Round 2 Review – NPL 4 NSW Men’s
Well I did suggest there would be goals, didn’t I? Round Two of the NPL4 Men’s competition saw goals, plenty of drama, coach celebrations and late scenes.
Highlighting the weekend, Western NSW shocked competition heavyweights Parramatta FC. Fraser Park rescued a point from literally nothing, Hawkesbury City FC and UNSW secured their first wins of the season. Whilst Nepean FC quietly coast along moving into first spot.
Prospect United SC v Fraser Park FC
Sometimes, football just leaves you speechless. If you would have suggested to everyone at Blacktown Football Park Saturday night that Prospect United would not win against Fraser Park after 70 minutes, I suspect you would have been laughed off. But then again, sometimes football just does not make sense, and the visitors pulled out a Houdini act. So, join me and let’s try and make sense of it.
In terms of chances, the home side were the first to have one of note. Following a corner, Andrew Cotten positioned himself beautifully just outside the box. However, his shot fizzed just over the bar.
Prospect United had the visitors rattled for much of the opening half hour, but they were unable to create further clear-cut chances despite having a territorial advantage.
And keeper Mario Farias needed to be alert at the other end, denying a Cam Philpot header from point blank range.
Football is funny though isn’t it, just as the visitors looked like they were becoming more comfortable, a goal came for the home side. And it came from charismatic defender David Muller. But seeing the finish, you would not have known he was a defender, Muller finding the bottom right corner with his effort.
The second half resumed exactly how it left off, Fraser Park looking more and more comfortable on the ball, whilst Prospect countered with numbers flowing forward.
With few chances created before the hour mark, the game then exploded to life.
Prospect United were to strike first with Nic Valjak grabbing his first of the season capitalizing on a defensive lapse, finishing from a back-post position.
Valjak then had a chance to grab another after breaking through the defense, however this time his effort was denied by Fraser Park keeper Patrick Ferrara.
Fraser Park were now desperate and began throwing caution to the wind, pressing for a goal to bring them back into it and with ten minutes to go, they got their rewards.
A high press forced the home side into a defensive error trying to play out from the back. Matteo Pandolfo pounced before slipping in Shu Torihara and if we have learnt one thing from his time in this division, it is that he will not miss chances like this. Prospect United 2-1 Fraser Park.
You would also be forgiven for thinking the game would peter out when both sides then found themselves with ten men as stoppage time began. Rocco Romeo (second yellow) for the hosts and Cam Philpot (dangerous high boot) for the visitors.
But this is NPL4 football on a wet night at Blacktown Football Park and there was drama still to come!
And wouldn’t you know it, the defending champions equalized through Nicholas Muscio with seconds to go. Muscio heading home after Lionel Glorieux’s header floated across the face of goal. The goal sparking a 50 metre celebration from a relieved yet delighted Fraser Park head coach Alex Araujo.
Prospect United travel to face local rivals Nepean FC next weekend, whilst Fraser Park host Hawkesbury City FC.
Match Stats
Prospect United SC: 2 (Muller 44’, Valjak 65’)
Fraser Park FC: 2 (Torihara 81’, Muscio 90’)
Saturday 25th July 2020
Blacktown Football Park No.1, Rooty Hill
Referee: N. Phi
Assistant Referees: H. Al-Nakeeb
Prospect United SC: 1. Mario Farias, 3. Liam Polinsky, 4. David Moriera Muller, 5. Matthew Morosin, 6. Daniel Mihajlovic, 7. Nicholas Valjak (11. Benjamin Lam), 8. Kwangmook Lim (9. Liam Higgins), 10. Cristian Gerardo Leiva Martinez (19. Simon Zahra), 14. Rocco Romeo, 15. Bryce Maxwell (12. Alexander Gorgievski), 17. Andrew Cotten.
Subs Not Used: 25. Jade Jonsson, 16. Robert Bozic.
Fraser Park FC: 1. Patrick Ferrara, 2. David Adjassou, 5. Christian Desa, 7. Cam Philpot, 8. Dominic Siu (9. Lionel Glorieux), 11. Shu Torihara, 12. Jonathan Green (3. Matteo Pandolfo), 13. Rodrigo Cataldi, 16. Nico Muscio, 17. Luke Allen (19. Frank Calcagno), 20. Miki Bisceglia
Subs Not Used: 25. Louis Maniakas, 23. Andrew Ferrara, 31. Jordan Mederos.
Elsewhere:
Western NSW FC 1-0 Parramatta FC
A first half goal to Western NSW FC’s Matthew Hobby proved to be the difference in a tight clash between first start winners on Saturday afternoon.
Having gone down to the visitors heavily earlier this year, the home side were determined to prove a point in this one. After some solid defensive work in the opening twenty-five minutes, they took the lead. And it was Hobby who scored his first of the season after Daniel Baumgartner headed the ball into his path from a cross.
Baumgartner then had a chance of his own from a set-piece, his header finding the net but a foul in the leadup was to deny him.
The second half saw a determined Parramatta FC look to hit back. And they went close mid-way through the half, hitting the bar. Whilst the home side looked to strike on the counter.
And the visitors thought they had earned an equalizer late on, having the ball in the net but the ball was adjudged to have gone out in the lead up.
Nepean FC 3-1 Granville Rage
Two from two. Nepean FC could not have hoped for a better start to this shortened season. Taking advantage of home advantage, they were able to overcome Granville Rage at a soggy Cook Park.
The first half was a tight affair with not much between the two sides. Perhaps fitting then that the difference between the two sides come half time was an opportunistic finish from in form striker Mitch Mclintock.
Nepean FC then took control of the fixture after the break and two well worked goals saw them go out to a three-goal lead. Mclintock striking first, finishing off clinically after an impressive attacking move down the right. Before Matt Crossley finished off a length of the field counter attack capitalizing on the visitors throwing players forward for a set piece. Granville Rage then responded a goal of their own with ten minutes left. A sweet Lachlan Strahan strike finding the net from distance.
But it was too little too late, and Nepean FC roll on.
Hawkesbury City FC 2-0 Camden Tigers FC
Goals either side of half time saw Hawkesbury City FC secure their first win of the season out at David Bertenshaw Field.
However, it was the visitors who started the better of the two sides, yet they were unable to capitalize with meaningful chances.
At the other end, Hawkesbury grew into the fixture and opened the scoring on the half hour mark. A “neat” buildup saw the ball pulled back to Daniel Morsillo. Morsillo then volleyed the ball home from just inside the box.
Despite this, it was the work of both goalkeepers that entertained those who braved the conditions. With either keeper making several good saves as the game ticked on.
Hawkesbury City FC were to make sure of the victory late on, with Kwadwo Boamah Addai rounding the keeper deep into second half stoppage time before being brought down by a desperate defense. Emmanuel Ponce then stepped up and converted from the spot.
UNSW FC 4-0 Hurstville FC
A professional performance. UNSW slowly and methodically broke down an undermanned Hurstville FC at Lambert Park on Saturday night.
The visitors saw any pre-game plans thrown out when Daniel Maras saw himself on the end of a red card within the first five minutes.
So perhaps it was surprising that the home side had to wait twenty-five minutes to open the scoring. The goal coming from Des Ford who positioned himself perfectly at the near post for a low Iain Hillier cross.
Hurstville were valiant throughout the first half but as the minutes ticked on, their legs got understandably heavy.
And UNSW FC were in no mood to take it easy after a disappointing draw in round one. Their second goal coming with about twenty minutes to go, a swift counter attack resulting in Maison Mcgeechan sliding the ball home after being fed by Jakub Buris.
The win seemed a formality shortly after when Hurstville FC were reduced to nine, Aleks Trenoski seeing red this time.
And so it was, with Matt Cuda hitting top bins with his 89th minute strike, and Mcgeechan adding a second to his tally in injury time.
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By Justin Smith (Twitter: @smiththejustin)
