Round 1 Finals Series Review – League Three Men’s
An exhilarating first round of League Three Men finals has come to a close, with two slim margins deciding the due of matches.
Prospect United knocked out UNSW FC with a 1-0 win in the Elimination Semi-Final, while Nepean FC prevailed 3-2 after extra time against Hawkesbury City in the Preliminary Semi-Final.
In the Under 20’s finals, UNSW FC defeated Camden Tigers 2-0 in the Elimination match, with the Preliminary game seeing South Coast Flame advance to face top of the table Newcastle Jets in the Major Semi-Final, with Parramatta FC now playing UNSW next weekend.
UNSW FC 0 – 1 Prospect United
UNSW FC has been left to rue missed chances as they become the first side to bow out of League Three Men’s finals series, as Prospect United advanced to face Hawkesbury City after a 1-0 victory.
From the beginning, when building up from the back, UNSW looked to form a front four, with one central midfielder moving forwards almost alongside Kevin Lopes and the other remaining in pockets of space to pick up the ball.
Callum Fitzpatrick played as the deep-lying midfielder and looked to often drop in between the central defenders to receive the ball and play it forwards
Off the ball, UNSW pressed in a 4-2-3-1, usually with one central midfielder joining the two wingers in a line, with striker Lopes ahead, although there was room for rotation, depending on the players’ positions when counter-pressing.
UNSW had the first major chance of the match, as Matias Da Silva Santos shot a threatening freekick from range which forced a save from the backtracking Brendan Allen.
Off the resulting corner, they won the header but couldn’t find the target to trouble Allen once again.
A minute later, off a counterattack, a low cutback from Da Silva Santos found Lopes, but the striker’s goalbound shot was deflected wide.
UNSW continued to create opportunities, as a header from Lopes off a set piece was on target but couldn’t challenge Allen.
Prospect played the same system that they opted for in the previous week.
Their back four was supported by Alec Purves who sat in front as a deep lying midfielder, with Alexander Gorgievski and Rocco Romeo as wider central midfielders.
Cristian Gerardo Martinez operated as an attacking midfielder to complete the diamond as he moved mainly in between the midfield and forward line, although sometimes looking to push further forwards or further back as a space interpreter, while Nicholas Boyd and Housam Sayour formed a front two predominately as split strikers, looking to run in behind to stretch the play and move to support as necessary.
Throughout the first half, UNSW remained highly dangerous on attacking transitions, with Da Silva Santos, as usual, a consistent threat with his pace, ball carrying ability and capacity to take the final action in the final third.
UNSW created a well-crafted chance, with Lopes holding up the play and dummying well before feeding in the onrushing Gabriele Trinco, whose shot was blocked during his underlapping run.
Prospect struggled to play their usual high-intensity game in the first stages of the half, with the strikers rarely getting played off runs in behind.
David Muller was, like always, a good outlet to progress the ball from the back, but Prospect struggled to control the ball for long stages or create opportunities to move the ball forwards, perhaps due to a lack of width in their forward and midfield lines.
They had a good chance with the opportunity for multiple crosses into the box from the byline, but on both occasions couldn’t fashion away a shot.
Towards the latter stages of the first half, UNSW had a great chance to open the scoring.
An athletic one-two between Dylan Walz and Cristhian Martinez saw the former in behind in a wide area.
The winger swung in a fantastic cross that couldn’t find Lopes.
Da Silva Santos took the ball down at the far post but just hesitated with a strike, and his eventual powerful effort to the near post from eight yards out was off target.
A minute later, off a corner, Lopes brought the ball down well and fashioned an opportunity, but Prospect did fantastically to get bodies in the way and block the shot.
As the end of the first half edged closer, UNSW went close again to opening the scoring, as a good cross from Mark Murphey saw a header from Trinco at the far post miss the target.
Prospect ended the opening 45 minutes with an increased period of possession but neither side could enter the break with a goal advantage.
The start to the second half was cagey in terms of shots, with neither side creating many opportunities in the opening ten minutes.
Prospect had the first big chance of the second stanza, as Boyd got in behind and looked to unleash a shot when coming in, but UNSW did well to block the opportunity.
Off the resulting corner, Prospect opened the scoring, with their captain Muller adding to his tally from set pieces for the season.
A fantastic cross from Purves found the central defenders run at the far post and Purves hit an uncompromising strike on the volley to find the back of the net and put his team in front in finals.
After the opener, UNSW came out of the blocks strongly, but couldn’t create any chances to convert in the five minutes to follow, as Prospect naturally began to sit deeper and slow the play down.
Fitzpatrick moved from deep midfield to a more attacking position, often as the player who played off Lopes in the frontline, with the substitute Aswin Adinanto becoming the deeper playmaker.
Prospect began to move towards a more counter-attacking approach, with the two split strikers combining with Martinez to fashion opportunities in transition.
UNSW began to increase their pressure and attacking intent, with Noah Hunt going close off a powerful near post effort from an acute angle on the edge of the six-yard box.
A minute after their first chance, UNSW were presented with a golden opportunity to find an equaliser, as Lopes found himself in behind in a one-on-one, but the striker miskicked the ball as the goal gaped open.
From there, Prospect did well to regroup and prevent UNSW from creating more opportunities to pin them back in their box.
Prospect almost secured their spot in the finals with three minutes to go off a great solo run from Martinez, with Nicholas Croucher making a smart save at the near post.
Off a free kick in the last minute, UNSW sent their goalkeeper up as they put everything on the line to stay in the game.
With seconds to go, UNSW was on the verge of finding their equaliser, but captain Luke Burke just couldn’t convert from close range despite being free in the box from a cross.
That proved to be the home side’s last chance, as Prospect advanced with a clinical and professional victory in the first round of finals.
Nepean FC 3 – 2 Hawkesbury City (AET)
Nepean FC has gained an opportunity for a second chance to make the grand final with a 3-2 victory after extra time over Hawkesbury City in the Preliminary Semi-Final.
Nepean FC opened the scoring in the 17th minute despite it being a cagey first half.
A ball down the line found Zeke Prisuda, and a strong cross from the winger saw an own goal give Nepean the advantage.
In the dying stages of the opening stanza, Hawkesbury scored a good goal to equalise, after build-up play saw Clay Tanti finish off a low cross.
After a tense second half, Nepean came out the fresher side in extra time, and a brace to Majid Eslami within five minutes saw Nepean move ahead.
An own goal brought Hawkesbury back into the game, but they couldn’t score another to take the match to penalties, despite having a chance in the last minute inside the box, with the shot blazing over the bar.
Nepean coach Joe D’Ermilio credited Hawkesbury for their game despite being understrength (there were multiple injuries both before and during the game) while praising Mitchell King and goalkeeper Jade Jonsson as well as super subs Eslami and Jack Hoban for their impact off the bench.
Hawkesbury coach Dean Bertenshaw, meanwhile, stated it to be a great semi-final match, with his side now regrouping to face Prospect United next weekend in the Minor Semi-Final.
Under 20 matches:
Preliminary Semi-Final:
South Coast Flame 3 (Pappas x2, Alston)
Parramatta FC 3 (Zenelaj, Honda, Rodriguez)
South Coast Flame through 3-1 on penalties
Elimination Semi-Final:
UNSW FC 2 (Mcalpine, Gilbert)
Camden Tigers 0
By Football NSW League 3 Men’s Reporter, Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
