State League Men’s – Round 3 Finals Series Review
If you don’t take your chances, you don’t win football games.
It’s a simple game after all no matter how hard we try to complicate it.
Unfortunately for Nepean FC they know this too well after going down to Central Coast United in this week’s State League Men’s action.
Central Coast United came into the fixture missing about half of their starting line-up.
However, they were able to overcome it in a gritty team performance which saw captain Daniel Mcfarlane score two from the spot before Thomas Lyons extended the advantage just after half time.
For every winner, there is a loser and this week we farewell Nepean FC.
It was a performance on which another day would’ve seen them score four or five with them hitting the crossbar, post you name it.
A goal to Hayden Pronin restored hope on the hour mark before failing to capitalize.
In saying all that, Central Coast United definitely started the better of the two sides with Tom Lyons and Adam Blunden forcing great saves from Nepean keeper Thomas Hamilton when they appeared destined to score.
Nepean’s first chance came shortly after a swift passing move involving Jame Dib and Mubarak Saeed saw a Paul Chester effort saved by Jack O’Mally.
From that point on, Nepean took control of possession.
That doesn’t win games though and they were caught out soon just before twenty minutes.
A counter attack down the right ended in an on-rushing attacker being brought down before he had the chance to get to a squared ball. Captain Daniel Mcfarlane converted into the bottom left corner.
Frustration was building for Nepean who missed another clear-cut opportunity soon after with Michael Fakiye heading over from a corner.
Frustration turned into downright anger a few minutes later when Oscar Torres was brought down in the box resulting in another penalty of which Mcfarlane sent down the middle this time to double the advantage.
Nepean kept knocking until the half time whistle but couldn’t break through a compact Central Coast defensive unit.
Things turned from bad to worse just after the break for Nepean as Central Coast United took a three-goal lead. A pin point cross from Tom Mallet in a deep left position found Tom Lyons rushing in on the back post who simply finished it off from inside the six-yard box.
Hope was revived on the hour mark with Central Coast United perhaps getting a bit complacent at the back, allowing Hayden Pronin to find space wide of his defender after being played in by Saeed. Pronin with a sweet finish on his right foot.
From that point on, it was all one-way traffic with the majority of the game being played inside the northern half of Valentine Sports Park 2. Despite that, luck wasn’t on their side with their best chances coming once again from a Saeed header which rattled the crossbar and a low Jamie Dib effort which was cleared off the line by the experienced head of Matt Crowell.
Central Coast United coach Stu Davis was delighted with his team’s strength of character. “Great strength of character showed by our boys tonight, the squad has been stretched to it’s limit at the moment with players playing injured every week
“The game wasn’t pretty but the boys showed a desire to play for each other which got us through the game.”
Nepean FC coach Magdy Andrawes was proud of his team’s performance despite the defeat.
“I’m proud of the boys, we’ve done really well the past six or seven weeks to turn our season around.
“We just needed a bit more luck in terms of the ball going the other side of the post or a few calls.”
Match Stats
Central Coast United: 3 (Mcfarlane 19’ 32’, Lyons 48’)
Nepean FC: 1 (Pronin 57’)
Valentine Sports Park 2, Glenwood
Saturday 8th September, 2018.
Referee: James Lewis.
Assistant Referees: Matt Reidy & Adam Weir.
Central Coast United: 1: Jack O’Mally, 3. Adam Blunden, 4. Geordie Howe, 10. Alexander Arbelo (35. Matthew Crowell), 12. Ian Mcandrew, 14. Tom Mallett, 15. Graham Toope, 16. Oscar Torres Inchaustti (31. Adam Woodbine), 23. Thomas Lyons, 24. Daniel Mcfarlane, 27. Cade Mapu.
Subs Not Used: 11. Bayley Appo, 33. Jack Ormsby.
Yellow Card: Woodbine.
Nepean FC: 1. Thomas Hamilton, 2. Kurt Machut, 3. Daryl Watson (20. Alex Moore), 5. Michael Fakiye, 7. Mubarak Saeed (31. Andrew Mekhail), 10. Jamie Dib, 12. Paul Chester, 14. Rory Mcgeown, 19. Hayden Pronin (8. Mario Ghobrial), 24. Simon Ly, 26. David Adjassou.
Subs Not Used: 23. Jake Senior, 10. Masudi Elongo.
-By Justin Smith
