Round 8 – National Premier League 3 NSW Men’s Review
The 2018 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW competition never ceases to amaze with its constant supply of goals and more goals, with another 35 scored over the weekend across the seven matches in Round Eight, providing yet another healthy average of 5 goals per match
Remarkably, all seven matches resulted in home wins – not a single team managed to take not even a point from their travels!
Dunbar Rovers produced an amazing second half performance to come from 0-1 down to hammer Fraser Park 6-1 on Saturday afternoon; Hawkesbury City manufactured a 4-2 win at home to overcome a resilient Stanmore Hawks; Dulwich Hill continued their momentum with a narrow 3-2 triumph over Sydney University at Arlington Oval; Inter Lions managed their second win of the season courtesy of a 3-1 result over the Western NSW Mariners; Granville Rage made it three successive wins with a closely fought 2-1 victory over Camden Tigers at Garside Park on Saturday night; St George City FA made light work of the SD Raiders winning 6-0 at Jubilee Oval on Saturday night, with Sam Messam notching a hatrick.
Football New South Wales were at Christie Park to watch the eagerly anticipated battle between Gladesville Ryde Magic and Bankstown City Lions.
MATCH OF THE ROUND – Gladesville Ryde Magic vs Bankstown City Lions
Gladesville Ryde Magic came back from conceding an early goal to overcome Bankstown City Lions 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at the newly laid synthetic surface of Christie Park in Marsfield.
The result meant that Magic become the first team to inflict a defeat on Bankstown City Lions, who in the process, also lose their top spot on the competition ladder to Hawkesbury City.
Despite missing skipper, Nikola Todorovski, Bankstown City started with wind in their sails and should’ve been two goals up within the opening quarter of an hour.
Bankstown did take the lead as early as the 3rd minute, when stand-in captain, Jeff Issa, turned his marker before laying a superb cross on a plate for Jake Douglas to nod home from close range.
It should’ve been 2-0 in the 11th minute, with this time Lachlan Willmore, racing in to space before laying it on a platter for Ante Tomic with a great cut back. Tomic hit it first time from a couple of yards, but Gladesville’s veteran goal keeper, Kyriakos Tohouroglou, showed incredible agility to throw himself at the ball and divert it wide of the upright.
That unbelievable save turned out to be a turning point of sorts, because Gladesville Ryde Magic woke from their slumber, and began running at Bankstown City with purpose.
Gladesville’s young right fullback, Cameron Newton, wriggled inside before hitting a low shot from the edge of the box on 19 minutes that was racing towards the bottom corner. But Bankstown’s keeper, Carl McMahon, was equal to the task, flinging himself low to his right to parry the effort.
Magic kept at it, and their increased application helped them to draw level in the 26th minute. A left wing cross from Johnny Gowdy was retrieved on the far goal line by Magic skipper, Chris Gaitatzis, who turned and laid the ball in to the path of brother, Michael.
Receiving the ball near the top of the box, Michael Gaitatzis fired in a bullet across his body that ended up nestling inside the far top corner of the Bankstown City Lions net.
Chris Gaitatzis was proving a real handful for the Bankstown City defence with his resolute running, and he drew a foul inside the penalty area in the 33rd minute after refusing to give up in a challenge for possession with two defenders.
Michael Gaitatzis sent Bankstown keeper, Carl McMahon, the wrong way from the penalty spot to edge Gladesville Ryde Magic in to a 2-1 lead, a lead which they held until half time.
The second half had barely started and Magic were in again to make it 3-1.
Johnny Gowdy raced down the right flank, looked up and hit a cross shot which deceived all and sundry, including Bankstown keeper, Carl McMahon, as it snuck inside the near post and in to the net.
Bankstown City coach, Jeff Suzor, rang the changes, making all three allowable substitutions around the hour mark, with one of them, Ante Markovic, making an instant impact, finding himself in the referee’s notebook for a rash challenge on Gladesville’s Chris Gaitatzis.
But the changes had little effect where it mattered – in the front third – and try as they may, Bankstown City Lions were simply devoid of ideas on how to penetrate the Magic defence.
Aaron Khan and Lachlan Harte, Magic’s own ‘twin towers’ in central defence, were superb on the day, winning all in the air and most on the ground as they continued to thwart the Lions attack time and again.
Alfred Hess – who was one of Bankstown’ best on the day in a centre back role – produced an overhead kick in the 66th minute from a corner that almost gave Bankstown City some reprieve, but the effort went inches over the cross bar.
The remainder of the game resembled a bit of an arm wrestle as both teams cancelled each other out.
Gladesville were quite content to stay structured and sit back, soaking up any of Bankstown’s forays forward, protecting their two goal lead.
On the other hand, Bankstown City Lions huffed and puffed but simply couldn’t find a way back into the game, and time eventually ran out on them.
Suffering their first loss of the campaign, Bankstown City Lions remain on 17 points, but drop from 1st to 3rd on the competition ladder as a result.
Gladesville Ryde Magic would be very content with the three points, more so given they did not play to their potential in this match. The win sees Magic climb to 16 points and they have now moved in to 4th position.
National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s
Round 8: Sunday, April 29, 2018
Christie Park, Marsfield
GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC 3 (M.Gaitatzis 26’ / 33’ pen, Gowdy 53’)
BANKSTOWN CITY LIONS 1 (Douglas 3’)
Referee – Jarryd McFarlane
Assistant Referees – Nathan Lora and Hugh White
GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC;
33.K.Tohouroglou, 2.C.Newton, 4.A.Khan, 5.L.Harte, 6.A.Mickael, 9.C.Gaitatzis (capt) (10.C.Tomaras 76’), 11.C.Triantis (18.P.Voukidis 71’), 13.B.Kerr, 14.A.Jolly, 16.J.Gowdy, 17.M.Gaitatzis.
Substitutes Not Used – 19.F.Calcagno, 20.N.Gongolidis.
Yellow Cards – 11.C.Triantis 69’.
Red Cards – Nil
BANKSTOWN CITY LIONS;
20.C.McMahon, 5.T.Markovski, 6.A.Hess, 7.J.Issa (capt), 8.A.Berg, 11.A.Tomic, 16.M.Sehic (3.A.Markovic 58’), 17.A.Savetta, 18.J.Douglas (31.A.Do Pao 58’), 24.D.Jakimovski, 32.L.Willmore (19.J.Kanayama 61’).
Substitutes Not Used – 26.M.Williamson, 27.J.Karantz.
Yellow Cards – 6.A.Hess 43’, 3.A.Markovic 59’.
Red Cards – Nil
Dunbar Rovers – Fraser Park 6-1
Dunbar Rovers continued their surge up the competition ladder by recording their third successive victory, this time smacking Fraser Park 6-1 at Hensley Athletic Field on Saturday afternoon.
Remarkably the Rovers had to do it by coming from behind, with Fraser Park scoring midway through the first half. Michael Houdek got his toe to the ball in a goal mouth scramble and found the bottom corner, with the visitors taking the lead to the half time break.
If truth be told, Dunbar goal keeper, Stephen Deasy, pulled off at least a couple of brilliant saves to keep the Rovers from falling further behind.
But whatever was in the water in the Dunbar dressing room had the desired effect, with Dunbar responding after half time with no less than six unanswered goals.
Ryan Shaughnessy equalised on 50 minutes, and Dunbar were in front soon after, with a fine strike from James Brodnik in the 58th.
Ryan Shaughnessy has been in inspired form of late, and netted his second, and eight in four games, after 67 minutes to give Dunbar a 3-1 lead.
Yoel Silvestre got in on the act with two goals in two minutes on 75 and 77 minutes, before substitute, Alexander Crane, completed the rout to finish off the afternoon’s proceedings at 6-1 to the home side.
The win and subsequent three points sees Dunbar Rovers climb to 13 points on the competition ladder in equal 6th position.
Hawkesbury City – Stanmore Hawks 4-2
Hawkesbury City keep on, keeping on with yet another three points on Saturday evening, this week overcoming Stanmore Hawks 4-2 at David Bertenshaw Field.
The Hawks started on the front foot and should’ve taken an early lead but James Maewin missed the target, but the home side were not to be denied, and settled in to their rhythm to take a 2-0 lead by half time.
Brad Gibson took advantage of a failed clearance to make it 1-0, and Daniel Morsillo doubled the Hawks advantage shortly afterwards when he converted after being through in a one-on-one situation with the Stanmore keeper.
Stanmore made a game of it after the break, and and managed to draw level with two quick goals within a minute.
However Hawkesbury are made of sterner stuff these days, and they dug deep to find another gear, pulling away with two goals to register a 4-2 triumph.
Tobias Elliot-Orr knocked the ball in at the back stick for 3-2, whilst Joaqin Veliz Coccolo showed composure to dribble through a crowded penalty are and slot home goal number four.
It was Stanmore’s third successive loss, seeing them remain on 10 points but drop to 9th spot, whilst Hawkesbury continue on their merry way, the three points moving them to 20 at the summit of the competition, whilst remaining undefeated after eight rounds of competition.
Dulwich Hill – Sydney University 3-2
Dulwich Hill overcame a stubborn Sydney University at Arlington Oval on Saturday night, prevailing by the odd goal in five.
Following on from a pretty even first half an hour, Sydney University had young keeper, Steve Antoniou, making his first grade debut, to thank for keeping them in it when he made a smart stop to deny Dully’s Ben Vidiac.
However, Vidiac was not to be denied, scoring from 40 yards after spotting Antoniou off his line to give Dully the lead.
But on the stroke of half time, Sydney University equalised when a Robbie Shields free kick was bundled home at the far post by Seamus Dowd.
Dully started the much brighter in the second half and it was that man Vidiac again who put the host in front with a far post header.
2-1 quickly became 3-1 when a defensive error allowed Henry Wells to roll the ball into the empty net.
Uni keeper, Antoniou, twice denied Dully as the home side turned on the heat, but the visitors hung in there, and with 5 minutes to go the game came alive.
A Peter Kardasis header came back off the woodwork but Shields stabbed the rebound goalwards. A Dully player appeared to handle on the line, and the referee’s assistant indicated as much, but the decision was over ruled.
The ‘students’ kept at it and reduced the deficit to 3-2 in injury time, Scott Tonkin breaking free before rounding the Dully keeper to tuck it home.
However it proved too little, too late, and the home side hung on for the points.
Sydney University remain on 6 points and drop to 12th spot on the ladder, whilst Dulwich Hill move to 5th position courtesy of the win, climbing to 14 points in the process.
Inter Lions – Western NSW Mariners 3-1
Inter Lions came from 0-1 behind to record a 3-1 triumph over the Western NSW Mariners on Saturday evening.
Following a slow start to the match, the score was broken when Kenny McCall netted with a shot from outside the penalty box to put the Mariners in to the lead.
Inter Lions equalised shortly afterwards, Chris Lawson heading home after meeting a Jacob Di Mento corner.
Inter then edged themselves in front before the break, and it was via the penalty spot, with Hezio Silva Neto converting after Domenic Di Mento had been upended inside the box.
Di Mento extended Inter Lions’ lead midway through the second stanza, turning sharply on the edge of the box to rattle in a shot in to the top corner, giving Inter a 3-1 advantage.
Matthew Corben’s sending off shortly after didn’t help the Mariners’ cause, and Inter held on to round off the score at 3-1.
The win and three points sees Inter move to 7, climbing to 11th position in the process.
Granville Rage – Camden Tigers 2-1
Granville Rage made it three wins in their last three matches on Saturday night, overcoming Camden Tigers 2-1 at Garside Park.
The Rage have been in great form of late, with thumping wins over Fraser Park and Stanmore Hawks in the preceding weeks, and their confidence was there for all to see in their narrow win over Camden.
The latest three points sees the Rage move to 8th position on the ladder on 12 points, whilst Camden, for whom Jaiden Russel scored his 8th goal of the campaign, remain on 9 points, dropping to 10th spot.
St George City FA – SD Raiders 6-0
St George City FA made light work of the eagerly awaited battle against SD Raiders, winning in a canter at Jubilee Oval to the tune of 6-0.
St George City FA raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening 25 minutes, before going on with the performance after the break to notch another three goals to complete the rout.
Geoffry Lino struck twice in the 2nd and 11th minutes to stun the Raiders, a setback they never recovered from.
Sam Messam then extended the home side’s lead to 3-0 on 24 minutes, a lead they protected until half time.
Messam went on to notch his hatrick with goals in the 64th and 68th minutes, before second half substitute, Michael Trajkovski, rounded off proceedings with an 82nd minute strike.
After a very promising start to the season, this result was a shock to the Raiders, who have now lost three games in their past three weeks, dropping to 5th in the process whilst remaining on 13 points.
For St George City FA, their fortunes keep on improving week on week, their fourth win on the trot seeing them climb to second on the ladder on 17 points, whilst netting them a healthy return of 23 goals in those four games at just shy of 6 goals per game.
