PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 2 Round 15 Review

Spirit FC have extended the lead in the PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 2 to a massive nine points after overpowering nearest challengers Central Coast 3-0 on Sunday.
The race for the remaining positions in the finals remain up for grabs with as many as seven other clubs being well in the hunt.
The battle at the bottom became further muddied after Sydney University’s astonishing 5-1 win at Mount Druitt Town Rangers.
Feature Game
Spirit FC v Central Coast
This game lived up to its billing in every way and a large crowd turned up to a Christie Park bathed in winter sunshine, to see the top two teams in the league battle it out in the race for the title.
With Spirit holding a six point gap prior to kick off, there was little doubt as to what Central Coast would need to do, and that was the difficult task of taking the three points home to Lisarow. Only one club has been successful in defeating Spirit this season, and we are into round fifteen.
The sense of occasion was apparent and it was nicely set up with both teams entering the playing field together, before lining up and shaking hands in traditional Cup final manner. An enjoyable touch for a match of such significant importance.
Both sides were without regulars. Daniel Cunningham and Kuag Reec were still on the injured list for Spirit while Central Coast has seen the departure of Josh Bingham and Jake McGing back to the Central Coast Mariners, while Nathan Verity was suspended.
It made little difference to the entertainment value of the game, which started as an open encounter and rarely faltered over the next ninety minutes. As early as the third minute, Spirit almost took the lead after Brad Gibson, who was extremely purposeful throughout, set up Gosue Sama. It was a close run thing as Sama hit the side netting.
But before ten minutes were up, Spirit had hit the front. Good combination play from Sama, who won the ball in a tight contest, out wide to Henry Wells whose neat cross was met superbly by Abraham Majok, charging in.
It was just the start Spirit wanted and they were clearly on top as the game progressed. Gibson, Sama, Majok and Wells were dynamic, switching sides, pacy and always likely to produce a chance. Central Coast relied predominantly on the speedy Trent Buhagiar up front, but the experienced Nicholas Trimble and Tom Lovell were rarely fazed.
The Coast did have the ball in the net at one stage, Lachlan Wales sliding the ball home but an earlier offside call to Buhagiar ruined any possible celebrations.
Spirit kept at it. Trimble tried from distance and wasn’t too far away but the closest they came to scoring again came five minutes before half time. A corner from Ryan Johnstone saw Sama head against the cross bar, before amazingly, Trimble immediately did the same on the rebound.
So for all their chances, Spirit just went in one goal to the good, and the Central Coast were not out of it, not by a long chalk.
Just three minutes after the break in fact, Wales came close to equalising. A ball nodded on by Buhagiar fell into the path of Wales, but his shot just rose over the bar.
Daniel McFarlane then tried his luck but Lowery saved. Immediately Spirit countered, Liam O’Dell slipped, and the bounce of the ball went Majok’s way. One-on-one with Blake Tuxford, but despite the keeper’s best efforts, Majok slotted away number two.
Two became three just four minutes after that. A Spirit corner, a scrap, and the loose ball fell to Johnstone who drove low into the net.
The game was sealed at that point, and though Central Coast tried to gain a consolation, Spirit were just too determined. The last chance of the day went to Spirit again, Tim Simpson, on for the last fifteen minutes, almost getting the fourth in time added on, but was denied by Tuxford.
The nine point gap that Spirit now hold, and the far superior goal difference, is not insurmountable, but just maybe, the GHFA might want to invest in some brasso.
Spirit FC 3 (Abraham Majok 9’, 63’, Ryan Johnstone 67’) v Central Coast 0
Sunday 28 June 2015
at Christie Park, Marsfield
Referee: Katie Patterson
Assts: Paul Faithfull and Brandon Lovric
Spirit FC: 41. David Lowery 3. Henry Wells 4. Nicholas Trimble 5. Andrew Robertson 8. Grant Cornwell (20. Michael Streeter 87’) 11. Abraham Majok (9. Tim Simpson 77’) 12. Brad Gibson (10. Ossama Zaki 65’) 13. Lord Darkoh 14. Ryan Johnstone 19. Tom Lovell 22. Gosue Sama.
Subs not used: 1. Murray Nelson
Yellow Cards: Abraham Majok 11’
Coash: John McLafferty
Central Coast: 1. Blake Tuxford 2. Liam O’Dell 3. Joshua Forbes 5. Bryan Jamba 6. Matthew Crowell (c) (14. Steve Whyte 78’) 8. Joel Hardwick 10. Alexander Arbelo (9. Adam Woodbine 58’) 12. Trent Buhagiar 16. Daniel McFarlane 17. Lachlan Wales 28. Chris Hurley (11. Louis Bozanic 76’) 
Subs not used: 40. Beyhan Irmako 7. Jayden Priest
Yellow cards: Trent Buhagiar 44’
Coach: Peter Preston
St George v Hakoah Sydney City East
In a scrappy affair at St George Stadium, a single goal to Deklan Gilmartin was sufficient for the visitors to take all three points, maintaining their third position on the ladder.
The goal came after a cross from Michael McCrory was superbly met by Gilmartin, his header looping over David Hamilton, midway through the second half.
St George 0 v Hakoah Sydney City East 1 (Deklan Gilmartin 65’)
St George: 17. David Hamilton 3. Emmanuel Elali 5. Daniel Zeleny (c) 6. Ali Nasreddine (15. Peter Pelekanos 65’) 7. Matt Sadler (19. Stevan Ilic 76’) 8. Tarek Ercan 11. Wassim Hijazi 13. Lenox Tweneboa 14. Andrija Petkovic (44. James Togias 85’) 16. Joseph d’Elia 20. David Wilson.
Subs not used: 1. Aaron Liddell 10. Michael Yarnold
Hakoah Sydney City East: 1. Matthew Symes 2. Remy Wolanski 4. Bradley Walker 8. Paul Orgad 9. Neil Jablonski (c) 10. Deklan Gilmartin 11. Gavin Rae 17. Joseph Dingwall 19. Jacob Esposito 26. Federico Kertscher (5. Michael McCrory 54’) 44. Nicholas Mouzourakis (21. German Cabrera 64’).
Subs not used: 29. Harry Jones 40. Matthew McKenzie
Mount Druitt Town Rangers v Sydney University

A three goal haul to captain Nathan Sansom set Sydney University on the path to victory, the hefty

5-1 win over Mount Druitt Town Rangers giving plenty of warning to the rest of the league that they aren’t to be taken lightly, despite their struggles this season.
The opener came from Tayfun Buyukkopru, scoring well from a Peter Crevani through ball, before Crevani again set up the second, for Sansom’s first of the game. Yet again, Crevani turned provider for the third, Sansom scoring with a chip over the keeper for a 3-0 half time score.
It was always going to be tough for Rangers from then on, whose sole goal in reply came from Elsid Barkshousir. Crevani, and Sansom with his third, rounded out the scoring for Uni.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1 (Elsid Barkhousir) v Sydney University 5 (Nathan Sansom 3, Peter Crevani, Tayfun Buyukkopru)
Mount Druitt Town Rangers: 1. Justin Biega 3. Garang Awac 4. Robert Tribbia 5. Ryan O’Shea 6. Elsid Barkhousir 7. Luke Clifford 8. Nathan Ralph 14. Daniel McCann 15. Rainer Smahel 17. David Mavisa (12. Osadolor Edosomwan) 18. Luke Jenner (11. Samuel Hawthorne).
Subs not used: 9. Ben Gray 16. Daniel Embleton 21. Joel Tinker.
Sydney University: 1. Marko Bozic 3. Nathan Sansom 4. Gyubeom Kim 10. Santiago Rodriguez (7. Ammar Alyassan) 12. Dario Borovickic 16. Adrian Porcu 17. Stefan de Jesus (8. Khushaba Khushaba) 33. Marton Vass 44. Peter Crevani 50. Matthew Fsadni 60. Tayfun Buyukkopru.
Subs not used: 13. Alexander Sopina 21. Patrick Ferrara 24. Jacob Blundell
Bankstown Berries v Mounties Wanderers
It is three wins in a row now for Bankstown Berries who have clawed their way back into finals contention with a 3-2 over Mounties Wanderers.
They held a half time lead though Ilkay Gurbuz but Mounties, who collared their first win during the week, equalised ten minutes after half time via Reid Taylor.
But two goals in quick succession by Liam McKenna and Jun Kato gave the Berries a two goal advantage before substitute Daine Merrin scored for Mounties with six minutes to go.
Bankstown Berries 3 (Ilkay Gurbuz 23’, Liam McKenna 60’, Jun Kato 63’) v Mounties Wanderers 2 (Reid Taylor 55’, Daine Merrin 84’)
Bankstown Berries: 1. Michael Frost 3. Liam McKenna 4. Omar Saadi 10. Jun Kato 11. Joel Anscomb (19. Dimitri Zakilas) 12. Mitchell Davidson 14. Nicholas Paras 17. Ilkay Gurbuz 18. Matthew Trotter 21. Peter Dimitropoulos (8. Thomas Taylor) 22. Jake Bradshaw.
Subs not used: 42. Jake Senior 34. Daniel Marques
Mounties Wanderers: 30. Ali Akbal 3. Neftali Gonzalez 6. Aleksandar Tomic 8. Edward Stewart (29. James Lenn) 14. Dragan Savic (11. Daine Merrin) 15. Shane Webb (22. Rory McGeown) 18. Mark D’Alessandro 20. Reid Taylor 26. Jacob Carluccio 27. Gongjun Lee 28. Leon Faria.
Subs not used: 1. James Stojcevski 16. Jamie Dibb
Bankstown City v Macarthur Rams
For the second week in succession, Chris Gomez got on the scoresheet as Bankstown City defeated Macarthur Rams 2-0 at Jensen Park, to stiffen their finals challenge. With Grant Lynch getting the other for the Lions, they moved to within a point of the five, following Mount Druitt’s loss.
The loss was a further blow for Macarthur who remain in tenth, and whose season is fast slipping away.
Bankstown City 2 (Chris Gomez, Grant Lynch) v Macarthur Rams 0
Northern Tigers v Fraser Park
There were no goals at Mills Park as visitors Fraser Park leapt into the five nonetheless, the point earned taking them above Mount Druitt Town Rangers on goal difference.
Northern Tigers remain in fourth but are just one win away from second, the formbook returning after five games now without loss.
Northern Tigers 0 v Fraser Park 0
–by Peter Rowney, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2 Reporter