Round 11 – State League Men’s Review
It’s as if the State League Men’s competition took a collective breathe this weekend as we prepare for the second half of the season run in.
Results came in as expected as Central Coast United continue to flex their muscles up top beating a stubborn Prospect United in the match of the round. While a round which continued as expected, four sides within the top five collected wins, as the Hurstville City Minotaurs produced a comeback for the ages, with Gazy finishing the round on a season best win.
Match of the Round – Central Coast United FC V Prospect United FC
Central Coast United have ensured they finished the first half of the season unbeaten as they beat Prospect United at a soggy Pluim Park on Saturday evening.
It was a game in which the score line didn’t reflect the battle which took place on the pitch. However, the home side continue to prove formidable with that little bit extra skill on the park. Goals in this one came from Adam Woodbine who now has consecutive hat-tricks and new signing Jack Ragen.
Prospect United on the other hand will consider themselves unlucky to not come out of this one with at least a goal as a reward for a good shift, they will turn their focus to next week hoping this is a one-off result.
The game opened as many suspected it would, Central Coast United piling on pressure the visitors defense. Impressively the defense held up with the visitors limiting the hosts too no chances in the first fifteen or so minutes.
Too beat Central Coast United at the moment you need your fair share of luck considering the strength of the hosts front third and slowly but surely, they started to emerge.
Striker Adam Woodbine was playing right on the defensive line and had a few chances just after 20 mins, Daniel Mcfarlane was menacing in the midfield and played him in superbly only for Woodbine’s shot too flash across the face of the goal before a header from around the penalty spot had Prospect’s keeper scrambling.
Keeping concentration for long periods can be fatiguing and, on the half-hour, Jordon Bennett delivered in a low cross which Woodbine pounced on at the near post to opening the scoring.
Chances in first half were few and far between for the visitors, in form attacker Nic Valjak had one shortly afterwards, his shot from a free kick clearance taking a deflection to put it wide.
Central Coast were in no mood to rest on their laurels before the break and a powerful cross from the right wing found the head of Woodbine who wasn’t going to miss from inside the six-yard box.
As the second half began, the rain got heavier which in turn meant the pitch get heavier making the improbable turned near impossible.
Credit to the visitors though, they pushed hard in an effort to pick themselves up. For much of the first 20-25 minutes of the second half, it was them in control only to be disadvantaged by the lack of a striker who had gelled with his team.
As the class side they are, this period wasn’t going to last and the hosts grappled back the momentum from there and as the ultimate counter punch they scored two after the 80th minute to make the victory more convincing than it actually was.
Firstly, Woodbine completed his hat trick poking home from close range after a good cross from Mcfarlane and secondly, numbers in and around the box saw Jack Ragen free on the right to take a touch then finish well.
Central Coast United coach Stu Davis was complimentary of his opponents, “Firstly fair play to Prospect, they pushed us hard. We had to be patient, eventually our patience paid off and our execution of balls into the box paid off”.
On star man Adam Woodbine’s performance, “I was really pleased with his positioning, work rate and he got the reward once again tonight”.
Prospect United coach Darren Camilleri continued the niceties, “We played better today than we did last week, they’re a really good attacking team though and a few mistakes were punished”.
He continued, “At the end of the day, in both halves we competed with them and we can take heart from that”.
Match Stats: Saturday 2nd June, 2018, Pluim Park, Lisarow
Central Coast United: 4 (Woodbine 30’ 36’ 84’, Ragen 87’)
Prospect United: 0
Referee: Chris Huges
Assistant Referees: Tegen Jones & May Lurin
Central Coast United: 1. Jack O’Mally, 2. Scott Mcginley, 3. Adam Blunden, 4. Geordie Howe, 7. Jordon Bennett, 9. Adam Woodbine, 10. Alexander Arbelo (30. Kyle Price), 14. Tom Mallet (6. Jack Ragen), 15. Graham Toope, 24. Daniel Mcfarlane, 26. Joshua Swadling (99. Thomas Lyons).
Subs Not Used: 18. Jack Drimsby, 20. Thomas Marsh.
Yellow Cards: Blunden, Malltet, Mcginley.
Red Cards:
Prospect United: 1. Mario Farias, 3. Sebastian Kalos, 4. Alexander Bit, 6. Nathan Niski (9. L.Higgins), 7. Nicholas Valjak, 8. Thomas Kasunic, 10. Benjamin Lam, 12. Troy Sullivan, 13. Brett Stephens (11. D.Owusu), 14. Joel Bayubahe, 15. Rocco Romeo (16. Kelvin Ofori-Amanfo).
Subs Not Used: 5. G.Gallagher, 20. Aiden Mantouroglou.
Yellow Cards: Bit, Kalos, Romeo.
Red Cards:
Around the Grounds
Western Condors 0-3 Bankstown United
Bankstown United made it back to back wins as they concurred the leagues toughest pitch to win comfortably against the Western Condors.
It was the polar opposite of the win the week beforehand though. A particular focus in the run up for the visitors was not conceding first which they have done in recent weeks. From there on in it was the Mitch Cross show as the striker scored three to secure the points.
The first came spectacularly from a bicycle kick inside the eighteen-yard box. Not trusting the surface, Cross produced some individual brilliance as the ball flew into the back of the net. He rounded off his hattrick with a goal from the spot and a well-executed finish after a delightful through ball.
For the Condors, it was a case of being punished for missing your chances with three 1 on 1’s missed in the first 30 minutes. Ultimately though despite being a close contest a class striker was the difference at Chopin Park.
Nepean FC 3-0 Wagga City Wanderers
Before this one, it was hard to see anything but a comfortable Nepean win as they hosted Wagga City Wanderers.
So, it turned out but not without some resistance. Nepean opened the scoring through striker Clement Waoci who converted a penalty won by Mario Ghobrial. It was a return to remember for Ghobrial who soon found himself on the score board getting on the end of a Roberto Polistina cross to double the scoring. The scoring was complete when a “nice” build up led to Jamie Dib completing the scoring on the night finishing off to double his season tally.
For the visitors, this effort was much improved on recent weeks as they showed an increased amount of game smarts in limiting their opponents. The Wanderers will be welcoming a few more names to the fray including Stuart Smeeth who made his debut this week in the short-term future which should see them have a better second half of the campaign.
Hurstville City Minotaurs 3-2 South Coast Flame
Hurstville City Minotaurs came back from a two-goal deficit to overcome a travelling South Coast Flame. Indeed, it was a come-back to remember from the hosts after a first half which was the stuff of nightmares.
The Flame came out firing, opening the scoring through Matt Mazevski after an excellent run and cut back from Julio Mushaba. Caleb Grace then doubled the lead just before half time as he netted a finish from just outside the area. Crucially however, the visitors were unable to put the hosts to bed despite a couple of one on one chances for Mazevski and Louis Connell with Minotaurs keeper Alessandro Nigro producing some vital stops.
Breathe was breathed into the hosts after some half time changes, Kushaal Ram halved the deficit using his pace to beat the defense before calmly slotting home. Scores were levelled after 65 minutes when Alexi Brakatselos headed in a rebound off a free kick. The comeback was complete on 80 minutes as Riad Agnache rounded the keeper and put the ball into the left-hand corner for a memorable home victory.
Hurstville FC 1-3 UNSW FC
UNSW FC once again proved their class in defeating Hurstville FC at a cold, blustery Seymour Shaw Park. The visitors found themselves on the back foot early on with a goal scored by Reece Turner. However, goals to Michal Lalik, Ignacio Pacheco and Christian Soares made sure they came out on top.
Coming in off their good form, Hurstville matched it with their opponents for the first 25 or so minutes and were rewarded when a Cristian Di Meglio found Turner at the back post to open the scoring. UNSW began to settle and get into their groove though. Michal Lalik equalized before the break pouncing on a scrap from a Soares free kick.
UNSW stepped it up another gear in the second half and capitalised just minutes in with a goal directly from a Pacheco corner. In a second half which saw the UNSW keeper touch the ball only three times, frustratingly they were unable to put the game away until late on when Christian Soares got his customary goal in a university victory.
FC Gazy Auburn 5-2 Balmain Tigers
The last game of the first half of the season saw two teams needing a win meet on Sunday afternoon. It was the hosts FC Gazy Auburn who produced a dominating second half performance to overcome visitors Balmain Tigers.
The first half was a fairly even affair with both sides going into the break level, Gazy courtesy of Costa Fallas and Balmain courtesy of Antony Barca.
The second half was a different story though with FC Gazy taking control and scoring freely for possibly the first time this season. A double to Leon Sansone as well as goals to Johan Quezada and Costa Fallas saw them finish with a goal tally of five.
Whilst for Balmain Tigers, it was another weekend to forget only managing to get a consolation through Barca in the second half.
By Justin Smith
