State League One Round 11 Review

Of the the three matches that did go ahead, we review the Southern Bulls-UNSW clash, whilst Mt Druitt Town returned to the winner?s list and Northbridge FC took Hurstville ZFC to the cleaners.
Midweek Round One Rescheduled Match
UNSW ? Fairfield City Lions 6-2
UNSW picked up a valuable three points midweek ? actually on Thursday ? when they tore Fairfield City apart with a thumping 6-2 victory at David Phillips Field.
Big striker, Henry Kamleitner, became ?King Henry V? with a five goal haul in a clinical display of finishing, his goals coming after Sebastian Bendall had put the ?students?in front after just 4 minutes.
Ben Cronk and Yavuz Ekinci scored a couple of consolation goals for the hapless Lions, but it was UNSW?s ? and Kamleitner?s ? night, as they strode into outright second spot on the ladder as a result of two goals in each half from the in form striker.
Match of the Round
Southern Bulls vs UNSW 4-2

Despite having a 2-0 half time lead erased early in the second half, Southern Bulls kept at it and were determined to pick up the three points against UNSW, winning 4-2 in the end of an enthralling contest at Ernie Smith Reserve on Sunday afternoon.

The rain that had affected many grounds across NSW only added a slippery touch to a spongey surface at Ernie Smith Reserve, and both sets of players were keen to ?acclimatise? as quickly as possible.
Both teams had key defenders missing ? the Bulls had Domenic Mercuri still out with a hamstring injury, whilst inspirational UNSW skipper, Andrew Harb, was continuing his recovery from a broken toe sustained a few weeks back.
Some early pressure by Southern Bulls resulted in a 7^th minute corner, the ball ricocheting amongst a few players in the penalty box before finally landing in front of Rafid Hirmiz, who duly smacked it home from a tight angle to give the home fans something to cheer early on.
Lifted by the goal, the Bulls were full of enthusiasm early on, and substitute, Kushaba Kushaba, blasted a volley over the cross bar on 21 minutes from the edge of the box when yet another corner was half cleared.
UNSW had failed to make any real penetration on the Bulls goal, until the 26^th minute, when Henry Kamleitner latched onto a long punt upfield, cutting the ball back for Rocky Luca who swiveled and snapped his shot wide of the upright.
The ?students? were slowly coming into their own at this stage, and went oh-so-close to equalizing in the 33^rd minute, when Sebatsian Bendall?s looping header was brilliantly tipped over by Bulls keeper, Luke Hormis, after a great turn and cross by Stuart Meney.
Both sides showed tenacity in their challenges, and application to the task at hand, but it was the Bulls who doubled their advantage on 41 minutes with a classy strike by Devrim Huseyin. Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area, Huseyin steadied, cut on to his left foot before scooping his shot over UNSW keeper John Duggan to make it 2-0.
Remarkably, UNSW almost pulled a goal back within a minute, Kamleitner sliding in on an acute angle to guide his shot away from the outstrectched arms of the Bulls keeper, Hormis, with the ball agonizingly hitting the post before rolling into the grateful arms of the custodian.
Southern Bulls were good for their lead, and it seemed an unlikely task ahead of the UNSW team at the break, down 0-2 and having backed up after thumping Fairfield City Lions merely three days earlier.
But UNSW gave the game some life when Stuart Meney pulled a goal back on 56 minutes, blasting in from point blank after a great header across the face of goal by Byrne.
Four minutes later and it was all square, a Rocky Luca inswinging corner punched into the Bulls net by Patty Lloyd with a bullet header, much to the angst of the home side.
The visitors had their end up at this stage, and threw men forward in search of a goal that would surely give them the spoils, whilst the Bulls seemed to lose confidence and were on the ropes as panic set in amongst the defensive line.
Both coaches went to the bench and brought on strikers in search of that elusive winner, but it was the Bulls that would eventually come up trumps.
Young Abdul Alnakeer became a hero with a brace of late goals, the first coming in the 79^th minute when he rose to loop a header past UNSW keeper, John Duggan, after a pinpoint hanging cross by Rafid Hirmiz.
At the other end, Bulls keeper, Luke Hormis, was forced to finger tip the ball inches over the bar after a header from one of his own defenders, with UNSW throwing everything at the Bulls in an effort to draw level.
With the home team screaming for time, a UNSW attack was foiled and the ball launched forward into the UNSW half. Abdul Alkaneer sprinted into space to clip the ball over the advancing Duggan, before retrieving the leather, steadying in on goal and tapping it past a hapless defender to wrap up proceedings.
Even though the Bulls have lost more than they have won this season ? 5 wins and 6 losses ? being the only team that has not recorded a draw means they sit in 4^th position on the competition ladder, and will pick up confidence from this win, especially having to score again after being pegged back.
UNSW will no doubt be disappointed given their own high standards, but should be proud of their efforts having to back up with their second match in four days, and remain in 2^nd position on the ladder on 19 points.
Match Stats
Southern Bulls             4 (Hirmiz 7?, Huseyin 41?, Alnakeer 79? / 90? + 2)
UNSW                          2 (Meney 56?, Lloyd 60?)
Sunday 3^rd June, 2012
Ernie Smith Reserve, Moorebank
Referee: Jim Nicolaou
Assistant Referees: Keith Yau and J Xu
Southern Bulls: 40.L.Hormis, 16.A.Zia, 17.J.Youkhana, 4.C.Sultan, 2.J.Kako, 18.D.Huseyin (capt), 5.D.Pascuzzi (15.K.Khushaba 18?), 10.E.Topal, 11.R.Hirmiz , 7.A.Ali Khan, 9.B.Akin (20.A.Alnakeer 73?).
Substitutes Not Used: 21.V.Milicevic, 50.Z.Alzaidy.
Yellow Cards: 11.R.Hirmiz 83?.
Red Cards: Nil

Bench: J. Woods, Z. Elrich, W. Angel, V. Rigoli, I. Johnson.UNSW: 1.J.Duggan, 20.M.Janov (2.A.Jones 80?), 19.T.Vidovic, 4.P.Lloyd, 3.J.Byrne (13.B.Wiblem 62?), 8.J.K?rkland-Morris, 18.R.Brennan, 12.S.Bendall, 11.H.Kamleitner, 22.R.Luca, 9.S.Meney (10.D.Cutura 66?).
Substitutes Not Used: 23.G.Diakos.
Yellow Cards: 13.B.Wiblem 70?, 2.A.Jones 87?.
Red Cards: Nil
State League One
Round Ten Review
Stanmore Hawks ? Schofields Scorpions @ Arlington Oval, Saturday, WASHED OUT
Balmain SC ? Camden Tigers @ Lambert Park, Saturday, WASHED OUT
Mt Druitt Town Rangers ? Inter Lions 3-1
Mt Druitt Town Rangers returned to the winners? circle on Saturday evening with a 3-1 triumph over Inter Lions at Popondetta Park.
It was a welcome victory for the Rangers given they had been winless over the past three weeks, whilst Inter Lions had been on a fantastic run, not having lost since the opening day of the season way back in March.
All four goals came in a frantic first 23 minutes with the home side taking the ascendancy as early as the 3^rd minute, hitting the lead with a Carl McNaughton strike.
Todd Macrae extended Mt Druitt?s advantage in the 15^th minute with his 10^th goal of the 2012 campaign, increasing his lead at the top of the goalscorers? charts.
Even though Inter pulled a goal back through Bosnar in the 21^st minute, Glenn McPherson restored the home side?s two goal advantage just two minutes later, the scoreboard untouched for the remainder of the match.
The three points means Mt Druitt climb to 19 points on the ladder, equal second with UNSW but behind on goal difference, whilst Inter Lions remain on 14 points in 6^th spot.
Glades Ryde Magic vs Fairfield City @ Magdala Reserve Sunday, WASHED OUT
Hurstville ZFC ? Northbridge FC 0-6
Northbridge FC took advantage of Hurstville Oval being passed fit to play on Sunday afternoon, dismantling Hurstville ZFC to the tune of 6-0 n a commanding display of attacking football.
Michael Cole was the chief destroyer, opening the visitors? account on 34 minutes, taking the one goal lead into the break.
The onslaught after half time included three goals in a three minute spell just after the hour mark, with Cole doubling the advantage in the 64^th, Jun Arima making it 3-0 in the 66^th, before Cole grabbed his hatrick and his side?s fourth goal in the 67^th minute.
Paul Orgad got in on the act in the 79^th minute, whilst Cole had time to complete a remarkable afternoon?s work by scoring his fourth goal six minutes before the end, rounding off a resounding outcome for the visitors.
The loss keeps Hurstville at the foot of the table, with the six goals doing nothing for their goal difference, whilst Northbridge FC moved 4 spots on the ladder up to 5^th, now boasting the best attack in the league.
-By Frank Speranza