Mens State League 1 Round 18 Review
With the weather reaping havoc over the weekend games, only three matches took place in Round 18 of the Men’s State League 1 Competition.
Northbridge FC v Dulwich Hill FC
Northbridge FC and Dulwich Hill FC shared the spoils in an action packed 3-3 draw on Sunday afternoon, with a Malik Bellouch hatrick not enough for Dulwich Hill, as a ten men Northbridge FC struck right at the death to claim a point.
For Northbridge, Captain Ricky Woodward shrugged of an injury scare from last week to take his place in the middle of the park, while Paul Orgad filled in at right-back.
The early stages saw both teams feeling their way into match with the bumpy playing surface at Wentworth Park requiring both sides full attention.
The game however came to life early on with Dulwich Hill taking an early 1-0 lead in the 5th minute. A long ball was played over the top by Dulwich Hill, and with the Northbridge backline half expecting an offside call, Dully striker Malik Bellouch was able to race clear on goal and tuck the ball home past Northbridge keeper Jack Rushworth.
The early goal saw Dulwich Hill full of confidence in the next few minutes and they showed some nice link up play through the midfield.
Dully didn’t have to wait long for another goal, with Bellouch grabbing his second goal of the game in the 14th minute when a corner was whipped into the box by Jacob Maruca, Bellouch making enough contact to bundle the ball home from the six yard box and give Dulwich Hill a dream start and a 2-0 lead.
A stunned Northbridge looked to get back in the game, but it was Bellouch who continued to threaten for Dulwich Hill with the striker’s strength and skill causing problems for the Northbridge backline.
The 24th minute saw Northbridge’s first real chance on goal when midfielder Marquin Smith went on a trademark run down the field before squaring the ball across the goal, but Michael Cole just failed to meet the ball when only a touch was needed to turn the ball home.
Smith was at it again for Northbridge shortly after with another run and cross creating another opportunity for the home side, this time Paul Orgad got himself on the end of the cross, but his left foot shot sailed over the target.
Northbridge were starting to get on top at this stage and their breakthrough came in the 31st minute when a good off the ball run by Ricky Woodward saw the captain receive the ball in the box and send it across the goal, and this time Michael Cole was on hand to slam the ball past Dulwich Hill keeper Matthew Kasbarian to make the score 2-1.
The goal lifted Northbridge, who now pushed hard to find an equaliser, but Dulwich Hill were up for the fight and a good run by right back Anthony Lazarou saw James Villazon push his long range effort just wide of the goal. Another half chance fell to Michael Cole for Northbridge, but the score board remained unchanged as the referee blew the whistle to end an exciting first half.
The second half commenced with Northbridge applying pressure on the Dulwich Hill goal right from the get go, and left back Mitchell Lensink saw his thumping free kick from the edge of the box go agonizingly close to leveling the scores.
Both sides continued to battle for every ball as the bumpy pitch saw a few loose balls creep into the game. A major turning point occurred in the 58th minute when Northbridge was reduced to ten men, with left back Mitchell Lensink receiving his second yellow card in the space of 8 minutes to leave the home side up against it.
Despite being a man down, it was Northbridge who struck next with the home side leveling the scores in the 63rd minute. The goal started with Marquin Smith spreading the ball wide to Paul Orgad, and the right back provided a perfect cross into the box, which was finished by striker Oliver Babington to make it 2-2
The next stage of the game saw Northbridge have a few chances to take the lead, firstly Babington was able to turn his defender inside the box and make some space for shot, but the striker was unable to find the target. Paul Orgad then went close to putting the home side in front after a cross from Lewis Walker found Orgad alone at the back post, and despite making solid contact with the ball, Orgad’s volley was saved well by the Dulwich Hill keeper.
After soaking up plenty of pressure, Dulwich Hill landed what looked to be the killer blow in the 80th minute with Bellouch grabbing his third goal of the game. The play started with substitute Pedro Campos picking the ball up near the halfway line and streaking down the right hand touch line, and the midfielder managed to send a low cross to the back post which was poked home by Bellouch.
With time running out Northbridge pushed men forward, but it was Dulwich Hill who nearly sealed the points in the 85th minute, after a counter attack saw midfielder Nicholas Mouzourakis shoot from the edge of the box, but his goal bound effort was just tipped over by the Northbridge keeper.
Just as it looked like Dulwich Hill would claim all three points, one last twist arrived in the 90th minute when Northbridge managed to draw level once again. Second half substitute James Collins picked up possession in the Dulwich Hill half and delivered a delightful long ball into the Dulwich Hill box, where the ball was met by Oliver Babington, who’s looping header found the back of the net and made it 3-3.
Despite a last gasp chance to Dulwich Hill midfielder James Villazon, the match ended all square after a titanic effort by both sides.
For Northbridge, Marquin Smith was once again a stand out with the midfielder putting in another all action display in the middle of the park. Striker Oliver Babington showed his predatory instincts with two well taken goals, and Paul Orgad was at the heart of numerous Northbridge attacking raids, in particular in the second half.
Northbridge coach Joe Haywood lamented more dropped points for the bridge, “I’m pleased with the comeback but it’s a disappointing performance from us, overall we didn’t play too badly but individual errors are costing us at the moment”.
For Dulwich Hill the point could prove vital, with the draw leaving them four points clear of Balmain in their battle for 5th spot.
Best on ground was Malik Bellouch, who grabbed a hatrick and used a combination of strength and skill to lead the line for Dulwich Hill. In midfield Nicholas Mouzourakis rolled up his sleeves and got through plenty of dirty work for his side while also providing accurate distribution throughout the game.
Coach Norman Tome shared his thoughts on the game, “I’m happy with the point but it’s a bit disappointing because we could’ve won it at the end. Full credit to Northbridge, they pushed us all the way to the end”.
Match Stats
Northbridge FC 3 (O.Babington x 2, M.Cole)
Dulwich Hill FC 3 (M. Balouch x3)
Sunday, 27th of July, 2014
Wentworth Park, Ultimo
Referee: B. Abrahams
Assistant Referees: S.Brenan, L.Villaroel
Northbridge FC: 14.Paul Orgad, 8.Michael Cole, 23.Raymond Lee, 10.Mitchell Lensink 20.Oliver Babington, 32.Jack Rushworth, 13.Marquin Smith (15.Jake Marvin 85’), 19.Lewis Walker, 6.Ricky Woodward, 11.Jay Wynter, 18.Agneesh Lahiri (5.James Collins 85’)
Substitutes Not Used: 21.Thierry Heut, 16.Jack Grant, 12.Kieran Hall
Yellow Cards: 10.M Lensink, 13. M Smith
Red Cards: 10.M Lensink
Dulwich Hill FC: 3.James Villazon, 5.Sam Cornish, 6.Adam Johnston, 1.Matthew Kasbarian, 16.Anthony Lazarou, 2.Jacob Maruca (41. David Von Dinklage 55’), 17.Anthony Dahdah, 35.Nicholas Mouzourakis, 15.Malik Bellouch (18.Adam Rowntree 85’) 10.Carlos Villazon (8.Pedro Campos) 25.Marcus Frost
Substitutes Not Used: 22.Costa D’Addona, 39.Jamal Coutestabis
Yellow Cards: 6.A Johnston
Red Cards: Nil
Hawkesbury City SC v Gladesville Ryde Magic
A thrilling game on Saturday night saw Gladesville claim a come from behind 3-2 victory over Hawkesbury City.
A bright first half for the home side saw Michael McCrory open the scoring, before Ahmed Khan doubled the advantage as the Hawks took a 2-0 half time lead.
But in a game of two halves, two goals in a couple of minutes for Gladesville turned the game on its head midway through the second half, with Chris Gaitatzis then Stephen Lloyd hitting the back of the net to make the score 2-2.
Then with the game in injury time, Chris Gaitatzis grabbed his double and ensured all three points for Gladesville.
Hawkesbury City SC 2 (M.McCrory, A.Khan) v Gladesville Ryde Magic (C.Gaitatzis x2, S.Lloyd)
Hakaoh Sydney City East FC v Camden Tigers
Sunday evening action saw Hakoah and Camden Tigers play out a 1-1 draw.
An upset looked on the cards when Camden took the lead in the first half through Daniel Seaman, but a second half strike to Neil Jablonski drew the home side level, and neither team could break the deadlock late in the game.
The point maintains Hakoah’s 11 point lead at the top of the ladder, whilst Camden have moved off the bottom of the ladder on goal difference.
Hakaoh Sydney City East FC 1 (N.Jablonski) Camden Tigers 1 (D. Semaan)
Granville Rage v Inter Lions SC – WASHED OUT
Stanmore Hawks v Balmain Tigers FC – WASHED OUT
Western NSW Mariners FC v Nepean FC – WASHED OUT
-By Diego Munoz
