Round 11 Review – NPL 2 NSW Men’s

In the final round of the home-and-away season, we say goodbye to the seven teams that missed out on the finals, as well as a couple of popular players. 70% of this weekend’s goals were scored in the final 25 minutes, so if you needed a reminder, it’s loud and clear – you need to play for the 90 minutes (and beyond) to get a result in the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition.

Central Coast Mariners 4 (Harry McCarthy 40’, Michael Katsoulis 71’, Jordan Smylie 83’, Louis Khoury 90+2’) Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 (Aaron Peterson 62’)

Three goals after the 70th minute ensured victory and the Premiership for Central Coast Mariners.

This contest provided a classic storyline: the irrresistable force (a Mariners side who had scored 34 times in nine games) against the immovable object (a Bonnyrigg outfit that had conceded eight goals all season and only once in their last three outings). As is often the case in this type of clash, the two teams cancelled each other out for most of the opening period, although there were opportunities for both sides to break the deadlock.

Spectators had to wait until just before halftime to see a goal, and it was the Mariners who got on the scoreboard first. Harry McCarthy showed a great sense of timing, sneaking past the defence and chipping the goalkeeper to break a four game scoring drought.

Central Coast were now in Premiership-winning position, however there was a twist in the tale with a little under half an hour remaining. Bonnyrigg have plenty of height to trouble opponents at set pieces, and the dead ball proved to be profitable for the visitors as burly striker Aaron Peterson turned the ball home at a corner kick to make it 1-1.

The equaliser momentarily took Spirit FC to the top of the league, but there was more drama soon afterwards as White Eagles defender Bradie Smith received his marching orders. Central Coast didn’t take long to make the most of the opportunity – Michael Katsoulis followed in McCarthy’s footsteps (Katsoulis hadn’t scored since Round 4) to break his own goal drought by dribbling around the goalkeeper and finding the empty net.

From there, the Mariners didn’t look back, as a couple of substitutes made their mark in the closing stages. It was 3-1 when Jordan Smylie hit the net after pouncing on a loose ball, and Louis Khoury put the cherry on the sundae in stoppage time with his first NPL 2 Men’s goal for Central Coast (that’s if you don’t count his two goals from the nullified March fixtures).

This result is Central Coast’s seventh win in their last seven NPL 2 Men’s games at Pluim Park, and it also ensures these two sides will meet again next week in the semi finals.

 

St George FC 0 NWS Spirit FC 2 (Louis Bozanic 17’ 86’)

Spirit FC secured second place at Ilinden Sports Centre, but it wasn’t easy.

David Perkovic’s side did dominate the ball for the opening quarter of an hour, barely letting the Saints get a touch. It was no surprise when they took the lead, as Michael Konestabo ran down the left side and played it through for Spirit captain Louis Bozanic to score with a low shot.

St George FC didn’t have their first chance until the 24th minute, but they nearly made it count. Anthony Morabito received a diagonal pass from Ali Nasreddine and struck the post from an acute angle – this wouldn’t be the last time the Saints were denied by the woodwork. At the other end, a combination of Blake Tuxford and Christopher Katsaros was required to keep out Konestabo after Duncan Stewart had set him up.

Morabito had another chance following a precise pass from youngster Anthony Mann, with his shot missing the target. The Saints were then desperately unlucky not to equalise on 38 minutes: Nasreddine’s cross came back off the frame of the goal, and Mani Gonzalez smashed a follow up attempt off the crossbar.

The hosts put Spirit FC under almost constant pressure after the interval. Jack Greenwood was forced into making two excellent saves in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, one of them a fingertip effort to deny Juan Carlos Romero. A few minutes after the Romero shot, Gonzalez hit the crossbar for the second time as his 25 yard curler left Greenwood stranded.

Incredibly, Gonzalez would hit the frame of the goal again, Greenwood tipping his 30 yard strike onto the crossbar. Spirit were really under the pump now, and Dominic Johns bailed his side out with a goal line clearance after a loose ball fell to Gonzalez.

With time running out, substitute Paolo Mitry played a wonderful pass to Gonzalez, who wasn’t too far away from levelling the scores. Spirit capitalised on the missed opportunities and made the game safe a minute later with two perfectly weighted lobs: Kota Odakura floated the ball over the Saints defence for Bozanic, who did likewise to find the back of the net.

Next weekend, it’s another local derby for Spirit FC as they will take on Northern Tigers.

 

Northern Tigers 3 (Shervin Adeli 13’, Lucas Dawson 80’, Ally Brown 88’) Hakoah Sydney City East 1 (Bruno Mendes 60’)

Northern Tigers extended their home unbeaten run to 15 games following a late flourish at North Turramurra Recreation Area.

The hosts could have drawn first blood in the opening minute when Sam Wilson picked out Oliver Scott with a left wing cross, but the striker couldn’t hit the target. However, it didn’t take the Tigers too long to open the scoring. It was a typical piece of Ollie Wiggin play that created the opportunity, the tricky winger winning a penalty after leaving three defenders trailing in his wake. Although Niki Loe saved Shervin Adeli’s spot kick, the Tigers number 10 tucked the rebound away to make it 1-0.

Adeli could have doubled his side’s lead just after the half hour, hitting the crossbar following a Loe save from Sam Wilson. For their part, Hakoah had their moments in the opening stanza. A lovely passing sequence between Harry Jones, Joshua Da Silva, Dominic Cox and Bruno Mendes almost provided a chance for Mendes, however William Foristal threw his body in the way of Mendes’s shot. Mendes then showed the reflexes of a viper to intercept a pass in the centre circle, and his shot from very long range almost caught Tigers goalkeeper Elliot Carwardine out. Jan Schmidt had one more chance for the visitors as halftime approached, heading wide from Jordan Koton’s corner kick.

Both teams had chances early in the second half. Adeli showed great defensive awareness to deflect Da Silva’s shot wide, and Loe made a solid one on one save from Wiggin after he linked well with Ally Brown. Hakoah then equalised with a penalty of their own: Jack Green won the spot kick and Mendes found the bottom corner from 12 yards.

A few minutes after being pegged back, Adeli latched onto a Lachlan Lloyd long free kick and might have restored the Tigers lead, however his effort was straight at Loe. Substitute Lucas Dawson had another great chance but was unable to make decisive contact and finish off good buildup play from Wiggin and Brown.

Dawson received a second chance ten minutes from time, and this time the Tigers veteran took advantage. As usual, Wiggin was involved, finding Foristal’s overlapping run down the left flank, and when the defender’s cross wasn’t cleared Dawson made no mistake from six yards out. As the Tigers pushed to kill the game off, Lloyd forced Loe into a save after receiving Liam McConaghy’s layoff. The hosts wrapped things up with two minutes left: Wiggin made a driving run from inside his own half and picked out Nicholas Drummond, who cut the ball back for Brown to curl a shot into the bottom corner.

 

Blacktown Spartans 3 (Nathan Separovic 44’, Andre Carle 71’, Connor Eldridge 77’) Hills United 1 (Harry Drew 88’)

The Spartans gave departing skipper Dau Akol the perfect farewell, winning comfortably at Blacktown Football Park.

Mason Ireland and Lachlan Rose set up the game’s first clear chance for Connor Eldridge, who hit the post with a right-footed effort. Akol was the next to threaten for the Spartans, heading over from Finley Hayhurst’s right wing cross. It was another cross from the right that led directly to the opener, as Nathan Separovic collected the ball near the corner flag and sent it flying into the back of the net. For Hills, their best first half moments came through Sam Perre, who had a couple of long range attempts on goal, while Perre’s free kick in first half stoppage time was inches away from finding Daine Merrin.

With both teams looking to end 2020 on a high, the game opened up in the second half. A few minutes after the restart, Ireland went for a solo run, weaving his way past three defenders and firing over from 25 yards. At the other end, Wade Giovenali teed up Merrin for a shot which was deflected wide, and Spartans goalkeeper Mitchell Evans saved with his legs after Alex Vlismas found Harry Drew in the area.

The hosts put the game away in the final 20 minutes. It was 2-0 when Separovic played a delightful ball for Andre Carle, who skipped past a challenge and left Hills goalkeeper Harrick Sinpraseuth with no chance. Sinpraseuth would save Ireland’s effort a few minutes later, but he couldn’t stop Eldridge from making it three after a nice pass from Ireland – that’s now nine goals for Eldridge in his last twelve games at Blacktown Football Park.

To their credit, Hills never stopped pushing. Glen Kelshaw was inches wide after Jordan Parfait picked him out, and Eoin Montford tested Evans from 30 yards. Hills grabbed a consolation goal in the dying minutes through Drew, who converted Daniel Fogarty’s cross to score his first goal for the Hills United 1st Grade side.

 

St George City FA 4 (Nathan Roberts 67’ 76’, Jordan Morfitis 78’ 82’) Newcastle Jets 1 (Archie Goodwin 23’)

There was another successful sendoff in South Hurstville. St George City goalkeeper Tomi Romic ended his playing career on a high as his side came home with a wet sail to defeat Newcastle.

City marksman Jason Romero went close in the opening minutes, heading a Hiten Satoh free kick onto the crossbar. Romero would threaten again as he twisted on the edge of the area, but the shot flew across the face of goal. Despite City’s bright start it was the Jets who struck first, as Archie Goodwin raced clear following neat interplay from Ryan Goodhew, Maki Petratos and Blake Archbold, keeping his head to score with a neat dinked finish. Newcastle were good value for their lead – Maki and Kosta Petratos caught the eye in attack, as did overlapping left back Lucas Mauragis.

The Jets continued to test their opponents after the break, Romic showing off the very best of his shotstopping ability to deny fizzing long range efforts by Kosta Petratos, Jack Simmons and Maki Petratos. However, the hosts gradually took control, helped by a strong performance from the central defensive pairing of Tarik Ercan and Dominic Brischetto. City levelled the scores midway through the second period: Steve Kuzmanovski’s inswinging corner caused havoc in the Jets goalmouth, and Nathan Roberts reacted quickest to turn the ball home.

City took the lead with just under a quarter of an hour remaining, in a move started when Kuzmanovski beat two opponents inside his own half. The former Young Socceroo released Romero, who showed great vision to cut the ball back to Roberts – City’s no. 7 finished off the sweeping move with a fine left footed strike into the bottom corner.

It wasn’t long before City had three. Jordan Morfitis had provided plenty of energy after coming on at halftime, and he scored a fine individual effort, dancing past a tackle in the area before scoring from an acute angle. The game’s final goal was also scored by Morfitis, who finished coolly following a sensational reverse pass from Satoh.

Bye: SD Raiders

By Eric Subijano (@eric_subijano)