Round 20 Review – PS4 NPL 3 NSW Men’s
All is not over just yet at the summit of the competition, with Hills Brumbies’ loss paving the way for Dunbar Rovers to close what still looks like an unassailable gap.
In fact, the chasing pack all won on the weekend, but bottom spot is now confirmed, as the six matches in Round Twenty of the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition were completed over the weekend.
Balmain Tigers won 3-0 on the road in Bathurst against the Mariners, Hawkesbury City upset the Hills Brumbies applecart with a 2-0 home win, David Desmond grabbed another two goals in Dunbar’s come-from-behind 2-1 win at Dulwich Hill, Rydalmere Lions comfortably accounted for Sydney University to the tune of 4-1, whilst Stanmore Hawks beat Gladesville Ryde Magic at Magdala by the odd goal in three.
We visited Garside Park for our feature match, where home side, Granville Rage, entertained the visiting Inter Lions.
Inter Lions dominated for the best part of an hour, before withstanding a late 20-minute onslaught to record a 3-1 victory over Granville Rage at Garside Park on Saturday night.
Inter showed energy in abundance right from the outset, keen to put Rage on the back foot, with some swift counter attacking play from the opening whistle.
Inter’s winger, Eric Tomesek, had the first opportunity on 3 minutes, swivelling on the edge of the box before curling his shot inches past the left upright.
It was then the run of Domenic Arcella, Inter’s experienced midfielder, who snapped a 20 yard volley over the Granville cross bar after a neat, headed lay off by Daniel Fogarty in the 10th minute.
Granville were busy in their running and lead up play, but struggled to penetrate Inter’s rear guard during a frantic first half hour.
Inter’s Daniel Fornito went on a slalom run in the 21st minute, beating three Rage players before being upended. Skipper, Lachlan Wright, whipped over a delightful free kick that was well saved – and held – by the diving Pat Ferrara in the Granville goal.
Just when it seemed it was going to be one of those days, Inter Lions hit Granville between the eyes with a double whammy, two goals within as many minutes to floor the Rage.
Whilst the Rage attacked from a corner, the ball was half cleared to Inter’s Daniel Fogarty, and he raced away with speed straight down the middle.
Drawing a defender, Fogarty played a ball in to the path of team mate, Eric Tomesek, in the right channel, before continuing his run into the box, where he received a fantastic return pass from Tomesek, before thumping the ball first time just inside the far post.
Two minutes later it was 2-0, and it was another great counter attacking goal by Inter Lions.
This time it was Daniel Fornito who had the ball on the left flank, knocking over a far post cross towards the edge of the penalty area. Eric Tomesek knocked it first time back to Daniel Fogarty, who took a touch before unleashing a superb drive that flew in just under the cross bar.
All that Granville could muster before half time was a looping header from Daniel Bittar in the 43rd minute after a Kushaba Kushaba cross, but Inter’s David Plowright gobbled up the ball in mid-air.
It looked like more of the same after the break, especially when Inter extended their lead on 53 minutes.
Fornito again received the ball out on the left, and after some neat close ball skills, squared to Fogarty just outside the penalty area semi-circle.
Faced with a defender head on, Fogarty simply danced to his right before snapping a beautiful shot across the face of goal and in to the far top corner. It was a deadly piece of finishing by Inter’s marksman, notching his hat-trick on the way to putting his team 3-0 up.
The visitors seemed intent on turning the screws, with a fantastic piece of team play involving five or six passes ending with Tomesek blasting over in the 66th minute from inside the box. A minute later it was Michael Sidoti’s turn, seizing on a half-hearted clearance to blast wide from the edge of the box.
But Granville awoke from their slumber in the 68th minute, and began to dominate proceedings from this point on.
It started with a fiercely contested attack which resulted in no less than three consecutive efforts from Granville players – first a shot from substitute Vincent Leto was parried by Inter’s keeper, David Plowright, who then also kept out Daiki Sadahisa’s rebound, before Zac Watters skied his team’s third successive effort.
Daniel Bittar then made a strong run in to the box in the 76th minute, before the loose ball was cracked goal ward by Jess Casey, only for Plowright to again deny Granville with a diving save to his right.
The Rage had their ends up and kept pouring forward, with a neat interchange of passes in the 81st resulting in a low angled shot by Bittar, only for Inter’s Plowright to save with his feet.
Sixty seconds later and a quick cross from Bittar landed at the feet of Sadahisa inside the box. The Granville substitute took a touch before beating Plowright with a low shot, only for the experienced Joseph Ciano to save Inter with a remarkable goal line clearance.
Granville were finally rewarded for their lift in intensity with a goal, and it came in the 83rd minute.
Kushaba Kushaba took a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, curling the ball over the Inter wall and in to the side netting inside the far post, an exquisite set piece to give the home fans something to cheer about.
But that was all she wrote, as Inter Lions held on for a deserved three points on the balance of play over ninety minutes.
Granville Rage matched their opponents on the night for effort, but simply couldn’t penetrate the Inter Lions backline, until the final twenty minutes or so, that is. To their credit, they kept at it at the death, and never gave up, eventually finding the net, but it wasn’t enough to take anything from the match. Best for Granville were; Dylan Stivala, who showed some neat touches in the centre of the park, often squirming between Inter players looking to set up his side’s attack; Kushaba Kushaba showed composure when on the ball, whether facing his own goal or the opposition, and scored a brilliant set piece to give his team some hope; Daniel Bittar looked sharp when in possession, and managed some telling crosses, especially in the second half down the right flank.
Inter Lions started the game brightly, and although it took them 37 minutes to score, they then managed two more goals within 15 minutes either side of half time to eventually sow up the match. Best for Inter Lions; midfielder Domenic Arcella showed tremendous work rate in always closing down the Granville ball carrier, and was ably supported by the strength and presence of Clayton Musumeci in the centre of the park; skipper Lachlan Wright conducted the orchestra in the centre, using all his experienced ball play in being the link man for his team mates; Daniel Fogarty showed why he is one of the league’s most dangerous strikers – in second place on the charts and up to 22 goals now – his brilliant hatrick combining speed, accuracy and determination.
PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s
Round Twenty
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Garside Park
Referee – Adam Noylar
Assistant Referees – Darren Allott and David Haslett
GRANVILLE RAGE 1 (Kushaba 83’)
INTER LIONS 3 (Fogarty 37’ / 39’ / 53’)
GRANVILLE RAGE; 1.P.Ferrara, 7.D.Bittar, 11.D.Bortolazzo (16.D.Sadahisa 64’), 6.K.Kushaba, 2.M.Luc, 9.M.Miljkovic (capt) (8.J.Casey 59’), 4.S.Morris, 15.D.Nelson (20.V.Leto 46’), 3.M.Paraskevopoulos, 18.D.Stivala, 13.Z.Watters.
Substitutes – 22.S.Bortolazzo, 14.B.Berkeley.
Yellow Cards – 3.M.Paraskevopoulos 50’, 4.S.Morris 52’.
Red Cards – Nil
INTER LIONS; 21.D.Plowright, 8.D.Arcella, 16.J.Ciano, 3.J.De Kelly, 39.A.Euripidou, 44.D.Fogarty, 7.D.Fornito, 23.C.Musumeci, 5.M.Sidoti, 6.E.Tomesek, 10.L.Wright (capt) (36.J.Abbonizio 78’).
Substitutes Not Used – 31.J.Soulios, 27.N.Poletan.
Yellow Cards – 8.D.Arcella 56’.
Red Cards – Nil
WESTERN NSW MARINERS FC – BALMAIN TIGERS FC 0-3
Saturday, August 13
Proctor Park @ 4-00pm
Balmain Tigers picked up a handy three points on the road when they accounted for Western NSW Mariners in Bathurst on Saturday afternoon.
Balmain lead 1-0 at the break, before a brace of goals in the second period gave them a resounding 3-0 result at full time. Central striker, Marcelo Turdera, grabbed a double, taking him to 10 goals for the season, whilst Raffaele Moniaci also netted for the Tigers.
The win and subsequent three points puts Balmain up on to 17 points on the competition ladder, equal with Granville Rage, whilst the loss confirms that the Western NSW Mariners will finish bottom of the 2016 competition.
HAWKESBURY CITY SC – HILLS BRUMBIES SC 2-0
Saturday, August 13
David Bertenshaw Field @ 5-00pm
Hawkesbury City provided Hills Brumbies with only their second loss of the campaign when they upset the league leaders 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The result means that Hawkesbury City are the only side that Hills have not been able to conquer in this campaign – along with Stanmore Hawks, who Hills will play in the final round – having already drawn their first round encounter 2-2.
Hawkesbury’s structured and physical approach proved fruitful in the end, with a goal in each half doing the damage.
Michael Noro put the Hawks in front just minutes before half time, with the burly figure of Michael McCrory wrapping it up with his team’s second goal on the hour mark.
DULWICH HILL FC – DUNBAR ROVERS FC 1-2
Saturday, August 13
Arlington Oval @ 7-00pm
Dunbar Rovers showed their true mettle when they overcame a 0-1 half time deficit at Arlington Oval on Saturday night to defeat Dulwich Hill 2-1.
Despite having the lion’s share of possession in the first half, Dunbar went in 0-1 down at the break after an own goal from Robert Ezekiel after just seven minutes.
But the Rovers kept at it and were rewarded in the 56th minute when David Desmond headed home a corner to restore parity.
A flowing team move on 70 minutes brought the winning goal for Dunbar, when David Desmond – who else – raced in to space to tuck the ball under the advancing Dully keeper, Michael Frost.
Both sides hit the woodwork in a frenzied final quarter of an hour, but the score remained the same and Dunbar Rovers took home all three points.
RYDALMERE LIONS SC – SYDNEY UNIVERSITY SFC 4-1
Saturday, August 13
Rydalmere Park @ 7-00pm
Rydalmere Lions made relatively easy work of the visiting Sydney University on Saturday evening, winning comfortably by 4-1.
The first half was a fairly even affair until Farres Aoun’s deflected shot beat Uni goal keeper, Carl McMahon, to open the scoring for the Lions.
But Sydney University equalised on the stroke of half time, Johnny Gowdy knocking it home at the back post after a dangerous cross from Jay Wynter.
Both teams went at it for the opening quarter of an hour after the break, but it was Rydalmere who edged themselves in front when Seijei Tarutani netted with a long range effort.
Controversy reigned moments later following an alleged offence inside the box, and Amaury Gauthier tucked home the penalty to give Rydalmere a commanding 3-1 lead.
Lloyd Owusu made his customary appearance off the bench for Rydalmere, and managed to score his customary goal via a trademark header late on to finish off the night’s proceedings, with Rydalmere prevailing 4-1 in the end.
GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC – STANMORE HAWKS FC 1-2
Sunday, August 13
Magdala Park @ 3-00pm
Gladesville Ryde Magic missed a wonderful opportunity to squeeze in to the top five at the expense of Sydney University when they came unstuck at Magdala Park on Sunday afternoon at the hands of the Stanmore Hawks.
A reasonably even first half saw both sides go in to the break at 0-0, but the Hawks soon took the ascendancy, netting twice through Heo Wookbum and Peter Yannopoulos.
Magic keeper, Kyriakos Tohouroglou, parried initial efforts only to see the Stanmore pair respond quickest to the respective rebounds.
Chris Tomaras reduced the deficit for the home side when he scored with 20 minutes remaining, converting a cut back from skipper, Chris Gaitatzis.
But Gladesville could not penetrate the Stanmore defence further, and the Hawks held on for all three points.
