Round 5 Review – League One Men’s
Round five of the FNSW League One Men’s competition was the most dramatic yet with action deep into injury time at multiple grounds.
Headlined by an entertaining contest at Blacktown Football Park, we also saw Inter Lions score a 98th minute equaliser and Mt Druitt Town Rangers continue their perfect start to the season.
Match of the Round: Blacktown Spartans 2-2 Hakoah FC
Two late goals couldn’t separate Blacktown Spartans and Hakoah FC as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Blacktown Football Park.
The hosts took the lead twice in the contest, but they couldn’t quite hold on against a determined Hakoah side who stole a point with a goal in second half injury time.
Hakoah were first to have a chance on goal though, A ball down the right releasing speedster Nicholas Tooley who flashed an effort across goal from right to left. That effort followed up shortly after with one for Samuel Shepherd which was blocked on its path to goal.
Spartans on the other hand took their first notable chance of the game in the 15th minute. Christian Nascimben with a lovely finish into the bottom right facing corner from the top of the box, Daniel Araujo with the assist on the end of a slick passing move.
The goal seemingly taking the air out of the visitors sails who went a bit quiet over the next quarter hour.
While Spartans had a chance for their second just after the half hour, Aedon Kyra taking the ball along the byline from the left before his delivery was cleared just in the nick of time from the Hakoah defense.
The half ending with a few chances at either end. Spartans going close through Kyra who hit the side netting and Riley Chapple who forced a great save from Nikolas Loe.
While Hakoah managed to find an equaliser in between. The speed of Tooley crucial with his ball across the face to Jayden Tran who finished off at the back post. 1-1.
Like the first half, the second started with Hakoah creating the first few opportunities. Tran and Samuel Young combining for the first effort.
Before Sheperd nearly gave them the lead, a poking effort not making it past Jacob Madden in the Spartans net, Tooley controlling the ball from the right well in the lead up.
The game then settling down in terms of chances as Blacktown Spartans began to find their feet in the second half.
Aedon Kyra firing a warning shot with a headed effort in the 70th minute before they found a go-ahead fifteen minutes later.
A slick passing move once again unlocking the visitors defense with Suleyman Bangura playing a one two from the top of the box before finishing past the keeper, Alexander Casella with the return ball.
The visitors able to equalise in extra time through a substitute of their own in Cam Philpot (though we’re not sure he knew too much about it), the ball seemingly glancing off the back of his head from a corner on the right.
William Dimartino having one last chance after that with a shot of flashing wide of the left post for the hosts, both sides settling for a 2-2 draw.
Blacktown Spartans next face Canterbury Bankstown away from home, while Hakoah FC host Inter Lions in their round six fixture.
Blacktown Spartans 2 (Nascimben 15’, Bangura 86’)
Hakoah FC 2 (Tran 45’, Philpot 92’)
Elsewhere
Inter Lions 2-2 Bonnyrigg White Eagles
Now I know draws usually go at the bottom of the review but sometimes you’ve got to make an exemption. Inter Lions and Bonnyrigg White Eagles played out a thriller Saturday night with Inter scoring a late equaliser with the last kick of the game.
A game which words probably don’t do justice but we will try our best. Inter Lions equalising in the 98th minute after dropping a lead earlier in the second half.
The hosts nearly got off to a perfect start in this one with a couple of chances in the opening five minutes. Firstly through Ahmad Taleb who saw his shot denied by a quality Luke Turnbull save. Before Ollie Green followed that up, his effort denied by another save.
Inter finally breaking through fifteen minutes later, Ollie Green finding the head of Fikret Berisha with a delightful cross, Berisha making no mistake with the finish.
While at the other end, Daniel Bittar was looking menacing for the visitors. Bittar equalising just before the hour mark.
Which brings us to the final twenty minutes which proved to be pure chaos. Ryan Attard giving the visitors the lead in the 81st minute. A lead which they looked destined to hold when Daniel Georgievski saw red 19 minutes after coming on.
However, the game would provide one more twist with a late penalty given the way of the hosts. Ahmad Taleb making no mistake with a composed finish to make it 2-2.
Inter Lions make the trip across town to Hakoah next weekend while Bonnyrigg will complete their six-game away stand against Dunbar Rovers.
Inter Lions 2 (Berisha 20’, Taleb 98’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Bittar 59’, Attard 81’)
Dulwich Hill 1-2 SD Raiders
A late SD Raiders winner left Dulwich Hill heartbroken after their round five fixture at Arlington Oval.
An intense game with chances at either end throughout it, it was Noah Chianese who made the difference in this one after coming off the bench. SD Raiders walking away with their third victory of the season while Dulwich Hill were unlucky to not take away something from an entertaining contest. iHi
Indeed, it was the hosts who opened the scoring early in the second half with Daniel Padoanni finding the back of the net. Probably a deserved lead on balance up until this point.
That isn’t to say the visitors weren’t creating chances of their own in an end-to-end contest with Thomas Santarossa and Jairo Torne Fernandez both narrowly missing the target.
It would take the introduction of Noah Chianese from the visitors for them to get their victory. Chianese scoring twice in the final ten minutes to steal the victory for the Raiders after well worked team play in the build-up.
SD Raiders coach Goran Ljuboja labelling their hosts as a “very hard team to play” post-game. They host Macarthur Rams next up, while Dulwich Hill host Northern Tigers.
Dulwich Hill 1 (Padoani 47’)
SD Raiders 2 (Chianese 83’ 90’)
Rydalmere Lions 5-0 Dunbar Rovers
Rydalmere Lions bounced back from their tough start to the season in emphatic fashion with a 5-0 demolition of Dunbar Rovers at Rydalmere Park.
After the opening four rounds saw the Lions pick up a fair few injuries, the hosts let out their frustrations in a dominant performance.
They did have to be patient for their first goal however with the visitors press causing them issues in the first quarter hour. Dunbar perhaps unlucky to not be ahead at this point.
However, the host composed themselves and found themselves ahead by two at the break. Marcus Lal opening their account after some quality build up work from Isaac Cunningham. Before Lal turned provider, Marcus Sparacino with a finish for the highlights reel scoring their second.
The scoreline blowing out in the final 25 minutes of the contents. Marcus Lal scoring their third goal after combining with Isaac Cunningham before Cunningham added a much deserved fourth goal. The game rounded out with a Dylan Garces goal for their fifth.
Rydalmere Lions coach Anthony Harb also noting the debutants Kent Mizukoshi and Samuel Taylor after the match.
Rydalmere Lions 5 (Lal 33’ 68’, Sparacino 38’, Cunningham 74’, Garces 78’)
Dunbar Rovers 0
Bankstown City 2-1 UNSW FC
Bankstown City edged a competitive fixture with UNSW FC at Jensen Park this past Friday night.
A second straight victory for the hosts has them climbing up the table with some momentum while UNSW will consider themselves a tad unlucky walking away from a game against one of the fancied sides in the division with their head held high.
The scoring in this one was opened in freakish style. A pass back from the UNSW defense catching their goalkeeper by surprise, the ball rolling into an open net.
Credit to the students however, they bounced back as well as they could have, Jack Fulton scoring the equaliser with a stunning free kick on the half hour.
It was the hosts who emerged from the half time break with renewed vigour though and they were rewarded with a goal halfway through the second half. Mabior Garang with a slalom run down the byline for squaring it to Chris Payne to finish. The students defense just switching off at the crucial moment allowing the hosts to take the lead.
That goal proving the difference in the end, Bankstown City jumping UNSW on the table with the result, they face Bulls FC Academy in a round six blockbuster next weekend, while UNSW host Rydalmere Lions.
Bankstown City 2 (Blanco OG 26’, Payne 67’)
UNSW FC 1 (Fulton 30’)
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2-1 Macarthur Rams
Mt Druitt Town Rangers continued their perfect start to the season with a 2-1 victory over Macarthur Rams at Popondetta Park.
A win which puts them outright first on the table, a strong second half performance gave them the result after withstanding a good first half from the Rams.
The first half saw the Rams have the best chance of the half with Jaidyn Dunn hitting a ball over the bar from close range. A few further chances cleared off the line by the hosts whose threat came on transition.
As tends to happen when you don’t take such chances, the momentum switched sides after the break with Mt Druitt Town Rangers now creating some good changes. Charles Mendy scoring the hosts first before Sam Hamilton came off the bench to give them a two-goal lead in the 67th minute with a striker’s finish.
Rams continuing to fight rewarded with a goal in the 91st minute, Alex Gollan scoring a rare goal for the visitors.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers host Nepean FC next while Macarthur Rams visit SD Raiders in round six action.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2 (Mendy 58’, Hamilton 67’)
Macarthur Rams 1 (Gollan 91’)
Northern Tigers 1-0 Canterbury Bankstown
His back! An Ally Brown stunner on his return to North Turramurra gave the Northern Tigers victory over Canterbury Bankstown.
It was going to take something special to separate these two sides and it came from the retuning Ally Brown who scored a superb right footed volley from the top right corner of the 18-yard area with 15 minutes left.
Before that, it was a tight contest with both sides doing well to cancel each other out, however having conceded that goal, the Berries did push for an equaliser in the final 15 minutes. Marco Turpeinen, Taiga Kawano and Koo Bonmyeong all having opportunities to equalise in the last quarter hour.
The win moving Northern Tigers into the top two after five rounds, while there are positives for the Berries to take going forward.
Canterbury Bankstown next face Blacktown Spartans at home while Northern Tigers face a difficult prospect in Dulwich Hill away next Saturday.
Northern Tigers 1 (Brown 75’)
Canterbury Bankstown 0
Nepean FC 2-2 Bulls FC Academy
A ten-man Bulls FC Academy side came back from two goals down to deny Nepean FC their first victory of the campaign, Friday night.
It’s the first time Bulls FC Academy have dropped points this season yet there are plenty of positives to take going forward for Craig Noone’s side. The result a frustrating one for Nepean FC as well having started the better of the two sides.
Indeed, it looked like a shock result was in the offing after 25 minutes with the host a man and two goals up. Matthew Crossley scoring their first in the 19th minute before Lachlan Sepping doubled their advantage from the spot in the 25th minute.
That didn’t stop the visitors from playing their attacking football and they cut the deficit to one before the break. Zane Helweh scoring the Bulls first to make it 2-1 in the 44th minute.
The second half playing out in similar fashion with a Bulls FC academy goal coming inside the final ten minutes. Joel Bertolissio scoring the equaliser in the 81st minute. A couple of late saves ensuring they held onto a point.
Nepean FC 2 (Crossley 19’, Sepping 25’)
Bulls FC Academy 2 (Helweh 44’, Bertolissio 81’)
By Justin Smith
