State League Two Round 15 Review
You wouldn?t discard Hurstville and Springwood either (both have a game in hand), while a Nepean hat-trick has cast Bathurst and Belmore adrift, Gazy still languishing in last place.
Luddenham downed Hakoah 2-0, Roosters beat Bathurst 3-1, Hurstville pipped Gazy 1-0, and Hawkesbury broke their home duck with a 3-1 win over Belmore for the more conventional results of round 15, but Northbridge belted Wanderers 4-1, Nepean upset Chopin Park 2-0, and Prospect steamrolled Springwood 3-0 to add some flair to a good weekend of football.
There was movement on the goalscoring front with an Adem Taslak (Roosters) double and goals to Neil Jablonski (Hakoah) and Ry Hardy (Northbridge) bringing the division two gunslingers together on 11 goals each for the season, ahead of Luddenham?s Huso Merdanovic (9) and Hawkesbury?s Paul Cooper (8). Speaking of goalscorers there have certainly been quite a few in this year?s frenzy (the average has paltered to 3.6 goals per game) with 131 different players finding the back of the net in 98 competitive games so far ? that?s how many total scorers division two conjured up in 2010, albeit with 12 teams. Another 22 more players need to score in the remaining 11 rounds (85-odd matches) to surpass this season?s mark.
In other news, Northbridge were gallant but eventually dismissed 3-1 by Blacktown Spartans at Francis Park on Tuesday evening, advancing the Super League side into the Waratah Cup quarter finals for a second successive year. Northbridge created plenty of headaches for Blacktown but lacked the killer punch in front of goal, Elliot King netting a late consolation after the Spartans had gone from 1-0 leaders at the hour-mark to 3-0 up just 10 minutes later.
It was still a terrific effort from Northbridge who flew the division two banner high in their first Cup foray. ?A bit disappointed on the night that we didn?t convert our chances but the boys were happy with the performance? now we can concentrate on the league,? coach Joe Haywood said. And look out league, with Northbridge smacking Fairfield 4-1 to tantalisingly move to one point outside a jam-packed top-five.
Northbridge thump Wanderers
Northbridge bulldozed Fairfield Wanderers out of the way 4-1 at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday afternoon to send a clear warning to its division two opposition that the new boys in the club mean business. While Northbridge continue to grind their way up the table with just one loss in seven league games Fairfield suffered its first away loss of the season (now only Hawkesbury has an unbeaten road record) and has tasted victory just twice in its past six games.
The home side came out pumped and Daniel Hillege put Northbridge in front by finishing off a Ry Hardy cross and the energetic forward also assisted in the next goal, laying it in for Luke Marshall (back at the club from an overseas stay) to poke underneath the Wanderers keeper to make it 2-0 before the half-hour mark. Hardy was a menace and grabbed a goal for himself moments later and Northbridge led by three at the break.
Fairfield finally woke up at halftime and took advantage of some deep defending to free up Ian Peti for a goal that narrowed the scoreline to 3-1, but local lad Jun Arima made a statement in his comeback game from a stint in reserve grade scoring late to round off an impressive 4-1 victory to Northbridge. The result made their midweek Waratah Cup loss to Blacktown an instant distant memory as the northern marauders continue their merry march.
Northbridge coach Joe Haywood is impressed with the way his side has maintained its course and improved each week. ?The first half we passed quick and sharp and were first to the ball and then got the ball into their half quite quickly? it was a good performance from everyone,? he said. ?We saw this period in the season as crucial as all the top teams are playing each other, and if we come out of it with some good results then we will be positioned well for the end of the season.?
Fairfield coach Leo Maturana thought the game, featuring two top-five contenders, should have had more prominence at the sports complex but offered no excuses. ?They scored early and we never recovered? and before we knew it we were three goals down,? he said. ?[In the] second half we turned up to play and threw everything at them, playing some good football, but it was too late. Our defence had its worst game ever [but] we need to turn up to play from the start. We only have ourselves to blame. Hopefully we can learn from this game.?
Northbridge 4 (Daniel Hillege 6m Luke Marshall 26m Ry Hardy 37m Jun Arima 89m) Fairfield Wanderers 1 (Ian Peti 60m)
Reserve grade: Northbridge 3 Fairfield Wanderers 2
Nepean roll Chopin Park
Nepean kept their heads in the game to register a 2-0 win over Chopin Park at Chopin Park on Saturday afternoon, Jason Browne scoring either side of halftime to upset the Rams. Browne proved the difference as his delightful flick opened the scoring just before halftime before he stole the ball and beat the keeper to all but seal the result with 25 minutes to go in the game. The spirited attacker is the first Nepean player to score more than two goals this season and helped propel his side to a third straight league win.
Nepean coach Carlos Camacho liked how his team stuck to their game for most of the match. ?[Chopin Park] were frustrated in the first half when they didn?t get some calls go their way, but I thought we played well in wet and slippery conditions,? he said. ?Things are panning out for us? but you take it one week at a time as you know. The confidence is definitely up but overall we?re playing the way we should be playing, and trying to keep the ball. Once these boys start getting their confidence up they will start scoring more goals.?
Rams coach Radek Czerwinski disagreed with a couple of contentious calls and felt the decisions deflated his players. It was just the second time Chopin Park had been held scoreless. ?We dominated for the first half hour? and the calls took the wind out of the players? lungs and they lost their focus; we couldn?t pick up the pieces.? he said. ?Credit to Nepean though, as they made the most of our being distracted.?
Chopin Park Rams 0 Nepean 2 (Jason Browne 43/65m)
Reserve grade: Chopin Park Rams 2 Nepean 0
Prospect overpower Springwood
A second half blitz took Prospect United to a 3-0 win over Springwood United at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening, the victory coming at just the right time for Prospect while consigning Springwood to a double league defeat following their 2-3 loss to Luddenham midweek. Prospect are in the middle of a ladder barney and needed this result to return to winning ways.
A lively first half set it up an enthralling second period but Ahmed Chandab stole the show, connecting sweetly on a 20-yard screamer to blast into the top corner before a merry dance from team-mate Luis Freitas doubled the lead midway through the half, Chandab wrapping the game up with a late goal to make it 3-0 to Prospect.
Coach Tony Caruso was delighted. ?It was a pretty tough slog to be honest and a pretty good game,? he said. ?We cancelled each other out in the first half and then we got the breakthrough and grabbed a couple of goals, but Springwood are a very determined side and never give up. You always have to be on their guard against them, and they didn?t let up at all. We?re still on track with what we want to achieve but this win is very timely.?
Prospect United 3 (Ahmed Chandab 49/84m Luis Freitas 65m) Springwood United 0
Reserve grade: Prospect United 1 Springwood United 5
Luddenham ambush Hakoah
Luddenham United hobbled Hakoah 2-0 at Luddenham Oval on Sunday afternoon to teleport speed eight points clear at the top of the division two leaderboard courtesy of a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Springwood midweek. Grant Odei was in a goalscoring mood and got one early when he cut inside a couple of defenders and slotted past the Hakoah goalkeeper, and the Luddenham playmaker made sure of the result with a goalmouth scramble doubling the lead before the hour-mark. Hakoah had a free header to get back into the game but it wasn?t to be their night.
Luddenham are now the only team that has scored goals in every match and their ninth win in 11 games has put a smile in coach Andrew Montgomery?s dial. ?It was a brilliant game and both sides played really well,? he said. ?The fightback against Springwood from 2-0 down and today was one of those games I feared, but I felt we could?ve scored another two goals. I was very happy with the performance today. But there?s a [shipload] of football still to play, and on any day any team can win, so no complacency here.?
Hakoah coach Mark Robertson knew that the result came down to converting chances. ?It was tough conditions for football and both keepers didn?t have much to do. It was good football all round; they defended well and we didn?t put the ball in the back of the net, it?s as simple as that.? Hakoah hold onto fifth spot despite the defeat.
United 2 (Grant Odei 7/56m) Hakoah 0
Reserve grade: Luddenham United 1 Hakoah 2
Roosters bail-up Bathurst
Roosters took the loot in a 3-1 win over Bathurst ?75 at Hills Sports High on Sunday afternoon, shaking off their forced forfeit to Hurstville to stay in second place on the ladder. They might not want to look over their shoulder with six teams within four points of them, but they?re in a better place than Bathurst, who are now floating in the competition?s no-man?s land.
Hayden Porter stole a surprise lead for Bathurst following a 10th minute goal but the joy was very shortlived as the home side grabbed the ascendancy and the lead with quick strikes to Adem Taslak and Gurkan Girgin lifting Roosters to a 2-1 halftime advantage. Taslak made then crushed Bathurst hearts with his 11th goal of the season securing a 3-1 win to Roosters.
Bathurst have now lost all three of their road trips into Sydney but they are one of just five clubs who have made more points playing at home than away (Gazy is another) this season. Roosters have their necks ahead in the division two chicken coop but face top-five contenders Northbridge, Luddenham, Wanderers, Hakoah and Hawkesbury in their next five matches.
Roosters 3 (Adem Taslak 18/63m Gurkan Girgin 33m) Bathurst ?75 1 (Hayden Porter 10m)
Reserve grade: Roosters 2 Bathurst ?75 3
Hurstville pip Gazy
Hurstville City Minotaurs celebrated an unconvincing 1-0 win over Gazy Lansvale at Punchbowl Oval on Sunday afternoon, but with points tough to come by you?ll take them any way you can. Hurstville and Lansvale went hammer and tong in the first half and it took a piece of brilliance to separate the two sides, Mudar Sultan rising high to meet a Kyriacos Phylactou freekick to put City in front in the 70th minute.
The result leaves Hurstville thereabouts on the competition standings, in ninth place but just four points behind fifth-placed Hakoah/Prospect and with a game in hand on every team above them on the ladder. Behind them at the bottom of the table Gazy can still do something about their lowly position, but they will need to dig deep to get the wins they so desperately crave.
Minotaurs coach Peter Sarikakis put the points in the bag and left the ground. ?It was windy and not very good conditions, but getting the three points was the important thing,? he said. ?I guess the lost to Nepean was a bit of a setback for us and today we got back on track again I suppose.?
Hurstville City Minotaurs 1 (Mudar Sultan 70m) Gazy Lansvale 0
Reserve grade: Hurstville City Minotaurs 4 Gazy Lansvale 2
Hawkesbury bury Belmore
A tricky change in venue wasn?t enough to maintain the Hawkesbury home curse as City broke through for a fine 3-1 win over Belmore Hercules at Bensons Lane Field on Sunday afternoon. The game was initially scheduled for Blick Oval before being moved to Hawkesbury turf, where they had been winless this year, and a 0-0 halftime scoreline might have given coach Gary Lewis the jitters, but a second half witch-dance ? with goals to Michael McCrory, John McCrae and hassen Arnaout inside 10 magical minutes before Paul Paras? consolation for Hercules ? broke the voodoo and lifted City to third place on goal differential.
?The first half was a real arm wrestle, obviously with a new coach [Belmore?s Walter Alvarez] their boys had something to play for, but their wasn?t too many opportunities in the first half,? he said. ?Then we put on 10 minutes of brilliant attacking football in the second half and showed we wanted it that little bit more. We had 12 players unavailable today and the sad part about the win was that the changeroom showed a few walking wounded.?
?We had a talk before the game about the second round and that with overnight results we had a chance to go second or even 10th,? Lewis said. ?I told boys that playing well and not winning won?t help our position, that we needed to get results. It could?ve gone either way against Hakoah but we did really well today against Belmore.?
Belmore Hercules 1 (Paul Paras 89m) Hawkesbury City 3 (Michael McCrory 49m John McCrae 53m Hassen Arnaout 57m)
Reserve grade: Belmore Hercules 0 Hawkesbury City 0
Round 15 scores
Prospect United 3 (Ahmed Chandab 49/84m Luis Freitas 65m) Springwood United 0
Northbridge 4 (Daniel Hillege 6m Luke Marshall 26m Ry Hardy 37m Jun Arima 89m) Fairfield Wanderers 1 (Ian Peti 60m)
Chopin Park Rams 0 Nepean 2 (Jason Browne 43/65m)
Hurstville City Minotaurs 1 (Mudar Sultan 70m) Gazy Lansvale 0
Roosters 3 (Adem Taslak 18/63m Gurkan Girgin 33m) Bathurst ?75 1 (Hayden Porter 10m)
Luddenham United 2 (Grant Odei 7/56m) Hakoah 0
Belmore Hercules 1 (Paul Paras 89m) Hawkesbury City 3 (Michael McCrory 49m John McCrae 53m Hassen Arnaout 57m)
Rescheduled round 8: Hawkesbury City 1 (Michael McCrory 75m) Hakoah 1 (Neil Jablonski 35m pen)
Rescheduled round 9: Springwood United 2 (Peter Henderson 9m pen Bryan Campbell 12m) Luddenham United 3 (Pasquale Corso 25m Reece Shiels 57m Glen Davis 83m)
Reserve grade:
Prospect United 1 Springwood United 5
Northbridge 3 Fairfield Wanderers 2
Chopin Park Rams 2 Nepean 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 4 Gazy Lansvale 2
Roosters 2 Bathurst ?75 3
Luddenham United 1 Hakoah 2
Belmore Hercules 0 Hawkesbury City 0
Rescheduled round 8: Hawkesbury City 0 Hakoah 3
Next week?s games
Round 16 of NSW division two kicks off with three Saturday night affairs, Northbridge taking on Roosters in a cracker at Valentine Sports Park (7pm kick-off), a rising Nepean against Prospect United at Cook Park, St Marys (7pm), and Bathurst ?75 versus Hawkesbury City at Alec Lamberton Field (7pm). On Sunday afternoon, Chopin Park Rams face Hurstville City at Punchbowl Oval (3pm), Gazy Lansvale play Belmore Hercules at Blick Oval (3pm kick-off), and Fairfield Wanderers battle Luddenham United in the match of the round at Luddenham Oval (3pm), while Springwood meet Hakoah at Hensley Athletic Field on Sunday night (7pm).
-By Dan De Nardi
