Round 13 Review – League Two Men’s
Round Thirteen of the Football NSW League Two Men’s season saw a new team rise to be the most in-form, while the leaders remained top without playing.
The Match of the Round saw Hurstville FC continue their rise with a strong win at home over Sydney University SFC, while earlier Hawkesbury City staged a big comeback win over Gladesville Ryde Magic.
Elsewhere, Parramatta FC recorded a home win over Camden Tigers FC in a high-scoring encounter, Bankstown United FC overcame Fraser Park FC at home, while South Coast Flame FC and Nepean FC could not be separated.
Meanwhile, Inner West Hawks FC picked up all three points in an important win away over the Western Rage, before Prospect United SC showed up and won away to the Newcastle Jets.
UNSW FC had a bye this round.
Saturday, 29th April 2023
Match of the Round: Hurstville FC 2-0 Sydney University SFC
It was a match of two halves between Hurstville FC and Sydney University SFC as the hosts came away 2-0 victors.
The students had a penalty shout waved away early, before Thomas Mccoubrie flashed a ball across the six-yard box, but no University player was able to get on the end of it.
Sydney University had most of the possession in the opening ten minutes of the contest at Penshurst Park.
However, Hurstville’s first attack of the match saw them create a chance down the right flank, as a shot at University goalkeeper, Jordan Polyzos, was straight at him and cleared away.
The match quietened down for the next five minutes as both sides tried to find their feet in the match.
University continued to hold possession of the ball across the pitch as they probed for a way through the Hurstville defence.
In the 18th minute, University tried a long shot to test Michael Rutherford in the Hurstville goal, who caught the ball shot straight into his arms.
A few minutes later, Hurstville made a break down the left; the ball across the box fell to captain Paul Gagro, who was in a lot of space.
He settled himself but slipped as he attempted his shot in a one-on-one with Polyzos as his shot over the bar waw met by oohs from the crowd.
Paul Gagro made a break down the right shortly after before he crossed the ball low into the box fast for George Salachoris, who snatched at the shot with his right foot as the ball flew over the bar.
Salachoris had a chance from a free kick from the left outside the box in the 29th minute, but his effort went wide of the left-hand post.
The pattern of the match in the first half progressed; when University had the ball in their own half and attempted to play out from the back, Hurstville pressed in unison from the attackers to the midfielders.
However, the students had success in playing through the press.
University had a long shot from 30 yards in the 33rd minute as they looked for a way through a strong Hurstville defence.
A minute later, Paul Gagro got on the end of a high cross played in for him across the box; he volleyed his effort straight into Polyzos’ gloves.
In the 41st minute, Mccoubrie floated a dangerous ball into the box; it evaded all the Hurstville defenders but was also just out of reach of any University attackers as it went out for a goal kick.
Three minutes later, Hurstville gave the ball away dangerously on the edge of their box as Jethro Thornton shot quickly as the ball went over the bar; the visitors had a good opportunity to take the lead just before the break.
Defence from both sides was tight in the first half as both were either forced into long shots or were unable to beat the goalkeepers at the last attempt.
After exactly one minute of stoppage time, the referee blew the whistle for half-time, as the sides entered the sheds level and scoreless at the break.
University had the better of the first half in terms of play and possession, but Hurstville had the bigger chances of the half; both sides looked to be more clinical in the final third in the second half.
The rain poured down onto the pitch during half-time break and continued into the second half.
In the first minute of the second half, Hurstville half-time substitute Julian Bittar got in behind the University defence and found a ball played in behind for him; he crossed the ball into the box as it deflected to Paul Gagro in the middle in a lot of space, as he failed to convert his shot into a goal.
A few minutes later, Bittar again stood up his defender down the left and crossed the ball into the box for Paul Gagro; he cut the ball back to his brother Jesse Gagro who fired his shot over the bar from close range as the crowd reacted with oohs.
Hurstville started the second half with intent to get in behind and test the University defence early, while the rain got heavier as the half progressed.
Bittar continued to attack off the bench; he saw Polyzos rush out of his goal and tried to chip the University custodian, but his shot missed wide to the left.
In the 55th minute, Jesse Gagro got in behind after a long ball over the top was played for him; he beat his defender and found space, but his effort on goal was tame as Polyzos caught the ball.
Hurstville were in control in the first 20 minutes of the second half, while the rain started to ease.
The hosts worked their way to the by-line inside the box as they searched for a way through a resolute University defence.
In the 65th minute, Hurstville earned a corner which saw blocked shots from close range; another corner followed which caused more problems for University.
Three minutes later, Hurstville earned another corner as they looked to continue their pressure from set pieces.
Paul Gagro whipped the ball into the box from the right direct from the corner into a dangerous area inside the six-yard box.
One of the smaller players in the area, Jacob Botic, found himself free in the box as he attacked the ball with intent and scored to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
However, the match continued to change in rapid fashion following that goal.
Substitute Sam Notarangelo found space in behind as a ball by Samuel Shainfeld was played in behind for him; Notarangelo beat his defenders for pace as he struck the ball powerfully low to Polyzos’ near post on the right.
The shot snuck in at the near post and found the back of the net, as Hurstville doubled their lead in a showing of clinical finishing.
On the opportunities where the students got in behind, the Hurstville defenders stuck with the University attackers and stopped them from creating goal-scoring opportunities.
The rain subsided in the 75th minute as a rocket of a shot from Salachoris rattled the crossbar as the ball went out for a goal-kick.
Two minutes later, University got in behind but last-ditch tackles and strong defence from Hurstville kept University out.
A quiet 10 minutes followed as University looked for a way back into the match.
The rain picked up again in the final five minutes of the match and after four minutes of stoppage time, the referee called time on the match.
The press from Hurstville was a big feature in their victory, while the vocal home crowd cheered on their side the entire match.
The win moved Hurstville within three points of sixth-placed Fraser Park FC, while Sydney University dropped to twelfth on the table.
Hurstville FC Captain, Paul Gagro, said he was glad to see his side grow into the match.
“We took a while to adapt to conditions and it just was not us… [at half-time] we said, ‘we have to be braver on the ball’… and I thought [the] second half was complete domination.”
With momentum moving forward, Gagro said the plan is to keep pushing.
“We were very disappointed to our start [to the season] this year… we have thrown a lot of games away off our own doing… it’s not all gonna be perfect, but we’re still ticking along.”
Gagro said he was proud of his side’s defensive effort and is looking to continue the club’s form moving forward.
“We would love to get another win or two before [the halfway point of the season], see where we are at, and hopefully we’re pushing for that top four to five.”
Earlier in the week, Sydney University SFC also crashed out of the Australia Cup at the hands of League One side Northern Tigers FC; the students trailed 2-1 at half-time after Brett Wilson found a goal back in the 45th minute but were unable to find an equaliser in the second half as the match ended with that same scoreline.
Hurstville FC will look for a third-straight victory as they chase the top six at home to Parramatta FC, while Sydney University SFC will look to bounce back from back-to-back losses as they host Hawkesbury City FC.
Friday, 28th April 2023
Hawkesbury City FC 3-2 Gladesville Ryde Magic
Hawkesbury City FC won their first match in eight as they ended Gladesville Ryde Magic’s three-match winning streak courtesy of a comeback 3-2 victory.
The Magic’s injury list meant they fielded six players ages 18-years-old or younger.
Hawkesbury hit the bar early, while Chris Gaitatzis shot over the bar for the Magic shortly after.
Then, in the 12th minute, an interchange of passes between Christopher Guyot and Gaitatzis, followed by a failure to clear a header led the latter to score as he gave the Magic a 1-0 lead.
Hawkesbury’s Kai Mcloughlin found space and shot wide of the target, before 18-year-old Magic defender Alexander Travieso found space in the goal mouth and flicked the ball on as Daniel Schwarzer made a save.
In the 42nd minute, a Luca Vasic free kick for the Magic was headed on by Arik Ajak, as the ball found Bailey Stevens who headed the ball into the back of the net and gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Kohki Hiyaoka had a chance for the Magic at the start of the second half, but his effort was shot straight into the hands of Schwarzer.
However, following that, Hawkesbury found a lot of momentum in the match as they pushed hard and in the 66th minute, Zac Miletic pulled a goal back for the hosts.
Immediately in their next attacking movement following the kick-off, Hawkesbury found the equaliser through Harry Drew, as the match swung completely with the momentum; the match was tied at 2-2.
Following that, both sides continued to create chances but were unable to finish off their movements.
The Magic made late changes as they looked to turn the momentum, but it was to no avail.
In the 80th minute, Hawkesbury broke away from a long clearance and scored through Vincent D’Ermilio as they completed the comeback and took the lead for the first time in the match.
Hawkesbury capitalised and scored when they pushed as they picked up their third win of the season, 3-2.
The win kept Hawkesbury in 14th place but moved them within three points of 10th, while the Magic dropped to 4th.
Hawkesbury are next in action in the fifth round of the Australia Cup preliminaries at 7:30pm on Wednesday, 3rd May at David Bertenshaw Field, where they will hope to continue their cup run at home against League one side Mounties Wanderers.
Hawkesbury City FC will look to build on the performance and victory as they travel to face Sydney University SFC next week in the league, while Gladesville Ryde Magic will look to bounce back at home to South Coast Flame FC.
Saturday, 29th April 2023
Parramatta FC 4-2 Camden Tigers FC
Parramatta FC won their first match in four while Camden Tigers FC lost their fourth-straight match as the hosts came away with a 4-2 victory at a makeshift home in Valentine Sports Park.
Camden maintained possession early and created a few chances as they looked to start the match strongly.
However, Parramatta took the lead in the 16th minute after Marco Sama played a long through ball to Youssef Badr; he took one touch and then shot the ball into the back of the net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal of the season.
In the 28th minute, combination play down the right-hand side for Parramatta saw 18-year-old Muamer Mesanovic receive the ball inside and took a first-time shot from just outside the 18-yard box to score and double the host’s lead.
In the last 20 minutes of the first half, Camden found some control as their left-back got high up the pitch and crossed the ball in; Parramatta’s Blake Steward stuck out a foot to try and defend it but deflected the ball into the back of his own net.
Parramatta took a 2-1 lead into the break.
Camden started the second half strong and found the equaliser in the 59th minute from a free kick; the ball was played to the back post, then was headed back in as Francesco Giannetto scored to level the match.
Camden pushed to try and take the lead in the second half and left space in behind, which left Parramatta’s Sama and Badr to get in behind when Parramatta won the ball.
Badr was fouled on the edge of the box in the 67th minute as Sama launched the free kick into the box; Camden’s Andrew Head came out to block the ball but ended up deflecting it into the back of his own net as Parramatta retook the lead.
Substitute Jayden Russell was sent off for Camden with a second yellow in the 89th minute following a consultation between the referee and a side-line official.
Parramatta took advantage of their extra-man advantage in the third minute of stoppage time, as Sama dribbled past three players before he smashed the ball into the top-left corner with a thunderous strike to score his seventh goal of the season.
The match could have gone either way for a while; Parramatta showed resilience throughout the match to see out the win despite giving up their two-goal lead earlier in the match.
The host’s attack gelled as they combined for goals in the match as Parramatta defeated Camden 4-2.
Parramatta FC rose to 9th place with the win, while Camden dropped to 11th.
Parramatta FC will look to build on the victory as they travel to face the in-form Hurstville FC next week, while Camden Tigers FC have a week off with a bye in Round Fourteen.
Bankstown United FC 2-0 Fraser Park FC
Bankstown United FC rose to the occasion following a difficult week after Head Coach Scott Belgre left the club earlier in the week as they beat Fraser Park FC 2-0 at home.
Interim Bankstown coach Luke McGuire took charge of the team, and the match was even in the first half as both sides created a few chances each to no avail.
Fraser Park were unlucky in some instances, including a goal disallowed for offside 25 minutes in after a ball was crossed in from the right and scored at the far post.
Shortly after, Bankstown had a chance where Fraser Park goalkeeper Patrick Ferrara pulled off a strong save from point-blank range to deny Alejandro Salgueira.
Bankstown captain Steven Wright came off injured at half-time with a hamstring strain, but the hosts started the second half strongly.
They took the lead five minutes into the second half after a ball crossed from the left into the box found Marie Gauthier, who rose above the Fraser Park defence and headed the ball into the back of the net from six yards out to score his seventh goal of the season.
Fraser Park hit the post following Bankstown’s strong start before the hosts attacked more for the next 15-20 minutes.
Bankstown were clinical in the final third as they doubled their lead.
A ball crossed into the Fraser Park box following a quick break for Bankstown found Corey Freeman on the far post, who slotted the ball home to give Bankstown a 2-0 lead.
Tyron Geany was sent off for Bankstown in the 79th minute for a second yellow after he put a challenge in 10 metres inside Fraser Park’s half and denied a breakaway from a corner.
Bankstown sat deep and soaked up the pressure from Fraser Park following the send-off.
Their clinical nature in the second half proved to be the difference; despite Fraser Park’s possession, Bankstown defended stoutly and attacked accurately as they stopped Fraser Park from challenging their goalkeeper, Mitchell Evans, as Bankstown claimed an important 2-0 win over Fraser Park.
Bankstown United FC rose to 10th after their first victory in six matches, while Fraser Park remained in 6th place following back-to-back defeats.
Bankstown will look to win back-to-back matches for the second time this season as they travel to face Nepean FC next week, while Fraser Park will look to respond to back-to-back defeats as they host the Newcastle Jets in the next round.
South Coast Flame FC 1-1 Nepean FC
South Coast Flame FC and Nepean FC could not be separated as the two sides in the top five shared the points in an entertaining encounter in tough conditions at Sir Ian McLennan Oval, 1-1.
Nepean started well as in the 4th minute, a swift counterattack by Nepean saw Jack Hoban through on goal before he sliced his effort wide.
Shortly after, the Flame looked to strike first through Adam Voloder, who created space and curled a shot towards the top corner, which was saved at full stretch by Nepean’s goalkeeper, Justin Biega.
In the wet conditions, Leonard Abdo had a chance for Nepean in the 21st minute, as he got in behind the Flame defence; however, his shot skidded wide across the wet pitch.
Nepean stuck to their game plan and found the lead in the 38th minute.
A free kick drifted into the box by Nepean found Luka Zepina, who connected with his effort as he thumped the ball past Flame goalkeeper Seiya Miyamoto from close range; Nepean led 1-0.
Just before the break, Jay De Gouveia had a shot from the edge of the box which just flew over the bar as the hosts took a 1-0 lead into half-time.
The conditions worsened in the second half; however, the Flame found the equaliser in the 66th minute.
Jacob Poscoliero swung a ball over the Nepean defence as Voloder headed the ball over the top of the advancing Biega into the back of the net to draw the Flame level with his sixth goal of the season.
Both sides went searching for the winner; Hoban had back-to-back one-on-one chances for Nepean which drew saves from Miyamoto, while at the other end a swift Voloder turn and shot flew just over the crossbar.
In the final few minutes, Nepean came closest to taking all three points after Richard Stewart’s header bounced off the crossbar.
Both sides worked hard in tough conditions; neither side found the winning goal as the points were shared in the 1-1 draw.
The draw kept the Flame in 3rd and Nepean in 5th, respectively.
South Coast Flame FC also progressed to the next round of the Australia Cup following their 3-0 victory away over Eastern Suburbs Football Association side Randwick City FC in the fifth round of preliminaries.
A goal from Jyden Harb, an own goal, and a goal from Adam Voloder saw the Flame progress to Round Six of the preliminaries.
The Flame will look to potentially take top spot next week as they travel to play Gladesville Ryde Magic, while Nepean will hope to close the gap to the top sides as they host Bankstown United FC.
Western Rage 0-1 Inner West Hawks FC
The Western Rage could not back up their victory last week with success this week, while Inner West Hawks FC earned back-to-back victories for the first time this season with the 1-0 win.
Peter Phillips scored the lone goal in the match for the Hawks in the 39th minute after the ball found him from a low driven cross from Marcus Naoum after he made a run from midfield.
The Hawks threatened when attacking down their wings through Casper Liu and Phillips’ pace.
They had chances to extend their lead in the first half through Peter Yannopoulos and Hesan Soufi but were unable to convert, as they headed into the sheds 1-0 up at half-time.
The Rage came out firing in the second half as they fired multiple attacks on the Hawks.
However, the Hawks defence, including Naoum, Sidhya Malhotra and Matthew Paras stood strong amid any Rage pressure, as they looked to limit chances from the Rage.
The Hawks defended and held on to their lead as they claimed a tight victory by the one-goal margin over the Rage at Rydalmere Park, 1-0.
The victory moved the Hawks into 13th place, seven points clear of the bottom of the table, while the Rage remained in 15th, six points behind second-last Hawkesbury City FC.
The Western Rage also lost in the fifth round of the Australia Cup preliminaries earlier in the week, as they fell 2-1 to Illawarra Premier League side Cringila Lions FC; despite holding a 1-0 lead in the first half through Jad Moussa, the Rage conceded in the 87th minute as they lost.
The Western Rage will look to respond as they face a tough away trip in Prospect United SC next week, while Inner West Hawks FC travel to face ladder-leaders UNSW FC in Round Fourteen.
Sunday, 30th April 2023
Newcastle Jets 0-1 Prospect United SC
Prospect United SC picked up a big victory in a shake-up which affected positions across the table; the Jets three-match winning streak ended while Prospect won their fourth match in a row with the 1-0 victory.
Newcastle controlled possession throughout the match, but Prospect stuck to their gameplan on the night as they looked to play on the counter.
Prospect looked to rely on their defensive structures as a base for setting up victory as they waited for their opportunity to score.
Each player stuck to their defensive duties as they held the Jets out; the score was 0-0 at half-time.
Prospect found the important breakthrough in the 60th minute through captain David Muller, who scored with a header from a Rhys Osmond set piece.
Newcastle looked to fire back as they hit the Prospect post and had some sharp movements as they searched for an equaliser, but the Prospect defence held strong.
Prospect’s goalkeeper Jackson Jarnet, who made his starting debut in the match after he came on for the final 30 minutes last week as a replacement for the injured Archie Cerasoli, also held strong at the back.
Prospect held off Newcastle as they claimed a big scalp and an important victory away from home, 1-0.
The victory moved Prospect to within one point of sixth-placed Fraser Park FC, while the Newcastle Jets missed the chance to move to top spot and remained one point behind UNSW FC.
The Newcastle Jets will look to chase top spot again next week as they travel to face Fraser Park FC, while Prospect United SC will hope to continue their good form at home to the Western Rage in Round Fourteen.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Writer, Dylan Costa @_dylancosta
