State League One Round 14 Review

Featured Match
Gladesville Ryde Magic v Stanmore Hawks
The spoils were shared at Magdala Reserve on Sunday afternoon as the visiting Stanmore Hawks grabbed a point in a 1-1 draw against Gladesville Ryde Magic.
A flurry of activity in the early stages of the match also produced both of the game?s goals, with neither side able to break the deadlock thereafter during a competitive second half.
Both sides came out firing early, with Gladesville first to threaten on four minutes with Alistair McKie swerving a shot from the edge of the box into the hands of the Stanmore keeper, Robert Fleming.
Stanmore replied in the 7^th minute when Neil Philippou shot meekly from a few yards into the hands of Gladesville?s custodian, Kiriakos Tohouroglou, following some great work on the left by David James, who had skinned a Magic defender before crossing.
Gladesville almost broke the deadlock within sixty seconds, Andrew McKie curling a great effort onto the Stanmore cross bar, the ball bouncing away to safety.
Stanmore were on the ropes at this point, and eventually went behind with a clinical piece of finishing in the 9^th minute.
Alistair McKie lobbed a perfectly weighted ball over the square Hawks defence, and Corey Macri lashed the ball past Stanmore?s Fleming into the bottom corner of the net from an acute angle to put Magic in front.
The Hawks responded merely five minutes later to equalize.
Andrew Heath headed a corner across goal towards the far post, and Ashley Harvey was quickest to react, nodding the ball in from a yard to restore parity.
Having pierced the opposition?s defence, both sides then settled into a bit of a arm wrestle, neither allowing their opponent too much room in the attacking third with some tight marking.
Robert Fleming, however, was called into action twice within a minute before half time with a couple of great saves, keeping Stanmore in the game.
A Gladesville corner in the 43^rd minute was half cleared to a few metres outside the penalty box.
Andrew McKie controlled the ball on his chest before unleashing a volley that had goal written all over it, but Fleming came to the Hawks rescue with a finger-tip save that saw the ball flick the top of the cross bar on it?s way to a corner.
Fleming was at it again moments later, brilliantly diverting a stinging half volley from Elie Salloum from inside the box.
The man-in-the-middle, Mr Michael Weiner, showed why he is earmarked for a spell in the higher grades by allowing the match to flow where possible, but was also quick to stamp out any inappropriate behaviour. He duly blew the half time whistle right on cue to give all and sundry a break from proceedings.
Both sides came roaring out in the opening minutes of the second half, with the league?s joint top scorer, Nick Paradisis, first to ping an angled effort a little high after a good nod down by Neil Philippou.
The McKie boys combined in the 50^th minute for Ryde Magic, Andrew?s flick header from Alistair?s teasing free kick racing agonizingly past the upright.
Then against the run of play somewhat, Gladesville?s much travelled and experienced custodian, Kiriakos Tohouroglou, produced a blunder in the 62^nd minute that almost cost his side a goal.
His clearance went straight to Stanmore predator, Paradisis, just outside the box, and the striker hurriedly had two attempts at goal, both blocked by two great tackles from Gladesville?s equally desperate defender, Benjamin Kerr.
The Magic had the better of the chances late on as they grew more and more desperate to snatch all three points.
Corey Macri?s low shot in the 69^th minute whistled just wide after some great build up by the Magic including a number of precise passes.
It was Andrew McKie?s turn to provide the Magic fans with some agnst in the 76^th minute, snapping a shot centimetres wide of the post following some patient probing by substitute, Thomas Nastoulis, and Alistair McKie.
Andrew was at it one last time in the 78^th minute, spraying a fierce cross shot across the face of goal, with players on both sides unable to get anything on it.
Both sides had run out of puff by now, and played out the remaining minutes without much ?ooomph? before Mr Weiner called a halt on 90 minutes.
For the visitors, Stanmore Hawks, they were keen to stop a losing streak that has seen them stumble towards the back end of the ladder.
A new coach with high credentials, George Paradisis, has taken over, and there?s no doubt that you can expect Stanmore?s performances to improve as a result. They did with immediate effect against Gladesville, as the Hawks had little more resolve than they have shown of late ? including a mid week loss to Hurstville.
Best for Stanmore were ; skipper, David James, is one of the most reliable players in Division One. He controlled the middle of the park tenaciously, fierce in the tackle, quick and effective in his distribution, working tirelessly and equally in attack and defence ; Ashley Harvey complemented his captain in the midfield, strong in the air, hard working, and grabbed a goal via his determination ; striker Nick Paradisis looked lively for the entire 90 minutes, showing himself whenever his team mates had the ball, quick to lay off, and may have hit the net with a little better service.
The home side, Gladesville Ryde Magic, would be disappointed to draw the match on the balance of opportunities alone.
Best for the Magic were ; Brett Townley-Jones was impregnable at left midfield, with a work rate that helped him cover yards up and down the left flank ; Ryan worked hard in the centre of the park, tough defensively, tackling with fierce and determination ; Alistair McKie was at the centre of all of Gladesville?s attacking forays, showing great skill to continually prise open the Stanmore backline with defence-splitting passes.
Match Stats
GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC   (1) 1 (Macri 9?)
STANMORE HAWKS                 (1) 1 (Harvey 14?)
Sunday, June 26, at Magdala Reserve
Referee ? Mr Michael Weiner
Assistant Referees ? Mr Andrea Lomazzi  & Mr Luigi Carlucci
GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC: 1.K.Tohouroglou (capt), 2.A.Morris, 14.B.Kerr, 5.A.Khan, 4.L.Harte, 11.B.T.Jones, 13.E.Salloum (7.T.Nastoulis 67?), 6.A.Ryan, 16.Andrew McKie, 10.Alistair McKie, 8.L.Macri (9.L.Bream 73?).
Subs not used ? 12.S.Mizushima,RGK.P.Ferrara.
Yellow Cards-NIL.
Red Cards-NIL.
STANMORE HAWKS: 1.R.Fleming, 5.A.Heath,17.Y.Mavrou, 12.S.Bromley, 16.S.Spiers, 14.D.James (capt), 20.A.Harvey, 15.A.Papadopoulos (7.J.Pieris 81?), 11.C.Theodosiou, 19.N.Paradisis, 9.N.Philippou.
Subs not used-  28.A.Sillah,6.ASkoulos,30.D.Daaboul,21.G.Murphey.
Yellow Cards- 14.D.James 65?,20.A.Harvey 72?.
Red Cards- NIL.
Division One Review ? Round Fourteen
Hurstville ZSC ? Balmain SC 2-0
3-00pm, Saturday, June 25 @ Hurstville Oval
Hurstville ZFC have catapulted themselves into the top five with six points in four days following their second win of the week on Sunday.
After taking a 2-0 lead against Stanmore in midweek through goals by Paul Gagro and Daniel Jurleta, they let the Hawks back into the match, conceding goals to Andrew Heath and Nick Paradisis.
But teenager, Stephan Perak, grabbed a late brace of goals to give Hurstville the first three points of the week.
On Saturday afternoon, Hurstville accounted for Balmain with two second half goals by Aleksandar Trenoski and Chris Terkes, grabbing their second successive bag of three points.
Whilst the loss sees Balmain condemned to last position on the ladder, Hurstville have climbed to 4^th on 21 points, and will no doubt look to consolidate their spot in the five over the coming weeks.
UNSW ? Inter Lions 5-0
3-00pm, Sunday, June 26 @ Wentworth Park Complex
Inter Lions recent good form was swept aside at Wentworth Park as UNSW demolished them by the tune of  5-0.
UNSW were always in control from the outset, winning personal battles all over the park to score their biggest win of the season.
Henry Kamleitner opened the scoring for UNSW on 8 minutes, and that?s the way it stayed until just after half time, when Julian Bracewell doubled their advantage in the 53^rd minute. 
Strong defender, Michael Janov, grabbed a brace of goals in the 65^th & 89^th minutes, sandwiching a goal from Hayden O?Kelly in the 71^st.
Inter Lions drop to 11^th spot on goal difference, whilst UNSW remain second and move to 25 points, their goal difference moving into positive figures as a result of the win.
Fairfield City Lions ? Mounties Wanderers 1-3
3-00pm, Sunday, June 26 @ Norford Park No.2
Mounties Wanderers came from behind to snatch all three points in a 3-1 victory over Fairfield City Lions on Sunday afternoon.
Norford Park is a touch place to take anything away from, and it was going to plan for the home side when Chris Sultan put the Lions ahead on 61 minutes.
But the Wanderers were desperate to protect their unbeaten run, and Reece Iredale equalized with 12 minutes remaining.
Pocket dynamo, Mark Symington, then gave the visitors the lead with a goal just four minutes later, whilst Iredale grabbed his brace in the final minute, capping a fine afternoon for the attacking midfielder who has been slowly returning to match fitness following an injury lay off.
Mounties have kept their massive fifteen point lead at the top of the competition with this win,  whilst Fairfield City Lions have dropped out of the five as a result of the loss.
Footnote ? Mounties Wanderers must also be congratulated for reaching the semi finals of the State wide Waratah Cup following a remarkable 3-2 win in extra time against Sydney Olympic, no less, the current leaders of the Premier League.
Schofields Scorpions ? Fairfield Bulls 3-1
3-00pm, Sunday, June 26 @ CSI Sport Ground
Schofields Scorpions climbed off the bottom of the ladder and into 9^th spot following their 3-1 victory over Fairfield Bulls on Sunday afternoon.
Stipe Jakovljevic was the two goal hero for the home side, opening proceedings with a goal on 16 minutes, before doubling his and his side?s advantage in the 54^th minute.
Tom Simpson made it 3-0 only sixty seconds later, grabbing his third goal in two weeks in the process.
Even though Niriam Kanoun pulled a goal back for the Bulls, they couldn?t bridge the gap and Schofields picked up all three ponts.
In their defence,the Bulls were backing up after a 3-1 midweek victory over Mt Druitt, a match where Kanoun scored twice, so they were up against it in the latter stages of this encounter and just couldn?t draw level.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers ? Camden Tigers 1-2
3-00pm, Sunday, June 26 @ Popondetta Park
Mt Druitt lost their second match in five days on Sunday when they came unstuck at home against Camden Tigers.
Hosyar Cakal gave the Rangers the lead in the 27^th minute with his 12^th goal of 2011, but Ben Fuller restored parity just 10 minutes later with an equalizing goal for Camden.
Just when the match seemed headed for a draw, up popped Camden?s diminutive little striker, Adam Smutek, to score in the final minute and give the visitors all three points.
The loss sees Mt Druitt languishing in 8^th place on the ladder, whilst Camden climb into 3^rd spot on 22 points.

-By Frank Speranza