Round 14 Review – League Two Men’s
Round Fourteen of the Football New South Wales League Two Men’s season saw the leaders extend their advantage at the top, while the teams around them saw varied results.
The Match of the Round saw a second-half comeback from Western Rage as they earned a draw away to Prospect United SC, while earlier Nepean FC continued their rise with victory over Bankstown United FC.
Elsewhere, Sydney University SFC and Hawkesbury City FC could not be separated, Gladesville Ryde Magic and South Coast Flame FC’s match was drawn before it was abandoned late due to light failure, while UNSW FC got past a determined Inner West Hawks FC.
Following that, Fraser Park came from behind to earn a draw with the Newcastle Jets, before Hurstville FC continued their rise with success at home over Parramatta FC.
Camden Tigers FC had a bye this round.
Saturday, 6th May 2023
Match of the Round: Prospect United SC 1-1 Western Rage
Plenty of fire and determination was on show as the Western Rage came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw away against Prospect United SC at William Lawson Reserve.
Prospect kicked off the match; both sides launched the ball up the field in attack in an attempt to win the first and second ball, but both defences held strong as they came away with possession.
The first shot of the match came in the eighth minute from Jacob Micallef for Prospect, who received the ball on the edge of the Rage box and fired a shot at Rage goalkeeper Samuel Bortolazzo near-post.
The shot was saved by Bortolazzo out for a corner, where Bortolazzo was forced to spread his arms wide to deny the hosts from a close-range shot.
The Rage used holdup play with their forwards to allow forward runners in behind, but the Prospect defence read it well.
Micallef was a livewire for Prospect early as he sent and received the ball down the right flank.
Prospect held more possession as the half went on as they looked to carve through the Rage midfield.
The Rage enjoyed a spell of possession, but Prospect held off Rage attempts to play the ball into the box.
Prospect’s James Pelletier dropped deep to employ holdup play and pull defenders out of position; this allowed Micallef to get in behind.
Both sides started to press from midfield as the Rage defence stood strong.
In the 25th minute, the Rage broke through the Prospect defence and had a shot on target, which was straight at Prospect goalkeeper Jackson Jarnet, who caught the ball.
The Rage had worked their way into the contest as they looked for a way through the Prospect defence.
In the 32nd minute, the press from the Rage almost payed dividends as they won the ball back in the attacking third.
A snapshot from a Rage player struck the crossbar with power as the visitors almost found the opening goal.
Prospect recognised their poor ball security as they looked to rectify the situation of the match, which they did to full effect in the 39th minute.
Micallef found space down the right flank again in the 39th minute.
He squared the ball into the box for the Prospect forwards; after a deflected shot and a few more deflections, Bortolazzo tried to claim the loose ball.
He looked to have both hands on the ball, before Tallon Zahra slotted the ball into the back of the net from a few yards out to give Prospect a 1-0 lead.
Despite protests from the Rage players claiming a foul on their goalkeeper by Zahra, the goal was given as Prospect took the lead; it was an unlucky goal for the Rage to concede.
A yellow card was issued to Bortolazzo for his protest of the decision as the Rage players continued to have words with the referee, even after the restart following the goal.
In the final minute of the half, the Rage had a close-range shot from a corner which was saved.
The referee blew the whistle for halftime amidst protests from the Rage players regarding the earlier goal, as Prospect enjoyed a 1-0 lead at the break.
The Rage players were out on the field and ready early for the second half as they looked to respond to their first-half setback.
Positive talk of playing for each other could be heard from the Rage players as they prepared for the second half with a few warm-up drills.
The Rage made pressing from the front a priority to start the second half.
Following strong defending from both sides, the Rage’s Brent Flavin took a shot which flew into the arms of Jarnet in the 54th minute.
A few minutes later, Prospect looked to counter from a defensive corner through Zahra, but Jamie Nicolaou stopped a through ball, crucially.
The Rage continued to have more possession in the second half as they pushed for an equaliser.
In the 66th minute, the Rage continued their domination in terms of possession as they took a long shot, which flew over the crossbar.
Prospect countered down the other end from the resulting goal kick as Bortolazzo made a strong save to his left to deny Prospect from doubling their lead.
Just two minutes later, however, the pressure from the Rage told.
Nicolaou played the ball to Rage substitute Timothy Borg-Williams, who received the ball in attack and drove into the Prospect box.
Following a few deflections from tackles, Borg-Williams controlled the ball and got in behind the Prospect defence.
He put a shot in as a tackle was made on the ball; it looped up into the air and under the crossbar as it found the back of the net to level the scores, 1-1.
Prospect almost immediately responded from a corner as a right-footed shot went wide of the left-hand post from a Prospect player.
Prospect had another shot from a corner in the 72nd minute which flew a long way over the bar.
The match got more heated towards the final 15 minutes as a collision between two opposing players resulted in a small scuffle, which resulted in Blake Mottram and Omid Mokhtar receiving yellow cards for Prospect and the Rage, respectively.
A lengthy delay followed as the referee tried to calm both sides, including the benches.
In the 81st minute, a Prospect free kick deflected off the Rage wall and out for a corner, while both sides looked to play in behind with long balls.
Four minutes later, Prospect played on the counter again as a shot from substitute Dante Soares went over the bar.
In the 88th minute, a Prospect long shot went wide as both sides searched for a late winner.
A minute later, the Rage broke on the counter again as they forced a strong save from Jarnet at his near post to his right to keep the scores level.
Desperate defending inside and outside the box from both sides late saw the other out, including Rage debutant Daniel Duarte, who was unable to get a shot off in stoppage time as the ball just would not fall for him after he had got in behind.
After five minutes of stoppage time, the referee blew the whistle for full-time, where both sides settled for a tense 1-1 draw.
The Rage resilience and determination in the second half to come from behind was a feature in the match, while Prospect never gave up in their search of victory.
The point saw Prospect drop their first points in five matches and move back one place to eighth on the ladder, while the Rage earned their sixth point of the season.
Speaking post-match, Prospect head coach Darren Camilleri was realistic about his side’s performance and where they need to improve.
“We were very lacklustre, especially after half-time… we have got to learn from it.”
Camilleri spoke on how his side’s performance in the second half is something he will look to address for the following matches.
“After half-time, we went hiding… you are not just going to be given a win against the last-placed team, you have got to earn it… a point was probably what it should have been.”
Camilleri is hoping to build more resilience in his players to rise to the occasion for what the rest of the season will throw at them.
“Hopefully we pick it up again soon and we will see what happens.”
Western Rage interim head coach Carlo Ianni, meanwhile, was pleased with his side’s performance, particularly in the second half.
“We were definitely the better side in the second half, we were all over them in the second half, we went for it.”
This is the first time this season the Rage have earned any points from behind in the match and they will be using every lesson they can get going forward.
“It was good to see a reaction, it was good to see us composed, it was good to see us control the match… I think we deserved more, but a point is better than a loss.”
Ianni spoke on the mentality in football and how his side will use each lesson they can get to build positive results into the future.
“It is all about mentality; everyone is pretty much on the same level; it is just who is stronger mentally to get through games… we showed it today and we have just got to keep on building off it; every week is a steppingstone.”
Prospect United SC will hope to bounce back as they travel to face Inner West Hawks FC next week, while the Western Rage will look to build off the positives in this draw as they host Fraser Park FC in Round Fifteen, as the competition reaches the halfway point of the season.
Friday, 5th May 2023
Nepean FC 2-0 Bankstown United FC
Nepean FC returned to third in the standings as they scored late to claim a 2-0 victory at home over Bankstown United FC, who could not back up their win from the week prior.
Nepean looked to utilise their new game plan early as they faced an organised Bankstown United defence.
The first half was tight with few chances between both sides as Nepean tried to break down the Bankstown defensive block when they had the ball.
Bankstown had a few chances on the counter when they got the ball back but were unable to fashion a goal before the break.
The second half continued in similar fashion as Nepean probed for a way through the resolute Bankstown defence.
However, Nepean made changes both at half-time and on the 70th minute mark which worked in their favour.
Just over ten minutes after he was substituted on, Leonard Abdo managed to find a way past the Bankstown defence and goalkeeper as he slotted the ball into the back of the net to give Nepean a 1-0 lead in the 81st minute.
Bankstown goalkeeper Mitchell Evans was sent off with a straight red card late for a foul inside his own penalty box as Nepean received a penalty late in stoppage time.
Kamran Qayumi stepped up and slotted the penalty home in the sixth minute of added time to seal the victory and the three points for Nepean, who moved to three matches unbeaten.
Bankstown battled hard against a strong Nepean side but the two defining moments in the match were the difference in the end.
That was Nepean’s first clean sheet since Round Seven against the Magic; they will hope this performance is one they can build on moving forward.
The loss did not affect Bankstown United’s standings as teams around them failed to pick up the necessary points to surpass them.
Nepean will hope to build on the performance, victory, and clean sheet as they travel to face Sydney University SFC next week, while Bankstown United FC will look for a response at home to Camden Tigers FC in Round Fifteen.
Saturday, 6th May 2023
Sydney University SFC 0-0 Hawkesbury City FC
Neither Sydney University SFC or Hawkesbury City FC were able to find a breakthrough as both sides had to settle for a 0-0 draw.
University had sustained pressure early as they forced Hawkesbury goalkeeper Daniel Schwarzer to tip the ball over the bar from a James Reed shot.
Hawkesbury had two good chances which stemmed from long balls; one hit the post and the other was smothered by University goalkeeper Jasper Sarkies.
Sarkies made one-on-one saves against Hawkesbury’s Harry Drew, Vincent D’Ermilio and Anthony Pedavoli to keep the sides level.
University looked to play around the Hawkesbury press, while the away side tried their luck from range to no avail.
The hosts struggled with the final ball until just after the hour mark when Jackson Fredericks was put through in a one-on-one but rolled his shot just wide.
In the 73rd minute, University were reduced to ten men as Caelan Hinckson received a second yellow card after he was deemed to have stopped a quick free kick being taken by Hawkesbury.
The visitors held more possession following that send-off but were unable to make the most of their extra-man advantage despite their threats.
University had two good chances of their own in the final ten minutes, one of which was saved by Schwarzer in a strong one-on-one save, while the other was blocked in the six-yard box.
University and Hawkesbury had to settle for a point each in the end, as the two sides prepare to reflect on the upcoming halfway point of the season.
The hosts moved up to 11th with the draw, while the visitors rose a place, also, to 13th on the ladder.
Sydney University SFC will hope to welcome more players back from injury soon as they face a strong Nepean FC at home next week, while Hawkesbury City FC will make the tough trip up to face the Newcastle Jets in Round Fifteen.
Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-2 South Coast Flame FC (Match Abandoned)
Gladesville Ryde Magic and South Coast Flame FC looked poised to take a point each from their matchup before the match was abandoned with five minutes plus stoppage time to go in the clash.
Chris Gaitatzis had the first chance for the Magic in the match as his shot swerved wide of the target, while Christopher Guyot had a shot for the Magic after 15 minutes which was saved by Seiya Miyamoto.
At the other end, a corner from the Flame led to a final attempt from Chang Gyun Yoo which went past the post.
After an end-to-end opening, the Flame were awarded a penalty after Yoo was fouled in the box.
Matthew Mazevski stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The Flame had another chance a few minutes later through Adam Voloder, who put his chipped shot over, while the Magic defence also defender long throw ins into the box from the Flame.
The Flame had another chance to extend their lead as Mazevski had a shot which was saved by the diving Gabriel Koliomihos for the Magic with a one-handed save.
James Tsokos volleyed an effort from ten yards out for the Magic, which was saved acrobatically by Flame goalkeeper Seiya Miyamoto; the Flame led 1-0 at half-time.
In the 48th minute, the Flame doubled their lead through Voloder after he headed the ball home from a cross played in for him.
However, just three minutes later the Magic hit back through Gaitatzis after his shot from the edge of the box took a slight deflection and wrong-footed Miyamoto; the score was 2-1.
In the 71st minute, Kohki Hiyaoka was brought down in the box by a Samuel Alston, who also received a second yellow card and was sent off for the challenge, as the Magic earned a penalty.
Gaitatzis stepped up and sent Miyamoto the wrong way as he converted the penalty; the Flame tried to hold on late as the Magic peppered their goal with shots.
However, as the match moved towards completion in the final five minutes plus stoppage time, the lights at Christie Park failed and turned off as the pitch was covered in darkness.
The lights were unable to be turned back on in time, which led to the match being abandoned with five minutes of regular time remaining.
The official result of the match remains pending.
Gladesville Ryde Magic will look to rest with a bye next week, while South Coast Flame FC return home to face Parramatta FC in Round Fifteen.
UNSW FC 1-0 Inner West Hawks FC
UNSW FC consolidated their spot on top of the League Two Men’s ladder as they extended their advantage with a 1-0 win at home over Inner West Hawks FC, who could not turn back-to-back wins into three.
The Hawks gave a debut to Matthew Morris at wingback as they had nine players missing through injury; their whole bench was filled with under-20’s players.
UNSW had control of the match throughout and create good quality chances in the match.
The player of the match was Hawks goalkeeper Shunsuke Sugiura, who made many crucial saves to keep his side level and then keep the deficit to one goal by the end of the match.
He was also important for the Hawks in attack as his distribution helped wingbacks Declan Woolnough and Morris get forward quickly, as well as Hawks’ forwards Peter Yannopoulos and Hesan Soufi.
UNSW had most of the possession throughout the match and were searching the entire match for the go-ahead goal, which would have come if it were not for Sugiura, who made countless saves.
Luke Del Vecchio made an important one-on-one save in between the sticks for UNSW from a Hawks shot as he kept his side level.
The decisive moment in the match came in the 82nd minute; Mitchell Mattison took a long range strike on from 25 yards out for UNSW which found its way into the back of the Hawks’ goal off the underside of the bar.
That was the only shot Sugiura did not manage to save the whole night; his powerful performance ended up being in vain as UNSW FC continued their charge at the top with a 1-0 win at home.
UNSW FC will look to maintain and hope to extend their lead at the top as they travel to face Hurstville FC next week, while Inner West Hawks FC will hope to return to winning ways when they host Prospect United SC.
Sunday, 7th May 2023
Fraser Park FC 1-1 Newcastle Jets
The goals came early between Fraser Park FC and the Newcastle Jets as both sides settled for a draw in front of a strong home crowd.
Newcastle opened the scoring in the fourth minute direct from a free kick; Ezra Palombini stepped up and slotted the free kick into the bottom corner as the visitors took the early advantage.
However, that advantage did not last long as Fraser Park found an instant reply.
Combination play on the left for the hosts gave captain Alexis Wenzel space to cross the ball into the box.
The ball found Samuel Shepherd at the back post who took a touch and slotted the ball into the back of the net to level the scores at 1-1.
The rest of the match was tense as Newcastle dominated possession, especially in the second half, while Fraser Park stayed compact and hit the Jets on the break.
Fraser Park had a chance to take the lead with 20 minutes to go after Daniel Marques played Hayato Sadamori in behind the Jets defence, but his shot one-on-one with Jets goalkeeper Noah James missed the target.
Newcastle pressed for a winner, but Fraser Park defended strongly to keep the Jets grounded.
The last chance of the match fell to Fraser Park’s Alexander Nicolosi, who received the ball from Shepherd after he was played in behind.
Shepherd cut the ball back to Nicolosi, who hit the ball over the bar from a metre out.
The final whistle was blown by the referee about a minute later as both sides settled for the draw, 1-1.
The result kept Fraser Park in sixth place, one point ahead of Hurstville FC and Prospect United SC, while the Jets stayed in second, three points behind first-placed UNSW FC.
Fraser Park will hope to grab all three points next week as they travel to face the Western Rage, while the Newcastle Jets will hope to move to top spot as they host Hawkesbury City FC.
Hurstville FC 3-0 Parramatta FC
Hurstville FC recorded three wins in a row for the first time this season, while Parramatta FC could not back up their Round Thirteen win, as the hosts took out a comprehensive 3-0 victory.
Hurstville dominated the middle of the park in the first half as they looked to move the ball around.
However, Parramatta had a chance in the opening five minutes from a counterattack which hit the post, as well as a long shot.
Hurstville had a few cutbacks and crosses which proved dangerous before George Salachoris had a chance following build up play from Paul Gagro and Jacob Botic, but Salachoris’ effort was saved by Parramatta FC goalkeeper Jameson Hinwood.
The hosts found the breakthrough in the 32nd minute when Daniel Maras drove the ball forward and slipped Jesse Gagro through, who beat his defender and volleyed the ball across goal to score; Hurstville led 1-0 at half-time.
Hurstville drove Parramatta back in the opening ten minutes of the second half as they had numerous shots and crosses which were blocked.
Parramatta responded with a 10–15 minute spell of possession as they pushed Hurstville back but were unable to score as poor finishing let them down.
Parramatta moved to a three-at-the-back late in search of an equaliser and were punished as they were hit on the counter.
Hurstville rose to ascendancy following that period as Jesse Gagro cut the ball back for Julian Bittar, who finished from close range in the 85th minute to double Hurstville’s lead.
Mouhamed Hamdache broke down the left in the fourth minute of stoppage time and slipped Bittar through, who finished in the top corner to earn a brace off the bench for the hosts, who claimed a strong 3-0 victory.
Hurstville celebrated back-to-back clean sheets as the victory moved them up to seventh on the ladder.
Parramatta, meanwhile, missed leadership and communication on the pitch and failed to show up like they did the week prior in their home win over Camden Tigers FC, as they put in a performance which was vastly different from the previous week.
Hurstville FC will look to continue their charge up the ladder and possibly move into the top six as they face ladder-leaders UNSW FC, while Parramatta FC will have to fire up as they travel to face South Coast Flame FC in Round Fifteen.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Writer, Dylan Costa @_dylancosta
