State League Two Round 11 Review
Bathurst ?75 did well to beat Hakoah 3-1 at home, Hawkesbury nudged out Prospect 2-1 and Chopin Park disposed of Gazy Lansvale 3-0, while Belmore scored two late goals to draw 3-3 with Northbridge. But it was the week the Minotaurs jumped two places up the ladder and moved in just behind the top-half of the competition after they beat Belmore 3-0 in a catch-up game on Friday night? and they still have another game in hand stashed away behind The General?s couch.
The 2011 goalscorers hierarchy also got a little cosier as Luddenham?s Huso Merdanovic and Northbridge?s Ry Hardy scored weekend goals to move to within one strike of early Hakoah runaway Neil Jablonski (on nine goals), with deadly Roosters trio Hulisi Orhan, Adem Taslak Ercan Topal not far behind them on six goals. Belmore bandit Paul Paras and Hawkesbury hitman Paul Cooper are also on six goals, with Hurstville?s Haissan Morhi, Luddenham weapon Michael Wood and Northbridge ace Eliott King also breaking the five-goal mark.
And what a terrific week for State League 2 sides in the Waratah Cup knockout competition with a highly credible five division two teams advancing to round three of the aspirational tournament after pulling off some remarkable midweek results. On Tuesday evening Fairfield Wanderers upset Super League side Northern Tigers 2-0 at Knight Park via second-half goals to Roberto Sanchez and Luis Escalante, while on Wednesday night, Northbridge stunned their more-fancied Super League neighbours Spirit FC 3-1 at Christie Park, Chopin Park Rams defeated bold association side Eastwood-St Andrews 6-5 on penalties (after the match ended 2-2 at full time and 3-3 after extra time) at Bensons Lane Field, and Hawkesbury City won on a forfeit after local Manly outfit Collaroy Cromer withdrew due to injuries sustained in their weekend club fixture. Gazy Lansvale earned their third round berth (when Premier League clubs enter the fray) by beating Illawarra Premier League side Picton Rangers 2-1 at Cherrybrook Park last week.
Round three of the Cup takes place on Wednesday, May 18, with Hawkesbury City the only State League 2 side afforded a home fixture but they face ferocious Premier League pack South Coast Wolves at Bensons Lane Field (7.30pm kick-off). Fairfield Wanderers travel to Lambert Park to take on football icons Apia Leichhardt Tigers (7.30pm), Gazy Lansvale tackle unbeaten division one highflyers Mounties Wanderers at Cook Park (7.30pm), Northbridge FC go west to climb solid State League One unit Mount Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park (7.30pm), while Chopin Park Rams clash with Super League strugglers Fraser Park at Fraser Park (7.30pm).
No division two side has ever qualified for the fourth round of the statewide knockout and with five State League Two outfits ? including new clubs Northbridge and Chopin Park ? lining up for a shot at entering uncharted territory this will be an exciting week ahead. Hawkesbury have by far been the most successful SL2 club historically with City making it to the third round in three of the last four tournaments. And while Wanderers will hope to give a good account for itself against old NSL giants APIA Leichhardt Tigers there will be a sentimental prayer for hapless Gazy Lansvale, who can overshadow its dreadful start to the division two season with a heroic crack at neighbours Mounties. Good luck to all sides.
Wanderers down Nepean
Fairfield Wanderers rang rings around Cook Park, St Marys, on Saturday afternoon but they were almost lucky to get away with a 1-0 win after blowing a heap of chances to ice the game. Nepean were probably hoping for a better showing after last week?s gut-wrenching abandoned fixture against Luddenham but they left their football boots at home as Wanderers put on a clinical performance to take maximum points.
Fairfield had several first-half chances to score but it took a defensive lapse from Nepean to allow Erick Anabalon to bash in an open header from the far post to put the visitors in front midway through the opener, and they held onto possession and control in the second term to earn Wanderers a 1-0 victory, it?s third straight on the road.
The league win rounded out a great week for the south-west Sydney club following their sensational 2-0 Waratah Cup triumph over Super League side Northern Tigers 2-0 at Knight Park on Tuesday evening. ?It was a good result,? said Wanderers coach Leo Maturana ahead of this Wednesday?s clash with Premier League outfit Apia Leichhardt.
?We took the Cup very seriously this year and wanted to go further than in previous years. We have a bigger squad and have 20-25 players to pick from, and we wanted to take it slowly and not peak too early. We didn?t play defensively [against Tigers] and it worked out well for us. Maybe we will break the record [become the first division two side into the fourth round].?
Maturana was a little less pleased with the team?s performance against Nepean. ?We dominated but just didn?t put the opportunities away,? he said. ?[In regards to being up the front] There?s always a big target on us [Wanderers]. We try to play football and it?s good to watch and we?re getting the results, so it?s good so far.?
Nepean’s opportunities were too far between after an emotionally-draining experience against Luddenham the week before and coach Carlos Camacho expected more. ?I think we played our worst game of the year. The bad thing is when you play bad against teams like Wanderers you get outplayed in every aspect of the game. The good thing is we only went down 1-0 to a very well-structured side, so it isn?t too bad.?
?Objectively speaking, as a losing coach, we can take heart that we played poorly and gifted them a goal. They played a smart tactical game and it was always going to be tough to get a goal, but we didn?t look like scoring. The guys did show some passion but we really didn?t play football.?
?There?s not much difference between the sides that are coming first and the ones that are coming last. We have to pick up our game and work on our tactical stuff? sometimes we get carried away with winning but, as a lover of football, to lose to another team that likes to play football is not as hard to take. We need to keep our perspective as coaches as to what we?re actually here for, and that?s the development of the players and the game, and I have to give Wanderers credit for that.?
Nepean FC 0 Fairfield City Wanderers FC 1 (Erick Anabalon 11m)
Reserve grade: Nepean FC 2 Fairfield Wanderers 1
Hawkesbury raid Prospect
Hawkesbury City have become the division two highway bandits after plundering Prospect United 2-1 at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening. Hawkesbury have claimed 14 of their 17 competition points away from home (league leaders Luddenham and Wanderers are next best with nine) and are unbeaten in six road fixtures.
City enjoyed the early running and grabbed the lead midway through the first half when Paul Cooper volleyed home a left-footer, his sixth goal of the season, only to see Prospect equalise through Gustavo Orcajo just before halftime. But Hawkesbury weren?t to be denied and Hakan Celik scored the winner following a freekick.
Prospect were missing several players through injury and coach Tony Caruso was non-plussed about the club?s third successive defeat. ?It was a good game. We pressed them hard but they played well,? he said. ?We?re fine. The boys had a few issues to deal with with players missing, and we did ourselves proud by putting up a good fight. Hawkesbury also did well, and they got the points.?
It was a good news week for City after they advanced to the third round of the Waratah Cup knockout via a forfeit from Manly association side Collaroy Cromer. It?s Hawkesbury?s third third-round attempt in four years and they have a tough ask in beating mid-table Premier League side South Coast Wolves at Bensons Lane Field on Wednesday night (7.30pm kick-off). The fixture is at home, but while Hawkesbury have been unstoppable on the road they are yet to win on home turf this year and if any time was perfect to arrest this statistic, now is that time.
Gary Lewis was pleased to get away with an awkward but important league victory, their first over Prospect in years. ?It was a struggle but we got there,? he said. ?Paul Cooper hit the post three times in the first half, one went in and two stayed out. They threw everyone forward and played like a home team and put us under a lot of pressure, and our two boys at the back Ben Charles and Ethan Simone were brilliant.?
But now it?s down to the nitty-gritty part of the knockout tournament Lewis is salivating at the prospect of taking on a big club like Wolves. ?We normally mix the squad up [for the Cup] but all the first grade boys are putting their hands up and want to play, so they will start,? he said. ?It?s better for us to meet a Premier League side and to be playing at home is a good effort. The boys are looking forward to the challenge? but we also have an eye on Springwood next week. They gave us a toweling last year [5-1] and we don?t want a repeat of that.?
Prospect United 1 (Gustavo Orcajo 32m) Hawkesbury City 2 (Paul Cooper 3m Hakan Celik 52m)
Reserve grade: Prospect United 3 Hawkesbury City 8
Roosters defeat Springwood
Roosters FC are starting to brand their name on the gates of Summerhayes Park with a third straight win over Springwood United at their Blue Mountains lair on Saturday night. The tight 2-1 affair saw some good football being played and it was Springwood to benefit first when Bryan Campbell pushed one in from a corner kick midway through the opening half.
Roosters star Ercan Topal then capitalised on a clever long throw-in to make it 1-1 a minute before the interval and with 15 minutes remaining in the game skipper Eren Kirkpinar headed in a Musti Akca cross for the match-winner. While it was Kirkpinar?s first goal of the year, Topal has now breached the goal-line six times in an industrious return to his beloved Roosters flock.
Player-coach Akca was liking what he?s seeing on his players? faces. ?It was a tight game and pretty competitive in the first half, but I think in the second half we stepped up a level and were the better team,? he said. ?The boys are really playing for one another now and you can actually see it on the park. Springwood are a solid team too and hard to beat up there, but our boys did good in giving it what we?ve got.?
United coach Errol Warwick-Day is aware of the Summerhayes effect, Springwood having lost its last three at home to Roosters. ?Too many teams change from year to year to read too much into it, it?s just disappointing not to take points at home,? he said. ?We had long periods of the game where we dominated them and they seemed to steal it at the end? it was disappointing the game got away from us.?
Springwood United 1 (Bryan Campbell 25m) Roosters FC 2 (Ercan Topal 44m Eren Kirkpinar 74m)
Reserve grade: Springwood United 6 Roosters FC 0
Bathurst stop Hakoah
Bathurst 75′ fought hard to beat Hakoah FC 3-1 at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night to stay in touch with the division two frontrunners. Bathurst have been a little sloppy of late and season 2011 looked like a long year of catch-up following a month-long run of winless football but the home side hit the upside with an early goal to Jarrod Portegies and Bathurst were playing like a team in possessed.
Hakoah have become known as the league?s set-piece specialists and wasted no time in leveling the scores, Denato D??grosa connecting on a well-placed corner kick to take the teams to the dressing sheds locked at 1-1. Bathurst came out firing in the second half and a speculative Nick Riggs cross swirled into goal for a 2-1 lead a minute after the restart, and ?75 sealed victory when quick distribution from goalkeeper Chris Moase saw the ball flow upfield for an ensuing Portegies penalty to make it 3-1 with 20 minutes left in the match.
Bathurst coach Mark Rooke was ecstatic. ?It was a terrific result. The boys played well and really stepped up coming out of the changerooms [at halftime],? he said. ?[Hakoah] took a while to get going but they put a lot of pressure on our back four and we did well collectively to defend. Hakoah is a quality side with good players; they?re a force in the competition but it was our turn tonight and the boys are in a good mood because of it.?
Hakoah coach Mark Robertson could only reflect on a loss that breeds voodoo, Bathurst 75 now unbeaten in five games against Hakoah over three years.
Hakoah 1 (Denato D??grosa 21m) Bathurst ?75 3 (Jarrod Portegies 5/73m pen Nick Riggs 46m)
Reserve grade: Hakoah 2 Bathurst ?75 1
Hurstville bring down Luddenham
Look out! Someone?s left the latch off the bullpen and the Hurstville City Minotaurs have busted through, bucked off two cowboys and bolted up the ladder following a spirited double league victory. The fact they pulled off a 3-0 catch-up win over Belmore Hercules and 6-3 massacre of former league leaders Luddenham United in the space of three days shows a remarkable change of character from the Minotaurs mob that managed just one win from their previous seven appearances.
Indeed a rejuvenated Angelo Vagenas got the ball rolling after a tentative opening to the game and his 41st minute strike gave Hurstville a 1-0 halftime lead at Punchbowl Oval. The advantage was shortlived however when Luddenham forward Grant Odei equalised minutes into the second half to set up a tantalising finish to the match.
And what a finish it was with Haissan Morhi restoring Hurstville?s lead with 20 minutes to play before team-mate Ralph Sappio made it 3-1 just a few minutes later. Morhi looked like he had iced the game when he finished off his hat-trick to take the Minotaurs to 5-1 in front and not even two late Huso Merdanovic goals could help United steal anything from the game.
Hurstville coach Peter Sarikakis praised his players? response to a midweek tirade that included a sharp rap from The General. ?I told them at training that they were the worst bunch of players this club?s had and that we?ve become the division two punching bag. There was a time when the Minotaurs were feared in Super League and here we are know and we?re coming last in division two. I told them that only they could get themselves out of this, and it worked,? he said.
?Belmore was a turn-around game for us as we had many chances. I knew a lot of the Belmore players and just put the appropriate players on them and we just blocked them out of the game? the boys really put the effort in. We knew we?d turn it around sooner or later, it maybe took a bit longer than usual but that?s how it can be with young players.?
Hurstville really spiced it up to claim their first home win of the season against Luddenham but Sarikakis played down any notion of the fixture turning into a grudge match. ?There?s no history with us and Luddenham. There is with Belmore, where we have played each other many times over many years, but there is nothing between Hurstville and Luddenham. They?ve never beaten us. We should have scored 10 goals today. We had to make a few changes when a couple of our veterans were getting a bit tired because of the Friday night game? but [many players] lifted.?
?I told the boys [on Friday night] that it was a great win against Belmore in the local derby but it means nothing if we don?t take the opportunity to prove we are a good side when playing against the top teams. No team is unbeatable. There maybe used to be times when some teams would be too far ahead of everyone else, but now any team can win on the day. Look, football is a very simple game, it?s the players who make it difficult.?
?But the players are okay because they realise there is still work to be done and we can get better and improve on where we are. I?m not going to get too cocky about this. In 1998 when we had the really good side we finished the first round second last and then made the grand final. Yes, it looks like we?re a fair few points behind but all we need to do is starting putting together the wins and you are back there with the top sides. I?m pleased for them because it is a good feeling to win.?
Luddenham coach Andrew Montgomery usually has a few words to say after each match but would offer just one following the inexplicable loss to Hurstville: ?Disgrace?. Although it was unclear as too what the intended target of his utterance was it?d be safe to say he wasn?t overly happy with the defeat.
It was the Minotaurs? fifth straight win over United but more remarkable is that goal-savvy Luddenham have managed just four goals (three of them today) against 16 Hurstville strikes in those encounters. Who can?t wait for the round 24 rematch at Luddenham Oval?
Hurstville City Minotaurs 6 (Angelo Vagenas 41m Haissan Morhi 69/77/85m Ralph Sappio 72m S Varas 89m) Luddenham United 3 (Grant Odei 47m Huso Merdanovic 88/90m)
Reserve grade: Hurstville City Minotaurs 2 Luddenham United 0
Northbridge, Belmore deadlock
Belmore Hercules came back from two goals down with 10 minutes left to play to draw 3-3 with Northbridge FC at Northbridge Oval on Sunday afternoon. Riding on the back of an awe-inspiring 3-1 win over northern districts rivals Spirit FC in a spritely Waratah Cup clash on Wednesday night, Northbridge newcomer Eliott King fired one in to take his side to a 1-0 halftime lead before Belmore leveled the scores just after play resumed via a well-taken Sam Nicolopoulos chance.
The home side immediately regained the ascendancy when King scored again (his fifth goal in four games) and team-mate Ry Hardy joined him on the scoresheet to establish a 3-1 lead, but the boys from Belmore wouldn?t say die and with less than 10 minutes remaining Paul Paras did well to finish off a couple of sweeping raids on the opposition goal.
It was a terrific fightback from Hercules, particularly after Hurstville left them for dead in a 3-0 catch-up romp on Friday night, and coach John Kyriazopoulos gave them a good pat on the back for their efforts.
?At halftime I told the boys to play with a bit of heart and we managed to get ourselves back into the game. Both sides had a few chances but then we switched off and allowed them to get a 3-1 lead, so we had to move players up front? we started knocking it a bit long to put a bit of pressure on them and the boys just kept battling and creating opportunities. The boys dug deep and came back. It was a good job by everyone.?
Although they are now the only unbeaten team at home Northbridge coach Joe Haywood would probably be cringing at the way his side let slip a two goal lead so late in the game, but his players may be forgiven for having one eye twitching nervously towards their upcoming Waratah Cup clash with division one outfit Mount Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park on Wednesday night. After stunning Spirit FC during the week the Northbridge confidence must be bubbling ahead of their Rangers meeting.
Northbridge FC 3 (Eliott King 20/56m Ry Hardy 72m) Belmore Hercules 3 (Sam Nicolopoulos 55m Paul Paras 87/89m)
Reserve grade: Northbridge FC 3 Belmore Hercules 1
Chopin Park roll Gazy
Chopin Park Rams put another dagger into a reeling Gazy Lansvale with a 3-0 romp at Chopin Park on Sunday afternoon. Gazy actually had the better running early on but would pay dearly for a string of missed first-half chances when Marko Kraljevik pounced to make it 1-0 to Chopin Park at halftime.
The Rams went up a gear in the second half and Liam Lawler doubled their advantage soon after the restart, and the game was all but over when Kraljevik collected a second in the 50th minute to give Chopin Park a comfortable 3-0 win. It was a terrific effort from the western Sydney side that had to back up from an epic Waratah Cup victory against Eastwood-St Andrews on Wednesday night, the Rams winning 6-5 on penalties after the long match ended 2-2 at full time and 3-3 after extra time.
Chopin Park coach Radek Czerwinski felt for his Gazy counterpart Safet Alispahic, but he was very pleased with the way his team went about its business in a busy week. ?Look, Gazy has a good team, I just think there is a mentality problem within the boys as they dropped their heads pretty early, so I do feel for the coaching staff,? Czerwinski said.
?The first half was very scrappy and they probably created more, so [at halftime] I asked my boys to lift the tempo up a notch and try to be more aggressive with the ball? we scored early in the half and it was strange that they just seemed to sit back and didn?t put up much more of a fight.?
?The [Waratah Cup] is taking its toll as we still have players injured and suspended and it wasn?t an easy task. Our main goal is to compete in the league more than anything else but, having said that, we got smashed 9-1 by [third round Cup opponent] Fraser Park in a pre-season game and there are a number of boys who participated in that game who remember the margin we lost by. I?m being realistic, they are two divisions higher up than us, but if the opportunity is there to rise up another level it would be great.?
Chopin Park Rams 3 (Marko Kraljevic 9/47m Liam Lawler 50m) Gazy Lansvale 0
Reserve grade: Chopin Park Rams 2 Gazy Lansvale 4
Round 11 scores
Nepean FC 0 – Fairfield Wanderers FC 1 (Erick Anabalon 11m)
Prospect United 1 (Gustavo Orcajo 32m) Hawkesbury City 2 (Paul Cooper 3m Hakan Celik 52m)
Hakoah 1 (Denato D??grosa 21m) Bathurst ?75 3 (Jarrod Portegies 5/73m pen Nick Riggs 46m)
Springwood United 1 (Bryan Campbell 25m) Roosters FC 2 (Ercan Topal 44m Eren Kirkpinar 74m)
Chopin Park Rams 3 (Marko Kraljevic 9/47m Liam Lawler 50m) Gazy Lansvale 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 6 (Angelo Vagenas 41m Haissan Morhi 69/77/85m Ralph Sappio 72m S Varas 89m) Luddenham United 3 (Grant Odei 47m Huso Merdanovic 88/90m)
Northbridge FC 3 (Eliott King 20/56m Ry Hardy 72m) Belmore Hercules 3 (Sam Nicolopoulos 55m Paul Paras 87/89m)
Rescheduled round 8: Belmore Hercules 0 Hurstville City Minotaurs 3
Rescheduled round 8: Belmore Hercules 2 Hurstville City Minotaurs 0
Rescheduled round 6: Springwood United 1 Belmore Hercules 1
Waratah Cup:
Fairfield Wanderers 2 Northern Tigers 0
Northbridge FC 3 Spirit FC 1
Chopin Park Rams def Eastwood-St Andrews (6-5 penalties, 2-2 ft, 3-3 ext)
Hawkesbury City def Collaroy Cromer (forfeit)
Gazy Lansvale 2 Picton Rangers 1
Next week?s games
Round 12 of NSW division two has Gazy Lansvale hosting Prospect at Cherrybrook Park on Saturday afternoon (3pm), Hawkesbury welcoming Springwood to Benson Lane Field on Saturday evening (5pm), and Northbridge playing Bathurst at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night (7pm). On Sunday afternoon (first grade from 3pm), the Rams tackle Hakoah at Chopin Park, Roosters meet Nepean at Hills Sports High, Luddenham face Belmore at Luddenham Oval, while Wanderers and Hurstville face-off in a Knight Park blockbuster.
Round three of the Waratah Cup also takes place on Wednesday, May 18, with Hawkesbury City facing Premier League pack South Coast Wolves at Bensons Lane Field (7.30pm kick-off), Fairfield Wanderers take on football icons Apia Leichhardt Tigers at Lambert Park (7.30pm), Gazy Lansvale tackle unbeaten division one highflyers Mounties Wanderers at Cook Park (7.30pm), Northbridge FC meet solid State League One unit Mount Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park (7.30pm), while Chopin Park Rams clash with Super League strugglers Fraser Park at Fraser Park (7.30pm).
-By Daniel De Nardi
