Round 21 Review – League One Men’s
With it getting cold outside, home comforts were appreciated in the FNSW League One Men’s competition in Round 21 action.
Five teams won at home across the weekend, while only one won on the road in Bankstown City.
Our Match of the Round saw Blacktown Spartans continue their strong home form.
Match of the Round: Blacktown Spartans 3-1 Rydalmere Lions
Blacktown Spartans were pushed to their limit before clinching a 3-1 victory over Rydalmere Lions in our Friday night Match of the Round.
A closer game than expected, Aedon Kyra scored a second-half brace to secure the three points after Austen Booth opened the scoring inside 10 minutes. Rydalmere found an equaliser early in the second half through Nicholas Azzone.
Early on, it was a case of one chance, one goal for Blacktown Spartans, who took the lead inside 10 minutes. Austen Booth produced a strike a striker would be proud of inside the area from a set piece, positioning himself at the back post before his sweetly struck finish found the bottom-right corner.
It wasn’t all played on the hosts’ terms, though, in an even contest as both sides adjusted after the mid-season transfer window.
Much of the credit goes to the visitors, who made life difficult for the competition leaders, with Adil Toska the most likely for the Lions.
Toska played a big role in their equaliser early in the second half, isolating his defender on the right before squaring the ball to Nicholas Azzone, who found the top-left corner with a lovely strike.
The intensity of the match didn’t drop at any point in the opening hour before Aedon Kyra restored the hosts’ lead. The goal came down to the striker’s presence more than anything, with an unfortunate goalkeeping error seeing Steven Kriezis fumble under pressure before Kyra tapped home from close range.
That goal nearly sparked a quick response, when a transition saw Adil Toska miss the near bottom corner with a strike from just outside the area in the 65th minute.
Second-half substitutes helped settle the game before Spartans made sure of the result with 10 minutes remaining. Darcy Ellem and Kyra combined for the goal, with Kyra producing a clinical finish under pressure.
Spartans maintain their formidable home form ahead of a clash with Newcastle Jets next weekend, while Rydalmere Lions will look to finish the season strongly, starting with Central Coast Mariners next up.
Blacktown Spartans 3 (Booth 9’, Kyra 60’, 81’)
Rydalmere Lions 1 (Azzone 48’)
Elsewhere
Northern Tigers 3-1 Dulwich Hill
Northern Tigers continued their impressive home record with a 3-1 win over Dulwich Hill on Saturday afternoon.
Connor Rose led the way with two goals and an assist in their eighth home win of the campaign. Dulwich Hill slip into 14th with the defeat, five points above the bottom two.
The hosts started perfectly with an early goal through Jesse Spang, who flicked the ball in from close range after Rose delivered from the left byline. Rose then scored with five minutes remaining in the first half, running onto a ball in behind before cutting inside and finishing into the far corner.
Two goals came inside a minute in the second half, with Jack Mitsoulas pulling one back before Rose completed his brace soon after, sneaking the ball in at the near post with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Northern Tigers 3 (Spang 5’, Rose 40’, 78’)
Dulwich Hill 1 (Mitsoulas 78’)
Western City Rangers 2-3 Bankstown City
A new look Bankstown City outfit who gave its new stars a start were the only away side to claim victory in Saturday action, overcoming Western City Rangers 3-2 at Popondetta Park.
A strong start saw the visitors take a two-goal lead into the break before Western City Rangers responded in the second half, with Bai Antoniou again leading the way for Bankstown City.
The visitors struck twice after the 25th minute. Antoniou opened the scoring after a lay-off in the box with a finish along the ground, before Tomislav Uskok marked his club debut with a strike after the hosts failed to clear their lines 11 minutes later.
Halftime gave the hosts a chance to regroup, and they responded well, with Rangers new recruit Reuben Awaritefe closing the gap with a one-on-one finish before Dimo Dimo equalised later.
The decisive goal came from Antoniou with a superb half-volley inside the box in the 65th minute.
It was a strong debut from former Socceroo Josh Brilliante as well as Isaac Danzo who also signed on during the opening of the mid-season transfer window while prolific goalscorer Alec Urosevski started and got more minutes under him as he looks set to guide his side to more wins as the season draws to a close.
Western City Rangers 2 (Awaritefe 57’, Dimo 89’)
Bankstown City 3 (Antoniou 28’, 65’, Uskok 39’)
Hurstville Zagreb 2-1 Hills United
Hurstville Zagreb came from behind to defeat Hills United, recording their fifth home win of the campaign.
Luka Sterjovski gave Hills the lead in a cagey first half, finishing first time from a Noah Miller cross after a high press.
Hurstville lifted after the break, with Alessandro Lacalandra converting a penalty in the 71st minute before sustained pressure told in the 92nd minute when a corner was deflected in.
Hurstville Zagreb 2 (Lacalandra 71’, Kelshaw OG 92’)
Hills United 1 (Sterjovski 32’)
Inter Lions 2-1 Newcastle Jets
Inter Lions moved into 12th with a 2-1 win over Newcastle Jets Academy at Majors Bay Reserve.
They continued a strong home record, winning their last five at the venue. Mitchell Smith scored a brace, while the Jets pushed late but couldn’t find an equaliser.
Smith opened the scoring after 33 minutes, reacting first to a rebound from a Thomas Whiffen free-kick. He then doubled the lead 10 minutes into the second half with a header from a James Khoury assist.
The Jets pulled one back through Jesse Hill in the 65th minute, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Inter Lions 2 (Smith 33’, 55’)
Newcastle Jets 1 (Hill 65’)
Canterbury Bankstown 6-0 Central Coast Mariners
Canterbury Bankstown were sensational in a six-goal win over Central Coast Mariners at Jensen Park.
In outstanding scoring form with 17 goals in their last three fixtures, the Berries continue their rise up the table with a dominant team performance.
They opened through Taketo Ochiai before John Fotopoulos doubled the lead just before half-time.
The floodgates opened after the break with Fikret Berisha, Dejan Bakrdanikoski, William Kounnas and Jake McLeod all adding goals.
Canterbury Bankstown 6 (Ochiai 36’, Fotopoulos 46’, Bakrdanikoski 50’, Berisha 61’, Kounnas 78’, McLeod 86’)
Central Coast Mariners 0
Prospect United 1-1 Bulls FC Academy
Prospect United were denied victory late, conceding a 88th-minute equaliser against Bulls FC Academy at Blacktown Football Park.
Antonio Orlando gave the hosts the lead just before half-time on debut, before a late own goal denied them all three points.
Bulls lifted after the break and eventually found an equaliser through pressure in the final stages.
Prospect United 1 (Orlando 45’)
Bulls FC Academy 1 (OG 88’)
Macarthur Rams 1-1 Hakoah FC
Hakoah FC extended their unbeaten run with a draw away to Macarthur Rams at Lynwood Park.
Nicholas Tooley opened the scoring with a curling finish in the 31st minute, before the Rams equalised five minutes later through Christian Torrelli and Olivier Beltran-Woodward.
Both sides created chances late, but neither could find a winner.
Macarthur Rams 1 (Beltran-Woodward 36’)
Hakoah FC 1 (Tooley 31’)
-By Justin Smith
