Round 7 Review – League Two Men’s
Round Seven of the Football NSW League Two Men’s season saw two previously-unbeaten teams fall as sides picked up big results across the league.
The Match of the Round this week saw Bankstown United FC continue their strong form with a fourth-straight win after they defeated Gladesville Ryde Magic.
Saturday, 23rd March 2024
Match of the Round: Bankstown United FC 3-1 Gladesville Ryde Magic
Bankstown United FC continued to show their firepower with a fourth-straight win after a 3-1 home success over Gladesville Ryde Magic.
A fairly even start to the match saw neither side create many chances; one of the more notable chances was when Bankstown’s Mitchell Cross headed the ball straight at Gladesville goalkeeper, Vasos Kartambis.
Bankstown had the biggest chance of the first half in the 25th minute when a foul in the penalty area by Gladesville meant Bankstown were awarded a penalty; Cross slotted the ball home to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Gladesville had the next big chance when Genki Kohyama had plenty of space and launched a low-driven shot towards the bottom-left corner of the goal, which was saved well by Bankstown goalkeeper, Mitchell Evans, for a corner.
From that corner, in the 37th minute, Bankstown dealt with the danger and countered quickly; Alejandro Salgueira put an early cross into the box from the left, which was headed into the air by the Magic defence.
As the ball fell from high in the air, Bankstown’s Corey Freeman waited patiently for the ball, leapt into the air and pulled off a spectacular bicycle kick which sent the ball into the top-left corner of the goal; Kartambis had no chance of saving it as Freeman pulled off the spectacular to double Bankstown’s lead.
Cross had the next chance of the match in the 44th minute when he got on the end of a cut-back on the edge of the box, but his left-footed shot was saved well by Kartambis to his right.
Cross also had the last chance of the first half when he waited in the middle for a cut-back, but the ball was played just behind him as he waited for it six yards from goal.
Bankstown had the ascendancy in a first half with limited chances as they took a 2-0 lead into the break.
The Magic had the first two chances of the second half in the 50th and 57th minute when they had a shot blocked and had another shot from Chris Gaitatzis from 25 yards bounce into the arms of Evans, respectively.
Gladesville started to hold the ball well and won it back quickly with a good, high press, as well, and that pressure told in the 64th minute.
Gaitatzis had the ball 20 yards from goal on the right and rifled a left-footed shot towards the top-left corner; Evans was rooted to the spot as the ball found the back of the net to reduce the Magics’s deficit to one goal.
Bankstown wasted no time restoring their two-goal lead however, when positive, attacking play from Raoel Yakub saw him beat a few Magic defenders and play a reverse pass for Josh Gerbach in behind.
Gerbach stayed just onside and fired a right-footed shot from a tight angle towards the far-left post; he found the back of the net as Bankstown took a 3-1 lead late.
Yakub continued to cause the Magic defence problems down the right flank as he played another ball across for Cross, which once again was just behind the forward in the 78th minute.
Two minutes later, a header from the Magic was just wide of the Bankstown goal as they pushed for a goal back late.
The Magic pushed bodies forward late looking for that goal back, which opened up space in behind for Bankstown to attack, which they did on multiple occasions as they threatened to score a fourth goal.
In the end, Bankstown had the firepower and clinical finishing in attack, as well as a strong defence, as they picked up a 3-1 home win over Gladesville.
Speaking post-match, Bankstown head coach Luke McGuire gage credit to Gladesville for the tough match, which he said they bring every time they face each other.
“It is always a battle – it does not matter what year we play them, it never looks like we are gonna win, it never looks like they are going to win; tonight, we got a result.”
Looking ahead to their next match away to the unbeaten Newcastle Jets, McGuire said his team will travel up there and compete.
“We just have to put our best foot forward and see where it goes from there.”
The win for Bankstown was their fifth in a row and strengthened their position in 5th and moved them to within four point of 1st, while the loss for Gladesville was their fifth of the season and dropped them to 11th.
Bankstown United FC will hope to extend their winning streak and take down the league leaders when they travel to face the Newcastle Jets next Sunday, while Gladesville Ryde Magic will hope to return to winning ways when they host Parramatta FC.
Friday, 22nd March 2024
Granville Rage 2-1 Parramatta FC
Granville Rage won a third match from their past five after a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at home to Parramatta FC in a western Sydney derby.
Parramatta came out firing in the opening 20 minutes as they moved the ball well with numbers forward and pushed for the opening goal – the Rage could not cope with them.
The Eagles opened the scoring in the 7th minute when a free-kick from Parramatta’s right was whipped in to the Rage box; after a goalmouth scramble with shot after shot from Parramatta, the Rage could not clear their lines.
Nathan Rayner capitalised with a shot which found the bottom-left corner from inside the box to give Parramatta a 1-0 lead.
The Rage’s goalkeeper, Branko Vidakovic, came in after a late warm-up injury to Samuel Bortolazzo and pulled off good saves in the opening 20 minutes but after that opening period, the momentum shifted and the Rage got into the contest.
Ante Tomic had a shot fire wide for the Rage, as did Timothy Trainor from the edge of the box in a physical, intense first half.
Parramatta had golden chance to start the second half when a shot hit the post and rebounded into the hands of Vidakovic.
Ogun Dullak came off the bench for the Rage and helped change the game; off a Tomic cross from the left, Dullak got on the end of it at the back post and slotted the ball home to restore parity at 1-1.
The Rage pushed against an exhausted Parramatta from there and had good possession in the Parramatta half, who looked to counter.
Parramatta had another golden chance in the final five minutes to take the win when a back pass to Vidakovic saw the Rage goalkeeper pick up the ball, which meant Parramatta was awarded an indirect free-kick inside the Rage box, six yards from goal.
The Granville players all lined up on the goalline and rushed out to block the shot before they cleared their lines.
Parramatta goalkeeper Jameson Hinwood made a few good saves in the second half but his side conceded late.
In the second minute of stoppage-time, a corner was cleared out to Tomic, who fired a rocket of a shot from the edge of the box which found the back of the net as everyone on the Rage team ran in to celebrate the late 2-1 win.
The win for the Rage moved them up into 7th on the ladder, while the loss for the Eagles kept them in 12th.
Granville will hope to go a fourth match unbeaten when they travel to face another western Sydney rival in Prospect United SC next week, while Parramatta will hope to respond when they travel to face Gladesville Ryde Magic.
Hawkesbury City FC 1-4 Prospect United SC
Prospect United SC picked up their second win of the season after they came away with a 4-1 victory away over Hawkesbury City FC.
Prospect started the match with intent and took the lead in the 7th minute when Shaan Birring scored a header off a set piece against a young Hawkesbury side.
Dimos Vlachos played well and doubled the visitors’ lead six minutes later when he scored with a shot from inside the box past 18-year-old goalkeeper, Jai Whitton, as Prospect took a 2-0 lead into half-time.
After the break, Hawkesbury did not give up and became more aggressive in their play as a tight Prospect defence saw off the shots the Hawks fired towards goal.
Shortly after the hour mark, in the 64th minute, Anthony Idehen scored to make the score 3-0 to Prospect.
Ten minutes later, Prospect wrapped up the victory with a fourth when Leo Hirose found the back of the net.
Hawkesbury scored a consolation goal in the 84th minute when Harry Drew found the back of the net, but Prospect prevailed victorious with a 4-1 away victory.
The win for Prospect moved them up into 8th place, while the loss for Hawkesbury saw them stay in last place in 15th.
Hawkesbury will hope to hunt their second win of the season when they travel to face Hurstville FC next week, while Prospect face Granville Rage in a western Sydney derby.
Saturday, 23rd March 2024
Central Coast United FC 2-1 Sydney University SFC
Central Coast United FC won their first match in four weeks after they held off Sydney University SFC in an even match for a 2-1 win at home.
Uni looked to stretch the Pirates early with willing runners in behind and good deliveries into the box from wide areas but missed the final ball.
The Pirates, meanwhile, looked to get the ball wide and cross it into dangerous areas.
Central Coast got in behind a few times early and had a few shots from the edge of the box, but could not find the back of the net.
Capu Mapu hit the crossbar for the Pirates in the first half, while Prospect also hit the crossbar in the opening 45 minutes before the follow-up attempt was cleared off the line.
The Pirates took the lead in the 36th minute when Ben Flakus pressed high and won the ball off the Uni defence, before he finished past Uni goalkeeper, Jasper Sarkies, in a one-on-one situation to give Central Coast a 1-0 lead at half-time.
A tight, transitional match saw both sides look to take advantage with shots from range.
Uni hit back in the 56th minute when Caelan Hinckson rose up highest from a corner and headed the ball just over the Pirates’ goal-line despite a hand from Pirates’ goalkeeper, Zayd Husain, to restore parity for the visitors.
Central Coast re-took the lead in the 69th minute, also from a corner, when a ball played in was flicked on at the near post by Flakus to Mark Partridge at the back post, who nodded the ball home from three yards to secure the three points for the Pirates with a 2-1 win.
Uni put the pressure on in the final 15 minutes but could not create a clear-cut chance; their best opportunity late came off a free-kick, which was saved by Husain, before the ball hit the post and rebounded into the goalkeeper’s hands.
In the end, Central Coast United prevailed over Sydney University in a tight match, 2-1.
The win for the Pirates ended a three-match winless run and saw them rise to 6th, while the loss for Uni saw them drop to 10th.
Central Coast United will hope to win back-to-back matches when they travel down to face the formidable South Coast Flame FC in Round Eight, while Sydney University will hope to respond as they host Camden Tigers FC.
Inner West Hawks FC 3-1 South Coast Flame FC
Inner West Hawks FC went a sixth match unbeaten, which includes four wins, after they took down the previously-unbeaten South Coast Flame FC 3-1 at Arlington Oval.
After the two sides traded an early shot each, it was the Hawks who took the lead in the 17th minute.
Nathan Chakanetsa had the ball up the field on the right side after a through ball from Jacob Palamidas and drove towards goal; Chakanetsa slotted the ball past Flame goalkeeper Jordan Bruce from close range to put the hosts 1-0 ahead.
Michael Trajkovski had the next chance for the Flame when he tried to chip Hawks’ goalkeeper Harrison Myers, but his effort missed the target.
Takuma Hirano added to his goal tally as the league’s top goal scorer as he scored his 12th goal of the season; he doubled the Hawks’ lead in the 34th minute when he was played through by Palamidas and slotted the ball home.
The Hawks scored a third in the 42nd minute for their third goal when a failed clearance fell to Peter Phillips in the box, who found the bottom corner for the Hawks’ third.
The Hawks had a 3-0 lead at half-time but the Flame scored a goal back when Genki Iwata threaded a ball to Trajkovski, who scored to make the score 3-1.
The Flame were reduced to ten men when Yianni Fragogianis was sent off for an off-the-ball incident.
Both sides had multiple chances to score more goals late, but the math finished 3-1 in the Hawks’ favour.
The win for Inner West Hawks kept them in 4th but strengthened their position as a fighter near the top of the ladder, while for the Flame it was their first loss of the season as they dropped to 3rd.
Inner West Hawks will hope to go seven matches unbeaten when they host the 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC next week, while South Coast Flame will hope to respond to their first loss of the season when they host Central Coast United FC.
Camden Tigers FC 4-0 Fraser Park FC
Camden Tigers FC snapped a three-match losing streak with a strong 4-0 home win over Fraser Park FC.
Camden took the lead in a difficult first half for both sides through a penalty after Francesco Gianetto turned the Fraser Park defence and was brought down in the box; Abdu Elmir showed confidence as he scored with a Panenka kick to give Camden a 1-0 lead.
Fraser Park’s Shu Torihara and Alexander Nicolosi were trouble for Camden in the first half, but the hosts took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Bailey Simpson moved positions from right-back to left-wing for Camden in the second half and caused problems for Fraser Park in the second half.
Camden’s second goal came after Simpson made a cross field run and found Elmir on the edge of the box who slotted the ball home to give Camden a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers were in their attacking third and put the pressure on Fraser Park, which told in the 68th minute when Simpson took a couple of players on and fired a shot past Fraser Park goalkeeper, Patrick Ferrara, for the hosts’ third.
Fraser Park were reduced to ten men late when Tommaso Rodolfo was shown a second yellow for dissent.
Camden exploited wide areas late and were strong, particularly through 19-year-old debutant Avisai Vunisasaro, who provided the assist for the penalty.
Camden wrapped up the scoring in the third minute of stoppage-time when Gianetto found space out wide and found Simpson inside, who scored from inside the box to wrap up a 4-0 home win for Camden over Fraser Park.
The win for Camden moved them up into 9th, while the loss for Fraser Park kept them in 13th.
Camden Tigers FC will hope to win back-to-back matches when they travel to face Sydney University SFC in Round Eight, while Fraser Park FC have a bye next week.
Sunday, 24th March 2024
Newcastle Jets 1-0 Mounties Wanderers FC
The Newcastle Jets became the last unbeaten side in the competition after they overcame the previously-unbeaten Mounties Wanderers FC 1-0 at home.
Mounties dominated the first half but were unable to find the back of the net.
The Jets came out in the second half with many shots and found their goal when good build-up play from Alex Nunes and Janni Rafty meant Justin Vidic was played in behind; he scored to give the Jets the 1-0 lead.
Newcastle were reduced to ten men with fifteen minutes to go when Vidic was sent off for dissent as he Wanderers looked for a way back into the match.
Mounties had a number of chances cleared off the line late and peppered the goal of the ten-man Jets, including a shot which hit the crossbar.
In the end, the Jets held on to go to the top of the ladder and inflicted the first defeat of the season on Mounties after a 1-0 win.
The Jets moved to seven matches unbeaten after the first seven rounds, while Mounties dropped to 2nd after the loss.
The Newcastle Jets will hope to continue their unbeaten start to the season when they host the formidable Bankstown United FC next week, while Mounties Wanderers will hope to respond when they travel to face the in-form Inner West Hawks.
Hurstville FC had a bye this round and stayed in 14th place.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa (@_dylancosta)
