauricio Sanchez (Wanderers), Luis Freitas (Prospect), Rob Portelli (Prospect), Josh Morgenstern (Hakoah),
5: Alaa Ali Khan (Fairfield), Emmanuel Papageorgiou (Hurstville), Angelo Vagenas (Hurstville), Joliyan Berhko (Gazy), Edwin George (Hawkesbury), Kelston George (Hawkesbury),
Luddenham deflect Bathurst
Luddenham United returned to the top of the leaderboard following a convincing 1-0 win over Bathurst ?75 at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night. It was all one-way traffic in the first half as Luddenham dominated possession and went ahead courtesy of an own goal in the 29th minute, although many thought Ivan Buzina?s header looked goal-bound before a defender cleared it into his own net to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Bathurst made a few changes and looked better in the second half but failed to find a way past a well-drilled Luddenham. In fact, Bathurst have endured a dry spell of just one goal scored in four successive losses, and it was the eighth time they have been held scoreless this season, a league worst. Although they can still mathematically make the finals, they won?t on this form.
For Luddenham a sixth clean sheet and fifth away win has seen the build to an impressive run of just two losses in the past 15 outings. It was also the third time they have won a goal via an own goal from the opposition. United coach Andrew Montgomery would love some more luck as they face minor premiership rivals Wanderers and Fairfield Bulls in a tough run home.
?The first half was the best I?ve seen us play,? he said. ?We controlled the majority of the game, I thought, and we need to back that up again. [To win the minor premiership] It?s all in our hands now. I thought that the way Fairfield was going that we wouldn?t win the league and now we?re back in with a chance.?
Bathurst ?75 0 Luddenham United 1 (29m own goal)
Grade 20: Bathurst ?75 1 Luddenham United 0
Prospect roast Roosters
Two goals in the final 10 minutes kept Prospect United?s finals flame flickering following their sizzling 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Roosters FC at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening. The win stopped a three-game losing streak for Prospect as they tried to keep in touch with the top-five. Other results has meant that they are well within sight of a finals spot if United can build on their momentum that?s exactly where they?ll end up.
Luis Freitas got the ball rolling for Prospect with a well taken chance in the 25th minute, his sixth goal of the season, but any joy was shortlived as Roosters captain Ercan Topal equalised just four minutes later. It was Topal?s 11th goal of a stellar season. The visitors were well in it and when Gurkan Gurgin netted on the hour mark, putting Roosters 2-1 up, it looked as though the game may have even been settled. But Prospect bounced back and goals to Adrian Jennings and Anthony Maxwell in the closing stages of the game sealed a dramatic victory.
It was Prospect?s second win over Roosters this year and underlined a solid record at William Lawson Reserve, United winning five and drawing four of their 10 home fixtures. More importantly it put them just one point behind a top-five spot and just three points from fourth-placed Hurstville, their opponents this week. For Roosters, they are now in a six-way scrap for two finals berths and will need to find a winning formula soon.
Prospect United 3 (Luis Freitas 25m Adrian Jennings 81m Anthony Maxwell 88m) Roosters FC 2 (Ercan Topal 29m Gurkan Girgin 65m)
Grade 20: Prospect United 2 Roosters FC 3
Hawkesbury break Hakoah
Hawkesbury City sunk Hakoah hearts in a gut-busting 3-2 win at Hensley Athletic Field on Saturday night. In a match that sent pulses racing on both sides a second half Hawkesbury resurrection lifted them to victory and a commanding four point gap over Hakoah on the points table with two rounds left to play. The result could well have decided the wooden spoon.
Hakoah started briskly and Eli Port finished off a counter attack in fine style for a 1-0 lead on 10-minutes but Hawkesbury followed suit and Edwin George rifled in a shot that rattled the post for minutes afterwards to level the scores up again. Hakoah took the lead when Mark Robertson nailed a spot-kick on the half-hour mark and a halftime breather couldn?t come soon enough.
The second half action was just as frenetic as Hawkesbury stepped up another gear, determined to avoid the wooden spoon. First Gavin Hartge scored from a corner kick on 54-minutes and then Ed George edged City in front just after the hour-mark by finishing off a neat Michael McCrory cross. George?s brace took him to five goals for the season and raised some smiles around the Hawkesbury dressing shed.
City coach Gary Lewis said he shared Hakoah?s agony. ?[Hakoah coach] Paul Watkins joked around with us before the game and said we should settle for a 2-2 draw and go down the pub as it?s been a pretty hard season for both sides,? Lewis said. ?But our young boys stepped up, Dale McKay did extremely well, and I think we enjoyed playing on an artificial pitch for the first time. I guess it was a kind of grand final for us.?
Hakoah 2 (Eli Port 10m Mark Robertson 34m) Hawkesbury City 3 (Edwin George 25/65m Gavin Hartge 54m)
Grade 20: Hakoah 1 Hawkesbury City 0
Wanderers knock off Bulls
Wanderers won a doozy of a derby against Fairfield Bulls, prevailing 2-0 at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon to also steal their second spot on the ladder. After chances went begging for both sides a sweeping move from Mauricio Sanchez to Ian Peti to Diego Dominguez ended with the ball in the back of the net, a cracking volley from Dominguez putting the home side in front on the half-hour mark. Wanderers substitute Ahmed Khan made sure of the victory when he beat a couple of defenders and tucked the ball away into the bottom corner of the net for a 2-0 final scoreline.
Amazingly, it was the first time someone had held the Bulls scoreless since round eight (and just the third time all year) and also avenged a two-goal loss earlier in the year for the Wanderers. It was the fifth win in a row for Wanderers and a league best seventh home win. It was also their seventh clean sheet of the season. They haven?t conceded a goal (nor lost a game) since a 2-3 defeat to Gazy in round 13.
Wanderers coach Walter Alvarez said it was a good result from a very tough game. ?For a top of the table clash it is what I expected it to be,? he said. ?We did well enough and are now looking forward to the next game. Every team is hard, every team… the teams in the bottom half to the table are just as tough to play against.?
Bulls coach Michael Mamoo also called it a tough game. ?Unfortunately they were too good for us on the day,? he said. ?We were very flat and I hope it was a loss that we had to have to give us a bit of a shake-up. Defensively the Wanderers were very solid and played a very good system to counter us and that?s how they got their goals. I?ve rated Wanderers the best team in the whole comp and I always have.?
?Look, this competition is going to down go down to 4.45pm on the 22nd of August, because you just don?t know where anybody is going to finish with the results going the way they are.? Fairfield will be sick of the Blue Mountains after they have to play in Bathurst on Friday then Springwood on Sunday.
Fairfield Wanderers 2 (Diego Dominguez 27m Ahmed Khan 75m) Fairfield Bulls 0
Grade 20: Fairfield Wanderers 0 Fairfield Bulls 0
Gazy stun Springwood
A third successive win has breathed new life into Gazy Lansvale finals prospects after they dispatched playoff rivals Springwood United 1-0 at Cherrybrook Park on Sunday afternoon. An Eddie Yokhanna blast from a long way out gave Gazy the lead on the half-hour mark and they held firm to register a stirring victory.
While Springwood coach Errol Warwick-Day figures out how he?s going to get past Wanderers and Fairfield Bulls in a scary run home, Lansvale coach Safet Alispahic was ecstatic with his side?s turnaround in fortunes since the club parted ways with former coach Phil Pavela last month. Goals, wins and form even has the club entertaining post-season thoughts but Alispahic isn?t letting his players get too far ahead of themselves.
?It was an excellent game and a goof performance from both sides and I am just so proud of my boys, today they prove to me they have character,? he said. ?Everyone can see now that they have to be a little bit worried of Gazy. But this is not the time for mathematics [about making the finals]; we go game from game. We may miss out, we might not; we don?t know.?
Gazy Lansvale 1 (Eddie Yokhanna 35m) Springwood United 0
Grade 20: Gazy Lansvale 2 Springwood United 1
Belmore overpower Hurstville
Belmore Hercules broke the magic spell of Minotaurs striker Michael Di Meglio and also did their playoff plans plenty of good in a well-crafted 2-1 victory over Hurstville City at Blick Oval on Sunday afternoon. The win catapulted Belmore to within a point of equal fifth Springwood and Roosters, who they happen to play this week.
After a cautious opening George Illiopoulos broke the shackles for Hercules with a goal just minutes before the halftime break but Belmore coach must have been looking skyward when Di Meglio equalised for the Minotaurs seven minutes after the restart. Hurstville has won every game the strike ace has scored in, a total of nine, but his golden touch came to an end when Andrew Lazarou busted through in the 65th minute to score the winner for Hercules.
Belmore Hercules 2 (George Illiopoulos 42m Andrew Lazarou 65m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 1 (Michael Di Meglio 52m)
Grade 20: Belmore Hercules 4 Hurstville City Minotaurs 3
Round 20 results
First grade
Prospect United 3 (Luis Freitas 25m Adrian Jennings 81m Anthony Maxwell 88m) Roosters FC 2 (Ercan Topal 29m Gurkan Girgin 65m)
Bathurst ?75 0 Luddenham United 1 (29m own goal)
Hakoah 2 (Eli Port 10m Mark Robertson 34m) Hawkesbury City 3 (Edwin George 25/65m Gavin Hartge 54m)
Belmore Hercules 2 (George Illiopoulos 42m Andrew Lazarou 65m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 1 (Michael Di Meglio 52m)
Gazy Lansvale 1 (Eddie Yokhanna 35m) Springwood United 0
Fairfield Wanderers 2 (Diego Dominguez 27m Ahmed Khan 75m) Fairfield Bulls 0
Grade 20
Prospect United 2 Roosters FC 3
Bathurst ?75 1 Luddenham United 0
Hakoah 1 Hawkesbury City 0
Belmore Hercules 4 Hurstville City Minotaurs 3
Gazy Lansvale 2 Springwood United 1
Fairfield Wanderers 0 Fairfield Bulls 0
Round 21 Fixtures
Round 21 of State League division two kicks off with Hawkesbury City taking on Belmore Hercules at Benson Lane Field (5pm kick-off), and Springwood United up against Fairfield Bulls at Summerhayes Park on Saturday night (7pm). The four Sunday games (all at 3pm) sees Bathurst ?75 travel to Mona Park to take on Roosters FC, Luddenham United play Wanderers at Luddenham Oval, Gazy Lansvale meet Hakoah at Cherrybrook Park, and Hurstville City Minotaurs face Prospect United at Belmore Sports Ground.
-By Daniel De Nardi
