PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 2 Round 14 Review

Spirit FC have opened up a six point gap at the top of the PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 2 competition after a 3-0 win over Sydney University while closest challengers Central Coast suffered a 4-1 home loss to Hakoah Sydney City East.
Feature Game
Bankstown Berries v St George
Two very late goals for Bankstown Berries saw them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat after the nominal home side, in a match switched to Valentine Park, overcame St George 2-1.
Despite the lateness of the goals though, it was a result deserved as the Berries did dominate for the most part, putting strong pressure on St George, but failing for the majority of the game to make their possession count.
The Saints, seeking to recover from the heavy loss last week at Central Coast, were forced into changes with Michael Yarnold and Tarek Ercan both suspended, while Lenox Tweneboa and Wassim Hijazi started on the bench. The Berries meanwhile, were unchanged from the side that defeated Macarthur Rams last week, with even the bench featuring the same five.
The early exchanges were relatively even, and for the first twenty minutes, neither keeper were unduly concerned. Perhaps David Hamilton was the busier, predominantly from the Berries’ regular corners, but was invariably untroubled.
As the half wore on, the Berries began to dominate and it was down the left where the Berries were creating the most danger with Ilkay Gurbuz and Nicholas Paras combining well, with Mitchell Davidson joining in on occasions. But while a cross would arrive, the Saints defence, more on their game this week, snuffed out any opportunities. The closest they came to conceding came via Davidson, who turned well before just shooting inches wide.
St George’s chances were limited, a snapshot from Matt Sadler one of the few in the first half, but when Stevan Ilic broke clear five minutes before the break, a goal seemed imminent. That was before Milan Zoric was to concede a foul, bringing down the Saints striker on his way to goal. Zoric earned a yellow, but it could have been worse.
The resultant free kick was well over, but Ilic got his revenge in first half stoppage time. The Saints’ leading scorer showed great control before shooting into the top corner, a slight deflection seeing the ball spin just under the bar.
It was somewhat of a sucker punch for the Berries, who barely had time to restart. A goal down after dominating the half would have hurt deeply, but they set about their task with even more intent in the second period. It was through Paras that most chances arrived, last week’s double scorer not having luck on his side this week. He struck the bar from distance with a free kick and three further chances in the next ten minutes were also to prove fruitless.
The Saints, in a rare foray upfield, might have grabbed a second, but David Wilson just failed to connect properly to an Ilic cross.
But it seemed again that despite their possession, the Berries would remain scoreless, as the Saints, with the introduction of Lenox Tweneboa, switched to five across the back, keen to protect their one goal advantage. It looked like they would last too, as the clock ticked down and time dwindled.
Then with just three minutes of normal time remaining, the pressure told. Yet another corner, and up rose Dimitri Zakilas, to powerfully head home the equaliser. A saving grace perhaps and you could be forgiven for thinking that both sides might be content with that, a share of the points. But the Berries clearly weren’t, and they pushed on for a winner. Cruelly for the Saints, it came two minutes into time added on, a low Joel Anscomb strike sneaking through a packed penalty area.
Match Stats
Bankstown Berries 2 (Dimitri Zakilas 87’, Joel Anscomb 90+2’) v St George 1 (Stevan Ilic 45+1’)

Saturday June 20 2015

at Valentine Park, Parklea

Referee: Jerry Bitas

Assts: Brandon Lovric and John Lalic
Bankstown Berries: 1. Michael Frost 3. Liam McKenna 7. Kyle Ewart 11. Joel Anscomb 12. Mitchell Davidson 14. Nicholas Paras 16. Milan Zoric 17. Ilkay Gurbuz (19. Dimitri Zakilas) 18. Matthew Trotter 21. Peter Dimitropoulos (8. Thomas Taylor 82’) 22. Jake Bradshaw (10. Jun Kato).
Subs not used: 42. Jake Senior
Yellow Cards: Joel Anscomb 25’, Kyle Ewart 35’, Milan Zoric 39’, Nicholas Paras 90+4’
Coach: Wally Savor
St George: 17. David Hamilton 3. Emmanuel Elali 4. Johnathan Kontalis (11. Wassim Hijazi 74’) 5. Daniell Zeleny 6. Ali Nasreddine 7. Matthew Sadler 14. Andrija Petkovic 15. Peter Pelekanos 16. Joseph D’Elia (13. Lenox Tweneboa 65’) 19. Stevan Ilic (25. Thomas Menton 84’) 20. David Wilson
Subs not used; 1. Aaron Liddell 31. Rino Zenari.
Yellow Cards: Joseph D’Elia 42’, Daniell Zeleny 82’
Coach: David Perkovic
Sydney University v Spirit FC
Last week’s loss seems just a blip on the radar now as Spirit returned to their winning ways with a comfortable 3-0 win at Sydney University.
With Spirit again without Kuag Reec, who failed a late fitness test, Uni, on the back of two consecutive wins, may have fancied their chances of taking something from this game, but their own cause wasn’t helped by the departure of Marton Vass, injured in the first half and failing to return for the second.
Both sides were further depleted when the respective captains were replaced due to injuries, Daniel Cunningham for Spirit on the half hour and Nathan Sansom for Uni on the hour.
The loss of Vass proved crucial and Spirit’s opener came seven minutes after the restart, when Abraham Majok collected a Gosue Sama flick on, to put away the first.
Majok doubled the lead a quarter of an hour later, before substitute Jacob Harris, struck the third with a volley in the final moments.
Sydney University 0 v Spirit FC 3 (Abraham Majok 52’, 66’, Jacob Harris 90 +2’)
Sydney University: 1. Marko Bozic 3. Nathan Sansom (7. Ammar Alyassen) 4. Gyubeom Kim 12. Dario Borovickic 13. Alexander Sopina 17. Stefan de Jesus 18. Adrian Porcu 32. Tayfun Buyukkopru 35. Thomas Keenan (10. Santiago Rodriguez) 4. Marton Vass (19. Matthew Fsadni) 44. Peter Crevani.
Subs not used: 8. Khushaba Khushaba 31. Patrick Ferrara
Yellow Cards: Tayfun Buyukkopru 56’, Matthew Fsadni 60’
Spirit FC: 41. David Lowery 2. Daniel Cunningham (6. Ross Kethel) 3. Henry Wells 4. Nicholas Trimble 8. Grant Cornwell 9. Tim Simpson (10. Ossama Zaki) 11. Abraham Majok 13. Lord Darkoh 14. Ryan Johnstone (7. Jacob Harris) 15. Tom Lovell 22. Gosua Sama.
Subs not used: 1. Murray Nelson 5. Andrew Robertson
Yellow cards: Nil
Fraser Park v Mount Druitt Town Rangers
There is just no stopping Hussein Akil at the moment.
The league’s leading scorer knocked in another two this weekend to take his tally to twelve for the season, as Fraser Park continued their good form with their third win in a row.
Despite going a goal down after just two minutes, Samuel Hawthorne putting the visiting Mount Druitt Town Rangers ahead, Akil scored in each half to help kick along Fraser Park’s top five ambitions.
The equaliser came ten minutes before half time with the winner eight minutes from time.
Fraser Park will head to Mounties on Wednesday with renewed confidence, where a win would see Fraser sneak into the top three.
Fraser Park 2 (Hussein Akil 34’, 82’) v Mount Druitt Town Rangers 1 (Samuel Hawthorne 2’)
Fraser Park: 1. Wayne Estavao 5. Nicholas Dimitropoulos 6. Suad Ameti 8. Hussein Akil 10. Paulo Oliviera (10. Jeffrey Issa) 11. Stefan Jovanovic 12. Adem Kir 145. Rocci Gabey 17. Nikola Todoroski (16. Marko Micevski) 18. Aleksandar Todoroski 20. Kim Daisan (3. Davide Talone). 
Subs not used: 22. Riley Keayes
Mount Druitt Town Rangers: 1. Justin Biega 2. Brian Griffin-Colls 5. Ryan O’Shea 6. Elsid Barkhousir 7. Luke Clifford 8. Nathan Ralph 9. Bryan Soane (3. Garang Awac) 14. Daniel McCann 15. Rainer Smahel 16. Samuel Hawthorne (12. Osadolor Edosomwan) 18. Luke Jenner.
Subs not used: 4. Robert Tribbia 17. Ben Grey 21. Joel Tinker 
Central Coast v Hakoah Sydney City East
There was a turnaround of massive proportions in Lisarow when second placed Central Coast, 6-1 winners last week, suffered a 4-1 home loss to fifth-placed Hakoah Sydney City East.
A send off to Nathan Verity didn’t help their cause but after a scoreless first half, Hakoah scored four times, shared around Paul Orgad, Remy Wolanski, Gavin Rae and Nicholas Mouzourakis. 
The Coast’s scorer was Liam O’Dell.
With Spirit’s win, Central Coast are now six points behind the leaders, making next weekend’s visit to Christie Park all the more important.
Central Coast 1 (Liam O’Dell) v Hakoah Sydney City East 4 (Paul Orgad, Remy Wolanski, Gavin Rae, Nicholas Mouzourakis)
Bankstown City v Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers left it late at Jensen Park in Sunday’s late game to snare a point in a 1-1 draw against Bankstown City.
After Chris Gomez gave the Lions the lead midway through the first half, they maintained their hold on the three points until the final minute, when substitute Matthew West popped up to earn the equaliser.
Bankstown City 1 (Chris Gomez 20’) v Northern Tigers 1 (Matthew West 89’)
Mounties Wanderers v Macarthur Rams – Washed Out
– by Peter Rowney, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2 Reporter