Round 16 Review – League Two Men’s
Round Sixteen of the Football New South Wales League Two Men’s season saw the second half of the season commence with 32 goals across plenty of goal-fests.
The Match of the Round saw the Western Rage continue their good form as of late as they held off South Coast Flame FC late, while earlier Camden Tigers FC broke a five-match losing streak away to Hawkesbury City FC.
Meanwhile, Bankstown United FC came from behind to earn a draw with Sydney University SFC in a high-scoring affair, before UNSW FC continued their charge at the top with victory over Parramatta FC, while Gladesville Ryde Magic and Inner West Hawks FC could not be separated.
Elsewhere, Prospect United SC put in a strong performance in their win over Nepean FC, before the Newcastle Jets hit Hurstville FC for six away from home.
Fraser Park FC had a bye this round.
Sunday, 21st May 2023
Match of the Round: Western Rage 2-1 South Coast Flame FC
The Western Rage continued their good run of form as South Coast Flame FC fell to a third loss in five as the hosts picked up a character-building 2-1 home win at Rydalmere Park.
Both sides yelled out “RAGE” and “FLAME,” respectively, simultaneously, prior to kick off in a sign of the intent of both sides.
The first chance of the match fell to the Flame in the 5th minute as a tame header from a Flame player was on target.
The Flame looked to hold the ball, while the Rage looked to counter early in the contest.
The Rage enjoyed a spell of possession, however, and when they lost the ball, they looked to win it back high up the field with a high press.
The Flame regained control of the match a few minutes later and held the ball in their own half as they looked for a way in behind the Rage defence.
In the 10th minute, the Flame made a run down the left through Alexander Alston, who crossed the ball into the box for a Flame player, who headed the ball high and wide of the target.
A minute later, the Rage worked a chance down the left flank which resulted in a shot from outside the box, which went over the crossbar.
The Rage continued to press well as they forced Flame turnovers in their own defensive third of the field.
Possession was recycled for the Rage as they look to carve open the Flame.
In the 19th minute, Alexander Alston was involved again for the Flame as some interplay down the left flank put him in space out wide; he crossed the ball into the box, but the ball flashed across the outstretched leg of a waiting Flame player.
A minute later, Jad Moussa found space in the box and powered a shot towards goal which brought a sharp save from Flame goalkeeper, Seiya Miyamoto.
The Rage had the next chance in the 26th minute following a switch of play from right to left; a ball whipped in from the left edge found Moussa in the box, who was unable to control his shot from the fast-moving ball.
Strong defence from the Rage continued to subdue the Flame attack.
In the 30th minute, a Rage header direct from a free kick flashed across the face of goal as the Rage continued their solid start to the match.
The Flame defended multiple Rage free kicks as the hosts continued to attack with the ball.
Their dominance in attack showed in the 37th minute.
The Rage continued to pressure the Flame into mistakes as a clearance from Miyamoto found a Rage player down the left flank.
Another switch of play to the right found Jamie Nicolaou, who crossed a dangerous ball into the box.
The ball was not dealt with by the Flame defence as Dean Pender, one of their defenders, turned the ball into the back of his own net when he attempted to clear it.
The Rage pressure from the periods beforehand told as they took a 1-0 lead.
The Flame had the next opportunity of the match in the 42nd minute through their top goal scorer in the season, Adam Voloder, who was played in behind and beat two defenders.
He controlled the ball well and unleashed a strong right-footed effort on target, which was saved well at a stretch with two hands by Rage goalkeeper, Samuel Bortolazzo, to his left.
The action in the first half was not done though as the Rage doubled their lead in the dying embers of the first half.
A ball was played in behind from Timothy Borg-Williams towards Timothy Trainor, who made a smart run in between the two Flame centre-halves.
The ball in behind was played at by one of the Flame defenders, before Trainor controlled the ball well and slotted it into the back of the net to double the Rage lead.
That decision was reached eventually as the goal was originally ruled out by the sideline official for offside.
Following some confusion, after a consultation between the referee and sideline official it was deemed the Flame defender had intentionally played at the ball, which meant Trainor was onside in a new phase of play.
His goal stood and the Rage took a 2-0 lead into half-time.
The Rage started the second half positively as they fired the first shot of the half over the crossbar from outside the box in the 47th minute.
The hosts continued their pressure as they forced more Flame turnovers to start the second half.
In the 53rd minute, half-time Flame substitute Benjamin Caroutas had a shot which forced Samuel Bortolazzo to palm the ball away from goal.
Four minutes later, the Flame’s Samuel Alston got on the end of a cross plated to him on the right inside the Rage box, but he was unable to control his shot as it went over the crossbar.
The Flame players called for energy as they looked for an avenue back into the match.
The visitors held the ball well in the middle and attacking thirds as they pressured the Rage defence.
The Rage defence was audible and communicated well to set their defensive line and make calls between the goalkeeper and defence.
No shots occurred for a 20-minute period in the match as the Flame looked for a way through the Rage defence, while the Rage were content to take chances to move the ball up the field when they occurred.
A shot arrived in the 78th minute as the Flame forced a save from Samuel Bortolazzo at his near post from a header following a ball crossed into the box; the ball was touched behind for a corner kick.
A minute later, a quick Rage attack from a throw-in resulted in a ball played across the box, which was kept from the Rage players by Miyamoto, who smothered the ball.
However, the match heated up late as a twist turned the tide of the contest.
The Flame were awarded a penalty after Jacob Gjorsevski was brought down in the box following a push in the back from a Rage defender.
Gjorsevski stepped up and slotted the ball into the left of the goal, which is where Samuel Bortolazzo guessed but was unable to get a hand to it; the goal made the score 2-1 to the Rage.
The Flame looked to push as they reduced the deficit to one goal late in the match.
In the second minute of stoppage time late, Welkson Souza Bispo broke down the field for the Rage to relieve the pressure on his side.
He played the ball in behind for Borg-Williams, who took a few touches before he fired his effort over the top-right corner of the Flame goal.
The Flame were unable to create another chance, while the Rage made one in the fourth minute of stoppage time; substitute Brent Flavin had a snapshot for the Rage after they tried to keep the ball in the corner.
His shot went narrowly over the Flame crossbar as the score remained as it was late.
After five minutes of stoppage time, the referee blew his whistle to signal full-time; the Rage picked up another important win, while the Flame fell again.
That was the Rage’s second win of the season and their eighth point from their past five matches, which shows the turn in fortune they have had lately in their season.
The Flame, meanwhile, have fallen from where they were a month ago and will hope to pick up some results moving forward.
Speaking post-match, Western Rage coach Carlo Ianni spoke about the differences between the first and second half and how his side worked towards the victory.
“The first half was all about the high intensity, get the goals, we got the two goals, we went in front; the second half was all about being smart.”
Ianni praised his whole squad, even the substitutes who did not make an appearance on the night.
“Every single player put in effort, whether it was someone on the bench who did not get on or someone who got on for ten minutes, everyone put in a big shift, and they all deserve this three points.”
Ianni was also pleased with the work rate of his side and hopes they can continue to build on strong performances going forward.
“It takes a lot of hard work, they put in a lot of kilometres today… [they were] sometimes playing two positions… defensively very resolute.”
“We know our gameplan, we know our philosophy, everyone had got an identity… we have got nothing to lose, at the moment.”
The Western Rage clawed back ground at the bottom of the ladder and moved within two points of 14th-placed Hawkesbury City FC, while South Coast Flame FC fell to 6th-place.
The Rage can take the confidence from the win as they head into the bye next week, while the Flame will look for a response in a critical clash at home to Prospect United SC in Round Seventeen.
Friday, 19th May 2023
Hawkesbury City FC 1-3 Camden Tigers FC
Camden Tigers FC responded following five-straight league losses with a 3-1 away victory over Hawkesbury FC.
Camden Tigers FC sacked head coach Gary Seymour in mid-week before the match, which meant then-assistant coach Dean Bradley took over.
In the first 20 minutes of the match, the Tigers were cagey as they turned the ball over on multiple occasions.
They tried to transition too quickly which led to the turnovers; however, they learnt how to manage the match more effectively following that period.
Camden were awarded a penalty in the first half which Leandro Guzman skied over the Hawkesbury crossbar.
The Tigers played a strong formation with a focus on being stable defensively as the two sides headed into the sheds for half-time locked at 0-0.
Half-time helped Camden as it allowed them to fix a few issues to lay a platform for victory.
The Tigers played with freedom and pressed well high up the pitch through Brendan Lane.
He made a run from 10 yards into the opposition half, where he won the ball in a midfield one-on-one in the air before he dribbled down the field and scored to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute.
Six minutes later, Camden continued to press well and had Hawkesbury where they wanted them on the field as they won the ball back once again.
Aidan Quigley tried to put a cross into the box which ended up turning into a shot as the ball flew into the back of the net; the Tigers took a rapid-fire 2-0 lead.
Just two minutes later, in the 59th minute, Camden pressured the middle of the park once more as they won the ball in midfield.
A through ball was played for Guzman, who scored Camden’s third to all-but-seal the result.
Hawkesbury did pull a goal back in the 65th minute after a Camden relaxed a bit and conceded a penalty following a mistimed challenge.
Harry Drew stepped up and converted the penalty for Hawkesbury to reduce the deficit to two goals.
However, Camden held strong defensively, who showed effort and an understanding of their roles under new coach Bradley.
With a freedom to play, the players played for the coach, which helped the Tigers to a 3-1 away win over Hawkesbury.
Hawkesbury City FC stayed in 14th place, while Camden Tigers FC rose to 11th following their victory.
Hawkesbury will hope to cause an upset as they host ladder-leaders UNSW FC next week, while the Tigers will hope for back-to-back victories as they host Sydney University SFC in Round 17.
Bankstown United FC 3-3 Sydney University SFC
Bankstown United FC came from two goals down late to earn a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Sydney University SFC.
Jackson Fredericks had the first chance of the match for Uni, but he was unable to find the finish in a one-on-one chance.
However, Uni’s pressure and dominance with the ball told just before half-time, as Brett Wilson redirected a cross for Fredericks who slotted home from close range to give the visitors the lead.
It was an even first half with chance for both sides as Uni took a 1-0 lead into the break.
However, Bankstown responded in the first minute of the second half to level the match.
A ball played into the box from an attacking corner found the head of Bankstown captain Steven Wright, who headed home to give the hosts parity in the contest.
However, Uni’s continued pressure told as Jay Hirschowitz found space wide on the right edge before he got in between the Bankstown defenders and slotted the ball home to give Uni their lead back in the 54th minute.
Bankstown Captain Wright was substituted off injured in the 56th minute and is expected to be missing for an extended period moving forward, as Ali Nasreddine took the captain’s armband.
University had a third goal in the 70th minute after Bankstown goalkeeper Mitchell Evans’ save was parried away; Uni’s James Reed scored from around the penalty spot from the loose ball to give Uni a 3-1 lead late in the match.
However, the Bankstown team performance helped them get back into the match.
Bankstown pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute through their new top-scorer Mitchell Cross, who reacted to a scramble in the box following a free kick to poke the ball into the back of the net to reduce the deficit.
Just three minutes later, the Bankstown comeback was quickly completed, the goal from Cross once again.
A free kick from a central area, about 30 yards out, fell to Cross in the box who slotted the ball into the back of the net from around eight yards out; parity was restored at 3-3.
University had a chance to retake the lead shortly after through Dion Karapetian, but his header flew straight at Bankstown goalkeeper Evans.
Bankstown had chances to win the match late, themselves, as they missed with a header while another effort was hit just over the crossbar.
Marie Gauthier hit the crossbar late with an effort but neither side were able to find that valuable winner as the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
Despite Uni’s possession, Bankstown hit well on the counter and from set pieces against a depleted Uni squad; Bankstown’s clinical edge has helped them score lately.
University moved down a spot to 12th following the draw, while Bankstown moved up into 9th, ahead of Parramatta FC on goal difference.
Bankstown United FC will hope to continue their clinical ways as they travel to face Inner West Hawks FC next week, while the next task for Sydney University SFC to take will be the tough away trip to face Camden Tigers FC.
Saturday, 20th May 2023
UNSW FC 4-1 Parramatta FC
UNSW FC continued their charge at the top of the ladder with a 4-1 victory away over Parramatta FC, who were unable to back up their victory the week prior.
The hosts took an early lead in the 5th minute through Mitchell Mattison as they continued their charge this season.
Parramatta captain Camil Abouchaaya blocked the initial UNSW shot as the ball flew into the air and was dropping onto the crossbar; however, Parramatta goalkeeper Jameson Hinwood misjudged the ball and accidentally hit it into the back of his own net as UNSW took the 1-0 lead early.
Parramatta switched on and off throughout the match and UNSW capitalised with another goal in the 25th minute.
Callum Fitzpatrick found space to shoot towards Hinwood’s near post; he was unable to save the effort as UNSW took a 2-0 lead.
Following that goal, Parramatta coach Luis Contigiani substituted Hinwood due to the confidence he had lost from conceding the first two goals and brought James Baker on in goal to replace him.
However, the tide of the match was change and UNSW soon had a third goal.
In the 34th minute, a shot from the league’s top scorer, Kevin Lopes, crept into the back of the net to give UNSW a three-goal lead.
UNSW were effective with their pacey and strong runners in behind, which hurt Parramatta.
Parramatta pulled a goal back in the 43rd minute through a Youssef Badr penalty following a collision in the 18-yard-box; Badr slotted the ball into the back of the net hard to the left.
However, in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Lopes bagged his brace and UNSW’s fourth goal.
A ball that was played out wide was then crossed into the box, which Lopes won with a free header which he directed into the back of the net, uncontested, to give UNSW a 4-1 lead.
Neither side scored in the second half as the match finished 4-1 in UNSW’s favour.
The Parramatta players did not show up in the match like they did the week prior, and the one-percenters were missing.
With injuries, there is not much wiggle room for personnel change for Parramatta and the inconsistencies make it hard for coach Contigiani to know what to change.
In a big blow for Parramatta, their top goal scorer and the league’s second-top scorer, Marco Sama, was substituted in this match and looks set to miss the rest of the season following an injury he sustained before the previous round’s kick-off.
The win kept UNSW at the top of the table, while Parramatta dropped to 10th.
UNSW FC will hope to continue their charge towards promotion as they travel to face Hawkesbury City FC next week, while Parramatta make the tough trip to play the Newcastle Jets.
Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-2 Inner West Hawks FC
A late surge of chances failed to find a winner as a back-and-forth contest between Gladesville Ryde Magic and Inner West Hawks FC ended in a 2-2 draw.
Tony Lo made his first appearance for the season for the Hawks following shoulder surgery and put in a shift for his side.
Lo was involved in the first chance of the match as he set up Peter Yannopoulos, who was unable to convert a one-on-one against Magic goalkeeper Gian Rigoli, who made his second first-grade appearance.
A few minutes later, in the 27th minute, Yannopoulos was involved again as he beat a Magic centre-half and squared the ball to Hesan Soufi, who converted his chance to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
Kohki Hiyaoka and Chris Gaitatzis were the main targets for the Magic in attack, while the Hawks looked to Yannopoulos to get in behind the Magic defence.
The Magic were unable to take chances created down their left and right as the Hawks’ defence stayed strong.
However, the Magic pulled a goal back in the 40th minute through a Gaitatzis penalty.
Just before half-time, a ball was passed out wide to 18-year-old Christopher Guyot, who was composed as he beat two Hawks defenders, ran into the penalty area, and slotted the ball into the back of the net with his right foot to give the Magic a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Yousuf Amini threatened in the second half for the Magic as he put dangerous balls into the box to no avail.
James Tsokos had a chance for the Magic which went just wide as the Magic looked to extend their lead.
However, the Hawks played well with their possession and from their run of play found the equaliser; Soufi scored his second goal of the match to level the score at 2-2.
The Hawks had the best chance to win the match late through Chris Phillips after he had made a run from left-back, but his shot was denied in a diving save by Magic goalkeeper Rigoli.
Both sides threw bodies forward in attack late to try and find the winning goal.
In a frantic final few minutes, long balls, good defending, and a strong desire to win was shown, but neither side could find the winner as the match ended 2-2.
That was the first time the Magic had failed to defeat the Hawks in six attempts, having won their previous five against them.
The draw kept the Hawks in 13th place, while the Magic stayed in 4th place on goal difference.
Gladesville Ryde Magic will look for a first win in four matches as they host Fraser Park FC next week, while Inner West Hawks FC take on Bankstown United FC at home.
Prospect United SC 3-0 Nepean FC
Prospect United SC went a seventh match unbeaten as they defeated the in-form Nepean FC 3-0 at William Lawson Park.
The first half was an even contest between the two sides; Nepean had the better of the first 15 minutes while Prospect were in control for the 15 minutes after.
Nepean had momentum at times as they created chances but were unable to take them.
The final 15 minutes of the first half were even as Nepean looked dangerous from corners and set pieces; Prospect absorbed the Nepean pressure and hit on the counter as the sides entered the sheds level at half-time, 0-0.
Prospect started the brighter of the two sides in the second half and were rewarded with a goal in the 52nd minute.
Rhys Osmond sent in a free kick from wide which James Pelletier got on the end of to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
In the 61st minute, Prospect doubled their lead after Pelletier was brought down in the box; Prospect captain David Muller converted from the spot to give Prospect a 2-0 lead.
Just a few minutes later, the result was sealed for Prospect with a third goal.
Pelletier made a run in behind and received the ball; he cut inside, took on and beat two defenders and slotted the ball past Nepean goalkeeper Justin Biega to give Prospect a 3-0 lead.
Following that goal, Prospect sat back and relied on their defensive structures to shut Nepean out to seal the three points and the 3-0 home win.
The win moved Prospect up into 5th place, while the loss created a four-point gap between 3rd-placed Nepean and 2nd place.
Prospect will hope to continue their unbeaten run as they travel to face the out-of-form South Coast Flame FC next week, while Nepean will hope for a response as they host Hurstville FC in Round 17.
Sunday, 21st May 2023
Hurstville FC 1-6 Newcastle Jets
The Newcastle Jets recorded their equal-biggest win of the season and scored their most goals in one match this season, while Hurstville recorded a tough loss, 1-6.
James Khoury scored the first for Newcastle in the 20th minute as the Jets looked to fire towards another victory.
The Jets controlled possession but did not create much; however, they did score from their first two shots.
Ezra Palombini scored just before half-time to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Hurstville had the first chance of the second half, but Mouhamed Hamdache hit his effort over the bar.
The Jets then scored from a Peter Grozos penalty to take a 3-0 lead.
Following that goal, the Hurstville players’ head dropped, and they were unable to contain the clinical nature of the Jets.
However, Hurstville did score a goal through substitute Yianni Nioplias in the 65th minute.
Despite that, the Jets powered on as Palombini picked up his second of the match in the 71st minute.
Stephan Parak scored an own goal in the 86th minute as the Jets reached five, while the scoring was rounded out for the Jets in the second minute of stoppage time by Jayden Ashbourne.
The Jets did not create many shots throughout the match, but when they did, they were clinical in putting them away, as they came out with a 6-1 away win over Hurstville FC.
The loss moved Hurstville down into 8th place, while the Newcastle Jets stayed in second place, one point behind UNSW FC but four points ahead of 3rd-placed Nepean FC.
Hurstville will hope for a strong reaction as they travel to face Nepean FC next week, while the Jets will hope to take top spot as they host Parramatta FC in Round Seventeen.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Writer, Dylan Costa @_dylancosta
