Round 10 Review – League One Men’s
Just like that, we are a third into the Football NSW League One Men’s season and as such the results take on more importance as we look back on round ten action.
Match of the Round: SD Raiders 0-2 Inter Lions
Inter Lions became the first side to get the better of SD Raiders in 2025 with a 2-0 win at Ernie Smith Reserve.
A second win on the round against top four opposition, they were resolute defensively before punishing their hosts in transition on two separate occasions either side of half time.
Despite not having much of the ball in the first quarter hour, Inter Lions were well up for this one while their direct breaks up the pitch were keeping the hosts defence busy. A chance in the 16th minute falling to Mitchell Smith who couldn’t quite get a shot off under pressure after Sebastian Portolesi slipped a ball into him inside the box.
The visitors approach perhaps more suited to the conditions opposed to hosts who preferred the ball at their feet.
Inter finding the breakthrough inside 25 minutes, a long ball down the right channel finding Portolesi who squared it to Owen Duke who finished from close range for the tap home.
SD Raiders uncharacteristically limited to half chances after the 15th minute of the half with the visitors looking the more dangerous. That was until James Letta on a overlapping run found the head of Noah Chianese at the near post who drew a good save from Evan Davis in the visitors goal. Their best chance of the game up until this point.
Chianese having another headed chance in the 39th minute, this time not generating enough power to trouble the keeper, the ball coming in from the left.
Inter Lions then having a chance in the 43rd minute through James Ord, Ord trying his luck from long range after a brisk break forward and drawing a save which saw Portelesi find him.
SD Raiders given a good chance for an equaliser eight minutes into the second half when Riley Cox-Barlow placed a shot just wide of the target from a dangerously positioned free-kick.
The hosts continuing to push with Mihael Marcic shooting over the bar under pressure, the ball delivered into him from the right.
However unlike the week before, they were struggling to break through with frustration slowly building. A goalmouth scramble seeing both Chianese and Yonatan Sebhatu denied in the 73rd minute.
Inter Lions making it a two goal buffer with a little under ten minutes left. A lovely weighted pass from Ned Armson allowing Owen Duke to beat the keeper with his first touch before applying a finish past the keeper.
On a side note, Football NSW would like to wish Thomas Santarossa a speedy recovery following an unfortunate injury during the latter stages of the match.
SD Raiders 0
Inter Lions 2 (Duke 25’ 81’)
Hakoah FC v Hills United
A see-sawing fixture between two sides desperate for consistency, sounds like a recipe for goals and so it proved as Hakoah FC and Hills United drew 3-3 at Hensley Athletic, Sunday afternoon.
After an even start to proceedings, the hosts took the lead from the spot early on. Nicholas Tooley both winning and converting a penalty just after the tenth minute.
Reacting well, the visitors equalised nine minutes later, Walid Moutaouakkil scoring his second goal of the season and first since round one. Hills then taking the lead fourteen minutes later through Cameron Philp in the 34th minute.
Tinkering things at the break, Hakoah were able to repeat their start from the first half with Tooley scoring their first equaliser. However once again, the visitors responded and put themselves in the lead after the hour through Moutaouakkil. Hills United having chances to kill the game off both before and after the third Hakoah goal.
A defensive mix up leading to the hosts equaliser which saw Ben Fuchs sneak in at the back post to score in the 86th minute.
Hakoah FC 3 (Tooley 11’, 54’, Fuchs 86’)
Hills United 3 (Moutaouakkil 20’ 62’, Philp 34’)
UNSW FC 2-0 Bulls FC Academy
One of two top six contests heading into the weekend, UNSW FC secured a big 2-0 win over Bulls FC Academy at the Village Green.
Bouncing back after a cup defeat to Blacktown City midweek, the students scored twice in the second half with the headline being a first ever first grade goal for substitute Gil Duffy off the bench.
The first half saw both sides having one big chance to open the scoring though neither side could manage it.
Three points up for grabs, the hosts were the side to breakthrough in the 73rd minute. Gil Duffy scoring after coming on at half time from a free-kick. Their second goal coming three minutes after that one through Sean fellow substitute Sean Woods who was on the end of a Conor Quilligan cutback after Quilligan beat a few by the byline.
A good battle between the sides, the result snapped a seven game unbeaten streak for the Bulls, while UNSW move above them into the top four.
UNSW FC 2 (Duffy 73’, Woods 76’)
Bulls FC Academy 0
Blacktown Spartans 1-3 Northern Tigers
Returning to the top of the table, Northern Tigers proved too good for Blacktown Spartans with a 3-1 win last Friday night.
Turning the game around after conceding on the quarter hour, they took a lead into the sheds before a goal in the second half guaranteed them the three points.
Earlier on, the Spartans found their go ahead goal on the quarter hour. Aedon Kyra threading through a ball for Suleyman Bangura to finish from an angle from the right side of the area, a good finish from the attacker on the end of a well orchestrated attack.
Northern Tigers finding their response after the half hour, Jesse Spang heading home at the near post from a corner delivered in from the right. The turnaround complete with a Kai Denton penalty not long after, the striker placing the ball into the bottom right corner sending the keeper the wrong way.
Which brings us to the third Tigers goal which I don’t think words can do justice too. Twelve passes from back to front (many of them one touch) using both sides of the pitch before Ally Brown played a ball across from the left to Olivier Beltran-Woodward who tapped home at the back post.
Tigers holding on to that lead which returns them to the top of the table, while Spartans will look to bounce back from two home defeats in recent weeks.
Blacktown Spartans 1 (Bangura 15’)
Northern Tigers 3 (Spang 24’, Denton 31’, Beltran-Woodward 65’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2-4 Newcastle Jets
Newcastle Jets and Bonnyrigg White Eagles played out a six goal thriller with the Jets emerging victorious thanks to three goals from their bench in the second half.
Returning to winning ways, Damian Zane’s young side responded well to an equaliser for the hosts earlier in the second half to take away the points.
The visitors first took the lead towards the end of the first half through Alexander Nunes who finished after some nice combinations around the 18 yard box.
Having started the second half well, the host claimed a deserved equaliser through a Daniel Bittar header from a corner.
However that hard work was undone by two goals for the Jets between the 70th and 75th minute, Will Southcombe with the second after following in a Nunes’ shot before Luca West scored perhaps the pick of the goals to make it 3-11 from 25 yards out with his left foot.
Jets extending their lead to two through an Oliver Cockie tap in, Christian Bracco with the assist. With a late consolation scored by Aaron Peterson who took it round the keeper and applied a finish.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Bittar 60’, Peterson 88’)
Newcastle Jets 4 (Nunes 37’, Southcombe 71’, West 75’, Cockie 85’)
Bankstown City 2-1 Mounties Wanderers
Bankstown City did it the hard way relying on two late goals to overcome Mounties Wanderers at Jensen Park.
After back-to-back defeats, the result brings some levity for Bankstown City who sit in eighth position after ten games, while the defeat leaves Mounties Wanderers searching for their third victory of the season.
For parts of this one, it looked like the visitors would be able to do enough to take the three points. Ejin Kishimoto scoring once again for the Wanderers after netting just last week.
However a lapse of concentration in the second half, saw the hosts come back into it and turn the game on it’s head with fifteen minutes left. Jamie Masson the scorer of both goals, the first from a free-kick before he found his second two minutes later, Masson this time scoring from outside the area.
Bankstown City then controlling how the remainder was played securing an important three points.
Bankstown City 2 (Masson 73’ 75’)
Mounties Wanderers 1 (Kishimoto 33’)
Rydalmere Lions 4-1 Macarthur Rams
Rydalmere Lions continued their good run of results with a 4-1 come from behind win over Macarthur Rams at Rydalmere Park.
Conceding first, two goals in three minutes with around ten minutes left in the first half changed the game before two further goals in the second half.
The game started in a positive fashion for the visitors who found the opener through Emmanuel Gonzalez. The striker scoring after Jacob Esposito and Michael Martin combined in the lead up. However after five games in sixteen days, their performance dropped off after 25 minutes giving the hosts the opportunity to come back into it.
And you guessed it, Ahmad Taleb had a significant role to play, Taleb scoring from the spot in the 33rd minute before doubling his tally two minutes later from open play after combining with Robert Eremugo in the build up.
Rydalmere then absorbing pressure early in the second half before striking another two times in transition. Ahmad Taleb completing his hat-trick with a goal in the 67th minute assisted by Kyle Sandi. Before he was joined by Adil Toska who made it 4-1 with just over five minutes left in the game.
Rydalmere Lions 4 (Taleb 33’ 35’ 67’, Toska 84’)
Macarthur Rams 1 (Gonzalez 10’)
Dulwich Hill 0-0 Canterbury Bankstown
How did this one finish scoreless? Dulwich Hill and Canterbury Bankstown played out an end-to-end fixture at Arlington Oval, Saturday night.
A result which sees both sides solidify their positions in the midtable, neither side could find a breakthrough despite numerous chances throughout.
Starting the game the better of the two sides, the Berries were making good inroads towards the Dulwich Hill goal in the opening 20 minutes. The visitors going closest through respective efforts for Daniel Goni, Christian Torrelli and John Fotopoulos. While Dulwich Hill had their best chances through an Isaac Hovar delivery and Daniel Fornito.
Second half seeing a more open affair with Canterbury Bankstown keeper Luke Grenfell getting credit from both sides for a couple of key saves. A draw a fair result though Fotopoulos nearly stole it in injury time for the visitors.
Dulwich Hill 0
Canterbury Bankstown 0
-By Justin Smith
