Round 12 – State League Men’s Review
It’s full speed ahead as the State League Men’s competition has entered the second half of the season.
So which teams are sinking and which teams are accelerating as the end of the season appears distant on the horizon?
Match of The Round
South Coast Flame v FC Gazy Auburn
South Coast Flame secured their first home win of the season as they comfortably beat FC Gazy Auburn at John Crehan Park.
The Flame were convincing throughout often dictating the terms in the battle for possession and territory. A first half goal to Dion Sterjovski put them in the ascendancy before Caleb Grace doubled the lead late on to guarantee a much-needed win for the home side.
FC Gazy Auburn were competitive yet not quite at the home sides level. The bad news? You’d struggle to find a team who created so few chances in a first half of football. The positive? They put in a much better shift in the second period nearly bringing it level.
It was full speed ahead as both teams created a chance within the first couple of minutes, Matt Mazevski showed intent driving to the by-line, unfortunately his teammates weren’t so eager and his squared ball was picked up by the Gazy keeper.
Gazy had a chance to open the scoring shortly after as the first of a few defensive lapses saw Rosario Occhipinti pounce to draw a sharp save from Flame keeper Matt White.
There was little to no effort to settle the game down, Flame found themselves with a golden opportunity as a Bojan Caric near post header was palmed by the Gazy keeper into the path of Sterjovski whose shot couldn’t find the target.
As they continued to create chances in the front third, Flame looked nervous at the back as they turned the ball over again only for Occhipinti to take it a touch too wide before his shot went wide to the left of the goal.
The scoring was opened right on 25 mins when Dion Sterjovski controlled a ball played into him by Matt Mazevski, before evading a few defenders and poking home from a tight angle into the left side netting.
Happy with the first goal, the Flame showed a bit more composure in their build-up and it almost resulted in the lead being doubled on 37 mins. An attempted through ball from Caric deflected off a defender into the path of Mazevski whose volley pretty much ended in the steel works.
It was almost Deja Vu as the second half began much like the first as a defensive lapse gave Gazy an opportunity to clinch an equalizer. Cristiam Chavarro dribbled his way into the box from the left before finding his shot once again saved by Matt White.
Unlike the first half though, both teams struggled to create chances often finding their final ball not up to scratch.
Perhaps woken up from a close-run thing at the other end, the home side created three half chances in five minutes highlighted by a Grace effort from inside the box on the right saw the keeper somehow deny the ball from creeping in. After Mazevski rattled the bar with a powerful effort on his left foot shortly after, you began to wonder.
Those fears were soon put to bed though as Caleb Grace pounced on a Gazy defensive error in their own half to live up to his name in gracefully putting the ball past the keeper to round out the scoring.
South Coast Flame coach Paul Robaard praised a complete performance, “I’m very pleased with the second half. Last week we played a good first half but we didn’t back it up where as this week, we played a great second half and locked the game out after another solid 45”.
Looking forward his expecting big things, “We created a lot of chances, a lot of young guys with a lot of talent, we just got to work on our finishing”.
FC Gazy Auburn assistant coach and player Leon Sansome lamented, “I thought it was a very even game, they had one or two more opportunities than we did. Our second half was better, we fought better and I feel we deserved a draw from it”.
Match Stats
Saturday 9th June, 2018
John Crehan Park, Cringila
South Coast Flame: 2 (Sterjovski 25’, Grace 82’)
FC Gazy Auburn: 0
Referee: John Garcia
Assistant Referees: Steve Dalmazio & Christos Papoulias
South Coast Flame: 1. Matthew White, 2. Andrew Bova, 3. Darren Jones, 7. Dion Sterjovski, 8. Andrew Christie, 9. Bojan Caric (6. Douglas Woodiwiss), 10. Matthew Mazevski, 11. Julio Mushaba (5. Cameron Hanson), 12. Martin Thomson, 16. Caleb Grace, 35. Wade Wilton.
Subs Not Used: 15. George Souris, 32. Johnny Vicoroski, 61. Brandon Groom.
Yellow Cards: Mazevski, Bova.
Red Cards
FC Gazy Auburn: 2. Lee Myungjae (25. Ibrahim Kamara (8. Leon Sansone)), 9. Rosario Occhipinti, 16. Cristiam Chavarro, 18. John Paul Calcora (7. Alexander Barsic), 22. Andrea Gabrielli, 23. Edilson Silva, 24. Costandi Fallas, 28. John Di Biase, 34. George Iliopoulos, 37. Davide Gritti, 39. Benjamin Elsikovich.
Subs Not Used: N/A
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards
Around the grounds
Wagga City Wanderers 0-2 Western Condors
Western Condors added to the tally of teams who travelled to Wagga and won as they defeated a resilient home outfit.
The Condors got on the scoreboard through Cristian Leiva Martinez 15 mins into the match before the win was capped off by a Kaito Ikarimoto in the second half. For hosts Wagga, signs are looking positive as they continue to undertake a defensive restructure however they were unable to take advantage of the few chances they created.
Martinez scored after one of many effective build ups for the visitors, this one included “the Japanese connection” getting the ball down the left-hand side which in turn ended up with a squared ball finding the net.
After many failed attempts by both sides, the second and match clincher was scored by Kaito Ikarimoto who got on the end of a 5-6 pass build up too put the game beyond doubt.
Nepean FC 1-2 Prospect United
In a game which has been anticipated ever since they first faced off, Prospect United produced a miracle comeback to claim a priceless victory over fellow top-5 hopeful Nepean FC at Cook Park.
Goals too Adrian Vulcik and Nic Valjak in the dying stages of the game cancelled out a Clement Waoci goal from the penalty spot.
It was hosts Nepean FC who came out of the blocks fastest, forcing Prospect keeper Daniel Farias to make some good saves inside the first fifteen minutes. The visitors were very lucky to keep the scores level heading into the break.
The game well and truly came alive when Clement Waoci converted a penalty which was given for a foul in the area from a set piece.
Prospect United reacted as a finals chasing side should as they began to show more intent with the ball however it wasn’t looking like it was going to happen.
That was until former Nepean man Adrian Vulcik poked home a finish inside a crowded penalty box to bring scores level. The momentum was with them and deep into stoppage time, star man Nic Valjak got in behind the defence pouncing on a through ball to steal an impressive victory on the road sending all associated with Prospect into raptures.
Hurstville FC 1-3 Bankstown United
Bankstown United have continued their winning run in defeating Hurstville FC at Seymour Shaw Park on Sunday afternoon. A second half substitution very much changed the game in the second half in favour of the visitors which was enough for them to claim the spoils.
Once again it was the hosts who raced out of the blocks with Hurstville getting a goal early through Jesse Gagro who took advantage of a mistake in the defensive third. The lead didn’t last long though with Bankstown hitting back just ten minutes later through an Andreas Kartsioulis free kick from 30 yards out.
Despite going down to ten men, Hurstville were proving hard to break down often putting that much more effort into their play. That changed though with the arrival of Sean Robertson off the bench, Robertson firstly set up a goal for Toshihisa Saikawa before scoring himself within a 5-minute period. That proved enough as the depleted hosts couldn’t come back from there despite creating a few good chances.
Balmain Tigers 0 v Central Coast United 3
A wet and windy Illinden Sports Centre greeted both sides as Balmain Tigers hosted Central Coast United.
As a surprise turn of events, Balmain Tigers matched it with the undefeated ladder leaders for the first half the game not letting the visitors get into their usual tempo. The resistance looked as if it would continue into the second half as well.
It is a well-known fact or cliché that goals change games and a near post looping header from a corner from Geordie Howe woke the visitors up. From there on in, the visitors hit their straps doubling their advantage with 10 minutes left on the clock through Daniel Mcfarlane who beat his man inside the box before unleashing into the right-side netting with his left foot.
The win was capped off just before the clock struck 90 with a swift counter attack catching the hosts with too many players forward as a direct ball found Tom Lyons who laid it off to Josh Swadling to finish.
Hurstville City Minotaurs v UNSW FC washed out.
