Round 11 Review – League One Men’s
Round 11 was an action packed one in the FNSW League One Men’s competition with plenty of goals scored, an upset or two and late drama.
Setting the tone early, Northern Tigers left it till the 97th minute to win our match of the round. While elsewhere SD Raiders, Hakoah FC and Bonnyrigg White Eagles picked up important wins among others.
Nepean FC v Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers broke their four-game losing streak with a last gasp victory over Nepean FC in our round eleven match of the round at Cook Park.
Coming from behind, Lachlan Lloyd equalised halfway through the second half before Ethan Oliver found a winner in the 97th minute. This after the hosts started well and took the lead through a Mitchell King goal early on.
The hosts came out with a point to prove despite their standing on the table, creating the first three notable chances of the game.
Their first shot seeing Tigers keeper Elliot Carwardine called into action to deny Daunte Cervo who was found with a cut back from the left byline.
Before they scored their next opportunity, Mitchell King with an emphatic header from close range to finish a move in which Kye Soares sent a ball forward for Cervo to find King to head home.
Andre Cavallaro next sending a tantalising ball across the face which was just beyond Jack Hoban in the centre.
While Tigers began to threaten themselves soon after, a through ball releasing Zachariah Waddell just after ten minutes. Waddell taking it around the keeper before sliding a ball across to Ahmed Sweedan who couldn’t finish with enough contact. A chance shortly followed by a long-range effort from Jakub Prajza.
Alot of the second quarter of this game played in the visitors attacking half, Lachlan Lloyd in particular prevalent in this period with a few chances of his own.
While Nepean’s best chance in this period came through Harrison Fox who put his shot wide from a Jack Hoban cut back.
In similar fashion to the first half, it was Nepean FC who had the first few chances after the resumption. Their threat coming in transition and from the set piece. Andre Cavallaro was first to challenge Bodie Denton in the visitor’s net. His shot from the top of the box saved well.
While at the set piece, Lachlan Sepping headed wide left of the target at the back post ten minutes into the second half.
But once again, the visitors were able to settle into the fixture. Creating their first chance of the half before the hour through Zac Kalogerou who fired narrowly over the bar.
Before the equaliser came five minutes later. Ally Brown finding midfield partner Lachlan Lloyd with plenty of space to run into in their attacking half. Lloyd’s shot from outside the area wrongfooting the keeper sneaking in to level things.
Momentum firmly in the Tigers favour, they then had a shot cleared off the line soon after, Lloyd once again involved with a cutback which saw Sweedan at the back post turn his effort goalwards with Kye Soares clearing off the line.
The game coming down to two minutes in the final stretch, firstly a chance for Nepean with five minutes regulation left which saw the ball fall perfectly to Joshua D’Ermilio around the penalty spot. His shot blocked on its path towards goal.
Before the winner came at the other end, Tigers finding a winner in the 97th minute, a long-range Jakub Prajza free-kick fumbled by the Nepean keeper before Ethan Oliver tapped home into an empty net.
The result breaking a four-game losing streak for the Northern Tigers who now sit in fourth. While it’s a tough one to take for Nepean who have one win to show for their first ten games in the division.
Nepean FC 1 (King 6’)
Northern Tigers 2 (Lloyd 64’, Oliver 97’)
Elsewhere
Hakoah FC 3-2 Bankstown City
Hakoah FC took their unbeaten run to ten games with a victory over Bankstown City at a blustery Hensley Athletic Field.
A second half turnaround saw the hosts Hakoah turn the game on its head with the winner coming deep into injury time, in the process drawing themselves level with Bulls FC Academy on the competition table.
The visitors started the better of the two sides and were rewarded with a goal after 25 minutes. Mabior Garang adding another goal to his season tally after a well worked build up in the 25th minute.
A lead which lasted just three minutes before Hakoah responded. Indeed, that was the story of the game really, Bankstown City playing some good football throughout while the hosts showed a lot of character to come back on more than one occasion.
Samuel Shepherd with the goal assisted by Jayden Tran in the 28th minute. Bankstown City once again taking the lead before the break once again through Mabior Garang who was a constant headache for the host with a simple headed finish after 35 minutes.
The second half a more even contest with Hakoah creating just as many chances as their visitors. Hakoah equalising with four minutes of regulation left through George Tuson-Firth before fellow substitute Nicholas Tooley scored a 94th minute winner deep into injury time once again for the hosts.
Hakoah moving into equal second after the victory while the result really didn’t reflect the performance of Bankstown City who sit in sixth, five points behind.
Hakoah FC 3 (Shepherd 28’, Tuson-Firth 86’, Tooley 94’)
Bankstown City 2 (Garang 25’ 35’)
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1-1 Inter Lions
With a point to prove after last weekend’s defeat, Inter Lions held competition leaders Mt Druitt Town Rangers to a 1-1 draw away from home.
It’s the first time the hosts haven’t secured all three points at home this season, Jordan Morfitis gave the visitors a surprise lead before Andre Martins equalised with just under ten minutes remaining.
Described as a game which could have gone either way post-match, it was the hosts who held possession for much of the first half, creating a few opportunities early on. That said, Ahmad Taleb had a couple of chances for the visitors in the first half, denied by great saves on both occasions.
Having played themselves back into the match, the visitors took the lead on the hour mark. Jordan Morfitis finishing well on the end of a through ball to give them an advantage. An advantage they held for 20 minutes before Andre Martins equalised in the second half.
The second half seeing plenty of top seeing some great last ditch defending and goalkeeper saves at either end.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1 (Martins 81’)
Inter Lions 1 (Morfitis 61’)
SD Raiders 2-1 Bulls FC Academy
SD Raiders tamed the Bulls FC Academy with a come from behind 2-1 victory on their return to Ernie Smith Reserve.
A result which has blown the top two race open, the hosts picked up their fifth victory of the season in this one.
It was a different test for the visitors who came up against a high pressing opposition in the SD Raiders. Bulls FC Academy forced to play a bit outside their comfort zone in a more direct fashion. However, they were able to pick up a go-ahead goal through Luca Pecora who made his way forward from right back with a composed finish.
SD Raiders were noticeably more aggressive in their press from the resumption with the visitors good enough to keep a hold of possession. That was until a Riley Cox-Barlow equaliser came after 67 minutes.
That momentum seeing Cox Barlow involved for the second, the attacker fouled which sent Jairo Torne Fernandez to the spot. Fernandez converting the penalty to give them the three points, both sides having chances from that point forward to equalize/extend the lead.
SD Raiders 2 (Cox-Barlow 67’, Torne Fernandez 71’)
Bulls FC Academy 1 (Pecora 35’)
Canterbury Bankstown 4-3 UNSW FC
Canterbury Bankstown returned to the winners list with a 4-3 victory over UNSW FC in a goal filled 90 minutes.
The hosts were jolted into action conceding early before scoring four unanswered goals, UNSW staging a late comeback to no avail.
As mentioned above, UNSW took the lead in this one through an early goal to Gabriel Lopez against his former side.
A lead which lasted twenty minutes before the Berries struck back from the spot. Gino Cerasoli fouled which saw Taiga Kawano step up to convert. The Berries taking the lead just before the half time whistle through the same outlet, James Ralston finding Kawano with a cross to bring us to the halftime scoreline of 2-1.
At this point, momentum was firmly in the favour of the hosts and they struck a double blow in and around the hour mark. Finley Hayhurst with his sides third in the 58th minute with an unchallenged header at the set piece before Marco Turpeinen added a fourth.
UNSW showing character in the final half hour with a second and third of their own. Keeghan Burke scoring both goals for the students in the 78th and 92nd minute respectively.
Canterbury Bankstown 4 (Kawano 34’ 45’, Hayhurst 58’, Turpeinen 62’)
UNSW FC 3 (Lopez 14’, Burke 78’ 92’)
Blacktown Spartans 3-2 Rydalmere Lions
Blacktown Spartans survived a late scare overcoming Rydalmere Lions in the other round eleven Friday night fixture.
Picking up their fifth victory of the campaign and third in four rounds, the Spartans are in good form as we look ahead to the middle third of the season. The result also seeing Rydalmere coach Anthony Harb resign post-game.
It started well for the visitors here, Ethan Dosanjh good enough to put his side in the lead after the Spartans made a mistake playing out from the back.
However, the hosts turned the momentum rather quickly in response. Creating multiple chances before Alexander Casella scored from a well-executed set piece before the 20th minute. Aedon Kyra shortly after putting the hosts into the lead with his first of the evening, the ball worked down the right before Kyra slotted it home.
The striker adding his sides third midway through the second half to put the game beyond doubt. Although a late Rydalmere goal through Marcus Lal made things nervy towards the back end of this one.
Blacktown Spartans 3 (Casella 17’, Kyra 23’ 65’)
Rydalmere Lions 2 (Dosanjh 2’. Lal 87’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2-1 Dulwich Hill
A happy return home! Bonnyrigg White Eagles secured their fourth victory of the season over Dulwich Hill in their first home game of season 2024.
Easing any concerns of finding themselves at the wrong end of the table, Brian Brown’s team jumped into 10th position with the victory. While Dulwich Hill slip down a few places into 12th place.
This one didn’t always look like it was going to finish that way with Dulwich Hill holding a one-goal lead at the break after an impressive first half performance. Micaiah Te Rata the goal scorer from a set piece, while Emmanuel Zervas and Mark Younes both had multiple chances.
But we’ve seen it all before haven’t we! if you don’t take your chances, it gives the opposition a chance to respond in the second half. And in front of their fans for the first time this season, Bonnyrigg equalised through Maksim Jez in the 56th minute before Brad Bartels headed home a goal in the 71st minute to complete the turnaround.
Bonnyrigg host a local derby next weekend against SD Raiders, while Dulwich HIll face another away trip this time against Inter Lions.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Jez 56’, Bartels 71’)
Dulwich Hill 1 (Te Rata 36’)
Dunbar Rovers 0-0 Macarthur Rams
Finally, Dunbar Rovers and Macarthur Rams shared the points with a scoreless draw at Fraser Park, Saturday night.
Picking up their first clean sheet of the season, there were certainly positives for Dunbar Rovers to take away from the result while the result extends the Rams unbeaten stretch to three.
Reduced to ten men with over half an hour to play, Dunbar had a chance to take the three points late on through Jeremy Siarakis. However, they had to settle for just a point. Their keeper Benjamin Wrigley making some key saves throughout.
The result edging them closer to the team in 14th while it’s seven points in three games for Macarthur Rams who next take on Northern Tigers.
Dunbar Rovers 0
Macarthur Rams 0
By Justin Smith
