Round 15 Review – NPL 3 NSW Men’s
We were witness to another weekend of high-octane football in the latest round of the National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition.
The mouth-watering top of the table clash ended in favour of Rydalmere; Bankstown United made it four wins on the trot to go equal on points with third placed Dulwich Hill; Magic broke a two game losing streak at Dunbar; Bankstown overcame Uni in a tight affair; Inter Lions snapped out of a three match losing streak while the Sunday fixture at the Crest ended goalless.
Rydalmere Lions FC – Dulwich Hill FC 2-0
Rydalmere Lions reigned supreme with 2-0 the final score against Dulwich Hill in the top of the table clash.
The home side started the stronger and within a minute it looked as though they may have taken the lead when they had the ball cleared off the line.
However, it did not take long before the net finally rippled courtesy of a spectacular curling finish from Dillan Kahale.
The first half scoring did not end there with Nick Trimble adding a second when he nodded home after some delightful build up play from Jake Chidiac.
The second half saw Dully push for a goal but they were constantly thwarted by the Lions’ defence who were able to keep the shut-out and take all three points from the showdown.
The league leaders will be on the road next weekend as they travel to Macarthur while Dully have a date with the Hawks on Friday night.
Inner West Hawks FC – Bankstown United FC 0-3
Bankstown United’s stunning form carried through for another weekend as they saw off Inner West Hawks 3-0 at Arlington Oval.
Club captain Steven Wright broke the deadlock with his well-struck effort that nestled into the bottom corner on the 20th minute mark.
Substitute Sean Robertson was at the centre of the action after the break when his cross teed up Mitch Cross for a delightful volley to put the visitors 2-0 up.
The deadly duo then combined again soon after to complete the scoring with Robertson squaring the ball for Cross who tapped home into the empty net.
United’s fourth win on the bounce sees them keep hold of fourth position on the ladder but they are now even on points with Dulwich Hill who lost their top of the table clash at Rydalmere.
Next up for Scott Belgre’s side is a home fixture against Inter while the Hawks face off against Dully in the derby.
Dunbar Rovers FC – Gladesville Ryde Magic 0-2
Gladesville Ryde Magic were left cheering at the full time whistle after they claimed all three points against Dunbar while registering a clean sheet in the process.
A Michael Gaitatzis penalty was all that separated the two sides at the interval. It was then the same man who secured the victory for his side with his strike after the break.
The win sees Magic snap out of a two game losing streak as they prepare to host Berries next Sunday while Dunbar head to Arlington Oval to do battle with Sydney Uni.
Bankstown City FC – Sydney University SFC 2-1
Bankstown City posted a 2-1 victory against Sydney University under lights at Jensen Park on Saturday night.
The contest revved into life after the break with Tai Smith on hand to put the hosts ahead when he slotted his effort at the back post after being picked out by Nikola Todoroski.
Uni were able to restore parity via Charlie Day but it was Bankstown who ran away with the three points courtesy of Robert Deasy who poked the ball home after a scramble in the box.
The men from Jensen Park will now turn their attention to an away clash up the coast while Sydney Uni have a date with Dunbar.
Inter Lions FC – Macarthur Rams FC 3-1
Inter Lions finally overcame their three match losing streak as they dispatched of Macarthur 3-1 at Majors Bay Reserve on Saturday night.
The men from Concord had to do it the hard way with Macarthur going ahead on 25 minutes.
The visitors lead lasted for around 15 minutes before Sam Armson’s solo run was capped off with a pinpoint strike.
A Nico Paras penalty on the hour mark saw Inter go ahead for the first time in the encounter before Owen Duke wrapped up the long-awaited triumph with his goal on the 80th minute mark.
The result was made all the sweeter given that they fell 4-0 in the reverse fixture at Macarthur.
The three points sees John Theo’s men join their opponents on 20 points however they remain in eighth due to their goal difference.
A daunting proposition awaits Inter in round 16 as they line up against Bankstown United meanwhile Macarthur are back at Lynwood Park to entertain Rydalmere.
Canterbury Bankstown FC – Central Coast United FC 0-0
There was plenty of action at the Crest on Sunday however there were no goals to show for the end-to-end affair between Berries and the Pirates.
The first heart in mouth moment took just two minutes to arrive when Michael Figueira saved off the line to prevent Central Coast from taking an early lead.
Andre Guzman and Brent Flavin produced the best opportunities of the first half for the home side but neither were able to get their names on the scoresheet.
Central Coast kept Berries on guard as the match developed but they had to do some defending of their own with Kohei Makanai making a nuisance of himself for the Pirates’ defence.
Andre and Leo Guzman were also taking the game to the visitors but it proved to be fruitless with 0-0 the score at the full time whistle.
A point is enough for Berries to go equal on points with 10th placed Dunbar while Central Coast retain sixth place.
Looking forward to next week, Berries travel to Christie Park on Sunday to face Magic while the Pirates welcome Bankstown City to Pluim Park.
-By NPL 3 NSW Men’s Chief Writer Samuel Greco Schwartz (Twitter handle: @SamuelGS97)
