Round 4 Review – PS4 NPL 3 NSW Men’s
Once again we were unable to complete a full round of football in the 2017 PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition, with only five of the seven matches going ahead, whilst two fixtures were postponed for a date yet to be determined.
David Bertenshaw Field was washed out as early as Friday, meaning Fraser Park would have to wait in order to visit Hawkesbury City, whilst remarkably, the same floodlight that caused the abandonment of the Dulwich Hill – St George FA City match at Arlington Oval the week before after just ten minutes, is apparently yet to be repaired, causing the postponement of the eagerly awaited Stanmore Hawks – Gladesville Ryde Magic clash.
Of the Round Four matches that were in fact completed, Dunbar Rovers grabbed their long overdue first win of the season by beating Western NSW Mariners 3-0 in Bathurst, St George City FA easily accounted for Balmain Tigers by 4-1, Rydalmere Lions overcame Granville Rage by 2-0 to register their second win from as many games, whilst Dulwich Hill snatched a last-minute winner in a seven goal thriller at Sydney University.
Football NSW made the trip to Fraser Park on Sunday night to see the Inter Lions – SD Raiders match unravel.
SD Raiders made light work of a disappointing Inter Lions at Fraser Park on Sunday night, scoring two goals in each half to run out comfortable 4-1 winners.
Playing a match at the end of a weekend on a Sunday night takes a different type of preparation, and it seemed the Raiders had accomplished it a little better given the end result.
As early as the 5th minute Daniel Bittar got his head on the end of a looping cross, the ball bouncing awkwardly on to Inter’s left upright before it was cleared from danger.
Carlos Enwiya then managed to head goalwards from John Fahmi’s crossed free kick, but this time Inter’s goal keeper, David Plowright, made the save look easy.
The opening goal came on the half hour mark, and in fact, it started with an Inter Lions corner kick which was half cleared. The Raiders flicked a switch and moved up field with purpose, and after a swift interchange of unselfish passes between Daniel Bittar and John Fahmi, it was Fahmi who tapped in to an empty net to give SD Raiders a 1-0 lead.
Inter’s first real attempt on goal came in the 38th minute, and it was industrious midfielder, Domenic Arcella, who picked up a loose clearance and shot a half volley that was swallowed by Raiders’ custodian, Tomi Romic.
Five minutes before half time SD Raiders doubled their lead, and it was that man Fahmi once again who found the net with an exquisite delivery.
Being awarded a free kick somewhere between the side of the penalty area and the sideline, Fahmi executed as good as a free kick you are likely to see anywhere, sending the ball over the ball and dipping just inside the far post, leaving Inter’s keeper, Plowright, absolutely helpless.
With Inter needing to push men forward to salvage something from the game, it was inevitable that the Raiders would find more space in the attacking third.
As early as the 48th minute, Daniel Bittar sent over a teasing cross from the right that Inter’s Adam Funari almost turned in to his own net, the ball ricocheting off the post to safety.
Inter made a rare in-road forward on 56 minutes, but Dario Villante’s snapshot from the edge of the box was well parried by Romic in the Raiders goal.
The game was all but over on 58 minutes, when Joseph Mensah found Mark Symington with a weighted pass over the square Inter backline, and the experienced striker expertly lobbed Inter’s goalkeeper, David Plowright, literally moments after he had entered the field as a substitute.
Symington then turned provider in the 65th minute, when, following a swift passing movement by the Raiders, he provided the final ball in to space for Daniel Bittar to race in to box before slamming a diagonal shot past Inter’s Plowright inside the far post.
Inter Lions grabbed what proved to be a consolation goal on 70 minutes when Chris Pinto hit a fierce 20 yard shot that flew past Raiders’ keeper, Romic, but it was all they could muster.
Raiders skipper and keeper, Tomi Romic, came to his side’s rescue on 75 minutes, thwarting both Daniel Fogarty and Adrian Vizzari in quick succession, just as Inter threatened to make a game of it late on.
In the end it could have been much worse for the Lions, with their keeper, David Plowright, saving from a one on one with Mark Symington in the 83rd minute, before closing the angles to force John Fahmi to hit the side netting, again when left alone to face a Raiders striker, this time in the 84th minute.
That was all she wrote, and the SD Raiders leapfrog their opponents on the night, Inter Lions, to take up third position on the ladder following the best part of four rounds.
PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s
Round Four
Sunday, April 2, 2017
INTER LIONS 1 (Pinto 70’)
SD RAIDERS 4 (Fahmi 30’ / 40’, Symington 58’, Bittar 65’)
Fraser Park, Marrickville
Referee – Kelly Jones
Assistant Referees – Cameron Lee and Hassan Jomaa
INTER LIONS: 1.D.Plowright, 3.A.Vizzari (capt), 4.M.Sidoti (19.M.Candy 46’), 7.S.Roda, 8.D.Arcella, 9.A.Funari, 11.E.Tomasek (49.M.Te Rata 65’), 13.J.Macguire, 14.C.Pinto, 17.D.Villante (6.G.Fabbro 75’), 44.D.Fogarty.
Substitutes Not Used – 21.J.Soulios.
Yellow Cards – Nil
Red Cards – Nil
SD RAIDERS: 23.T.Romic (capt), 2.M.Morosin, 4.N.Niski, 6.D.Stivala, 7.D.Bittar (12.L.Rossi 80’), 9.C.Enwiya (14.M.Symington 55’), 10.J.Fahmi, 26.M.D’Alessandro, 18.J.Mensah, 25.M.Nakada, 20.A.Tuzlic (24.S.Irwin 60’).
Substitutes Not Used – 44.M.Massarotto, 3.A.Forcellan.
Yellow Cards – 20.A.Tuzlic 44’.
Red Cards – Nil
Western NSW Mariners – Dunbar Rovers 0-3
Dunbar Rovers cracked it for their first win of the 2017 campaign when they accounted for the Western NSW Mariners by 3-0 away in Bathurst courtesy of a Hayden O’Kelly hat trick.
Dunbar had been very competitive in their opening three outings but that win had eluded them, until Saturday night of course, when they defeated a strong Mariners outfit that had been on a positive run of late.
After a tussle inside the box, Hayden O’Kelly was first to his feet to stroke the ball under Brock Logan in the Mariners goal and give Dunbar a first half lead.
Early in the second stanza Dunbar doubled their advantage when O’Kelly angled his header home after capitalising on a half hit clearance.
Hayden O’Kelly notched up his side’s third and his hat trick on the hour mark when he struck from the left of the penalty area to effectively end the contest.
For the Mariners, whilst they have been more productive on their travels so far in league and Cup, it’s at home they need to focus given this was their second loss from two matches.
For Dunbar Rovers it was a most welcome victory and three points, as well as their first clean sheet of the campaign, and no doubt they will use this result to springboard their ascent up the ladder.
St George City FA – Balmain Tigers 4-1
St George City FA produced an effective second half display to beat Balmain Tigers 4-1 after the scores were locked at 1-1 at the break.
After a fairly even opening half hour or so, St George took the lead on 39 minutes via the penalty spot after Balmain’s Yianni Moustakas was adjudged to have committed the foul, and he was duly sent from the field courtesy of his second yellow card. Juan Chavez converted the spot kick to edge St George in front.
Balmain Tigers equalised shortly after when Giustino Silvestro scored direct from a free kick following a foul on Rosario Occhipinti, and the teams went in at the break at 1-1.
St George City stepped up a gear after half time, and some vintage finishing from experienced striker, Juan Chavez, saw him grab a double to complete his hat trick, whilst fellow striker, Aleksander Jovovic, scored the other goal for City to round off a 4-1 triumph.
Granville Rage – Rydalmere Lions 0-2
This fixture was hastily changed at the last minute to Valentine Sports Park No.3 once it was decided that Garside Park had fallen foul to the recent rainfall.
Rydalmere Lions had not played league football since the opening day of the season on March 11, and were keen to stretch their legs against a competitive Granville Rage side.
Granville Rage had the best chance early on when Daniel Bortolazzo raced through on goal, clipping the ball past Rydalmere’s keeper, Harrick Sinpraseuth, only to watch the shot go wide of the upright.
The Lions then proceeded to dominate proceedings, holding possession comfortably as they tried to pry open the Rage rear guard.
In the end Rydalmere made it two wins from as many matches via a 2-0 scoreline with Ahmad Elrich getting his name on the scoresheet, and subsequently moving up to 6 points on the ladder with two matches in hand on some teams.
Sydney University – Dulwich Hill 3-4
Dulwich Hill continued on their merry way with their third win in as many matches, but they were made to sweat for it by Sydney University in what was a game of two halves on Sunday afternoon at the Sydney University Football Ground.
Dully started like a house on fire, netting the opening goal on just four minutes when Henry Wells picked up a Luke Giverin through ball before rounding Sydney Uni keeper, Carl McMahon, and tapping in to an empty net.
It was 2-0 just minutes later with Henry Wells this time being the provider, crossing in to the penalty area for David Han to head home.
Dulwich Hill grabbed goal number three moments before half time when Mark Mcalpine crossed from the left, Giverin’s initial shot was blocked and Henry Wells was ‘johnny on the spot’ to crack home the rebound and his second goal, making it 3-0 to Dulwich Hill at half time.
Whatever Sydney Uni coach, Andrew Prentice, said at half time to his players had the desired effect as the ‘students’ came out all guns blazing and had equalised within half an hour.
Experienced winger, Domenic Di Mento, was at the centre of everything, starting things off for Sydney Uni by being fouled inside the penalty area, with substitute, Jovan Blagojevic, taking responsibility and netting from the spot.
Di Mento made it 2-3 minutes later by seizing on to a through ball, clipping it over the advancing Dully keeper, Michael Frost, before slotting home.
An equaliser was on the cards, and it was that man, Domenic Di Mento, who made it 3-3, much to the delight of the home fans, firing a bomb in to the top corner after a cross had been cleared to him outside the penalty area.
Remarkably, Blagojevic had a chance to edge Sydney Uni in front near the end, but Michael Frost saved Dully’s blushes when facing the Uni player in a one on one.
Instead, Dully went down the other end, and with literally the last kick of the match, James Townsend slotted home from inside the penalty area to give the visitors all three points.
Hawkesbury City – Fraser Park WASHED OUT
Stanmore Hawks – Gladesville Ryde Magic POSTPONED (floodlight failure)
