Round 5 Review – League Two Men’s
Round Five of the 2024 Football NSW League Two Men’s season saw tight tussles across the league, where two teams picked up their first wins of the season.
The Match of the Round this week saw late drama as South Coast Flame FC and the Newcastle Jets shared the spoils in a top-of-the-table clash.
Bankstown United FC had a bye this round.
Saturday, 9th March 2024
Match of the Round: South Coast Flame FC 2-2 Newcastle Jets
The top-of-the-table clash did not disappoint this week as South Coast Flame FC came from behind twice to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to the Newcastle Jets.
Neither side was able to fashion a chance early, with Mitchell Turner unable to find a teammate for the Flame on the break early, while a mistake from Flame goalkeeper Jordan Bruce went unpunished by the Jets.
In the 9th minute, the Jets’ Angus Muddle picked up the ball on the edge of the box and fired a shot towards the near post, but his powerful effort was saved well by Bruce.
The Jets held the ball well in the opening 15 minutes, while both teams looked to use their pace in behind.
The match had settled with no chances for the next 20 minutes in a tense affair with good defence at a hot Sir Ian McLennan Oval, with the early kick-off playing its part.
The next chance came in the 32nd minute when the Flame’s Michael Trajkovski got in behind and lobbed Jets’ goalkeeper, Zac Bowling, from outside the box, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The Flame defence had stepped up well to stop the Jets’ consistent attacks until it was breached in the 40th minute.
The Jets worked their way through the midfield and found Janni Rafty on the right wing; he cut inside onto his left foot inside the box and fired the ball into the top-left corner to give the Jets a 1-0 lead – the Jets had made their weight of possession count to lead 1-0 at half-time.
The Jets started the second half brightly, but it was the Flame who made their first chance of the half count through some Deja vu.
In the 52nd minute, Genki Iwata got on the ball on the right, cut onto his left foot inside the box and fired the ball into the top-left corner with an almost-identical effort to Rafty’s goal to level the match at 1-1.
The Jets had the next chance when Xavier Bertoncello lobbed an effort just to the left of the target over an onrushing Bruce; the match then started to fire up with hard tackles across the pitch and an increase in noise from the crowd.
The Flame created a few dangerous situations without scoring from there, including a chance for Trajkovski, which he struck right at Bowling.
Both sides started to tire in the heat, which is where substitutes became important in the contest.
Jyden Harb almost had an immediate impact off the bench for the Flame with a shot from 20 yards which missed wide of the right post, but it was the Jets who started to overrun the Flame in the final 10 minutes of regulation time.
That pressure told in the 83rd minute when Kierry James set Will Dobson in behind the Flame defence; he slotted the ball in at the near post to give Newcastle a 2-1 lead late.
That lead was threatened four minutes later, however, when a handball by Jets’ captain, Ben Van Dorssen, inside the box gave the Flame the opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot.
Trajkovski converted the spot kick with an effort into the top-left corner, past the outstretched dive of Bowling, to restore parity in the contest at 2-2.
The match opened up late with good deliveries in behind for the Flame, while the Jets had a counter stopped by the onrushing Bruce.
Rafty had the last chance for the Jets in the second minute of stoppage time when he got in behind, but his effort was saved well by Bruce.
Neither side was able to find the winner late – both teams kept their unbeaten starts to the season alive after a contest where both sides had their chances to win.
Both teams had used their pace well with their technical abilities in the heat but had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Speaking post-match, Flame Head Coach Andrew Paine was full of praise for the Jets for the contest his side had with them.
“Newcastle move the ball and have technical ability, the likes of which we have not seen so far this year.”
Harb was also full of credit for his team for the fight they showed in the match to come from behind twice to draw.
“Credit to our boys for persevering… when you are towards the top, you have just got to play these other top teams and try to get something from the game.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle Jets Head Coach Damian Zane was also full of praise for his side’s opponent.
“It is a long trip so if you said we would get a point, I would have been okay with that – they are the real deal, so they are going to be one of the teams vying for the top, I think.”
Zane is expecting the fight to be tough every week in the league.
“This year, it is a more balanced league, a lot of teams have improved, and I think there is going to be more teams fighting at the top.”
South Coast Flame FC will hope to continue their unbeaten start to the season when they travel to face Prospect United SC next week, while the Newcastle Jets will hope to do the same when they make the trip to face Parramatta FC.
South Coast Flame FC 2 (Genki Iwata 52’; Michael Trajkovski 87’)
Newcastle Jets 2 (Janni Rafty 40’; Will Dobson 83’)
Friday, 8th March 2024
Mounties Wanderers FC 3-0 Central Coast United FC
Mounties Wanderers FC picked up the three points in the League One Men’s rematch of last season after a 3-0 success over Central Coast United FC.
A slow start from Mounties made the match difficult for them early, while Central Coast United pushed forward; Mounties could not get into a cohesive tempo.
The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute by Brima Kamara when the Pirates won the first header, before the ball fell to Kamara who scored with some good individual play.
Mounties started to create more chances from there, but their finishing let them down as they searched for a second goal.
The hosts scored their second when the Pirates misjudged a direct pass, which allowed Yuki Kanai to get in behind following good build-up play down the right side before he finished to give Mounties a 2-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, Mounties continued to create chances but failed to convert them early.
Central Coast were reduced to 10 men in the 51st minute when Alex Arbelo put in a studs-up tackle and was shown a red card.
The Pirates fought hard with 10 men and played well in possession, but they could not conjure up good shots on the Mounties goal.
Mounties scored their third in the 83rd minute when a short corner was played to Eijin Kishimoto outside the box, who finished well to secure the 3-0 win for Mounties.
The win for Mounties moved them to the top of the league following the draw between South Coast Flame FC and the Newcastle Jets, while the Pirates moved down to 7th place.
Mounties will hope to continue their unbeaten start to the season when they host Fraser Park FC in Round Six, while the Pirates will hope to respond from back-to-back losses when they travel to face last-start winners, Granville Rage.
Mounties Wanderers FC 3 (Brima Kamara 19’; Yuki Kanai 39’; Eijin Kishimoto 83’)
Central Coast United FC 0
Saturday, 9th March 2024
Fraser Park FC 2-3 Hawkesbury City FC
Hawkesbury City FC picked up their first win of the season after a 3-2 victory away over Fraser Park FC.
In hot conditions, both sides started slow before the Hawks settled early and held a bit of possession.
The Hawks broke the deadlock in the 38th minute through Duncan Stewart, who steered in a low-driven shot after he was played in by Stuart Gosling.
Fraser Park responded in the first minute of stoppage time in the first half when Teddy Kayombo scored with a diving header off a corner to restore parity at 1-1 at half-time.
The Hawks started the second half quickly and were rewarded with a penalty when Harry Drew was bundled over in the box by Asel Dehsabzi; Stewart tucked away the penalty under Fraser Park goalkeeper, Patrick Ferrara, to give Hawkesbury a 2-1 lead.
Daniel Morsillo secured the points for Hawkesbury in the 75th minute when he was played in behind and slotted the ball past Ferrara in a one-on-one situation.
Fraser Park pushed from there and had a few chances, including one where Tommaso Pandolfo played Seisa Melbourne in behind, but his shot just missed the post.
The scoring was not over, however, as Fraser Park scored off a free kick in the first minute of stoppage time through Kayombo, who got on the end of the David Ustimenko delivery and slotted home from six yards after a scramble, 3-2 the final score.
For Fraser Park, the loss marked their third in a row, while Hawkesbury picked up their first win of the season.
Fraser Park will hope to end their losing streak when they travel to face the top-of-the-table Mounties Wanderers FC in Round Six, while Hawkesbury City will hunt back-to-back wins when they host Inner West Hawks FC in a battle of the Hawks.
Fraser Park FC 2 (Teddy Kayombo 46’, 90+1’)
Hawkesbury City FC 3 (Duncan Stewart 38’, 49’; Daniel Morsillo 75’)
Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-1 Sydney University SFC
Gladesville Ryde Magic won their second match of the season after they held on for a 2-1 victory over Sydney University SFC.
In a fast start to the match, the Magic hit the lead in the 5th minute when Aaron Khan got on the end of a Chris Gaitatzis free kick to score the first goal for the Magic in the contest.
Tyler Frost hit the post for the Magic in the first half as they looked for a second goal, while they looked to break up the match to stop any momentum from University.
The visitors had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half as they looked to level the contest.
It was an even start to the second half before Matthew Jacobs forced an error from University goalkeeper, Harrison Walsh, after he closed him down following a back pass; Jacobs scored past Walsh to give the Magic a 2-0 lead.
The Magic had more chances on goal, but Walsh pulled off some good saves to keep his side in the contest.
University scored with 15 minutes to play in the match when a ball across the box found Lachlan Whitehead who beat his man on the half-turn and crossed it into the six-yard-box, where Peter Zervos scored to give the visitors a way back into the match.
Despite having more of the ball, University was unable to score and did not ask enough questions of the Magic defence; on a positive note, however, they handed a starting debut to under-20s player Jasper Teggins, while under-20s player Sam Engesser was dangerous off the bench.
The visitors had a few good chances in the final 15 minutes but were unable to get past the Magic defence as the hosts held on for a 2-1 win.
The win for the Magic was their second of the season and ended a run of back-to-back defeats, while for University they lost their second match of the season.
Gladesville Ryde Magic will hope to win back-to-back matches for the first time this season when they travel to face Hurstville FC in Round Six, while Sydney University have the bye before they travel to face Central Coast United in Round Seven.
Gladesville Ryde Magic 2 (Aaron Khan 5’; Matthew Jacobs 64’)
Sydney University SFC 1 (Peter Zervos 75’)
Parramatta FC 3-3 Inner West Hawks FC
Late drama saw Parramatta FC escape with a 3-3 draw at home with Inner West Hawks FC in a battle of the birds.
The Eagles found themselves a goal down to the Hawks in the 4th minute when a through ball found Nathan Chakanetsa, who beat two defenders before he placed the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Parramatta struck back less than five minutes later when a free kick was dropped by Hawks goalkeeper, Jai Ivelja, before Tarek Elrich tapped the ball in from close range to level the match at 1-1.
The Hawks re-took the lead in the 18th minute when a scramble in the box saw Taro Regan Williams score from six yards out to restore the Hawks’ one-goal lead.
The Hawks had a third goal before half-time when Takuma Hirano continued his strong scoring start to the season with his ninth goal; he converted with a shot from outside the box to give the Hawks a 3-1.
Before the break, the Hawks missed another one-on-one but took a two-goal lead into half-time.
In the second minute of the second half, Parramatta struck back when a miskick from a Hawks defender allowed Ali Chamsin through on goal before he scored to reduce the deficit to one goal.
The Eagles kept pushing and found the equaliser in the 87th minute when another mistake from Ivelja was capitalised on by Parramatta; this time, Blake Steward scored to give Parramatta parity in the match.
The Hawks missed two one-on-one chances in stoppage time and had to settle for the 3-3 draw with Parramatta.
For both sides, it was their second draw of the season, and they will both hope to claim victory in Round Six.
Parramatta FC will hope to beat the unbeaten Newcastle Jets when they host them next week, while Inner West Hawks FC will hope to go five matches unbeaten when they travel to face Hawkesbury City FC in a battle of the hawks.
Parramatta FC 3 (Tarek Elrich 8’; Ali Chamsin 47’; Blake Steward 87’)
Inner West Hawks FC 3 (Nathan Chakanetsa 4’; Taro Regan Williams 18’; Takuma Hirano 38’)
Camden Tigers FC 1-2 Prospect United SC
Prospect United SC picked up their first win of the season after they held on for a 2-1 away victory over Camden Tigers FC.
Camden had a lot of the ball in the first half, but Prospect struck first in the 30th minute when Daniel Mihajlovic sent a ball in behind the Camden defence for Anthony Idehen, who slotted the ball home to give Prospect a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Camden made some changes and held on to the ball more, as well as had the better of the field position, before Prospect responded to limit the presence of their midfield in the match.
Prospect scored their second goal in the 63rd minute off a counterattack when Leo Hirose played Hristopher Neskovski in behind; he took a shot at goal, which was parried into the path of Idehen, who put the ball away with a first-time finish to give Prospect a 2-0 lead.
Camden looked dangerous with long balls into the box and scored to make it 2-1 in the 72nd minute when a cross was cleared into his own net by Prospect’s Shaan Birring.
Prospect had five one-on-one chances in the match but with the two they put away, they came away with a 2-1 away victory, while for Camden they were unable to break down the Prospect defence.
Camden suffered back-to-back losses following the defeat, while Prospect won their first match of the season following back-to-back losses in the past few weeks.
The Tigers will hope to respond with a positive mindset when they travel to face Bankstown United FC in Round Six, while Prospect will hunt back-to-back victories when they welcome the unbeaten South Coast Flame FC.
Camden Tigers FC 1 (Shaan Birring 72’ own goal)
Prospect United SC (Anthony Idehen 30’, 63’)
Sunday, 10th March 2024
Granville Rage 2-1 Hurstville FC
Granville Rage picked up their second win of the season after a 2-1 come-from-behind home success over the winless Hurstville FC.
In a competitive match, Hurstville started well with Jacob Botic, who struck an effort over the bar in the six-yard-box, plus a few blocked shots.
Hurstville took the lead in the 24th minute when Mouhamed Hamdache broke in behind for a ball slipped through for him by Jesse Gagro; he missed his shot, but Alexander Morabito picked up the rebound to give Hurstville a 1-0 lead.
Hurstville had more shots before the Rage equalised in the 42nd minute; a back pass was intercepted by Nikola Todoroski, who made no mistake as he slotted the ball home to restore parity at 1-1 at half-time.
A scrappy second half saw the Rage push high and Hurstville turn the ball over.
Hamdache had the next chance for Hurstville when he chipped Rage goalkeeper, Samuel Bortolazzo, from range but his effort just missed wide of the post.
Jesse Gagro also had a chance when he rounded Bortolazzo but could not find a teammate in the middle when his shot was blocked.
Granville had a goal disallowed from Ante Tomic before he scored the winner in the 65th minute with an effort direct from a free kick.
The Rage absorbed the late Hurstville pressure but in the final minute, Hurstville’s Alexander Morabito had a header from close to goal which he mistimed before the ball was cleared away.
The hosts held strong to see out the match for a big 2-1 comeback victory at home.
The win for the Rage was their second of the season and first at home, while for Hurstville they moved to five losses from five matches to start the season.
Granville will hope to win back-to-back home matches when they host Central Coast United FC in Round Six, while Hurstville will hope to pick up their first points of the season when they host Gladesville Ryde Magic.
Granville Rage 2 (Nikola Todoroski 42’; Ante Tomic 65’)
Hurstville FC 1 (Alexander Morabito 24’)
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa @_dylancosta
