State League One Round 1 Review
State League One action kicked off this weekend with the Match of the Round being reviewed at Magdala Park between Gladesville Ryde Magic v Hakoah Sydney City East.
Gladesville Ryde Magic – Hakoah Sydney City East 3-2
Defending champions, Gladesville Ryde Magic, picked up where they left off in 2012 by defeating newly promoted, Hakoah Sydney City East, by 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Magdala Park.
Magic had lost some players during the off season, players who had been instrumental in their own way to the team’s success in 2012. But on the plus, Gladesville had signed Yavuz Ekinci from Fairfield City Lions, a brilliant playmaker with experience at a higher level. And of course, there were many familiar faces lining up again, now with a Premiership under their belt and eager to do it all again.
Hakoah Sydney City East had earned their promotion on the back on being crowned State League Two champions in 2012, and have kept faith with the bulk of the squad that earned them the title, wishing to give them first crack at the State League One competition.
Hakoah settled slightly the better of the two sides, playing some attractive build up play, with some swift passing putting the Magic on the back foot early on.
A couple of long balls into the penalty box caused mayhem even for experienced Gladesville goalkeeper, Kyriakos Tohouroglou, who spilled one ball and was made to work hard for a few others.
Magic settled in and started to come into the match after the opening ten minutes, with Thierry Heut and Scott Tonkin both having shots blocked in the 12th minute after good build up play down the left.
Skipper Johhny Martinez was next to have a go moments later, his curving shot going over the bar after a swift passing movement involving a number of Gladesville players.
The opening goal of the match almost eventuated in the 20th minute, and it was an unlikely source in Magic goalkeeper, Tohouroglou, that almost broke the deadlock.
The experienced shot stopper took a free kick a good ten metres inside his own half, and the long punt upfield beat everyone, including the protruding Hakoah goalkeeper, Terry Dal Broi, bouncing over his head and past the upright, much to the relief of the visitors.
Hakoah didn’t heed the warning, and just four minutes later, the same avenue produced the game’s opening goal.
Gladesville’s keeper, Tohouroglou, sent another long free kick into the Hakoah penalty area, with the ball ricocheting off a couple of players into the path of Scott Tonkin.
Gladesville’s big number 9 had been in everything up to that stage, throwing his big frame around much to the angst of the Hakoah defence. This time Tonkin showed plenty of calm in a frenzied box, allowing the ball to move onto his left foot before drilling a low shot past the helpless Hakoah keeper, Dal Broi, to give the home side the lead.
Sixty seconds later and remarkably the lead was doubled, this time via an assist from club veteran, Thomas Nastoulis. Nastoulis raced down the right flank before having two cracks at the cross, cutting it back to the edge of the box at the second attempt after his initial effort was cleared straight back to him.
Magic captain, Johnny Martinez, was first to the ball, his shot taking a deflection on the way into the net to give the Magic a 2-0 lead.
To say Hakoah were stunned was an understatement, but they almost pulled one back on 29 minutes, when Nathan Kosmina headed over under pressure from a Dylan Blumberg cross.
Just after the half hour mark Hakoah did in fact reduce the effort, even if it was in comical circumstances.
Gladesville Ryde Magic were awarded a free kick outside their own penalty area, between the edge and the sideline.
It appeared that Magic right fullback, Tim Woodhouse, kicked the ball towards his goalkeeper, Tohouroglou, probably for him to take the kick himself, but the ball was deemed to have been played at, and ‘in play’, by the referee.
The problem for the home side was that Neil Jablonski, the Hakoah captain and centre forward, was the only player who was alert to the action, and he dispatched the loose ball past a stunned Tohouroglou from merely a few yards to bring the visitors back into the match.
It was well and truly game on now, and Hakoah backed themselves to grab an equalizer before the break, coming close on 43 minutes when Jablonski hit a 20 yarder straight at Tohouroglou in the Gladesville goal after a great one-two with Justin Kosmina.
Experienced whistle blower, David Finlay, was allowing the play to flow and played the advantage rule quite a few times, quick to address any misdemeanours when the ball was out of play. He duly called half time right on cue and brought a much needed rest to all and sundry.
Within sixty seconds of the restart and Hakoah Sydney City East suffered a setback, with goalkeeper, Terry Dal Broi, substituted after taking a collision with Yavuz Ekinci.
The intensity only increased from here on, with both sets of players fully committed to the cause. As a result there were no less than three separate head clashes, fortunately with most players able to carry on.
Hakoah’s Dylan Blumberg hit a angled snap volley straight at Magic keeper, Tohouroglou, in the 55th minute, getting on the end of a swift passing movement by the visitors.
But the home side turned the screws in the 65th minute when Ekinci – relatively subdued on his Magic debut – received the ball just inside the Hakaoh half before swiveling and playing a delightful diagonal ball into the path of the onrushing Thomas Nastoulis.
Nastoulis slammed a first time half volley past the stranded substitute keeper, David Helfenbaum, before promptly removing his shirt as he celebrated with the Magic faithful.
Hakoah changed tactics somewhat to try and retrieve something from the match, and young Bradley Walker pushed forward and headed over from a corner as the visitors upped the ante.
Gladesville had a couple of chances to wrap it up, with Hakoah’s Helfenbaum saving firstly, from Tonkin, in the 77th minute, and then Mitchell Smith in the 80th, on both occasions following some great support play from Magic substitute, Samir Eshani.
The proverbial cat was set amongst the pigeons in the 81st minute, however, when an inswinging diagonal ball by Nathan Kosmina was ‘flick’ headed past Tohouroglou by Jablonski to reduce the deficit for Hakoah, the big striker grabbing his second of the afternoon.
But try as they may, and some tackles had a little more bit as the end drew near, that was all she wrote, with the home team picking up the first three points of the season.
For Hakoah it was an honest enough first up effort, and though they wouldn’t be happy taking nothing home, they displayed enough to show they will be there or thereabouts come season end.
Captain Neil Jablonski was a real handful for the Magic defence as an old fashioned number 9, using all his muscle to hold up the leather for his team mates, and chiming in with a brace of goals to boot. Bradley Walker showed strength defensively, whilst Justin Kosmina was energetic and precise with the ball at his feet.
For Gladesville Ryde Magic, it was a healthy three points to kick start their 2013 campaign. They weathered the storm in patches, but struck clinically when they had to, stepping up and away from Hakoah’s grasp when the game needed to be won.
Scott Tonkin played a great match as a target man, throwing his body around and being a real nuisance for the Hakoah defence, working tirelessly, and scoring a clinical goal for his efforts. Aaron Khan and Johnny Martinez worked in tandem across the midfield, the pairing both producing real box-to-box performances for the entire ninety minutes as they made certain Hakoah didn’t get it their own way.
Match Stats
Gladesville Ryde Magic 3 (Tonkin 24’, Martinez 25’, Nastoulis 65’ )
Hakoah Sydney City East 2 (Jablonski 32’, 81’)
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Magdala Park, North Ryde
Referee: Mr D Finlay
Assistant Referees : Mr J Manos and Mr J Lalic
Bench: J. Woods, Z. Elrich, W. Angel, V. Rigoli, I. Johnson.GLADESVLLE RYDE MAGIC: 33.K.Tohouroglou,10.Y.Ekinci (16.S.Eshani 75’), 14.T.Huet, 6.A.Khan, 8.J.Martinez (capt), 2.A.Morris, 7.T.Nastoulis (13.B.Kerr 65’), 11.M.Smith (12.P.Di Mauro 94’), 3.S.Speirs, 9.S.Tonkin, 5.T.Woodhouse.
Substitutes Not Used:, , 1.A.Guirgis.
Yellow Cards: 9.S.Tonkin 17’, 7.T.Nastoulis 65’, 14.T.Huet 69’, 6.A.Khan 89’.
Red Cards: Nil.
HAKOAH SYDNEY CITY EAST: 1.T.Dal Broi (30.D.Helfenbaum 46’), 5.D.Blumberg, 14.P.Darvill (11.D.Ginsberg 60’), 10.D.Gilmartin, 9.N.Jablonski (capt), 6.N.Kosmina, 12.J.Kosmina, 16.M.Randall, 3.B.Walker, 2.R.Wolanski (4.M.Kacen 54’), 7.D.Ranshuijsen.
Substitutes Not Used:,15.J.Marcuson.
Yellow Cards: Nil.
Red Cards: Nil.
ROUND ONE REVIEW
Dulwich Hill SC gave Western NSW Mariners a brutal welcoming to State League One football when they dished out a 7-1 hiding on the opening day of the season proper on Saturday afternoon at Glen Willow Stadium.
The Mariners gave a good account of themselves during the first forty five minutes, and went in at the break all square at 1-1.
But the flood gates opened after half time, Dully scoring three times within the early stages before running away with the match and the three points, making their long trip out west well worth their while.
Hawkesbury City SC had a positive start to life in State League One when they accounted for Camden Tigers 2-0 in front of their home fans at Bensons Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Ethan Simone was the hero for the home side with both goals, one in each half, providing a great win for coach, Dean Bertenshaw, and his Hawks, to spark their 2013 campaign.
In the final match on Saturday, Balmain Tigers FC overcame a resilient debut in SL1 by Nepean FC to come away with the spoils following a 3-2 victory at Cook Park.
There were three matches played on Sunday, including the match of the round, with State League One newcomers, Granville Rage and Prospect United, playing out a scoreless draw at Garside Park to kickstart their debut season.
In the late evening clash, Inter Lions came unstuck at home, losing 1-2 to Northbridge FC, with all the goals coming before the break in a tight encounter.
SL1 CLUBS PLEASE NOTE – without the accurate and prompt input of match details immediately following the completion of a match, I am unable to provide more than the bare minimum when it comes to my Review of each Round of football – could all club contacts please email me direct to get this information through.
-By Frank Speranza
