Round 20 Review – League One Men’s
A reduced slate of FNSW League One Men’s action but plenty to catch up on in round 20 of the competition as we complete the second third of the season.
Once again, our top three sides emerged victorious while UNSW FC and Bankstown shared the points in a six goal affair at the Village Green. That and more in our review below.
Bulls FC Academy 2-1 Nepean FC
Bulls FC Academy had to dig deep to overcome Nepean FC 2-1 in a fixture which had ramifications at both ends of the table.
Coming from behind, they scored two goals early in the second half to take the spoils from this one against an ever improving Nepean side.
Against a well organised Nepean outfit, the young Bulls held plenty of possession in the first half while Nepean perhaps created the better chances. The visitors rewarded for their first half efforts with a goal late in the half. Lachlan Sepping converting from the spot to give them the halftime lead.
Turning to their bench at the break, the introduction of Lachlan Macdonald proved important in the Bulls comeback. His combination with Abdelelah Faisal on the right hand side testing the visitors in the early stages of the second half.
Their goal coming from Daanish Awaz who finished from the edge of the area five minutes into the second half. The turnaround complete seven minutes later when Mason Wells scored the second from a rare keeping error. Will Mckay singled out by the Bulls coaching staff as their best on ground.
Bulls FC Academy 2 (Awaz 50’, Wells 57’)
Nepean FC 1 (Sepping 24’)
Hakoah FC 2-1 Blacktown Spartans
They’ve done it again! Hakoah FC edged past Blacktown Spartans thanks to another late goal at Hensley Athletic.
Three wins in a row, they are looking like the side most likely to trouble the top two in the final third of the season while Blacktown Spartans find themselves in a crowded upper mid-table.
Thankfully the weather cleared before this one, with both sides settling into their rhythm in the first half. Hakoah having the more possession while Aedon Kyra looked a threat from the get go for the Spartans. Both teams creating chances but going in scoreless at the interval.
It was then the visitors to open scoring after the hour, WIll DiMartino scoring for the visitors after Angus Chance did well to pounce on a rare mistake from the hosts.
A lead which lasted only a couple of minutes before Jayden Tran hit back with a nice finish. Both teams then trading chances before Hakoah super-sub Nicholas Tooley made a pivotal intervention late. Tooley finishing after GInjira Chiba made a superb run down the left.
Hakoah next face Inter Lions next weekend. Whiile Spartans take on Canterbury Bankstown who sit near them on the table.
Hakoah FC 2 (Tran 67’, Tooley 90’)
Blacktown Spartans 1 (DiMartino 63’)
Macarthur Rams 0-2 Mt Druitt Town Rangers
Mt Druitt Town Rangers took another step towards finishing top with a 2-0 victory over Macarthur Rams away from home.
A composed performance throughout, the Town Rangers had to wait to the second half of this one to secure the three points.
Prior to those goals, they could be forgiven for thinking it wasn’t going to be their night with Rams goalkeeper Seiya Miyamoto having a sensational first half.
However the dam eventually broke with a red card to Jacob Esposito halfway into the second half. The goal following soon after with Cooper Coskerie scoring from a free-kick. That goal followed up ten minutes later with the visitors second, Charles Mendy producing a moment of magic to roll the ball through the legs of the keeper.
The win taking Andy Montgomery’s side to 48 points after 20 games ahead of a trip to Nepean next weekend. While Macarthur Rams host SD Raiders next weekend.
Macarthur Rams 0
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2 (Coskerie 75’, Mendy 84’)
UNSW FC 3-3 Bankstown City
Bankstown City had to come from behind three times for a share of the points against UNSW FC at the Village Green.
A game with five goals in the final quarter of the fixture, there was late drama with both sides having a chance from the spot in the dying stages.
Earlier in the fixture, UNSW opened the scoring just before the half hour, Jeremy Cox getting in behind before taking it wide and delivering a cross to Kevin Lopes to finish from close range.
A lead which lasted over 40 minutes before Bankstown City responded, Jonathan Grozdanovski equalising with just over 20 minutes remaining.
This is when the fixture livened up, the two sides trading blows throughout the remainder of the match. A Jeremy Cox first time strike giving the students the lead once again in the 73rd minute, Matias Da Silva Santos with that assist.
Before Bankstown City responded through Rhett Desilva who equalised with a stunning strike with four minutes regulation remaining.
Both sides exchanging late penalties in the dying stages, Da Silva Santos scoring his for UNSW in the 89th minute, before Chris Payne equalised at the other end in the 93rd minute.
Both sides settling for a point with Bankstown City hosting Bulls FC Academy in our match of the round next weekend, while UNSW take out a trip to Rydalmere.
UNSW FC 3 (Lopes 21’, Cox 73’, Da Silva Santos 89’)
Bankstown City 3 (Grozdanovski 68’, Desilva 86’, Payne 93’)
Canterbury Bankstown 2-1 Northern Tigers
A brave Canterbury Bankstown outfit overcame Northern Tigers 2-1 to bring to an end their winless streak.
With two players stepping up from the 20’s in the Berries side, they took a valuable three points against a very good Northern Tigers side.
There wasn’t much between the two sides before Canterbury Bankstown opened the scoring before the quarter hour. Marco Turpeinen opening their account with a header from a Taiga Kawano cross on the right wing.
From there, the visitors stepped up a gear and were unlucky not to equalise when a shot hit the base of the post and Berries keeper Robert Fanella made a good save. The pressure eventually telling with a penalty going their way before the half hour, converted by Kai Denton.
Those who made their way out to this one weren’t short of entertainment with both sides adopting an attacking mentality in the second half. Canterbury Bankstown finding the eventual winner through debutant Gordan
Damcevski who scored at the far post on 70 minutes. Kawano and Finley Hayhurst involved in the build up to that one.
Tigers unable to find an equaliser to that goal despite pressing. Berries coach Wally Savor wanting to give a special mention to Damcevski and Daniel Helweh who both made their first appearance for the club.
Canterbury Bankstown 2 (Turpeinen 14’, Damcevski 70’’)
Northern Tigers 1 (Denton 28’)
SD Raiders 1-1 Dulwich Hill
And finally in our round 20 section of the review, SD Raiders were left frustrated having to share the points with Dulwich Hill at Ernie Smith Reserve.
As has been the story of their season so far, SD Raiders controlled the majority of this one accumulating chance after chance while Dulwich Hill stood firm.
Indeed, the host ended the game with 21 chances on goal with 14 on target yet only managed to find the back of the net once through Riley Cox-Barlow to rescue a point with five minutes of regulation remaining, it’s a wonder Goran Ljuboja still has hair…
While for Dulwich Hill, its a valuable point. Their coach Tony Valavanis crediting the character of his team to keep themselves in it despite having a fair share of injuries in the squad. They took a surprise lead through substitute Liam Spiropoulos with just over a quarter hour left.
SD Raiders have a midweek fixture to fulfil against Rydalmere Lions at home, while Dulwich Hill next take on Northern Tigers in round 21 action.
SD Raiders 1 (Cox-Barlow 85’)
Dulwich Hill 1 (Spiropoulos 74’)
Catch up fixtures
R14: Dunbar Rovers 0-4 Nepean FC
Nepean FC took a massive step towards closing the gap to 14th place with a 4-0 victory over Dunbar Rovers last Wednesday night.
A result which keeps them three points behind 14th placed Dulwich Hill, the visitors were in control for the majority of the game, while Justin Biega did well to keep the hosts at bay at the other end.
It took almost half an hour for them to open the scoring with Lachlan Sepping scoring the first of his brace 27 minutes in. A goal shortly followed by a goal to Matthew Crossley which gave them a 2-0 lead at the break.
Nepean holding onto that lead until the game opened up in the final quarter hour, Lachlan Sepping completing his brace in the 76th minute before Daunte Cervo made it four in the 83rd minute. A vital win for the visitors who sit three points above their hosts on this occasions. Dunbar looking to be in a bit of trouble approaching the final third of the campaign.
Dunbar Rovers 0
Nepean FC 4 (Sepping 27’ 76’, Crossley 30’, Cervo 83’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 0-4 Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers put Bonnyrigg White Eagles to the sword with a comprehensive 4-0 victory at Bonnyrigg Sports Club.
Coming off a good victory against UNSW FC, the TIgers had a night to remember in Sydney’s South West.
It’s always good to score early away from home and they did just that in the 10th minute. Ethan Oliver opening their account before Olivier Beltran-Woodward added their second before the break. Beltran-Woodward given the clubs internal man of the match.
A lead which remained in tact up untill the final fifteen minutes, Kai Denton adding a third from the spot before Beltran-Woodward scored the fourth.
Northern Tigers going on to lose to Canterbury Bankstown on the weekend, they’ll be a tough ask for anyone in the remaining weeks, while Bonnyrigg next face Dunbar Rovers.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 0
Northern Tigers 4 (Oliver 10’, Beltran-Woodward 38’ 88’, Denton 75’)
Both Dunbar Rovers v Rydalmere Lions and Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Inter Lions were washed out. Fixture details to follow in coming days.
By Justin Smith