Round 15 Review – League One Men’s

Round 15 of the FNSW League One Men’s competition saw even more surprise results, a last-minute winner for the competition leaders and a high-profile coaching casualty as we cross the halfway point of the season.

Match of the Round: Hakoah FC 1-3 Inter Lions
Inter Lions secured a third straight victory defeating Hakoah FC 3-1 in our match of the round at Hensley Athletic Field on Saturday evening.

An assured performance from the visitors, they scored twice in and around the break before restoring a two-goal advantage in the final ten minutes.

Before the first goal came in the 39th minute of this one, it was a tussle with both sides struggling to play through each other’s defences. Their chances in front of goal were very much classified as half-chances.

The breakthrough coming for Inter Lions after 39 minutes, a break down the right seeing Owen Duke deliver a lovely ball across the face for James Khoury who steered the ball home from close range.

Hakoah, for their part, perhaps going a bit too direct for their own good in their efforts in the first period.

Inter Lions adding to their lead early in the second half, Owen Duke on the spot to finish at the back post after a Ned Armson shot across the face found him outside his man after a build-up down the left.

That goal bringing the hosts out of their shell in attack as they chased the game, winning multiple set pieces early in the second half. One of their substitutes in Cam Philpot giving them a lifeline in the contest after the hour.

A Mitchell Knight long throw from the right-hand side causing problems in the 18-yard box before Philpot’s deflected shot found a way into the back of the net from close range to bring the deficit back to a goal.

However, from there, they struggled to take advantage of their momentum with Inter Lions settling the tempo down over the next quarter hour. Their defence much improved on their early-season form.

Nick Porreca’s side making sure of the three points in the 78th minute through a Sebastien Portolesi goal. The striker finishing from close range after a Mitchell Smith ball across the face wasn’t cleared by the Hakoah defence.

Inter Lions holding on for a win which takes them out of the bottom two at the halfway point of the season. Hakoah just struggling for form in mid-table, a true Jekyll and Hyde side at the moment as they push for improvement.

Hakoah FC 1 (Philpot 63’)
Inter Lions 3 (Khoury 38’, Duke 50’, Portolesi 78’)

Elsewhere

Blacktown Spartans 3-2 Bulls FC Academy
The return of Aedon Kyra saw Blacktown Spartans return to winning ways, stretching their lead at the top with a 3-2 victory over Bulls FC Academy.

Now sitting with a four-point lead over second at the halfway point, they’ll be focusing on regaining momentum in the charge for the title.

The two sides exchanged goals in the game’s early stages with Aedon Kyra scoring a quickfire brace with goals in the 1st and 13th minute, with a Bulls Academy equaliser in between scored by Ali El-Sabeh.

A fiercely contested fixture between two good sides, both sides wrestled to control the game with Spartans keeping their lead intact until the final quarter of the match when it was Oliver Randazzo who restored parity in the 73rd minute. The game decided late with substitute Yusuf Aydin winning his side a penalty which Darcy Ellem converted early in added time for the three points.

Blacktown Spartans 3 (Kyra 1’, 13’, Ellem 91’)
Bulls FC Academy 2 (El-Sabeh 10’, Randazzo 73’)

Bankstown City 1-3 Newcastle Jets
Newcastle Jets Academy claimed a big scalp with a 3-1 win over Bankstown City, who have since parted ways with coach Fabian Miceli.

With scores level approaching the final ten minutes of this one, it was the Jets who rose to the occasion, soaring to take the three points on the road.

The young Jets started the better of the two sides, playing some good football in the first half. Jake Goodwin giving them the lead before the half hour to score his ninth goal of the campaign so far.

Bankstown City responding well after the break found an equaliser in the 57th minute through Bai Antoniou, which came after a series of set pieces.

However, showing character, the Jets finished the stronger of the two sides. Noah Peacock scoring their go-ahead goal in the 89th minute before Archie Brideson made it three in the 93rd minute.

Bankstown City 1 (Antoniou 57’)
Newcastle Jets 3 (Goodwin 27’, Peacock 89’, Brideson 93’)

Hurstville Zagreb 2-1 Prospect United
Rounding out a big Friday night in terms of results, Hurstville Zagreb claimed their fourth win of the season with a 2-1 triumph over Prospect United at Penshurst Park.

Breaking a four-game winless run, Alessandro Lacalandra starred with a goal either side of half-time giving them the three points. Prospect United unable to peg back a two-goal deficit despite a Praneet Singh goal with a little over ten minutes remaining.

Indeed it was the hosts who controlled proceedings for the most part with quality performances across the park. Their opener coming in first-half stoppage time through Alessandro Lacalandra who tapped home from a Declan Sheldon cross.

The lead doubled in the 53rd minute with Lacalandra scoring the second of his brace from a Michael Vakis cut-back. Praneet Singh scoring a goal before the 80th minute with the visitors fighting to take something.

Hurstville Zagreb 2 (Lacalandra 46’, 53’)
Prospect United 1 (Singh 79’)

Dulwich Hill 2-1 Rydalmere Lions
After defeat last weekend, Dulwich Hill returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win over now fifth-placed Rydalmere Lions at Arlington Oval.

Securing their fifth win of the season in the process, they seem clear of danger below them at the halfway point of the season, while Rydalmere Lions are winless over the last month.

The response of a confident side, the hosts started as they meant to go on in this fixture rewarded with the opening goal before half-time. Micaiah Te Rata finishing on the volley from an Isaac Hovar set-piece delivery.

Rydalmere Lions able to bring the game back to parity before the hour with Kyle Sande capitalising on a poor pass from the hosts. A couple of changes for the hosts paying dividends in regaining the lead, Marcus Lal scoring the decisive goal from a one-v-one opportunity with a left-footed finish.

Dulwich Hill 2 (Te Rata 44’, Lal 87’)
Rydalmere Lions 1 (Sande 57’)

Central Coast Mariners 5-3 Hills United
Central Coast Mariners moved into fourth with a high-scoring victory over Hills United at Pluim Park on Sunday afternoon.

Fourth place the reward for the winner here, the Mariners used their home-ground advantage to come home strong with three second-half goals.

It was an open game throughout with both sides going at it. Ahmad Elhelou opened the Mariners account inside ten minutes before Yuki Kanai equalised four minutes later. Laurence Taylor restoring the hosts’ advantage before Lachlan Sepping equalised after the half hour. Hills United looking the more dangerous approaching half-time.

Mariners however stepping it up in the second half, Arthur De Lima giving them the lead once again with a penalty before Cooper Hall and Quinlan Barr added a fourth and fifth, with Walid Moutaouakkil bringing it back to 4-3 earlier.

Central Coast Mariners 5 (Elhelou 8’, Taylor 18’, De Lima 60’, Hall 62’, Barr 77’)
Hills United 3 (Kanai 12’, Sepping 33’, Moutaouakkil 67’)

Macarthur Rams 0-2 Canterbury Bankstown
Continuing their rollercoaster run of form, Canterbury Bankstown took three points from their trip to Lynwood Stadium with a 2-0 win over Macarthur Rams.

Giving themselves breathing room over the teams below them, they scored a late goal in either half to take their reward.

Another game where it took a while for both sides to settle into attacking rhythm, a penalty late in the first half gave Canterbury Bankstown the ascendancy with Patrick Savor converting from the spot.

The second half livened up at an increased tempo with the Rams looking to press higher in search of an equaliser. But it was the Berries who took the two-goal lead through Fikret Berisha, who headed home from a corner. A few late chances for the Rams denied by Stevan Savicic in the Berries goal.

Macarthur Rams 0
Canterbury Bankstown 2 (Savor 46’, Berisha 81’)

Northern Tigers 1-1 Western City Rangers
Northern Tigers and Western City Rangers couldn’t be separated in a clash which had meaning at both ends of the table.

Both goals in this one came soon after the hour mark with Northern Tigers taking the lead through Kai Denton before Western City Rangers equalised soon after.

A game which saw the hosts control a lot of the ball but come up against a Western City Rangers side who were resolute as they try and rebuild their season.

Tigers finding their opener through Kai Denton who broke the club’s goal-scoring record with his header, before Western City Rangers equalised soon after through Shayden Sampow who netted his first of the season.

Tigers acknowledging there’s work to do following this one, while there’s definite positives to take from a Rangers perspective with Marcelo Martellotta and Paulo Bonanni stepping up defensively while Harrison Mount made his starting debut.

Northern Tigers 1 (Denton 61’)
Western City Rangers 1 (Sampow 63’)