Round 6 Review – League One Men’s
Round six of the FNSW League One Men’s competition saw five goals scored in five games as the goals flowed across Saturday and Sunday.
A good weekend for the pace setters this season with the top four all winning, while Newcastle Jets also claimed their first three points of the season.
Match of the Round: Hakoah FC 0-0 Macarthur Rams
Hakoah FC were held to their fourth draw of the season as they shared the points with Macarthur Rams at Hensley Athletic Field.
It was a game where Hakoah created the better chances while Macarthur Rams enjoyed more control of possession. Both sides struggled for different reasons throughout the match.
The opening fifteen minutes were a slow burn, with the Rams perhaps doing better in maintaining possession and territory. The first real threat came through Valentin Cuny, who broke the line and fired across goal from a tight angle, forcing a save.
The Rams soon had their best opportunity just before the drinks break when Chan Yelchan had his effort deflected wide inside the area following a dangerous Michael Martin ball across the face of goal.
The teams then began to exchange chances, with Cam Philpot proving influential in the hosts’ attack. His long-range strike required Rams goalkeeper Jerome Narayan to stay alert in the 33rd minute.
Nicholas Tooley came closest shortly after, rattling the crossbar with a shot from outside the area following a powerful driving run forward. A goal-line clearance from a set piece then denied Connor Shaddock what looked to be the opening goal as Hakoah pressed before the break.
A key moment of the first half came when Rams striker Yelchan appeared to have beaten the keeper with an open net available, only for a foul in the lead-up to deny the chance.
Hakoah continued to carry that momentum early in the second half. Cam Philpot stretched to meet a cross from the right but sent his effort narrowly wide.
Macarthur Rams had their best opportunity around the hour mark when Yelchan beat the offside trap to run onto a Christian Torrelli through ball, though he was unable to convert the chance.
Both sides continued to create opportunities, with Cuny next to receive a through ball that just held up before his effort drifted past the near post.
The final notable chance came with fifteen minutes remaining when Nicholas Tooley saw the ball fall kindly inside the area but was unable to convert.
Hakoah ultimately struggled in front of goal with two of their in-form attackers sidelined through injury, while the Rams were unable to fully implement their game on a ground that did not suit their style.
The hosts face Prospect United next Sunday, while Macarthur Rams travel again to take on Inter Lions.
Hakoah FC 0
Macarthur Rams 0
Elsewhere
Rydalmere Lions 2-3 Blacktown Spartans
Blacktown Spartans claimed three points in dramatic fashion with a second-half comeback against Rydalmere Lions.
The Spartans once again showed their character, maintaining second position while handing Rydalmere their first defeat of the season.
Isaac Cunningham opened the scoring late in the first half for the hosts before the action intensified after the break.
Milos Jankovic equalised fifteen minutes into the second half, while Cunningham restored the lead for Rydalmere shortly after.
Aedon Kyra then stole the spotlight with two stunning goals. The first came on the volley from a Daniel Scally delivery in the 67th minute before a superb set-piece finish from outside the box sealed the victory.
Rydalmere Lions 2 (Cunningham 42’, 61’)
Blacktown Spartans 3 (Jankovic 60’, Kyra 67’, 78’)
Bankstown City 2-1 Western City Rangers
A dramatic 97th-minute goal saw Bankstown City defeat Western City Rangers at Jensen Park.
Alec Urosevski scored the decisive goal after Jonathan Grozdanovski had earlier given Bankstown the lead.
The hosts began strongly, creating several chances before Grozdanovski produced a composed finish. Bai Antoniou also recorded his sixth assist of the season.
Western City Rangers improved significantly in the second half and equalised through Rocco Fragale in the 79th minute.
However, Bankstown secured victory deep into stoppage time when Urosevski capitalised on a defensive mix-up and chipped the goalkeeper.
Bankstown City 2 (Grozdanovski 13’, Urosevski 97’)
Western City Rangers 1 (Fragale 79’)
Hills United 3-2 Hurstville Zagreb
Hills United moved into fourth place following a 3-2 win over Hurstville Zagreb at Valentine Sports Park.
The hosts controlled much of the first half, opening the scoring through Zen Gigliotti after Cam Philp’s cutback.
Hurstville responded when Michael Vakis equalised following a Nikola Todoroski flick-on from a Paul Gagro cross.
Walid Moutaouakkil restored Hills’ lead before halftime, and Cam Philp later added a goal of his own to extend the advantage to 3-1.
Hurstville pushed strongly in the final stages and reduced the deficit through Allesandro Lacalandra, but Hills held on for the victory.
Hills United 3 (Gigliotti 8’, Moutaouakkil 36’, Philp 62’)
Hurstville Zagreb 2 (Vakis 25’, Lacalandra 78’)
Dulwich Hill 0-5 Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers produced a dominant performance to defeat Dulwich Hill 5-0 at Arlington Oval.
The victory marked their fifth straight clean sheet and extended their strong run at the top of the table.
Jesse Spang opened the scoring in the second minute before Ryan Attard added a long-range strike shortly after.
Austin Oates stood out with two assists, while Kai Denton scored twice and Sebastian Cerecedo added another to complete the rout.
Dulwich Hill 0
Northern Tigers 5 (Spang 2’, Attard 6’, Denton 64’, 86’, Cerecedo 83’)
Bulls FC Academy 5-0 Prospect United
Bulls FC Academy delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over Prospect United at Sydney United Sports Centre.
Justin Cardozo starred with four goals as the academy side secured their fourth win of the season.
Luke Zuvela opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Cardozo netted three times before halftime.
Cardozo added his fourth in the 68th minute as Bulls maintained control of the match.
Bulls FC Academy 5 (Zuvela 8’, Cardozo 26’, 33’, 46’, 68’)
Prospect United 0
Central Coast Mariners 1-1 Canterbury Bankstown
Central Coast Mariners and Canterbury Bankstown shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Pluim Park.
The goals came early, both resulting from goalkeeping errors.
Ahmad Ethelou scored within the opening minute for the Mariners before Nicholas Azzi equalised for the visitors just four minutes later.
The remainder of the match became scrappy, with both teams creating limited opportunities in difficult conditions.
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Ethelou 1’)
Canterbury Bankstown 1 (Azzi 5’)
Newcastle Jets 5-1 Inter Lions
Newcastle Jets secured their first win of the season in style with a 5-1 victory over Inter Lions.
The academy side’s improvement in recent weeks paid off, with their work on the training ground translating into a confident attacking display.
Jake Goodwin and Ethan De Bono both scored braces, while Lucas Johnson added a goal off the bench.
Inter Lions managed a single response through James Khoury late in the first half as they continue their search for their first point of the season.
Newcastle Jets 5 (Goodwin 11’, 62’, De Bono 30’, 60’, Johnson 67’)
Inter Lions 1 (Khoury 43’)
By Justin Smith
