Mounties Wanderers secure League One Men’s Promotion

Mounties Wanderers FC secured their spot back in the League One Men’s competition for 2025 against the same club who took their spot last season in Nepean FC, who were relegated to the League Two Men’s competition, following a tense 0-0 second leg which ended in an enthralling penalty shootout, which Mounties won 4-3.

A packed-out Wanderers Football Park, with a crowd of over 500 people, was in full-force to witness the contest as the match kicked off.

The first chance of the night came for Nepean in the 6^th minute through Matthew Crossley, who headed an effort just wide of the left post following a ball in from the right.

On their next attack, Jacob Vasiliou fired a shot just wide of the left post from outside the box as Nepean made their intentions known early.

Luka Zepina had a golden chance for Nepean in the 12^th minute when a cutback from Crossley found him in the box, but he was unable to get contact on the ball, before Daunte Cervo fired the final effort over the goal.

Nepean were in the ascendancy so far in the match and Mounties needed to spark into action.

The Nepean defence stood tall and denied Mounties a chance until the 28^th minute, when Nikola Todoroski had a chance which he chipped just wide of the left post after he was played in behind.

One minute later, in Nepean’s next attack, Zepina got on the end of nice build-up play and took a shot across goal from right to left, but had his shot saved well to his right by Mounties’ goalkeeper, Roberto D’Angelo.

The chances kept coming at both ends as Mounties had another opportunity in the 32^nd minute through Mitchell Gibbs, who thundered an effort from 25 yards just wide of the right post.

After that chance, the rest of the first half evolved into a battle between the two midfields, with both nullifying each other.

The tensions in the match and crowd grew, evidenced by the noise in the stadium, as the two sides moved closer to a goalless first half.

Despite six shots to Nepean and four shots to Mounties, following two minutes of stoppage-time the referee blew for half-time, with the teams still deadlocked at 0-0 in the match and the tie.

Zepina played through a groin injury for Nepean in the first half and was substituted at the break, with Harrison Fox coming on in place of him.

The chants from the Mounties’  away crowd picked up to start the second half.

Nepean right-back Marcelo Martellotta had the first chance of the second half in the 50^th minute when he fired a strong shot towards the near-right post, but his effort just missed the target.

In the 53^rd minute, Mounties had their first chance of the second half when Alistair Mckie delivered a ball into the box from the left onto the head of Nikola Todoroski, who could only head his effort into the air.

Three minutes later, Nepean had another big chance when Crossley received the ball and hit a shot first-time from outside the box, – his effort whizzed towards goal and was just tipped over the bar by D’Angelo as Mounties survived.

Off the following corner, Nepean’s Richard Stewart got a head on the ball but headed his effort wide of the left post.

Mounties had their biggest chance of the match so far in the 64^th minute when Brima Kamara drove down the left flank and into the box, before he played a ball square to Nikola Todoroski – the latter was under pressure from Vasiliou in the box and fired his shot just wide of the left post from 10 yards.

D’Angelo did well multiple times to come out and claim balls Nepean had played in behind as the match stayed scoreless heading into the final ten minutes with fresh legs entering the field.

In the 83^rd minute, Richard Stewart found space down the left and delivered a dangerous low ball into the box, but no Nepean player was able to get on the end of it in the box.

Yuki Kanai had the ball in the back of the net for Mounties in the 87^th minute but there were no celebrations, with the Mounties attacker offside in the final pass.

With the match headed into stoppage-time, a goal for either side would see them take the tie.

In the second minute of stoppage-time, Daunte Cervo got in behind the Mounties defence and tried to place a shot beyond the onrushing D’Angelo, but had his shot tipped wide by the Mounties goalkeeper.

Following three additional minutes, the referee blew for full-time in regulation time with the tie still locked at 0-0, which meant extra-time followed for the two teams to determine the winner.

Despite 13 shots to Nepean and 7 to Mounties, neither were able to capitalise in the second leg, with the players preparing for extra-time.

Mounties had a chance to begin the first half of extra-time but were unable to keep the shot down.

Nepean’s first chance of extra-time came from Cervo, who forced D’Angelo into a strong save at his near post on the left.

The final chance of the first half of extra-time fell to Stewart, who blasted an effort over the goal from outside the box.

Neither side was able to trouble the score sheet in the first half of extra-time, with the match and tie still locked at 0-0.

Nepean had a big chance in the 108^th minute when substitute Kamran Qayumi played Jack Hoban in behind – he took a shot on goal which was saved well by D’Angelo, but Hoban had two Nepean teammates waiting for the cutback inside the box which he opted not to take.

From the resulting corner, the ball fell to Andre Cavallaro outside the box, who took a shot on goal which hit the underside of the crossbar and just stayed out of the back of the net, with the home crowd almost erupting in applause.

In the 111^th minute, another Nepean substitute in Max Blackhurst almost made a difference when he found Hoban in behind, who took a shot on goal from inside the box but could not find the back of the net.

Hoban snatched at an effort for Nepean following a bouncing ball in behind as Nepean had their chances to take the tie late.

The chances kept coming for Nepean, the next in the 117^th minute through Blackhurst, who took a shot on from range but his rolling effort was collected by D’Angelo.

Nepean had one of their biggest chances of the match in the 119^th minute when Cavallaro was played in behind once again – he took a strong shot on from outside the box, aiming for the bottom-left corner, but had his shot saved once again by D’Angelo, who kept Mounties in the contest once more in a Man of the Match-worthy performance.

Following extra-time and two matches totalling 210 minutes, neither side was able to find the back of the net, with the second leg finishing 0-0 after extra-time.

That meant the tie, including potential promotion and relegation, respectively, for the two sides would be decided by a penalty shootout.

Nepean shot first and their first penalty was taken by Marcelo Martellotta, who scored despite D’Angelo diving the right way.

Mounties levelled the shootout through Nikola Todoroski, who sent his shot into the top-left corner of the net.

Nepean made no mistake from the spot in their second attempt, this time through Richard Stewart who scored past D’Angelo into the bottom-right corner.

Mounties also converted their second spot-kick through Dany Ghetti, who sent Nepean goalkeeper Justin Biega the wrong way as he sent his shot right into the back of the net.

Kamran Qayumi stepped up next for Nepean and converted his attempt from the spot past D’Angelo into the left side of the goal to give Nepean a 3-2 advantage.

D’Angelo, the goalkeeper, stepped up next for Mounties and scored past his opposite number in Biega, sending the ball into the top-left corner while sending Biega the wrong way to level the shootout at 3-3.

Harrison Fox stepped up next for Nepean and shot his effort straight down the middle – D’Angelo stood his ground and saved the spot-kick to give Mounties the advantage in the shootout.

Mitchell Gibbs made the most of that advantage as he sent his penalty into the top-left corner, Biega diving the wrong way, to give Mounties a 4-3 advantage in the shootout.

The tie came down to one penalty, Nepean’s Mitchell King vs Mounties’  goalkeeper Roberto D’Angelo – Gibbs stepped up and sent his shot towards the bottom-right corner, but D’Angelo chose the correct way to dive and saved the spot-kick, which meant Mounties took out the tie 4-3 on penalties.

The Mounties players, officials and fans erupted as the pitch became a sea of black and yellow, with celebrations erupted and only cut short by the stadium lights being turned off.

After one season in the League Two Men’s competition, Mounties had exacted revenge over Nepean and won promotion to the League One Men’s competition for 2025 following a 0[3]-0[4] penalty win away from home to take out the tie.

For Nepean, meanwhile, it meant their one-season stay in the highest competition level they have played in as a club ended after one season, with their relegation to the League Two Men’s competition for 2025 confirmed.

Speaking post-match, Mounties Head Coach Jure Bilokapic said he was proud of the mental toughness of his side to take out the tie.

“It was always going to come down to mental toughness and ability – it came down to the dreaded penalty shootout, in the end.”

Mounties goalkeeper Roberto D’Angelo made multiple crucial saves in the contest, as well as two in the shootout, while he also scored his penalty, and Bilokapic spoke on the professionalism of his goalkeeper.

“I have to praise D’Angelo tonight, he was sensational… He is just so driven, a true professional.”

Bilakopic said his side did train for penalties in the event they would have to have taken them in this contest and was proud of the way his side executed them.

“We prepared for penalties yesterday and the five who took them hit them the same spot they trained for.”

Bilakopic also spoke on how he came in towards the end of the season and brought success to Mounties.

“I didn’t come in here to change the world, I just did whatever I would do as a footballer.”

Mounties will prepare for life in a new league in 2025 when they compete in the League One Men’s competition, while Nepean will hope to bounce back when they take on the challenge of the League Two Men’s competition next year.

Nepean FC 0 (0) [3]

Mounties Wanderers FC 0 (0) [4]

By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa (@_dylancosta)