Round 23 Review – League One Men’s
There haven’t been many rounds like this one, round 23 of the FNSW League One Men’s was dramatic and consequential in equal part as we close in on the run home.
Two four all draws at either end of the table took place Saturday night, while our cameras saw Bulls Academy and Hills United play out a back and forth fixture. That and more in our review of the weekend.
Match of the Round: Bulls FC Academy 2-2 Hills United
Bulls FC Academy had a late Lachlan Sattout goal to thank for a share of the points in a 2-2 draw with Hills United at Sydney United Sports Centre.
A see-sawing game of football, both sides held the lead at different points of this one in an entertaining game of League One Men’s football.
The opening ten of this one saw both sides happy to work each other out exchanging periods of possession. That pattern broken just after the 10th minute with the Bulls taking the lead.
An unfortunate slip in the Hills United defence gifting the hosts the advantage with Justin Cardozzo picking up the ball inside the area who squared it to Harry Menham to finish into an empty net with the keeper committed.
Down a goal, naturally the visitors began to chase the game as they began to play with a bit more urgency. However it was Cardozzo who had the next notable chance of the game with a shot from just outside the area bouncing just wide before the 20th minute.
Hills having their best chance soon after, a Marcus Lal header drawing a good save from Franklin Jan in the 23rd minute, though it wouldn’t of counted due to an infringement earlier in the piece. That soon followed by a Lal shot after being played through on goal, hooking the ball wide of the post under pressure.
Whiile Atiya Waraga and Harry Menham both had chances to double their advantage at the other end before the half time break.
Waraga hitting the right post early in the second half as well before Hills United scored the equaliser which came in the 48th minute. Walid Moutaouakkil playing a big role in the lead up with a run down the right wing before he squared it to Dimi Petratos. Petratos finishing into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Now both sides were chasing a go ahead goal and the visitors nearly had it in the 58th minute if not for a Andre Parkes clearance inside the six yard box with players waiting behind him.
The best couple of chances from this period of play coming for the academy side with both Atiya Waraga and Lachaln Sattout both denied by Ryan Wood in the Hills United net in a superb display of goal-keeping..
It would be Hills United to take the lead thought with five minutes left through Alexander Hamilton. The young substitute released through on goal by Dimi Petratos before applying an ice cold finish into the bottom corner.
Perhaps harsh on the hosts, they then responded well to going down with an equaliser moments later. Lachlan Sattout with a lovely finish low across goal into the bottom right corner, Atiya Waraga giving him the assist.
Both sides unable to create that one final half cut chance to decide the game. Bulls FC Academy next face Bonnyrigg White Eagles away from home while Rydalmere Lions await Hills United in round 24 action.
Bulls FC Academy 2 (Menham 11’, Sattout 88’)
Hills United 2 (Petratos 48’, Hamilton 85’)
Newcastle Jets 4-4 Rydalmere Lions
However with respect to that first fixture, there’s no doubt that this was the true match of the round in which Newcastle Jets and Rydalmere Lions shared a point in a high-scoring fixture.
A spectacle from minute one right up until the final whistle with two confident sides going full throttle, the Jets came back from two goals down with two goals after the 75th minute.
The Jets nearly opened the scoring within the first sixty seconds through a Janni Rafty shot which was turned round the post. It was the hosts who would find the opener around the quarter hour though.
Ahmad Taleb the scorer of that goal with a simple finish, the cross too him coming from Amponsah Antwi after a ball found him from central midfield.
This was a looking like a back and forth sort of game though and the Jets scored an equaliser ten minutes later. A ball inside from the right wing finding Xavier Bertoncello who scored with a powerful effort into the far top corner.
Rydalmere hitting back to restore their lead a couple minutes later once again through Taleb. The striker working the ball out of his feet inside the area creating that extra bit of time before applying the finish. Dillian Kahale with the assist.
That lead extended to two after the half hour, Robert Eremugo scoring after sneaking inside his man from close range. Adil Toska the provider for that goal.
A goal which sparked the Jets into action, the visitors scoring a goal which in retrospect restored belief in the academy side. Janni Rafty heading home from a set piece around the 42nd minute.
If they were to come back though, it would be from two goals down. Rydalmere scoring their fourth goal early in the second half through Anthony Sparacino in the 48th minute, another sweet strike at the second phase of the set piece restoring their two goal advantage.
Rydalmere then having two or three chances to extend that lead with room in transition. Adil Toska and Dillan Kahale both going close on separate occasions.
The door left ajar for the Jets who showed plenty of character in the final fifteen minutes. Janni Rafty scoring a stunning free-kick over the wall with just over ten minutes of regulation remaining.
Before an equaliser came with five minutes left, Oliver Cockle getting the final touch from close range after a set piece scramble inside the six yard box.
Both sides then pushed for a winner which never came despite their best efforts, a remarkable game of football.
Newcastle Jets 4 (Bertoncello 23’, Rafty 42’ 78’, Cockle 85’)
Rydalmere Lions 4 (Taleb 15’ 26’, Eremugo 33’, Sparacino 48’)
Macarthur Rams 2-1 Mounties Wanderers
Macarthur Rams picked up their third win in four games and extended the woes of Mounties Wanderers with a 2-1 win at Lynwood Park.
Extending the gap between themselves and the Wanderers in 15th position, Jay Tram gave them an early lead before Joshua Taylor doubled it halfway through the second half. An Alistair McKie goal with six minutes left proving to be only a consolation for the visitors.
Making a point of starting games well, the hosts took the lead through a back post tap in from Jay Tram after Jaidyn Dunn was released down the right wing.
From there, the game balanced out and turned into what you would expect from a game between two sides fighting relegation.
Rams creating a few good chances before they found their second through Joshua Taylor. Taylor combining with Emmanuel Gonzalez before his cross drifted past the keeper into the back of the net at the far post. Mounties ensuring a nervy finish late on through a Alistair Mckie goal in the 84th minute but they couldn’t peg back the two goal lead.
Macarthur Rams 2 (Tram 8’, Taylor 66’)
Mounties Wanderers 1 (Mckie 86’)
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4-4 Dulwich Hill
One 4-4 not enough for you this weekend? Well there was another which was just as important with Bonnyrigg White Eagles held to a draw by Dulwich Hill at home.
A result which leaves the hosts with a lot to do with not a lot of wiggle room left throughout the remainder of the season. While the draw sees Dulwich Hill move seven points clear of Mounties Wanderers.
It was them who started the better in this one racing out to a two goal lead in the first twenty minutes. Jacob Palamidas scoring the opener with a great strike from 30 yards out before Arthur Hugon doubled the advantage ten minutes later.
There was always a chance Bonnyrigg would come back into it however and they picked up a much needed goal before half time through Daniel Bittar.
That goal giving them the momentum early in the second half with a quick-fire double through John Roberts and Mabior Garang giving the hosts the advantage. Before Garang scored another goal in the 74th minute to put them ahead 4-3. Garang the focal point in the hosts attack throughout
But as we’ve seen before this season, Dulwich Hill have a strength of character which is commendable and they pegged the hosts back twice in the second half. Firstly through Isaac Hovar before the hour to make it 3-3. Before Daniel Padoani scored with four minutes left to make it 4-4.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4 (Bittar 32’, Roberts 49’, Garang 53’ 74’)
Dulwich Hill 4 (Palamidas 7’, Hugon 16’, Hovar 57’, Padoani 86’)
Northern Tigers 1-0 Hakoah FC
And yet, amongst all the craziness across the the weekend, our top two still picked up three points. Northern Tigers prevailing over Hakoah FC by a single goal at North Turramurra, Saturday afternoon.
Their fourth win in their last five games, it wasn’t an easy game for the TIgers who were pushed to the limit by their visitors.
Both sides traded chances in the first half of this one in a game with plenty of free-kick interruptions. Hakoah’s best chances of the game seeing Bodie Denton called into action on a couple of occasions including one from a Cam Philpot volley.
While Tigers nearly had an opener with a far post header at a corner which narrowly missed the target wide. Their breakthrough coming with just other fifteen minutes left. A quick attack catching the visitors out with Lachie Lloyd finding Connor Rose out wide whose cutback found Taiga Kawano who duly scored his first goal for the club into the bottom corner.
The hosts then holding on despite the visitors applying pressure in the late stages of the match.
Northern Tigers 1 (Kawano 73’)
Hakoah FC 0
Blacktown Spartans 2-1 Bankstown City
Kicking off the weekend, Blacktown Spartans came from behind to secure their fifth win on the trot, this time getting the better of Bankstown City.
Trailing at the break, Suleyman Bangura equalised for the hosts before the hour before Blake Ilitch scored the winner with five minutes of regulation remaining.
The first half of this one saw Bankstown City take a deserved lead carrying momentum before the break. Their goal scored by Shun Maeta just after the 25th minute.
However having had the half time to reset, the Spartans were able to use the energy of a decent crowd to turn the game around, new signing Zac Sfiligoi involved alongside Darcy Ellem, Angus Chance and Aedon Kyra before Bangura applied the finish.
Their winner coming with five minutes remaining through Blake Ilitch. Ilitch applying the finish after a Peter Pelekanos flick on to secure three valuable points.
Blacktown Spartans 2 (Bangura 59’, Ilitch 85’)
Bankstown City 1 (Maeta 26’)
Inter Lions 0-1 UNSW FC
UNSW FC bounced back from their round 22 defeat with a 1-0 win over Inter Lions at Majors Bay Reserve, Saturday night.
Not the prettiest game of football to watch but at this time of the season, they all count with a Jack Fulton goal in the first half separating the two sides.
The pattern of this one was set early on with the visitors controlling possession looking waiting for a moment to unlock the home sides defence. Inter for their part looking to create moments in transition with Sebastian Portolesi looking their most likely.
That moment would come right before the half hour, an overlapping Timothy Wohlfiel cutting the ball back to Jack Fulton inside the area who snuck his finish inside the near post.
Inter Lions best spell of the fixture coming after the break as they controlled more of the possession. However it wasn’t to be with their best chance coming through a Sam Armson header which went over the bar in the 65th minute. UNSW doing just about enough for the three points in the second half for a big three points.
Inter Lions 0
UNSW FC 1 (Fulton 28’)
Canterbury Bankstown 0-0 SD Raiders
Finally to round out our review, Canterbury Bankstown and SD Raiders played out a scoreless draw in their fixture at Jensen Park.
A clash between two out-of-form sides who desperately needed a win to kick-start their season one again, both defences controlled the fixture.
The first half of this one saw the hosts create more chances with both Jayden Ayad and Yeju Jang flashing shots across the face of goal. While Finley Hayhurst couldn’t keep a header on target with another opportunity.
However as so often happens in football, the momentum changed at the break and the visitors began to look the more dangerous. A few of their shots only finding the keeper from close range before they had a goal disallowed late on which was deemed offside.
Canterbury Bankstown 0
SD Raiders 0
By Justin Smith
