PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 2 Round 17 Review
Central Coast lost the chance to close the gap on PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 2 leaders Spirit FC, going down 2-0 at home to Northern Tigers, who themselves have now drawn level with the Coast in second.
With the adverse weather putting paid to half of the scheduled fixtures, Macarthur Rams made the most of the situation, bringing themselves back into finals contention with a win over Sydney University while Bankstown Berries and Fraser Park shared the points at Parklea.
Feature Game
Bankstown Berries v Fraser Park
In a game transferred from The Crest at Bass Hill to Valentine Park, after uncertain weather late in the week, Bankstown Berries and Fraser Park played out a competitive 1-1 draw on Saturday night, with the Berries probably the more deserving of the two to earn more than that, from a game they dominated over much of the closing period.
Fraser Park, playing on a synthetic surface similar to their own familiar pitch at Sydenham, began the game the brighter of the two teams, but were still stretched out wide by an attack-minded Berries, for much of the first-half, though Fraser probably had the better of the chances, one of which they scored from in the 40th minute.
The visitors were missing the suspended Alexander Veljanovski and the injured Adem Kir, and had some of their starters carrying knocks, one of whom, Nikola Todoroski, managed to break through for his team’s goal, seizing on an error by a Berries defender out on the left, before gaining possession and taking the ball through the middle and finishing crisply.
Berries might have hoped for a penalty as early as the 20th minute, when Kyle Ewart got away down the left and played the ball across to the lively Joel Anscomb, who came down under a strong challenge in the penalty-area; but despite home team protests, the tackle was deemed legitimate by a well-placed referee, Khodr Yaghi.
There were a few lucky escapes for both teams and there could easily have been more goals in the match, were it not for some last-ditch tackles and a few misdirected shots from both sides.
Berries nearly made the most of a potential blunder by Fraser Park ‘keeper, Wayne Estevao, in the 43rd minute, as a cross from the right reached the far-post, with Anscomb waiting expectantly to meet it.
Estevao failed to claim the cross, but as Anscomb bore down on him, the under-pressure keeper managed to get finger-tips to the ball and flick it away from the predatory winger’s reach.
As the game wore on the Berries began to take more control of things, though Fraser by no means threw in the towel, working hard, but beginning to feel the effects of missing one suspended player and a few others carrying knocks.
Nikola Todoroski, who’d led the line well in the first-half, only lasted ten minutes in the second, while right-back Rocci Gabey, came off towards the end, after having a torrid time of it, having dealt well with the threat posed by both Mitchell Davidson and Anscomb, with the Berries adding fresh legs and beginning to pose an increasing threat with their supplementary speed and stamina.
At that stage the nominal home team had already drawn level, finally breaking down a stubborn Fraser defence, with keeper, Estavao, making multiple saves and defenders intervening with crucial tackles inside the six-yard area.
The equaliser came in the 68th, after another strong advance on the right, following a free-kick just inside the Fraser Park half.
When Joel Anscomb’s close-range shot was brilliantly parried by Estavao, there was nobody close enough to clear the loose ball and Berries’ man, Jun Kato, gleefully slammed the ball into the roof of the net.
The barrage had begun well before that, however, with Anscomb volleying one over the bar in the 49th and seeing his 58th minute effort punched away by the keeper, with Matthew Trotter latching onto the ball, but blasting it over the bar.
After the equaliser, Berries continued to press strongly, looking for the winner, but despite some great overlapping on the left from Davidson that set up Anscomb to lay on a cross for Gurbuz, the latter’s strike was brilliantly saved by the busy Estavao.
A great saving-tackle in the 88th from Fraser Park centre-back, Alexander Todoroski, on Anscomb, as he looked set to score at the far-post, meant that the Berries’ hopes of snatching a late winner would be dashed.
Fraser Park took that as encouragement to try and steal the points themselves, as the game moved into stoppage-time.
A corner was won on the left and whipped in by Kevin Oliveira, but when the ball was relayed quickly to Stefan Jovanovic, 20 yards out, in front of goal, the young Serbian recruit could only lift the ball over the bar.
The Berries had hoped to continue their four-game winning streak, but had to settle for a point, as they aim to resurrect their season and stake a late bid for a Finals’ berth.
Berries coach Wally Savor felt his side had been a little complacent in the first-half, resting too much on their laurels after a winning run had perhaps given them too much confidence going into the game.
Fraser Park captain, Nick Dimitropoulos, who had made some important tackles himself in the first-half, described it as a game of two halves, but felt his team would be happy with the point, especially after winning both the Under-18s and Under-20s earlier in the evening.
Bankstown Berries 1 (Jun Kato 68’) v Fraser Park 1 (Nikola Todoroski 40’)
Saturday 18 July 2015
at Valentine Park, Parklea
Referee: Khodr Yagi
Assts: Tristan Harris and Alexander Goodhew
Bankstown Berries: 1. Michael Frost 18. Matthew Trotter 16. Milan Zoric 4. Omar Saadi 12. Mitchell Davidson 7. Kyle Ewart 21. Peter Dimitripoulos 22. Jake Bradshaw (8. Thomas Taylor 66’) 11. Joel Anscomb 17 Ilkay Gurbuz (19. Dimitri Zakilas 78’) 10. Jun Kato
Subs not used: 41. Stefan Giglio 6. Shivan Swamy 15. David Burbidge
Yellow cards: Ilkay Gurbuz 51’
Coach: Wally Savor
Fraser Park: 1. Wayne Estavao 15. Rocci Gabey (16. Marko Micevski 82’) 18. Alexander Todoroski 5. Nicholas Dimitropoulos 3. Davide Talone 7. Kevin Oliviera 13. Pat Cappuccio 6. Suad Ameti 8. Hussein Akil 11. Stefan Jovanovic 17. Nikola Todoroski (20. Kim Daisan 65’).
Subs not used: 22. Riley Keayes 10. Paulo Oliviera
Yellow Cards: Davide Talone 65’
Coach: Mile Todoroski
Feature game report by Paul Green
Macarthur Rams v Sydney University
Macarthur Rams has resurrected their finals challenge with a 2-0 win over Sydney University, bringing the Rams to within three points of fifth on current standings.
An early goal to Ben Cornish put Macarthur in front on seventeen minutes before Daniel Willoughby doubled the score just after halftime. It was an important win following last week’s loss and sets the Rams up for next week’s visit to Central Coast.
Macarthur Rams 2 (Ben Cornish 17’, Daniel Willoughby 51’) v Sydney University 0
Referee: Scott Edeling
Assts: Darren Allatt and David Haslett
Macarthur Rams: 1. Christopher Becerra 2. Craig Cooley 4. Ben Cornish 7. Louis Duchesne 10. Eros Berganin 11. Aaron Farringdon 12. David McMurray 13. Daniel Carrozza 15. Joel Craig (16. Daniel Ramirez) 18. Gavin Forbes (6. Blake Brooker) 19. Daniel Willoughby (9. Shannon Hankin).
Subs not used: 20. Corey Finch 3. Andy Matloub
Yellow Cards: Daniel Carrozza 36’, Ben Cornish 42’, Louis Duchesne 78’, Aaron Farringdon 79’
Sydney University: 1. Marko Bozic 3. Nathan Sansom 4. Gyubeom Kim 10. Santiago Rodriguez 12. Dario Borovickic (7. Ammar Alyassen) 16. Adrian Porcu 17. Stefan de Jesus 19. Matthew Fsadni 32. Tayfun Buyukkopru 43. Marton Vass 44. Peter Crevani.
Subs not used: 21. Patrick Ferrara 13. Alexander Sopina 14. Daniel Mifsud
Yellow Cards: Marton Vass 11’, Adrian Porcu 78’
Central Coast v Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers have done neighbours Spirit FC a huge favour by defeating Spirit’s closest challenger Central Coast 2-0 at Pluim Park on Sunday, keeping the Coast six points from top, at the same time bringing themselves right into contention.
Goals to Liam McConaghy and Matthew West did the deed for the Tigers who headed back down the F3 with a good days work complete.
It was the first of three consecutive matches against the top three for the Tigers who next welcome Hakoah Sydney City East to Mills Park next Sunday before leaders Spirit FC also travel to Mills the week after.
The Tigers’ victory also opens further the race for the Club Championship, with the Tigers, Central Coast and Hakoah all neck and neck for that title.
Central Coast 0 v Northern Tigers 2 (Liam McConaghy, Matthew West)
Washed Out
Mounties Wanderers v Bankstown City
Mount Druitt Town Rangers v Hakoah Sydney City East
St George v Spirit FC
by Peter Rowney, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2 Reporter
