Blacktown City too strong for Wolves
BLACKTOWN City continued their strong start to defending their championship with a 4-1 victory over South Coast Wolves at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.
With a double from Joey Gibbs and a nice finish from Danny Choi cancelling out Peter Simonoski’s penalty before a late goal to Sasa Macura, the visitors proved too strong in cool conditions.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to get on the scoresheet. A free-kick in a dangerous position, just outside the 18 yard box, had five players all vying to take. However, it was striker Gibbs who had the honours and curled the ball into the top-right corner of the net.
Five minutes later South Coast Wolves had the chance to hit back when an inviting corner drifted into the penalty box only for it to miss everyone.
A heavy challenge from Wolves defender James Baldacchino in the middle of the pitch saw him receive a yellow card and put pressure on him for the rest of the game.
With nothing coming from the resulting free-kick, the Wolves went on the attack and had back-to-back chances. A cross from Christopher Price went unpunished before a headed chance went tamely to the goalkeeper.
In the 18th minute, Blacktown City had a chance to extend their lead. A free-kick on the edge of the area was crossed in by Patrick Antelmi but Gibbs had to stretch as his shot hit the side netting.
Wolves’ goalkeeper Thomas Hamilton was being kept busy and in the 23rd minute made a smart save. After some great build-up from Choi and Antelmi, the keeper was able to do well and stop Joey Gibbs from getting his second.
With the South Coast Wolves starting to make their way into the game with a number of chances, Blacktown City had yet another chance to push the lead out. A free-kick in a similar spot to the first goal was this time taken by Mitch Mallia who narrowly missed the goal as the ball travelled over the bar.
A yellow card for Sasa Macura for kicking the ball away was soon forgotten when a switch of play found midfielder Choi who was calm in front of goal to slot home the ball and give the side a 2-0 lead heading into the interval.
However, on the stroke of half-time Mitch Mallia went into the referee’s book with a yellow card when he came together with Darcy Madden.
It did not take long for the action to heat up in the second half when a minute in Blacktown City got their third. Gibbs was first to a shot saved by Hamilton to score his second of the afternoon.
From the resulting kick-off, the Wolves went up the field and won themselves a penalty. Striker Peter Simonoski stepped up and sent City goalkeeper, Nenad Vekic, the wrong way to bring the deficit back to two as they trailed 3-1.
A yellow card for half-time substitute, George Codrea, saw him become the match’s fourth booking.
With the game calming down after the fast-paced start to the second half, the Wolves had a good chance to get one back. A run from Codrea down the touchline gave him some space but his cross couldn’t find the on rushing Jordan Murray.
In the 72nd minute, the Wolves had yet another chance when Simonoski put the ball just wide.
Five minutes later Hamilton was forced into another save. With the ball floating around in the box from a corner, Blacktown City captain Zac Cairncross connected with a low and hard shot through traffic that the home side keeper managed to keep out.
The game almost boiled over in the 85th minute when a two footed lunge from Christos Tomaras was met with a yellow card. He was immediately substituted.
With almost the last play of the game Macura received the ball from outside the box and smashed the ball past the diving Hamilton.
South Coast Wolves head coach Nahuel Arrate stressed that despite the loss, the team would not lose confidence.
“Obviously the first goal was a great free kick and through our own mistakes we gave them two goals, one straight away and one late in the second half, and we can’t afford to do that against a good side like Blacktown (City)”, he said.
“From our perspective it was very poor from that aspect but there were a good few passages of play, I thought we played some good football and it was just our decision making that let us down."
On the other hand, two-goal hero Joey Gibbs was pleased with his team’s performance and to get on the scoreboard.
“At the start of the season you always want to score as soon as possible and it’s great to get two and help the boys win,” he said.
“I think we have a long way to go till we’re playing at our best but we roughed it out and still won 4-1. So, I think it’s a long season and it’s good we’re winning the games that we’re not playing our best in."
Match Stats
South Coast Wolves 1 (Simonoski PEN 47’)
Blacktown City FC 4 (Gibbs 6’, 46’, Choi, 39’, Macura 90′)
Sunday March 22, 2015
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Referee: Adrian Arndt
Assistant Referees: Andrej Giev and Nathan Wotton
Fourth Official: Katie-Louise Patterson
South Coast Wolves: Hamilton; Alsaad, Madden, Griffiin, Baldacchino (Codrea 46′), Mackenzie (Lavalle 63′), Price, Stojic, Simonoski, O’Rourke, Murray (Welch 72′)
Substitutions not used: Spanoudakis, Fielding, Matthews
Yellow Cards: Baldacchino 16, Codrea 56′
Blacktown City FC: Vekic; Flottman, Lewis, Macura, Gibbs, Tomaras (Perre 85′), Choi, Mallia (Evans 59′), Antelmi (Araujo 68′), Beumie, Cairncross
Substitutions not used: Montford, Prendergast
Yellow Cards: Macura 35′, Mallia 45′, Tomaras 85′
Player Ratings:
3- Gibbs (BC)
2- Mallia (BC)
1-Choi (BC)
–by Jake Bull, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 1 Reporter, at WIN Stadium
