Round 27 Review – League One Men’s

Another week closer to the end of the season, the tension was palpable in round 27 of the FNSW League One Men’s competition which took place over the weekend.

Plenty to follow, our match of the round saw Rydalmere Lions take a big three points with a win over Northern Tigers, while UNSW FC, SD Raiders and Blacktown Spartans all picked up wins in their chase for the top two.

While elsewhere, Bonnyrigg White Eagles won their first win since March with a 2-1 victory over Hakoah FC.

Match of the Round: Northern Tigers 1-3 Rydalmere Lions

Don’t count them out just yet! Rydalmere Lions returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win over Northern Tigers at North Turramurra Recreation Area.

With the game up for grabs with 20 minutes left, it was the Lions who roared to victory with Isaac Cunningham and Robert Eremugo scoring the all important goals after Adil Toska put them in the lead earlier. Tigers solitary goal coming early in the second half through Koya Nakano.

Signs were there from the early stages of this one that the visitors would be a headache to contain. Rydalmere having the games first two chances of note after the quarter hour.

The first seeing Dillian Kahale narrowly fire over the bar from inside the area after a low Robert Eremugo ball across the face. Before Adil Toska fired wide under pressure after a cross fell to him inside the area.

While Tigers had their first promising raid forward in the 29^th minute. An Ally Brown shot from the edge of the area taking a deflection off a team mate wide.

Rydalmere’s opener coming around the half hour. A press up field putting the Northern Tigers goalkeeper under pressure with Adil Toska rolling it into the back of the net. Robert Eremugo deserving considerable credit for his role in the press.

A quick response nearly forthcoming a couple minutes later. Lachlan Lloyd testing the glove work of Lions keeper James Hussoy at his near post from a set piece. The remainder of the first half played out in blustery conditions with Tigers enjoying the territorial advantage.

Inspired after the half time break, Northern Tigers found their equaliser early in the second half through Koya Nakano. His in-swinging corner from the right floating into the back of the net at the far post.

However credit to the visitors, they weathered the increased pressure for the most part with the exceptions being a Kai Denton shot in the 54^th minute which narrowly missed the target after timing his run in behind and a shot cutting in off the left around the hour which went straight at the keeper.

With the draw not favouring either side, the game then began to open up after a influx of substitutes. Which led to Rydalmere grabbing what would be a decisive advantage around the 70^th minute.

Rydalmere substitute Isaac Cunningham the scorer of the goal taking the ball around the keeper before slotting it home after a well weighted Eremugo through ball.

The visitors adding a third to make sure of things just when the worst of the conditions came. Rydalmere once again winning the ball in an advanced position before a low ball from the left found Eremugo who produced a clinical finish to make it 3-1 with ten minutes to go.

Northern Tigers unable to recover in the time remaining, they face Bonnyrigg White Eagles in a catch up game Tuesday night. While Rydalmere are still in the race for the top two next facing Bulls FC Academy.

Northern Tigers 1 (Nakano 47’)

Rydalmere Lions 3 (Toska 31’, Cunningham 71’, Eremugo 80’)

Elsewhere

Blacktown Spartans 3-0 Macarthur Rams

Blacktown Spartans set the record straight after last weeks defeat with a 3-0 win over Macarthur Rams, Friday night.

Scoring three goals in the final quarter of this one, Riley Chapple and Aedon Kyra both found the back of the net in the final 15 minutes either side of a Michael Martin own goal.

Despite the score-line, there were positives from a Macarthur Rams perspective in this one with the visitors creating two good goal-scoring opportunities in the first half.

As such, they were unlucky to fall behind in the second half in the final quarter hour. Two goals coming for the Spartans in quick-fire fashion. The first through Riley Chapple in the 76^th minute before an own goal followed with the ball taking a wicked deflection.

The hosts capitalising on the space given too them with the Rams chasing the game in injury time. Aedon Kyra rounding things off for the hosts who sit in third after the weekends action, one point behind SD Raiders.

Blacktown Spartans 3 (Chapple 76’, Martin OG 80’, Kyra 90+2’)

Macarthur Rams 0

Canterbury Bankstown 0-1 UNSW FC

UNSW FC took another positive step towards a top two place with a single goal victory over Canterbury Bankstown at Jensen Park.

Becoming the first side to reach 50 points this season, a second half goal for Jack Fulton was enough for them to take the points home.

This one played out similar to what you would expect with the visitors having to dig deep against a well set up Canterbury Bankstown side. The Berries perhaps having the two best chances of the first half, one of which saw Patrick Savor shoot straight at the keeper after combining with Joel Beattie.

The game following a similar pattern in the second half before UNSW produced a moment halfway through the second half. Super sub Jack Fulton the player to step up pouncing on a deflected ball to score his 12^th goal of the campaign with a great left footed strike.

UNSW FC picking up their fourth win in their last five games to inch a step closer to the title. While Berries once again proved they’ll be a tough team to face in the next three weeks.

Canterbury Bankstown 0

UNSW FC 1 (Fulton 67’)

Bulls FC Academy 1-3 SD Raiders

SD Raiders picked up their fourth win in a row coming from behind to overcome Bulls FC Academy 3-1 at Sydney United Sports Centre.

Returning to the top two in the process, Atiya Waraga gave the academy side the lead before goals from Luka Knezevic and Ethan Beaven turned the game around before the hour. Riley Cox-Barlow then giving them an insurance goal in the 75^th minute.

In tricky conditions, this game was an action packed one with SD Raiders controlling the ball while Bulls FC Academy looked to pounce on the counter. SD Raiders having chances for Riley Cox-Barlow and Charlie Ragg before the first got came at the other end.

Atiya Waraga showing tenacity in the build up before applying the finish in the 35^th minute.

After creating plenty of chances without reward in the first half, SD Raiders were then determined to write that wrong, two goals in the first fifteen minutes of the second half turning the game on its head. Luka Knezevic scoring the first from the spot after Lachlan Everett was brought down, before Ethan Beaven scored from a corner soon after.

The remainder of the game playing out with Bulls now controlling the ball and SD Raiders looking to counter. SD Raiders scoring their third goal through Cox-Barlow after Cooper Hanagan dribbled the ball down the right. Bulls nearly bringing it back to 3-2 with five minutes remaining.

Bulls FC Academy 1 (Waraga 35’)

SD Raiders 3 (Knezevic 52’, Beaven 58; Cox-Barlow 75’)

Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2-1 Hakoah FC

Bonnyrigg White Eagles secured their first win since March with a 2-1 triumph over Hakoah FC during their festival weekend.

Fumoto Kamada scored his first goal for the club in the process before Daniel Bittar scored what would turn out to be the winner late in the first half.

It wasn’t always looking like it would finish this way with the visitors taking the lead after the quarter hour through a Daniel Bittar own goal. However they were able to turn the game around before the half time break.

Fumoto Kamada scoring his goal in the 26^th minute from a set piece opportunity, Bittar rolling the ball into his path. Before Daniel Bittar made up for his earlier own goal by finding the net just before half time, Moussa Sannoh doing well to get to the by-line before finding Bittar with the cut back.

The second half played out in more cagey fashion with George Tuson-Firth having Hakoah’s best opportunity for an equaliser.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles holding on for a precious three points with a catch up game to be played Tuesday night. Hakoah next in action against Bankstown City next Saturday.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 (Kamada 26’, Bittar 45’)

Hakoah FC 1 (Bittar OG 15’)

Inter Lions 3-2 Mounties Wanderers

Inter Lions left it late to overcome Mounties Wanderers by a 3-2 score-line with two goals coming in the final ten minutes.

Mounties Wanderers came out looking like a side with plenty to fight for in this one with Jake Mcging and Amos Okumu in particular looking inspired. Those two combining for the first goal in which Okumu won the ball before Mcging finished from long range before the 20^th minute

Inter equalising right before half time through Sam Armson whose first time shot inside the box proved too hot for the Wanderers keeper to handle.

After a slow start, the second half saw Inter take the ascendancy. However it was the Mounties who took the lead once again. James Cakovski the scorer of their second getting just enough power on his strike to evade Evan Davis.

The hosts keeping the intensity and rewarded with two late goals. Sam Armson completing his brace with a back post finish in the 85^th minute. Before James Khoury unleashed a strike from outside the area which flew off the post into the back of the net.

A blow to Mounties Wanderers survival hopes, they hold a three point lead over Bonnyrigg behind them. While Inter Lions look set to finish the season well after back-to-back wins.

Inter Lions 3 (Armson 44’ 82’; Khoury 95’)

Mounties Wanderers 2 (Mcging 18’, Cakovski 57’)

Newcastle Jets 1-4 Bankstown City

Potential upset of the season? Bankstown City were 4-1 victors over Newcastle Jets in their fixture at Lake Macquarie, Saturday night.

Jonathan Grozdanovski scored a brace on the evening while James Cakovski and … also found the back of the net. Jets getting their goal late through Roman Della Bosca.

It was a disappointing night for the hosts who were second best throughout this one against a more experienced outfit.

The visitors opened their account just after the half hour mark with their first goal before Jonathan Grozdanvoski scored the first of his brace just after the half time break. Bankstown starting the second half in good scoring form making it 3-0 in the 56^th minute through Jason Cakovski.

Roman Della Bosca then scoring the Jets consolation goal with a scrambled finish before Grozdanvoski completed his brace with two minutes to go.

Newcastle Jets 1 (Della Bosca 81’)

Bankstown City 4 (Kostopoulos? 31’, Grozdanovski 46’ 88’, Cakovski 56’)

Hills United 4-3 Dulwich Hill

Finally to round out our report, Hills United overcame Dulwich Hill in a high-scoring fixture at Valentine Sports Park.

Once again, Dulwich Hill couldn’t quite get it together early on and the hosts made them pay breaking down the right before Marcus Lal scored their opener. Hills coach Gary Van Egmond noting in correspondence with us that his side were good on the ball creating chance but loose without it.

Dulwich Hill finding an equaliser soon after that first goal through Mark Younes. The number 9 applying a headed finish to equalise. Both sides having further chances before the break.

Once again, a slow start from Dully saw Hills take the lead once again to make it 2-1 through Dimi Petratos. Both sides having joy in attack throughout the second half with Yuki Kanai making it 3-1 in the 70^th minute. Only for an instance response from the visitors which saw Daniel Fornito find the back of the net.

Yuki Kanai restoring the two goal advantage a minute after that goal, before Mark Younes scored the second of his brace with just over ten minutes remaining.

Hills United 4 (Lal 8’, Petratos 50’, Kanai 70’ 71’)

Dulwich Hill 3 (Younes 10’ 78’, Fornito 70’)

By Justin Smith