NSW Premier League Round 8 Review

South Coast Wolves maintained the pace set by the White Eagles with a stunning win at Sydney Olympic, meanwhile Sydney United 58 FC stumbled at Rockdale City Suns to halt its charge towards the top-three.
Meanwhile at the bottom of the table, Parramatta FC collected a major scalp for its first win of the season ? that of Sutherland Sharks in a much deserved three-pointer on Saturday evening at home.
Marconi Stallions 0 Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4
Despite the emphatic score line, Bonnyrigg White Eagles did not have it all their own way in the win at Marconi on Saturday evening.
The Stallions, for large spells, did play quite well, though some defensive lapses proved their undoing as Brian Brown?s White Eagles were unforgiving.
Harris Gaitatzis kick-started proceedings in the 16? minute with a well-taken goal after the Stallions? defenders failed to clear a Robert Younis corner.
The Robert Younis show ? which included a fine hat-trick ? commenced early in the second-half and took only 18? minutes to put the Stallions to the sword.
On 48? minutes following a long ball out of the White Eagles? defence, Younis dispossessed the Stallions to go clear and make it 2-0 on the night.
Younis then combined with Ken Chun to head home his side?s third for the night, before completing his hat-trick from the penalty-spot 1? minute later when the striker was fouled by Christopher Nunes inside the penalty-area.
Despite the Stallions best efforts throughout the 90? minutes to get back into the encounter, Bonnyrigg goalkeeper Ben McNamara proved a strong nemesis, not allowing the home side a look-in.
Parramatta FC 2 Sutherland Sharks 1
Parramatta FC collected its first win, and deservedly so, at home against Sutherland Sharks on Saturday evening. The Eagles ran out 2-1 winners, with striker Kwabena Appiah-Kubi collecting a brace ? a goal on either side of Panni Nikas? penalty midway through the first-half.
The Eagles came out of the blocks fast and opened the scoring on 7? minutes as Appiah-Kubi used his exceptional pace to get in behind the Sharks defenders and slot home.
Sutherland created some timid chances immediately after the goal, and did get back into the match on 19? minutes via the penalty-spot ? Nikas converting with aplomb to re-open the contest.
Parramatta FC certainly did show more hunger throughout the evening and the likes of Appiah-Kubi and Akiyoshi Saito were certainly up for a big showing. The two were involved for Parramatta FC?s winning goal early in the second-half.
Appiah-Kubi, on the turn, blasted a loose ball into the back of the net off the underside of the crossbar, leaving Nathan Denham in the Sharks goal routed to the spot.
Denham was again in great touch, despite finishing on the losing side ? the shot-stopper making two world class saves on the night to prevent a blow-out for the Eagles.
The performance by the Eagles may well just be the injection Lee Sterrey?s men needed to get their campaign on track for a good shot at moving as far away from the bottom of the ladder as possible.
Sydney Olympic 1 South Coast Wolves 2
Despite dominating the encounter at Belmore Sports Ground, Sydney Olympic had nothing to show for their efforts at the end of night as South Coast Wolves collected three-points with a 2-1 win.
Two headed goals ? one each for Mark Picciolini and Sasho Petrovski ? were enough for the Wolves, despite Matthew Mayora momentarily restoring parity midway through the first-half.
Chris Nathaniel provided the opener for Picciolini to head home. The midfielder?s cross arriving from the left as the Wolves opened the scoring on 16? minutes.
Sydney Olympic?s equaliser arrived 4? minutes later. Orchestrated by captain Phil Makrys who played a tantalising ball to Chris Triantis, the latter drawing the goalkeeper off his line before squaring into the path of Mayora to slot home.
Prior to the half-time break, the Wolves got their goal that would prove the match winner. A Samuel Jacob free-kick into the penalty-area picked out the head of Petrovski who had no problem in diverting past Paul Henderson.
Sydney Olympic?s dominant second-half failed to reap any reward ? the side was also forced to play 26? minutes with ten-men following a red card to Mayora.
Blacktown Spartans 2 Manly United FC 1
Blacktown Spartans secured its second win in the NSW Premier League with a 2-1 triumph against Manly United FC in an entertaining contest on Saturday evening.
Goals to Danny Wells and Christopher Gomez were enough to defeat their Northern Beaches rival, the visitor?s goal arriving via youngster Will Pritchard.
Wells? opener arrived moments before the end of the first-half following a goalmouth scramble. Gomez?s initial shot was parried by Manly?s Dylan Mitchell, though Wells reacted quickest to drive home the rebound.
Gomez wasn?t to be denied immediately following the start to the second-half as he latched onto Carlos Salidarre?s long clearance, beating Dylan Mitchell to the ball before slotting home for a two-goal lead.
The visitors responded immediately as Colin Iley played Pritchard into space ? the youngster converting from close-range to re-open the contest, however it was not to be for Manly United FC who remain in eleventh-spot on the ladder following eight rounds of the competition.
Rockdale City Suns 3 Sydney United 58 FC 1
At Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale City Suns stunned Sydney United with a fine performance in their 3-1 defeat of last season?s grand-finalist.
18-year old Alec Urosevski opened the scoring for the Suns on 9? minutes with a glancing header that left Sydney United goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic helpless.
Sydney United found an equaliser in the 42? minute via striker Ben Vidaic, though the Suns immediately restored their lead, again via Urosevski.
Sydney United attempted to give their game plan a shake in the second-half, though there was little to do on an afternoon that belonged to Rockdale City.
Suns captain Peter Apolevski put the result out of reach in the 65? minute with another goal from a set-piece. The Suns? number 7 rose highest to head home a corner and secure Rockdale City maximum points and a strong hold on ninth-spot on the League ladder.
The loss for Sydney United sees Jean-Paul De Marigny?s men sit in seventh-spot, ten-points behind leader, Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
Blacktown City FC 2 APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 3
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers scored a late, dramatic winner to secure maximum points at Lily Homes Stadium on Sunday afternoon, handing Blacktown City FC its first loss of the season.
David D?Apuzzo scored twice for the Tigers, his second goal deep into injury-time to seal the win.
Matt Lewis opened the scoring for the home side in the 17? minute with a low-driven 20-yard effort that found its way through a sea of legs.
The Tigers found their equaliser early in the second-half via Andrew Bevin ? the striker converting Ethan Gailbraith?s through ball with a neat diagonal finish.
Despite Blacktown City again taking the lead on the hour mark via James Monie, D?Apuzzo equalised immediately after the re-start.
On 92? minutes, D?Apuzzo made his way into the penalty-area to fire home new signing Mun-Soo Gil?s lay-off for the win, much to the delight of the Tigers? players and staff.
The win sees APIA-Leichhardt move into fifth-spot on the ladder meanwhile Blacktown City FC hold onto third-spot, eight-points behind Bonnyrigg.
-By Joseph Carlucci