State League Two Round 12 Review
In a round that produced a season-high 33 goals Roosters moved into second place with a 4-2 win against Nepean, Hakoah drew 2-2 in a tough game at Chopin Park, Springwood United humbled Hawkesbury City 4-2, Prospect United overcame Gazy Lansvale 4-1 to reclaim their to-five place, while Northbridge completed a magnificent week with a 3-0 win at Bathurst ?75.
There are still a few too many catch-up games to ponder the ladder long suffice to say that four points separates fourth from 11th-placed Hurstville, and the Minotaurs keep knocking down the heavyweights ? first Luddenham, now Wanderers and Roosters are next in their sights.
The 33 goals scored in this week?s round has kept the league running along at a healthy clip of 3.9 goals per game, which makes for plenty of entertainment for the fans. But in a statistic that will make coaches eyes water, four away wins in round 12 has meant that away teams have now won more times than home teams in this year?s competition (28 to 27, with 20 draws to boot). It has certainly crushed a manager?s creed to win at home and draw away.
Individually, Hakoah?s Neil Jablonski still leads the way with nine strikes but he?s now got more company behind him with an Adem Taslak brace taking the Roosters ace to eight goals for the season, equal with Paul Cooper (Hawkesbury), Huso Merdanovic (Luddenham) and Ry Hardy (Northbridge). Taslak?s team-mates Ercan Topal and Hulisi Orhan also scored on the weekend to move to seven goals, with Belmore?s Paul Paras on six.
But it?s a week where plaudits definitely belong to State League newcomers Northbridge FC, who caused a massive boilover in their sizzling 7-4 Waratah Cup victory over division one side Mount Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park on Wednesday night to become the first division two side ever to advance to the knockout tournament?s fourth round. They will find out their next opponent when the official draw for the round-of-16 takes place at Football NSW headquarters on Thursday, May 26. The northern districts club hasn?t been goal-shy in its debut Cup run, firing in 15 goals and conceding just six in disposing of Mosman, Bass Hill, Spirit FC and now Mount Druitt Town.
State League 2?s other representatives also performed well in their third round fixtures ? Chopin Park led Super League outfit Fraser Park three times before falling 4-3 in extra time at Fraser Park, Hawkesbury were 1-0 up on the hour-mark against Premier League side South Coast before the Wolves prevailed 4-1 at Bensons Lane Field, Gazy Lansvale were brave in a 2-0 loss to division one highflyers Mounties Wanderers 2-0 at Cook Park, while Fairfield Wanderers kept Premier League icons APIA Leichhardt scoreless for 40 minutes before second-half injuries saw Fairfield fall 5-0 behind at Lambert Park ? but all will have to wait another year to get another crack at the Cup. It was certainly an impressive and improved effort from State League 2 clubs in this year?s competition, following Hawkesbury?s solo third round foray in 2010.
Springwood scuttle Hawkesbury
Springwood United ambushed Hawkesbury City 4-2 in a goal feast at Benson Lane Field on Saturday evening. Hawkesbury had plenty of early ball but Springwood took the lead when Bryan Campbell touched in at the near post half-an-hour into the game only for City striker Paul Cooper to square the ledger with a well-taken goal on the stroke of halftime.
The second half resembled a scene from the OK Corral with Scott Lane firing United back in front 10 minutes after the restart and team-mate Matt Schensual extending the lead to 3-1 from the penalty spot five minutes later. Hawkesbury weren?t done with yet and clawed a goal back via a Paul Cooper penalty with 20 minutes left in the match, but a sweeping Springwood movement in the dying moments broke City hearts when a Peter Henderson goal signed off a 4-2 scoreline.
As well as being pleased with the result Springwood coach Errol Warwick-Day might consider buying some real estate in Richmond. United haven?t loss there in over three years and backed up last year?s impressive 5-1 whipping with Sunday?s 4-2 result. ?It was a really good game right up to the death. Hawkesbury never gave up, they threw everything at us,? he said.
?I gave the boys a bit of a serve [at halftime] about it being two weeks in a row that we?ve let them score just before the break, and I just reminded them of the goals we had set ourselves and they went out there hungrier for it. It really is about the players finding the desire to get the results and maybe me getting a bit angry at the circumstances we were in helped that? I don?t do that very often at all.?
Hawkesbury coach Gary Lewis was dumbfounded at his side?s abysmal home record (three draws, two losses) but thought his team was suckered into playing a style of football that took them away from their natural game. ?We probably had 70 per cent of possession, hit the post three times? and they had four shots at goal. We played good football? but were just caught out by them pumping the ball down the park,? he said. ?It doesn?t help that we give away goals in the first five minutes of the second half, but Springwood are a good side and solid at the back.?
?The boys were hurting in the changerooms afterwards; it?s like a voodoo here [at Bensons Lane Field]? I don?t know what it is really. We?ll go back to the drawing board on Tuesday night. No-one?s giving up. We want to get the results and it?s a matter of putting that energy onto the paddock and taking our chances.?
Hawkesbury City 2 (Paul Cooper 44/72m pen) Springwood United 4 (Bryan Campbell 33m Scott Lane 55m Matt Schensual 60m pen Peter Henderson 89m)
Reserve grade: Hawkesbury City 2 Springwood United 1
Northbridge punish Bathurst
Northbridge wanted to make a decent mark in their first State League season and some would say it?s the about the size of an asteroid crater after their outstanding achievements of the past week, the northern districts mob firing seven goals past Mt Druitt Town Rangers in their amazing third-round Waratah Cup win on Wednesday night and following it up with an impressive 3-0 league win at Bathurst on Saturday night.
In what coach Joe Haywood described as the strangest game of football he had ever been involved in, Northbridge stunned their fancied State League One opponents Mt Druitt Town Rangers with a 7-4 win to advance to the knockout tournament?s round-of-16. ?Every time a team attacked there were openings everywhere? it was 5-4 at halftime!? he said. ?We talked about structure and held them out in the second half. We were expecting them to come at us but every time we went forward we had a shot or a goal ? Elliott King scored five goals for us [he?s also scored five in the league].?
Northbridge were just as impressive in their first trip over the mountains to face Bathurst in a league game at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night. Max Zanders scored either side of halftime and Kieran Hall added a third just before the hour to claim their first road win, and their first clean sheet, of the year.
But in a debut season that has Northbridge deliciously placed one point outside the top-five in the league and through to the fourth round of NSW?s more prestigious knockout football competition, it must be difficult for Haywood to contain his club?s excitement. ?We probably have exceeded the expectations a little bit because all we wanted to do this year was build a strong squad and see where it gets us at the end of the season,? he said.
?We just have to focus on the next game we?ve got [a catch-up game against Prospect on Wednesday and Hakoah next weekend, Northbridge find out their next Cup opponent on Thursday, May 26] and keep any complacency at bay. We still need to learn from this experience and not take the foot off the pedal. That?s what we were really pleased with against Bathurst; we played a good game for the whole match.?
Bathurst coach Mark Rooke maybe accused his players of being closet Robert Louis Stevenson fans. ?It was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance. We couldn?t hold possession for more than five passes and only created a few half-chances, and we?re not going to win matches like that. I can?t believe we can be so good one week and really poor the next. I can?t put my finger on it,? he said. ?All credit to Northbridge; they?ve got some great attacking players. We?ve got seven days to turn it around.?
Northbridge 3 (Max Zanders 31/47m Kieran Hall 59m) Bathurst ?75 0
Reserve grade: Northbridge 2 Bathurst ?75 2
Hurstville down Fairfield
Hurstville City Minotaurs added Fairfield Wanderers to their bag of conquests with a thrilling 3-2 win at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon. A week after beating league-leaders Luddenham, Hurstville were at it again, captain Terry Sidiratos heading home from a corner to open the scoring on 30-minutes and the visitors took a 2-0 lead straight after the break when workhorse Nick Andreou added another goal.
But this was Fairfield turf and Wanderers wasted no time in getting back into the game, Ian Peti toeing the ball in from between the goalkeeper?s legs and a Harris Nikocevic freekick just past the hour-mark setting up an enthralling finish. And Angelo Vagenas didn?t disappoint, conjuring up a 73rd-minute winner to power Minotaurs to a 3-2 victory.
It was Hurstville?s first win at Knight Park in a few years and coach Peter Sarikakis was in fine form. ?I told you I would turn it around, didn?t I? The players thought the games would be easy this year, but they woke up and realised that in soccer you still have to put the effort in,? he said.
When asked if a win over Roosters next week would make Minotaurs 2011 title favourites, The General was at his charismatic best. ?Three weeks ago we were coming last, but with the catch-up games we could even sneak into top-five. My team is the team to beat. Everyone knows we are the yardstick, Even coming last we can still play football.?
?Look, I know what we can do. I did have to make a couple of changes [over recent months] and the players now are doing their job in the right places. A lot of the boys have played at a higher level and needed something like this to spur them on. The fact Nick Andreou is still playing is amazing, and he?s playing so well and helping the younger players come along.?
Wanderers coach Leo Maturana thought his players looked a little drained from their midweek Waratah Cup loss to Premier Leaguers Apia. ?Hurstville certainly kick and chase very well? but no excuses, we didn?t turn up in the first half and looked like we still had the jitters from Wednesday night,? he said. ?We pump them hard in the last 15 minutes and had one or two chances in their area but it didn?t go our way. Overall it was one of those games that we fully needed to lose to get back into our normal rhythm.?
Fairfield Wanderers 2 (Ian Peti 55m Harris Nikocevic 64m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 3 (Terry Sidiratos 31m Nick Andreou 49m Angelo Vagenas 73m)
Reserve grade: Fairfield Wanderers 3 Hurstville City Minotaurs 1
Luddenham pummel Belmore
It didn?t take long for Luddenham United to restore its title aspirations with a terrific double league victory during the week returning United to the top of the table. Following a crunching 3-6 loss to Hurstville last week Luddenham responded with a 3-2 win over Nepean in a midweek replay and then ground Belmore into the ground 4-0 at Luddenham Oval on Sunday afternoon.
Coach Andrew Montgomery ripped into his troops following the Minotaurs game and United were on top early against Belmore, Angelo Martino laying on two goals for Pasquale Corso before Grant Odei beat two defenders and the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 at the break. A second-half Dujon Webster goal from outside the box finished the game off for Luddenham.
?Before the Nepean game we had a good talk in the sheds about where it wrong against Hurstville and we came out firing against a very, very good Nepean side. To be perfectly honest they probably played better than us overall, but we had more of the better chances,? he said.
?No-one likes to lose but a good side won?t have two losses in a row. One should be enough to wake you up. [Against Hercules] I saw Belmore play Minotaurs and their attackers looked good, but they also looked a bit shaky at the back and we took advantage of that early.?
Belmore coach John Kyriazopoulos was disappointed with the effort from his team. ?It was disgusting, to be honest; a pretty poor performance overall,? he said. ?We had a few chances but went down early? full credit to them, they hustled hard and got the rewards for it.?
Luddenham United 4 (Pasquale Corso 3/12m Grant Odei 35m Dujon Webster 81m) Belmore Hercules 0
Reserve grade: Luddenham United 1 Belmore Hercules 1
Roosters hold off Nepean
Roosters moved into second place on the ladder with a tough 4-2 win over Nepean at Hills Sports High on Sunday afternoon. Nepean had played well but lost their Luddenham replay 3-2 during the week and continued their attacking form into the Roosters game with an early goal to Mitch McLintoch to take the lead. But this fired the home side into action and Ercan Topal and Adem Taslak both scored goals to give Roosters a 2-1 halftime edge.
The second half was just as terrific with Hulisi Orhan and Taslak goals extending Roosters? advantage before S Matthew knocked one in for Nepean to make it 4-2 and breathe new life into the contest. But fulltime was called with the scoreline unchanged and Roosters unbeaten in six matches, winning their last four straight.
Nepean coach Carlos Camacho was still catching up from a draining week. ?Football?s an emotional game, and exhausted players can only be expected,? he said. ?It was always going to be tough in a replay [against Luddenham] but that?s sport and what?s really important is getting back up again. The Luddenham game showed we were very competitive, and in the second half it came down to the difference of experience, especially in the defence, and again against Roosters it was the difference of playing against players who have years of experience.?
?We?re in this position now. We?re down, but that?s where you show your strengths. We were very prepared for this game. We gave away three cheap goals against Luddenham and fixed that for the Roosters game and didn?t give away those types of goals, so I was very pleased with that. But we didn?t show enough patience on the ball. When we did we created chances.?
?This is a community club with local players, hoping to develop local talent. It?s always tempting to fall into a style of football that you don?t want to coach and what I?ve noticed in this league is that the really simple things work, and the top teams all have seasoned players who know how to make the right plays with the ball.?
?I?m still very positive. We?ve fixed a lot of our issues from early in the season; now we will work on something else and slowly we will get there. We have a good bunch of guys at Nepean and one of the things we want to and will develop is that 12th player from having a crowd behind us. And we can start that by getting the results.?
Roosters 4 (Ercan Topal 29m Adem Taslak 44/70m Hulisi Orhan 67m) Nepean 2 (Mitch McLintoch 14m S Matthew 72m)
Reserve grade: Roosters 3 Nepean 1
Hakoah draw at Chopin Park
It was a tooth and nail affair at Chopin Park on Sunday afternoon when both the Rams and Hakoah gave up leads to eventually draw 2-2. Nima Nikfarjam opened the scoring for the home side on 20 minutes and the Rams led 1-0 at halftime. Hakoah restored parity soon after the restart via a D Gilmartin goal and the visitors hit the front behind a Nathan Kosmina 65th-minute effort. But with the clock ticking down Ben Lam gave the home fans something to cheer about with a late goal to tie proceedings up at 2-2.
The result saw Hakoah drop out of the top-five but kept both sides on the cusp. Chopin Park continues to show a good edge in this year?s division two competition. The Rams have had the least amount of losses (two, with Hawkesbury and Northbridge) but has a league-high six draws. They would have loved turning some of those ties into wins, especially facing seven of the next eight games away from home. Hakoah continued their topsy-turvy run in 2011, still unable to string the same result together (four wins, four draws, three losses), yet still in touch with the frontrunners.
Chopin Park Rams 2 (Nima Nikfarjam 21m Ben Lam 87m) Hakoah 2 (D Gilmartin 49 Nathan Kosmina 65m)
Reserve grade: Chopin Park Rams 1 Hakoah 0
Prospect pound Lansvale
Prospect United returned to the winners circle after six dry weeks following a come-from-behind 4-1 win over luckless Gazy Lansvale at Cherrybrook Park on Sunday afternoon. United were stunned when Ibrahim Hammed opened the scoring for the home side after half-an-hour and, thankfully, got a goal back right on halftime through Gustavo Orcajo.
The second half was a tense affair until Ahmed Chandab finally found the straw to break the camel?s back and his goal for United 10 minutes from fulltime sparked follow-ups from Adrian Jennings and A Castro to lift Prospect to a 4-1 win and back into the top-five. There?s not much to be said for Gazy, who simply cannot take a trick at the moment. They are on a jarring 10-game losing streak and have their backs to the wall with the next four games away from home.
Gazy Lansvale 1 (Ibrahim Hammed 33m) Prospect United 4 (Gustavo Orcajo 45 Ahmed Chandab 79m Adrian Jennings 85m A Castro 90m)
Reserve grade: Gazy Lansvale 1 Prospect United 0
Round 12 scores
Hawkesbury City 2 (Paul Cooper 44/72m pen) Springwood United 4 (Bryan Campbell 33m Scott Lane 55m Matt Schensual 60m pen Peter Henderson 89m)
Northbridge 3 (Max Zanders 31/47m Kieran Hall 59m) Bathurst ?75 0
Chopin Park Rams 2 (Nima Nikfarjam 21m Ben Lam 87m) Hakoah 2 (D Gilmartin 49 Nathan Kosmina 65m)
Roosters 4 (Ercan Topal 29m Adem Taslak 44/70m Hulisi Orhan 67m) Nepean 2 (Mitch McLintoch 14m S Matthew 72m)
Luddenham United 4 (Pasquale Corso 3/12m Grant Odei 35m Dujon Webster 81m) Belmore Hercules 0
Gazy Lansvale 1 (Ibrahim Hammed 33m) Prospect United 4 (Gustavo Orcajo 45 Ahmed Chandab 79m Adrian Jennings 85m A Castro 90m)
Fairfield Wanderers 2 (Ian Peti 55m Harris Nikocevic 64m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 3 (Terry Sidiratos 31m Nick Andreou 49m Angelo Vagenas 73m)
Rescheduled round 9: Nepean 2 Luddenham United 3 (Ivan Bazina, Grant Odei, Dino Imamovic)
Reserve grade:
Hawkesbury City 2 Springwood United 1
Northbridge 2 Bathurst ?75 2
Chopin Park Rams 1 Hakoah 0
Roosters 3 Nepean 1
Luddenham United 1 Belmore Hercules 1
Gazy Lansvale 1 Prospect United 0
Fairfield Wanderers 3 Hurstville City Minotaurs 1
Waratah Cup:
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 4 Northbridge 7
APIA Leichhardt Tigers 5 Fairfield Wanderers 0
Hawkesbury City 1 South Coast Wolves 4
Fraser Park 4 Chopin Park Rams 3 (2-2 at fulltime)
Mounties Wanderers 2 Gazy Lansvale 0
Next week?s games
Round 13 of NSW division two marks the halfway point in the competition. Northbridge welcome Hakoah to Northbridge Oval on Saturday afternoon (3pm) before Prospect and Chopin Park line up at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening (5pm), followed by Saturday night games between Springwood and Gazy Lansvale at Summerhayes Park, Nepean against Hawkesbury at Cook Park, St Marys, and Bathurst versus Luddenham at Alec Lamberton Field (first grade games start at 7pm). There are just two matches on Sunday afternoon, Belmore against Wanderers at Blick Oval and Hurstville versus Roosters at Punchbowl Oval (3pm kick-offs).
Considering the April-May deluge division two isn?t doing too badly in regards to catch-up games with just nine outstanding fixtures to be played.
-By Dan De Nardi
