Round 6 Review – League Three Men’s

The League Three Men’s competition has gifted us another sumptuous round of matches, with some crucial clashes influencing the table at the conclusion of round six.

Hurstville FC opened the weekend with a win away from home to Parramatta FC, before Hawkesbury City were narrowly beaten by Newcastle Jets in a top of the table clash.

In a double header on Saturday night, Nepean FC came back from two goals down to defeat UNSW FC 3-2, while Fraser Park gained their first victory of the season in a 4-3 win over Western Rage.

To conclude round 6, Prospect United defeated South Coast Flame 3-2 in a dramatic encounter, with Luka Zepina’s hatrick giving Prospect their third victory of the campaign.

 

Parramatta FC 0 – 1 Hurstville FC

Hurstville FC began round 6 of the League Three Mens competition with a tight victory over Parramatta FC thanks to a stunning goal from Jacob Botic.

The home side dominated majority of the first half, moving the ball at a quick tempo with quality, while Hurstville unable to match their intensity.

Hurstville captain Paul Gagro stated that while their goalkeeper didn’t pull off too many saves, a lot of last ditch defending and blocked shots kept them from going into the sheds with a deficit at halftime.

In the second half, the away side improved and went at Parramatta.

Jacob Botic scored Hurstville’s first and only of the match in the 65th minute with a bomb of a strike, picking up the ball off a short corner on the corner of the box and driving a shot into the back of the net.

Parramatta opened up in search of an equaliser which gave Hurstville the chance to attack on transitions, with Michael Kotzambasis almost doubling the away side’s advantage with a long range effort smashing off the post.

Gagro described it as a game of two halves, with Hurstville happy with another win but looking for some more consistency with “four or five forced changes each week.”

 

Hawkesbury City 1 – 2 Newcastle Jets

Newcastle Jets have defeated Hawkesbury City to remain one of the only two unbeaten sides this season in a top of the table clash.

Chances were even in the first half, but it was the Jets who opened the scoring just prior to halftime.

Lachlan West converted clinically after Hawkesbury failed to deal with a looping header towards the back post to give the away side the advantage going into the second half in coach Daniel McBreen’s last match in charge.

However, Hawkesbury equaliser through Harry Drew who finished after the Jets struggled to deal with a bouncing ball.

Both sides had chances to find the lead, with Drew and Marco Turpeinen going close for Hawkesbury, and Janni Rafty hitting the bar for the Jets.

However, it was Newcastle took the lead through Adam Zervas, who made a great dribbling run from halfway on an attacking transition.

Hawkesbury City coach Dean Bertenshaw descried the match as a “great fast game of football with both teams pressing hard – neither team took a back step.”

He believed a draw was a fair result for the match, while adding that “at least we gave everything in attack and didn’t sit back and part the bus!”

 

Nepean FC 3 – 2 UNSW FC

Nepean FC have edged out UNSW FC in a thrilling contest, coming back from two goals down to take home all three points with a trio of goals at Cook Park.

UNSW opened the scoring through a corner from Mike Kenny, before the away side doubled their advantage just three minutes later thanks to a finish from Gabriele Trinco.

Nepean clawed their way back into the match with Mitchell King converting a penalty, and the home side went into halftime down by the solitary goal.

However, Nepean took the lead late on thanks to a quickfire double from Jack Hoban, beginning in the 75th minute with another strike coming 11 minutes later.

Nepean coach Joe D’Ermilio wasn’t in attendance, and thanked his assistant coach Alexi Kramer for taking control for the match as they gained a crucial three points on Saturday night.

 

Western Rage 3 – 4 Fraser Park

(Match details were not provided at the time of writing and deadline)

 

Prospect United 3 – 2 South Coast Flame

Prospect United have defeated South Coast Flame 3-2 in stunning style thanks to a hattrick from Luka Zepina to remain unbeaten to begin their campaign.

The game began evenly with both sides looking to feel each other out as neither goalkeeper was troubled in the opening ten minutes

South Coast Flame had the first chance of the match with a clever ball to the back post seeing a cutback find Louis Miller-Tamsitt, with Prospect’s defence getting a foot in just in time to stifle the shot.

David Muller from Prospect showed his range of passing early on from the centre of a back three, looking to hit raking passes with his left foot to Bradley Dollin as a left-wing back running in behind on a number of occasions within the opening twenty minutes.

South Coast Flame continued to threated Prospect’s defence, as they broke their opponents’ high defensive line from deep though Fabian Iacovelli’s pace, with Jack Balmforth failing to make strong contact with a volley from just in the box from another cross.

The advanced positioning of Prospect’s wingbacks pressured the away side’s back four, as they were a consistently free outlet in build-up considering the numerical advantage to South Coast Flame’s press, and the passing angles opened considering their width.

South Coast Flame were presented with an opportunity to open the scoring from a close range freekick, but Balmforth’s freekick sailed over the bar.

Prospect started to work their way into more threatening positions with a couple of shots within a short spell, but neither their nor South Coast Flame’s goalkeeper was required to make a save within the opening half an hour.

South Coast Flame again troubled with a shot from the edge of the box, but Prospect United managed to block the avenue to goal.

It seemed a target area with the away side looking to hit early crosses or cutbacks just in front of the ‘D’ to onrushing midfielders, but majority of the shots hadn’t been hit purely, and Prospect’s three central defenders, while not always able to clear the initial squad, were blocking well.

Cristian Gerado Levia Martinez had a good chance for the home side after being found free just outside the box, but he hesitated and took one touch too many,

Prospect were inches off opening the scoring from a corner, with a scramble seeing South Coast goalkeeper Luke Morgan called into action, making an important save for his side.

However, minutes later Prospect did open the scoring through Luka Zepina to send Prospect with the advantage just before halftime.

The Prospect man found space and dummied a shot with his right foot before finishing coolly with his left, through the legs of the goalkeeper.

Zepina almost had a quickfire brace a few minutes later, as he raced in behind down the left flank and beat his man with another clever feint.

He advanced in on goal but couldn’t get enough bend on the shot as he looked to find the bottom right corner, with Morgan smothering the ball to make a good save.

Moments later, Zepina attempted a similar style of shot and this time converted clinically, making it two goals from himself and tow for his side going into the sheds at halftime.

A minute after, Prospect looked to add a third with a run in behind, but Morgan made a smart decision to advance and got to the ball just before the forward.

South Coast Flame came out a brighter side in the second half and halved the deficit within the opening five of the second half through a fantastic curling strike from Balmforth.

The winger peeled off to offer for a cutback and curled a peach of a strike into the side netting from outside the opposite post to give his side an in-road back into the match.

The Wollongong based side looked to ride off the momentum from their first goal, but Prospect did well to stifle their opponents, riding the wave well to prevent an equaliser.

South Coast went close with a cleanly struck volley off a corner from inside the box, but Cody Waller dragged his shot narrowly wide of the near post.

The away side then found an equaliser in dramatic style, with a low cross finding Iacovelli who steered home a tap in at the far post.

South Coast looked to be creating strong momentum, gaining a corner a minute later as they looked to impose themselves on their opponents to go ahead and gain their first victory of the League Three Men’s season.

Praneet Singh went close for Prospect off a snapshot towards the far post, dragging an impressive shot on the half turn narrowly wide.

South Coast almost capitalised on a stray pass, taking three shots in succession within the phase of play to follow, with the first saved, the second blocked and the third skied.

The energy picked up with both sides pushing for a goal to take them ahead, as the match became an intense affair.

Both sides looked to a more direct route to take the lead, with both sides’ defences coping strongly against the heavier array of long passes in behind.

But in the dying stages of the match, as the match looked to finish with a point apiece, Zepina worked his magic once more, getting his third of the match, with the final the best of the lot.

Zepina picked up the ball on the right and twisted and turned with feints, eventually coming inside onto his left foot.

The hattrick hero wrapped his left foot around the ball and curled a magnificent strike past Morgan to secure a crucial three points for Prospect United.

South Coast Flame immediately looked to retaliate with a goal of their own to level the scores but couldn’t gain a late opportunity to take a point from the match.

Prospect coach Darren Camilleri was happy with the three points, particularly after a midweek Australia Cup game meant his squad went into the match more tired than usual.

“We found it tough today – we had an Australia Cup game Thursday night which the majority of our guys played (Prospect defeated Hawkesbury City 5-1) and found it hard to match with their enthusiasm today,” he said.

“They were on top for probably the first fifteen/twenty minutes and then after the first goal we eased down and played a little better. We got the second one which was good, and their goalkeeper pulled off a few good saves. In the second half they came out with a lot of intensity and enthusiasm and got two goals and it was game on.

“When you have a guy like Luka Zepina on our team, you just have to get him in good situations, and he’ll tuck the ball away.”

Bye: Camden Tigers

By Football NSW League 3 Men’s Reporter, Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)