My predictions:
Springwood 2-1
Bathurst 2-1
Hawkesbury 1-0
Draw 2-2
Hakoah 3-1
Luddenham 2-1
Draw 1-1

wow 6-0 to roosters loyalist have you heard some info about them this yr???

Nope i just know that Luddenham have been very very lucky.

Round 4 Prediction
Nepean 0-2 Springwood i think we can do this, good result against hakaoh last week.
Bathurst 0-2 Gazy
Northbridge 0-0 Hawkesbury
Chopin Park 1-1 Belmore hahahahahaha, c'mon chopin park 4 1-1 draws in a row
Wanderers 1-2 Hakoah
Luddenham 3-0 Roosters
Prospect 1-2 Minotaurs

crazy results again this week... we should have finished the opportunities we has against nepean.. they battled hard, but we missed our chances and they made us pay for it... DAMMMM another draw...

didnt expect gazy to get belted the way they did, nor did i expect luddenham to lose and the chopin park result came as a surprise...

Luddenham should have scored 7! had a deadset goal chalked off and missed a heap of sitters. Plus Roosters had a dodgy penalty

thats harsh loyalist would of at least given luddenham a point that sucks!

wow what an unpredictable comp so far hard to get a guage on form teams....

the bloke who writes up the footballnsw reports is really good compared to div 1 and super league reports really goes into alot of detail...

Yeah was very very harsh. With the goal that wasnt given the linesman even started running back to halfway! theres so much dodgy shit that goes on with refs in our division its not funny! Should luddenham have won? yes and very comfortably with the chances they had but did they deserve to win? nope. Sounds strange but they were woeful and when you miss that many sitters you dont deserve to win.

the end result doesnt always paint the picture of the game

if u r your own worst enemy but missing chances then makes thing 10x as hard....

i just looked at draw its a bloody long season same amount of round as the NRL wonder how burnout and injuries will go with some teams, whoever can keep players fit (or core of there team) will go far...

State League Two Round 5 Preview
06.04.11 08:54



Round five of NSW division two starts with Nepean taking on Hakoah at Cook Park, St Marys, on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).
Nepean are yet to win this year but have taken three draws from the four games so far to prove they can match it with their competition counterparts. They certainly do better when they keep all their players on the field but they will still need to be near their best to topple a Hakoah side laden with talent but with just the one win to its name in 2011. More is expected of the long-standing club.

Competition leaders Hawkesbury City face Luddenham United in a Saturday evening blockbuster at Benson Lane Field (5pm). Unbeaten Hawkesbury have well and truly shaken off last year’s disappointments in a terrific start to 2011 and they will be keen to maintain their lofty position with a good showing against Luddenham, who have been up and down like the proverbial yo-yo. United do have history on their side and can boast a three-game winning streak over City, making this weekend’s match-up extra spicy.

Springwood United and Hurstville City Minotaurs will be both be out to claim their first victory of the season in a battle royale at Summerhayes Park on Saturday night (7pm). Hurstville and Springwood finished top-six last year and won’t want to stall their 2011 campaign for much longer if they wish to figure in the finals, so this game is almost a must-win for both sides. There is a healthy rivalry between the two combatants with the last four fixtures going the way of the home team. However, the last three results have been 1-0 victories, indicating that another tight tussle is on the cards.

Round three winners Chopin Park Rams and Bathurst ’75 meet under lights at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night (7pm) in what promises to be an exciting affair. Chopin Park broke through for their maiden win last week while Bathurst smashed Gazy 6-0 for both to sit on six competition points after four rounds. This will be the undefeated Rams’ first trip out west and should provide a stern test for Radek Czerwinski’s men. Bathurst would love to string back-to-back wins together to show they have what it takes to be a contender this year.

Highflyers Prospect United play Belmore Hercules at William Lawson Reserve on Sunday afternoon (3pm) in a pivotal match for both clubs. Prospect are second on the ladder with a game in hand and can maintain their solid start to the year with yet another good performance this weekend – they’ve scored eight goals in their past two matches. Belmore, however, have lost a bit of momentum following their first-round victory and will want to get the wheels back on the wagon this weekend. They did win the last encounter between the two sides 1-0 and last year’s corresponding fixture (played precisely a year before this Sunday’s clash) finished 1-1.

Gazy Lansvale take on Northbridge in an intriguing match-up at Northbridge Oval on Sunday afternoon (3.30pm). Gazy were pole-axed 6-0 in Bathurst last weekend while winless Northbridge picked up its second draw of the year against competition leaders Hawkesbury, so both teams will be keen for a much-needed victory. And with the scores thrown up after the first month of football this is a hard result to call.

In-form Roosters FC greet a rejuvenated Fairfield Wanderers at Hill Sports High on Sunday evening (5pm) in what looks to be the match of the round. A two-week Wanderers wobble was arrested with a fine 2-1 win over Hakoah in round four while Roosters pipped Luddenham 3-2 to seal back-to-back wins. But Roosters will be wary of their past few meetings with Wanderers, who have crafted two 4-0 thumpings either side of a 1-1 draw to hold the stick over their opponents. This is match that could go either way and has the potential for multiple scoring.

There will also be plenty of midweek action with three matches featuring division two sides taking place on Wednesday night. Gazy Lansvale and Hurstville City Minotaurs will attempt to play their round two catch-up game at Cherrybrook Park (which will leave just the Springwood versus Prospect encounter remaining unplayed), and in the Waratah Cup Luddenham United tackle Gymea United at Crest Soccer Fields (7.15pm kick-off) while Fairfield Wanderers clash with Olympic Eagles at Knight Park to make up for last week’s abandoned preliminary round fixtures. Round one of the Cup will be played on April 13 following this week’s official draw.

-By Daniel De Nardi

Round 5 predictions:

Hakoah 3-0
Luddenham 1-0
Draw 2-2 (Springwood v Hurstville)
Bathurst 2-1
Prospect 4-0
Northbridge 2-1
Wanderers 3-2

time shall tell....

Luddenham United’s Riley Keayes a star in the making
11.04.11 09:43


Luddenham United’s Riley Keayes
Luddenham United have transformed itself from perennial whipping boys into division two title contenders in a matter of two years and they have done so behind a focus on youth development.
Nowhere is this more evident than the rise and rise of 15-year-old goalkeeper Riley Keayes.

Keayes is a mild-mannered Year 10 Mitchell High School student by weekday and the last line of defence in a credentialed State League side by weekend, and the teenager is lapping up the high-pressure role asked of him in first grade football.

But even Keayes admits to pinching himself every now and then, particularly as goalkeeping was a position he least expected to cover when he joined Prospect United’s U6 team just on a decade ago.

“I never thought it would happen like this,” he said. “I used to play midfield/striker when I first started and it was dad [Trevor] who talked me into being a goalkeeper when I was about 13. I thought he was crazy at first but it turned out that I liked it. I like being under pressure and I guess I do see myself as the last line of defence.”

“[As goalkeeper] you never get much of the raps; it’s always the goalscorers that get remembered, not the ones who save it.”

Keayes’ passion for the number one jersey seemed to fit like, well, gloves, and it was a seamless progression into a Mount Druitt Town Rangers youth side before he wound up at prestige NSW Premier League club Sydney United in 2009. It was there he met coach Nino Padjen who ushered the tall athletic footballer toward a trial with Luddenham at the start of this year.

Up against more experienced keepers such as Bojan Radmillo, Keayes thought he might be in with a shot at the reserve grade job but impressed coach Andrew Montgomery with a maturity beyond his years.

“We had about 5-6 keepers trialling and Riley did outstandingly well. I didn’t realise he was 15 until I asked him. He looked very composed, whether it was coming out to collect the ball or shot stopping, and he showed the sort of confidence you would expect from young adults,” Montgomery said.

“Initially I was looking for a reserve keeper and even a third keeper to bolster the squad but he proved to be a real gem of a find, doing extremely well in the trials and pre-season matches.”

“Of course he still has to improve on a couple of things, but I certainly have no hesitation at all in throwing Riley onto the field. He’s still young, so it’s important to make sure that he’s always learning and enjoying himself as well as being focused on making sure the team does well.”

Keayes was thrilled to be handed the reserve grade spot but it wasn’t long before even that turned into a platform. With Radmillo missing in action against Fairfield Wanderers in round three Keayes was promoted into a first grade side that won 4-1, making him one of the youngest goalkeepers – if not the youngest – to ever start a State League match.

“I wasn’t really daunted about playing with senior players. It is a lot of pressure but they have helped me through the mistakes I make and I’ve learnt quite a bit already this season about what I should and shouldn’t be doing,” Keayes said. “Andrew trusts me and that helps me be more confident on the field.”

The well-spoken youngster’s team ambition is underlined by a distinct individual target. “I think I’d rather keep a clean sheet than have a 2-1 win as it looks better for me,” he said. “But there’s no point in me doing well if it’s not helping the team do well, so I’m just happy to contribute to the team’s success.”

The Blacktown resident and keen baseballer and touch footballer also has some advice for other aspiring youngsters trying to make it in football. “Just train as hard as you can and take the opportunity when it comes along and try your best,” he said.

“Making the first grade team has been my greatest moment so far [outranking winning the U11 competition with Prospect] and I do have to thank my dad – he does a lot for me and gets my head back up when I’ve made a mistake – and Andrew and Jim Fraser international goalkeeping academy for teaching me everything I should know about goalkeeping. And I’m also really grateful for the opportunity the club [Luddenham] has given me.”

The unabashed Manchester United fan listed Socceroo evergreen Mark Schwarzer, Dutch custodian Edwin van der Sar and Italy shotstopper Gianluigi Buffon as his favourite keepers and said he would love to end up in any of the top leagues around the world, even in the A-League.

But for a few more years at least he will still have to wade through the well-intentioned jibes that Aussies are renowned for. “There’s always a bit of a ribbing from the older players, like your mum called or have you got a jacket for when it gets cold and things like that,” Montgomery said, “But the older boys around him are always there to help him and one of the best things about Riley is that he always asks questions, and that will keep making him a better player.”

-By Daniel De Nardi

State League Two Round 5 Review
10.04.11 18:52



It’s getting a little bit hectic in NSW State League division two following yet another week of eyebrow-raising results.
While Hurstville finally broke their shackles with an impressive 4-0 rout of Gazy in a round two midweek catch-up match, they were very quickly chained back up by a rampant Springwood 5-0 in round five action on the weekend. And while Luddenham edged out Hawkesbury 3-2 in a thriller, Hakoah dished out a 4-1 lesson to Nepean, and Northbridge won a 5-3 goal-fest against Gazy Lansvale, there are definitely a lot more eyes looking Chopin Park’s way as the newcomers snuck into the competition’s top-three following a 2-0 win over Bathurst to continue their unbeaten run.

Wanderers and Prospect lead the way after five weeks of football following their respective 2-1 and 1-0 victories over Roosters and Belmore but trying to read into the competition ladder this early on will only make your eyes water as a mere four points separates the top nine clubs. Three teams remain unbeaten in Chopin Park, Springwood and Prospect, while only Nepean is yet to open their winning account.

The other notable aspect of the 2011 competition is the number of goals being scored – 130 and counting at a flippant rate of almost four a match. Last year’s tight season produced a healthy 3.1 goals per game, this year it’s still rising at 3.8 per game. An attack-savvy Hakoah have provided the majority of these and they’re not having a problem finding people to score them either. Last year’s wooden-spooners have already registered nine goalscorers in just five games (Wanderers have the next most with eight).

But while it’s terrific to see such free-scoring action, unfortunately it’s not the home fans leaving happiest at the end of the day. Five weeks in and there have been almost as many wins from the away team as the host (13 wins to 11, with 10 draws), proving that no side can afford to feel too comfortable… even in front of their own supporters.

In other news, it was a special 300th for Matthew Garrow at Hawkesbury, the referees get a special mention from a classy Carlos Camacho, former Premier League and Super League players dip their hats to the division two standard, and just what magic can The General conjure up for his sick Minotaurs? And don’t forget to read this week’s feature story on perhaps the youngest goalkeeper to saddle up for a State League side – Luddenham’s Riley Keayes.

Hakoah down Nepean

Hakoah romped to a 4-1 victory over a gallant Nepean at Cook Park on Saturday afternoon, a Justin Kosmina second-half double sealing an emphatic three-goal victory. Hakoah took a 2-1 halftime lead after scoring twice from set pieces (something that is earning them quite the reputation around the league), Seamus Dowd and Simon Weiss both converting Hakoah corner kicks to trump Nikola Pozder’s penalty equaliser.

The home side were well in it but showed their lack of experience when the Hakoah midfield took advantage of some over-eagerness and thread the ball through to Justin Kosmina, and the son of Socceroo legend John Kosmina showed terrific poise to score to make it 3-1 inside the final half-hour. Kosmina sealed the win with a well-taken second goal minutes before fulltime.

Nepean coach Carlos Camacho took the good and the bad from a game that can only help his developing unit. “The first half was well-balanced and I felt that we were very much in the game. Hakoah looked a bit more dangerous in attack but there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the two sides. We only let ourselves down by allowing two goals from two corners as we did train for that; we know Hakoah a good from set pieces,” he said.

“The big difference was fitness, and the second half was a different story. Hakoah are a very good side, very well balanced, tactically very aware, and a good mix of fast, fit players and experienced, hardened players; they don’t give you much space. We have to keep focus on our priority, which is to play the football we want to play. What we really haven’t done well is score first in any of our games and put the pressure on the other side.”

“At the moment we’re just too tempted to defend and leave ourselves open. In modern football it’s important not to concede, but as long as the boys continue to believe, we will get the results. We are fortunate to have a lot of boys striving to have a go in first grade, but we don’t want to find ourselves struggling already and not enjoying our football.”

Camacho showed his class when he praised the referee for maintaining a high degree of consistency in a hard-fought match. “One of the problems with Australian football is that we don’t encourage good refereeing. Of course we all make mistakes but what is really important is the consistency in the rulings,” he said. “We’ve had players sent off and penalties awarded to us and I think, overall, the standard has been quite good.”

“Another thing I’ve enjoyed is hearing how the [former] super and premier league players have been pleasantly surprised at the level of State League Two football. That just shows that maybe the competition standard has been underestimated in the past. We have been unlucky not to get a win this year but we are going to get that breakthrough and that will be a huge turning point for Nepean, and hopefully we can go on [over the next few years] and emulate the great Hakoah club one day, a club that takes their football seriously and play the game so well.”

Nepean FC 1 (Nikola Pozder 27m) Hakoah 4 (Seamus Dowd 10m Simon Weiss 30m Justin Kosmina 65/88m)

Reserve grade: Nepean FC 0 Hakoah 0

Luddenham edge out Hawkesbury

Luddenham United held off Hawkesbury City to win 3-2 at Benson Lane Field on Saturday evening. First half goals from both sides set up an enthralling second period, with Luddenham weathering a Hawkesbury storm to prevail 3-2 and inflict City’s first loss of the season. It was also Luddenham’s fourth straight win over Hawkesbury.

Hakan Celik opened the scoring on 20-minutes when he beat the offside trap to chip the Luddenham keeper for an early Hawkesbury lead, and one that was shortlived as City defender Andrew Zammit then feathered United scoring supremo Huso Merdanovic in the box and the wily striker picked himself up off the ground to coolly convert the sport kick to restore parity just before the half-hour mark.

Hawkesbury still looked the goods until Celik was withdrawn a minute into the second half due to a knee injury and an ensuing drop in concentration immediately following his substitution allowed United midfielder Dujon Webster to finish off a neat one-two with Michael Wood and put Luddenham in front. Some slack City marking 10 minutes later freed up space for Grant Obeid to add a third for the visitors with half-an-hour left to play after Ivan Bazina had a header cleared off the line.

In a bid for more goals Hawkesbury coach Gary Lewis took off a fullback and pushed Ryan Wilson upfield and the move paid off when the slick fullback booted in a corner kick to make it 3-2 inside the final few minutes. City almost pulled off a miracle comeback when Wilson provided a sharp cross from the right that looked delicious for a waiting John McCrae at the far post but the ball was scrambled off the line by some desperate Luddenham defence to keep the scores unchanged at fulltime.

United coach Andrew Montgomery called it a cracking victory. “They’re a very good side and they never gave up the whole match, even at 3-1 down with minutes to play, but that’s almost like a six-pointer for us as a loss would have put us out of touch with them,” he said. “I still believe we need to pick up 10-12 points every five games, if you grab that you start putting gaps on other sides. There’s still a long, long way to go and teams won’t start to sort themselves out until at least round 10.”

His counterpart Lewis knew the result would’ve been more favourable if his side had finished off more of their chances. “I’ve got no excuses. We were leading and controlled the game for the first 30 minutes and probably should have scored again before we copped another penalty [the third against City this season]. While I’m not disputing the decision, we try to teach our boys to stay on their feet and go for goal rather than play for a penalty, and that really changed the complexion of the game.”

“We were all over them in the last 15 minutes… but they have some very experienced players at the back and they slowed the game right down. Having said that, we had numerous chances in the first half to get away from them and it’s just one of those competitions where if you don’t take your chances you will pay the price. We kept Luddenham in the game and they won it.”

On a brighter note for Hawkesbury, stalwart goalkeeper Matthew Garrow celebrated his 300th game for the club by helping the reserves to a 2-1 win over Luddenham. While no-one was able to pin down Garrow’s exact age, needless to say he’s been at the club a very long time and it’s refreshing these days to see such loyalty. Lewis had nothing but praise for the City icon and congratulated Garrow on his outstanding achievement.

Hawkesbury City 2 (Hakan Celik 21m Ryan Wilson 87m) Luddenham United 3 (Huso Merdanovic 26m Dujon Webster 48m Grant Odei 61m)

Reserve grade: Hawkesbury City 2 Luddenham United 1

Springwood hammer Hurstville

Springwood United gave themselves a high-five after demolishing Hurstville City Minotaurs 5-0 at Summerhayes Park on Saturday night to grab their first win of the year. The game was only minutes old when Peter Henderson exploited a gap in the Minotaurs defence to run onto a great through-ball and smash in the opening goal, and it was 2-0 before the 10-minute mark when Kaan Davies blasted a freekick into the Hurstville wall and celebrated a fortunate deflection.

The visitors somehow picked themselves up off the canvas to launch a spirited counterattack before United’s Bryan Campbell drove a dagger into the Hurstville hearts with a scrappy goal that made it 3-0 at halftime. The Minotaurs still looked dangerous in the second half but a tremendous individual effort from Springwood’s Craig Small, where he ran 30-40m and beat 3-4 defenders before slotting the ball in the net, squashed any hopes of a Minotaurs revival, and Henderson’s second goal of the match on the hour-mark sealed a crushing 5-0 victory.

It was Springwood’s third win in four games against Hurstville and maintained United’s unbeaten start to the season but coach Errol Warwick-Day stayed grounded. “Last year we proved to ourselves that were capable of results like that, and our aim has always been to be competitive. We were getting tons of chances and weathered their storm, but it’s a long season and we will meet opponents who will get us on their day. Morale is measured differently at every club, what that 5-0 win gives us is confidence and self-belief. We have players who are still learning their way and this win will give them a big jolt in the arm.”

In regards to Hurstville’s slow start to the year, Warwick-Day couldn’t offer much. “They’re certainly not that bad [as their record suggests]. They still have lots of good quality players, and I really thought it would be tough after they beat Gazy 4-0 midweek, but they did seem a bit underdone… it surprised me that Hurstville looked so underprepared,” he said.

Hurstville had seemingly picked up the pieces from a shattered start to the season with an inspiring 4-0 catch-up win over Gazy Lansvale midweek, Domenico Battaglia scoring a second-half hat-trick in a result that could’ve been a lot worse for Lansvale. But it was goodbye Dr Jekyll and hello Mr Hyde as a mistake-ridden Minotaurs fluffed their way around the field against Springwood, leaving coach Peter Sarikakis searching for an antidote.

“I really have no idea what is going on [with the side]. We played some good soccer on Wednesday night [against Gazy] and passed the ball around beautifully. I don’t know why we play so poorly on Saturday night games, but we did some really silly things and Springwood punished our mistakes,” he said.

“We can play soccer, the players are there, but we need to go back to playing simple soccer; I don’t want them to do tricks for no reason. If you play basic football, possession football, the wins will eventually come. Look, I wouldn’t be involved in the game if I didn’t think I could pull the players out of this. We’ll sort things out.”

Springwood United 5 (Peter Henderson 2/63m Kaan Davies 9m Bryan Campbell 34m Craig Small 57m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 0

Reserve grade: Springwood United 1 Hurstville City Minotaurs 2

Chopin Park beat Bathurst

Second half goals to Matthew Gibson and Marco Kraljevic sealed a hard-fought 2-0 win for Chopin Park Rams over Bathurst ’75 at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night. The win elevated Chopin Park to the top of the points table but Bathurst were left kicking themselves at the number of missed goalscoring opportunities that could’ve swung the result the other way.

The home side showed plenty of tenacity in the first half and produced most of the game’s chances but it was a Rams freekick on the hour-mark that opened the scoring when Joe Badrov’s powerful drive from 25m out forced a fine save from the Bathurst keeper only for Chopin Park defender Matt Gibson to follow up and tap in the rebound. The visitors extended their lead 15 minutes from fulltime via another freekick, this time Marco Kraljevic’s shot took a wicked deflection and looped into the far corner to make it 2-0.

Try as they did Bathurst found it difficult to find a way through a stubborn Chopin Park defence, and when they did they couldn’t get it past an inspiring effort from Rams keeper Peter Akers. Chopin Park coach Radek Czerwinski knows his side is raising eyebrows but he refused to get carried away with the club’s lofty position this early in the season.

“It’s only five rounds in so the position is absolutely irrelevant when there’s 21 rounds to go,” he said. “Bathurst were probably the best team we have played so far – they were composed, compact and mobile, and now I understand how hard it is for Sydney teams to go to Bathurst and get a result. We knew they would be confident after last week’s win [6-0 over Gazy] and we knew it was going to be a big challenge for us. Bathurst had more chances than we did over both halves, they play quite fast football… but the [Rams] boys defensively played very good.”

Czerwinski was delighted with the club’s early season form and said the good results were having a terrific impact on everyone at Chopin Park. “Half of the team 10 months ago were playing park football, so the boys have no problem in keeping their feet firmly on the ground – and that’s a credit to them. I’ve been involved with the club since 1996 and it has never had such a good atmosphere… the good morale is like having an extra player on the field.”

Bathurst coach Mark Rooke congratulated the Rams on their win but he rued his team’s lack of finishing prowess, particularly after a clinical 6-0 disposal of Gazy last week. “It was a very frustrating night actually. We had a few enforced changes [captain Ricky Guihot out suspended] and the boys who came in did a fantastic job, but we could’ve been 2-3 goals up at halftime,” he said.

“While it’s good to see the boys playing some good football, in front of those sticks there is a real problem with consistency. We have to make sure we kill teams off. The attitude of the players is fantastic, but the longer the scoreline stays at 0-0 it doesn’t have to be the best goal in the world to change the game against you.”

Chopin Park Rams 2 (Matthew Gibson 59m Marco Kraljevic 77m) Bathurst ’75 0

Reserve grade: Chopin Park Rams 4 Bathurst ’75 0

Prospect outlast Belmore

Prospect United took division two’s number one spot with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Belmore Hercules at William Lawson Reserve on Sunday afternoon – and they still have a game in hand. Both sides had their moments, Belmore launching many raids and having a shot cleared off the line before Michael Viera’s goal just on halftime tipped the balance in favour of Prospect. Gus Orcajo did well down the right flank and ripped the ball into Justin McLeay who knocked it back for Viera to slam home what proved to be the match winner.

United coach Tony Caruso said the rain made for an interesting football debate. “It was a very hard game and the conditions brought everyone down to the same level,” he said. “We still have a long way to go and [regarding the competition’s even playing standard] everyone has good players in their team, it’s just about making them gel. There’s pressure on every team with every match.”

Belmore coach John Kyriazopoulos said there were plenty of positives to take out of the match. “It was a bit of a battle and the boys just stopped for 30 seconds and that’s all it took to concede a goal that won them the match,” he said. “All credit to Prospect, they’re a great team but, as I said at the start of the season, no team is easy and that’s why we’re seeing a lot of unusual results.”

“The past two weeks were a bit poor from our side, so full credit to the boys because they really dug deep [against Prospect] and put in a good performance. [Despite a few injuries] We are looking forward to the Waratah Cup [this week] to give a few of the other boys a chance to step up.

Prospect United 1 (Michael Viera 41m) Belmore Hercules 0

Reserve grade: Prospect United 1 Belmore Hercules 3

Fairfield cage Roosters

Fairfield Wanderers shot to the top of the leaderboard with a 2-1 win over Roosters FC at Hill Sports High on Sunday evening. A second-half downpour ensured that most of the good football was played in the first 45 minutes, Elias Navarette getting things going for the visitors with a scrappy goal on nine minutes and Hari Nikocevic made it 2-0 in the blink of an eye with a long range missile that tracked underneath the keeper’s outstretched arm and into goal.

But Roosters were by no means out of the contest and piled on the pressure as the rain upped the ante, a lively counter attack landing at the feet of Ercan Topal who slid a skimmer into the Fairfield net to halve the deficit, and that’s the way it remained after a boggy pitch hampered both team’s second period efforts.

Wanderers coach Leo Maturana was pleased with the victory and the way in which it was attained. “It was a difficult game after the rain started coming down… it was very hard to play football in the second half and we were content to close them out,” he said. “In regards to second position in the ladder] This is only a battle, we haven’t won the war yet – that is still 20 weeks away. The [tight] competition shows that you have to be on the game every Sunday or you’ll get beaten. We haven’t played a bad team and thankfully everything we have planned is working out at the moment.”

Roosters coach Musti Akca believed the rub of the green wasn’t with his side this week. “We were just a bit unlucky. We conceded a scrappy goal off a corner, but overall we played good soccer and I thought we should’ve won. Results matter, but we were happy with the way we performed.”

Roosters FC 1 (Ercan Topal 45m) Fairfield Wanderers 2 (Elias Navarette 9m Hari Nikocevic 20m)

Reserve grade: Roosters FC 0 Fairfield Wanderers 1

Northbridge blast past Lansvale

Northbridge outgunned Gazy Lansvale in a 5-3 shootout at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday night. It was the division two newcomers’ first win of the season but the mood was a stark contrast in the other dressing shed, Gazy have conceded 15 goals in a miserable three-game week losing 6-0 in Bathurst, 4-0 to Hurstville and now a 5-3 loss to Northbridge.

Lansvale came out firing against Northbridge and grabbed the lead when Elvis Ibric capitalised on some excellent build-up play, but goals to Ry Harding, Daniel Hillege and a Max Zanders penalty lifted Northbridge to a 3-1 halftime lead. Gazy hit back again after the break with Ado Smajovic atoning for a few earlier misses from his teammates to cut the deficit to just the one goal, however, it was time for the new boys to shine and a Hardy double closed out the match. A late consolation goal from new Lansvale signing Akin Konak made it 5-3 at fulltime.

Gunslinger Hardy now leads the league in scoring with a six goal booty in the four matches he has suited up for; Hakoah’s Neil Jablonski is next best with four strikes.

Northbridge coach Joe Haywood’s grin was pretty big. “A win is what we needed to stay in touching distance with the leaders and we have shown over the last few games that we’re moving in the right direction. This gives us even more confidence,” he said. “Look, we’re not exactly making massive strides… all I want are little building blocks each week to move forward.” Haywood also said Northbridge Oval was just about ready to play on. “It looks great and we’re looking forward to playing there for the first time and hopefully get a good crowd behind us,” he said.

Gazy manager Safet Alispahic summed up the past week as “Unbelievable! Something is happening that I don’t like. We were not expecting this and we now have to realise where the problem is and try to fix it,” he said. “All three games [the 6-0, 4-0, 5-3 losses] we did a lot of easy mistakes. I saw tonight where there is some problems and we have to fix it. The team played good and the score is not a true sign of what is on the field. It is individual mistakes, and not enough consistency. We have a Cup game on Wednesday [against Bonnet Bay] and then a tough game against Luddenham next week, but I think this is the end of the bad story.”

Northbridge FC 5 (Ry Hardy x3, Daniel Hillege, Max Zanders) Gazy Lansvale 3 (Elvis Ibric, Ado Smajovic, Akin Konak)

Round 5 scores

Nepean FC 1 (Nikola Pozder 27m) Hakoah 4 (Seamus Dowd 10m Simon Weiss 30m Justin Kosmina 65/88m)

Hawkesbury City 2 (Hakan Celik 21m Ryan Wilson 87m) Luddenham United 3 (Huso Merdanovic 26m Dujon Webster 48m Grant Odei 61m)

Chopin Park Rams 2 (Matthew Gibson 59m Marco Kraljevic 77m) Bathurst ’75 0

Springwood United 5 (Peter Henderson 2/63m Kaan Davies 9m Bryan Campbell 34m Craig Small 57m) Hurstville City Minotaurs 0

Roosters FC 1 (Ercan Topal 45m) Fairfield Wanderers 2 (M Navarek 9m H Nikocevic 20m)

Prospect United 1 (Michael Viera 41m) Belmore Hercules 0

Northbridge FC 5 (Ry Hardy x3, Daniel Hillege, Max Zanders) Gazy Lansvale 3 (Elvis Ibric, Ado Smajovic, Akin Konak)

Rescheduled round 2: Gazy Lansvale 0 Hurstville City Minotaurs 4 (Alex Obeid 12m Domenico Battaglia 50/80/86m)

Reserve grade:

Nepean FC 0 Hakoah 0

Hawkesbury City 2 Luddenham United 1

Chopin Park Rams 4 Bathurst ’75 0

Springwood United 1 Hurstville City Minotaurs 2

Roosters FC 0 Fairfield Wanderers 1

Prospect United 1 Belmore Hercules 3

Rescheduled round 2: Gazy Lansvale 4 Hurstville City Minotaurs 1

Next week’s games

Round six of NSW division two kicks off with Northbridge versus Chopin Park at Chopin Park on Saturday afternoon (3pm kickoff), followed by two night games between Bathurst and Prospect at Alec Lamberton Field, as Springwood meet Belmore at Summerhayes Park (both first grade games at 7pm). There are three matches on Sunday afternoon (from 3pm), when Wanderers play Hawkesbury at Knight Park, Luddenham face Gazy Lansvale at Luddenham Oval, and Hurstville host Nepean at Punchbowl Oval, followed by a Sunday night game between Hakoah and Roosters at Hensley Athletic Field (7pm). Springwood and Prospect will also play their round-two catch-up match at Summerhayes Park on Thursday night.

Round one of the Waratah Cup knockout also starts this week with five Wednesday night match-ups – Hawkesbury City tackle Enfield Rovers at Bensons Lane Field (6.30pm kickoff), Fairfield Wanderers host Belmore Hercules at Knight Park (7.15pm), Northbridge visits Bass Hill at Walshaw Park (7.15pm), Gazy Lansvale welcome Bonnet Bay to Cherrybrook Park (7.15pm) and Chopin Park Rams face Lidcombe Waratah at Bensons Lane Field (8.15pm). On Thursday night, Hakoah play Chullora Wolves at Hensley Athletic Field (7.15pm kickoff) while Bathurst ’75 take on Glenmore Park at Parker Street Oval (7.30pm).

-By Daniel De Nardi

Table After Round 5 POS TEAM P W L D F A GD PTS
1 Prospect United 4 3 0 1 10 2 8 10
2 Fairfield Wanderers FC 5 3 1 1 10 8 2 10
3 Chopin Park Rams FC 5 2 0 3 8 3 5 9
4 Luddenham United 5 3 2 0 12 12 0 9
5 Hakoah 5 2 1 2 14 7 7 8
6 Hawkesbury City SC 5 2 1 2 10 9 1 8
7 Springwood 4 1 0 3 10 5 5 6
8 Bathurst 75 5 2 3 0 9 7 2 6
9 Roosters FC 5 2 3 0 9 11 -2 6
10 Northbridge FC 5 1 2 2 12 13 -1 5
11 Hurstville City Minotaurs 5 1 3 1 6 11 -5 4
12 Belmore Hercules 5 1 3 1 7 12 -5 4
13 Gazy Lansvale 5 1 3 1 8 18 -10 4
14 Nepean FC 5 0 2 3 5 12 -7 3

some surprising results yet again...

im very happy that we are still undefeated and we crushed hursville 5-0 at summerhayes on sat night.. we played great, boys up front finished all chances.. great results.

any other surprising results boys? hakoah did well, look strong.

State League Two Round 6 Preview
12.04.11 09:00



Round six of NSW division two kicks off with Northbridge versus Chopin Park Rams at Chopin Park on Saturday afternoon (3pm kickoff).
Both sides are coming off round-five wins and will be playing off the back of midweek Waratah Cup fixtures, so the endurance and depth of both squads will be tested. Unbeaten Chopin Park have unveiled themselves to be genuine final prospects in their State League debut and will hope to keep their momentum going with another solid performance this weekend. Northbridge are steadily improving with each outing and this will be a good hit-out after their breakthrough 5-3 win over Gazy.

Bathurst ’75 meet highflyers Prospect United at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night (7pm) in what will probably be another entertaining affair. Undefeated Prospect are on top by goal difference but with their catch-up game against Springwood on Thursday night they can take the outright lead with a good result at Bathurst. United won their only previous away fixture this season (at Hurstville) and they whipped ’75 4-zip in their last encounter, but they are yet to take any points away from Alec Lamberton in a long time. Their last game there was a cracker however, with Bathurst taking the lead three times in a 3-2 thriller last April, so it shows that anything goes across the mountains.

Springwood United meet Belmore Hercules at Summerhayes Park on Saturday night (7pm) in a meeting of two contrasting positions. Springwood are undefeated on six competition points, the same number of points as Belmore who has suffered three straight losses. United will have to back-up from their midweek catch-up game against leaders Prospect but ran amok over Hurstville 5-0 on the weekend, so they just may be in the mood for a trifecta come Saturday. The two sides split last year’s home and away series, the host winning both times.

Fairfield Wanderers play Hawkesbury City in a big game at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon (3pm kickoff). Fairfield have disregarded a round-three disaster against Luddenham to co-lead the competition behind back-to-back victories over big guns Hakoah and Roosters. Hawkesbury also only have a loss to Luddenham to stain their otherwise healthy start to the season, and both sides have fired in 10 goals each in their five outings. If that’s not fuel for fire then there’s also the fact that their last four meetings have produced a cracking 19 goals, Wanderers winning twice and City once, and a 3-3 draw in between.

Luddenham United face a bamboozled Gazy Lansvale at Luddenham Oval on Sunday afternoon (3pm). While in-form United scraped home against Hawkesbury last week to stay a point behind the top teams, Gazy had a week to forget losing three times and conceding a miserable 15 goals. Luddenham will be eager to hammer the point home on Sunday and also keep their tidy run over Lansvale going, United winning four of their last five meetings including all three at home. If there’s ever a time to dig deep, this is it for backs-to-the-wall Gazy.

A patchy Hurstville City Minotaurs host Nepean at Punchbowl Oval on Sunday afternoon (3pm) in what has turned out to be a scrap between two of the competition’s bottom sides. Last year’s grand finalists Hurstville had a resounding win over Gazy last week to seemingly kickstart their sloppy start to the year only for Springwood to show them dust in a 5-0 round-five hammering. Nepean are the only division two side without a win but have strived to play good football all along and this could work well for them against a Minotaurs outfit that must get back to basics.

Hakoah and Roosters meet in a cracker at Hensley Athletic Field on Sunday night (7pm kickoff). Both sides have shown plenty of new faces in steady starts to the year and there doesn’t seem to be a problem for either side finding the back of the net. The winner of this match could well be decided in the defence as neither side has managed to keep a clean sheet so far. Hakoah’s 2-0 win at Wentworth Park last July ended a three-game winning sequence by Roosters that included an embarrassing 7-0 shellacking last May. Could revenge be on the cards?

Round one of the Waratah Cup knockout also starts this week with five Wednesday night match-ups featuring division two teams – Hawkesbury City tackle Enfield Rovers at Bensons Lane Field (6.30pm kickoff), Fairfield Wanderers host Belmore Hercules at Knight Park (7.15pm), Northbridge visits Bass Hill at Walshaw Park (7.15pm), Gazy Lansvale welcome Bonnet Bay to Cherrybrook Park (7.15pm), and Chopin Park Rams face Lidcombe Waratah at Bensons Lane Field (8.15pm). On Thursday night, Hakoah play Chullora Wolves at Hensley Athletic Field (7.15pm kickoff), while Bathurst ’75 take on Glenmore Park at Parker Street Oval (7.30pm).

-By Daniel De Nardi

Predictions
Chopin Park Rams FC 1 vs Northbridge FC 2
Bathurst 75 1 vs Prospect United 1
Springwood 0 vs Belmore Hercules 2
Fairfield Wanderers FC 2 vs Hawkesbury City SC 2
Luddenham United 0 vs Gazy Lansvale 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 0 vs Nepean FC 2
Hakoah 5 vs Roosters FC 1

Predictions
Chopin Park Rams FC 1 vs Northbridge FC 0 (chopin park surprise team so far)
Bathurst 75 1 vs Prospect United 1 (too close to call, both have solide squads)
Springwood 3 vs Belmore Hercules 0 (lets do it boys, keep the undefeated run going)
Fairfield Wanderers FC 2 vs Hawkesbury City SC 0
Luddenham United 5 vs Gazy Lansvale 0 (gazy in disarray)
Hurstville City Minotaurs 3 vs Nepean FC 0 (nepean struggling)
Hakoah 2 vs Roosters FC 0 (Hakoah, too strong)

Hey pommy what was the score tonight springwood vs prospect?

State League Two Round 6 Review
17.04.11 20:45


Chopin Park Rams 2011 have managed to hold their own in their first season in State League Two (Photo courtesy of the official Chopin Park Rams site)
Round six of NSW State League division two had a sprinkle of everything, including the rain.
Two games were called off (Hawkesbury versus Nepean and Springwood versus Belmore) but not before Prospect United took charge of division two following a 1-0 win over Springwood midweek and a 1-1 draw at Bathurst on the weekend. Luddenham are chasing hard after their 4-2 win over a hapless Gazy Lansvale, while Wanderers and Hawkesbury stayed in the top-six following their 0-0 stalemate. Roosters took fifth spot following their 4-2 slug-out win over Hakoah, and Chopin Park held onto fourth place after a 1-1 draw with a rising Northbridge.

Draws have been a bit of a feature for this year’s division two newcomers and in the six rounds to date Chopin Park has four and Northbridge and Nepean three stalemates each. It will be interesting to see if this has any impact on the end-of-year standings but at least it gives them a solid indication of their State League competitiveness.

However, while the league has captivated everyone with its weekly spills and thrills it’s also terrific to such early success in the 2011 Waratah Cup where a credible seven division two sides have advanced through to round one of the knockout phase. Northbridge FC, Chopin Park, Gazy Lansvale, Bathurst 75, Hawkesbury City, Fairfield Wanderers and Hakoah all crafted their way to midweek victories to now be pitted against the state’s Super League and division one clubs. Well done to all involved.

Northbridge draw at Chopin Park

Northbridge and Chopin Park Rams played out a dramatic 1-1 draw at Chopin Park on Saturday afternoon, capping off an outstanding week of football for both State League newcomers. Winners last week and winners in their midweek Waratah Cup ties both Northbridge and Chopin Park were riding high and keen for the flight to continue, and the Rams got themselves onto the scoresheet early when Lawrence Gbusseh beat the offside trap and the keeper to score on the quarter-hour mark. Five minutes later and the visitors drew level again as Kieran Hall restored parity for Northbridge before halftime.

The game took a second half twist when Chopin Park defender Goran Sivric was shown a straight red card 10 minutes in for a rash challenge on a Northbridge opponent, but the numerical advantage was shortlived when the young Northbridge keeper was also sent off for handling outside the penalty area to stop a Rams attack. The ensuing freekick was spilled by the replacement keeper and a Chopin Park player thought he had got a toe on the ball to push it into the back of the net but it was disallowed and called back for an infringement on the Northbridge keeper. Try as they did, neither side was able to find a decisive strike and fulltime sounded with the scores still locked at 1-1.

Chopin Park coach Radek Czerwinski has hardly put a foot wrong in a brilliant start to 2011 for the Rams. They’re undefeated in the league, have conceded just four goals in eight competition matches (six League and two knockout games), and they beat Granville Association’s Lidcombe Waratahs 2-0 at Bensons Lane Field on Wednesday night to stay in the Waratah Cup field. “I can’t complain at the moment. It is a good start and I am honestly happy with the way the boys have performed,” he said.

“We have always been the first to score in our matches and I thought we had plenty of chances to score more goals [against Northbridge]. Overall the game was even, but it was made hard for us when we had a player sent off and we predominantly defended after that. But both sides had chances to win.”

Northbridge coach Joe Haywood also had plenty to cheer about this week after the newly formed club continued its Waratah Cup run with a resounding 4-1 defeat of Bankstown Association’s Bass Hill at Walshaw Park on Wednesday night, and then held unbeaten Chopin Park on their home turf to maintain its mid-table stance.

“We probably should have got the victory today as we were more or less dominating, but it’s good to at least get something from the match,” Haywood said. “[Solid Cup and League results] is just a building process for the club and the goal to play some good football along the way. We really want to push the league and see how far we can go in our first year.”

Chopin Park Rams 1 (Lawrence Gbusseh 15m) Northbridge FC 1 (Kieran Hall 20m)

Reserve grade: Chopin Park Rams 1 Northbridge FC 0

Waratah Cup: Northbridge 4 Bass Hill 1

Waratah Cup: Chopin Park Rams 2 Lidcombe Waratahs 0

Bathurst hold Prospect

Bathurst ’75 ground out a 1-1 draw with division two leaders Prospect United at Alec Lamberton Field on Saturday night. Any points for Prospect would take them into clear first place on the ladder following their 1-0 catch-up win over Springwood midweek (their third clean sheet of the year) and they started briskly against Bathurst when an attack down the left flank and subsequent cut back in to the middle freed up room for Justin McLeay to smash home the game’s opening goal on six minutes.

But the ’75 boys responded well – buoyed by a tough midweek Waratah Cup win over Glenmore Park – to test the visitors and it didn’t take long for an equaliser to come. A cleared corner on the half-hour mark was knocked back into the area and Dan Luther rose high to meet the cross with a definitive header into goal to level the scores up. Both sides had their chances to take the lead in the second half but the even contest finished 1-1.

’75 coach Mark Rooke was pleased with the week’s takings following a terrific 3-1 win in the Cup knockout where he needed players to volunteer for the long trek over the mountains for a Thursday night fixture at Parker Street Oval. “The players were keen to travel down for it and it turned out to be a decent hit-out for the weekend [against Prospect], which certainly was a good result. Both had their chances to win the match; both defences did well, both attacks did well, and both keepers did well, so I think a draw was a fair result. It was pretty nice to come back from one down.”

Prospect coach Tony Caruso was unable to make it to the Bathurst outing but was delighted with what turned out to be a great week for the club. “We had that Thursday night match at Springwood [for their fourth straight win] and they’re a quality outfit, and then to back it up against Bathurst, the players had to travel close to 500km in two days and to get four points out of it I’m very pleased and the boys should be proud of themselves,” he said.

Caruso remained grounded in regards to becoming the first team this year to lead the competition outright. “There’s still a lot of football to be played so that breathing space doesn’t really amount to much,” he said. “Unless there’s no mathematical chance at all of catching a team then the position is irrelevant.”

Bathurst ’75 1 (Dan Luther 35m) Prospect United 1 (Justin McLeay 6m)

Reserve grade: Bathurst ’75 0 Prospect United 1

Waratah Cup: Bathurst 75 3 Glenmore Park 1

Luddenham down Lansvale

Luddenham United outlasted Gazy Lansvale 4-2 in a first-half shootout at Luddenham Oval on Sunday afternoon to grab second place on the championship ladder. All six goals came in a blistering opening term that started when United ace Michael Wood flicked on an Angelo Martino freekick inside four minutes to score the first goal before defender Dino Imamovic did well to beat a couple of Gazy players to slide the ball through to Huso Merdanovic who made no mistake in front of goal to make it 2-0 in the ninth minute.

It was 3-0 10 minutes later when Wood stripped a Lansvale defender of the ball and scored his fifth goal of the season but Gazy received a lifeline when Ibrahim Hammed broke the United offside trap to narrow the deficit midway through the first term. Luddenham returned fire shortly afterwards when Merdanovic crossed to Grant Odei to head home at the far post to restore their three goal lead on the half-hour mark only for Hammed to strike again and halve the deficit for Gazy, trailing 4-2 at halftime.

The second half was a complete contrast to the first with plenty of chances, United’s Ivan Bazina’s shot cleared off the line probably the closest, but the score stayed the same at fulltime. It was Luddenham’s fifth win in six meetings with Lansvale and coach Andrew Montgomery praised the team’s steady progress. He would also pleased with Merdanovic’s contributions, the Luddenham gunslinger scoring a goal in his fourth straight match.

“I didn’t think Gazy were ever in the game. We gifted them a couple of goals and we could have had a couple more; I really don’t know what’s happened with them as they are not the team they used to be,” he said. “It’s still going to be a tough season and the next four games for us will be defining [unbeaten Chopin Park and Prospect over the next two weeks]. This will give the league a better indication of where everyone is at.”

Despite a solid 3-1 Waratah Cup victory over Sutherland Association’s Bonnet Bay 3-1 at Cherrybrook Park on Wednesday night, Lansvale manager Safet Alispahic can see he has a mountain of work ahead of him to stabilise the Gazy ship in 2011. “It was a funny and tough game [against Luddenham]. We opened very bad like the other few games and were 3-0 down after 20 minutes; but from that moment it was an even game, just that we were always playing catch up,” he said.

“We put in a hard effort and give them a hard time, but because of the bad start we lose the game. Congratulations to Luddenham. We still have serious issues to fix and need a bit of time… but we will not give up.”

Luddenham United 4 (Michael Wood 4/20m Huso Merdanovic 9m Grant Odei 32m) Gazy Lansvale 2 (Ibrahim Hammed 23/42m)

Reserve grade: Luddenham United 4 Gazy Lansvale 2

Waratah Cup: Gazy Lansvale 3 Bonnet Bay 3-1

Hawkesbury level with Wanderers

Fairfield Wanderers and Hawkesbury City were resting biceps this week after fighting out a 0-0 arm-wrestle at Knight Park on Sunday afternoon. The scoreless game (the season’s first) defied a rich goalscoring history between the sides – maybe due to both sides feeling a little sore from solid midweek wins in the Waratah Cup – but it was still an enthralling contest with plenty of chances created. The best of these probably fell to Hawkesbury’s Gavin Hartge who had the goal at his mercy in his first game back from a hamstring injury and missed, and two terrific saves from the City goalkeeper Rob Greenway ensured the points were split.

Wanderers defeated Belmore Hercules 2-1 in a Cup knockout clash at Knight Park on Thursday night and coach Leo Maturana was okay with a shared League result against a quality side like Hawkesbury three days later. “We had chances and both teams were very equal… there only ever seemed to be one goal in it, so I’m happy to take a point,” he said. “It was an arm wrestle, tough, quick, and a fair result in the end.”

Hawkesbury coach Gary Lewis agreed. “They’re a good side and like to keep the ball, and they’re freekick specialists. But I thought our back four were solid against some good attacking players, and their back four also scrambled well. The midfield itself was a pretty good battle, so I’m pretty happy to take a point away from Knight Park… and glad to see the back of it actually,” he laughed. City ran out comfortable 6-0 Waratah Cup winners against Canterbury Association’s Enfield Rovers (B) at Bensons Lane Field on Wednesday night.

Fairfield Wanderers 0 Hawkesbury City 0

Reserve grade: Fairfield Wanderers 2 Hawkesbury City 0

Waratah Cup: Hawkesbury City 6 Enfield Rovers (B) 0

Waratah Cup: Fairfield Wanderers 2 Belmore Hercules 1

Roosters peck Hakoah

Roosters stunned Hakoah 4-2 in a slugfest at Hensley Athletic Field on Sunday night to leap into a clearer looking top five. Adem Taslak opened the scoring after 10 minutes and returned Roosters striker Ercan Topal doubled the advantage before halftime. A well-timed Taslak run to the near post reaped dividends shortly after the restart and the on-fire Roosters sniper completed his hat-trick with another great cut to the centre of the box to finish off and make it 4-0 midway through the second period.

Roosters seemed to switch off after that and Hakoah, rediscovering the style thaearned them a superb 6-2 Waratah Cup win over Bankstown Association’s Chullora Wolves ves at Hensley Athletic Field on Thursday night (Justin Kosmina scoring four goals), grabbed the ascendancy with two quick goals to make it 4-2 with 20 minutes still to play, but the visitors held on for a spirited victory.

Roosters coach Musti Akca was pleased with his side’s fourth win over Hakoah in five encounters. “It was a very good game to watch. We knew what Hakoah had done in the Cup midweek so we knew what was coming at us and prepared for that. The boys had basic and secondary instructions and everyone did a great job,” he said. “We probably got a bit over-excited with being 4-0 up but we managed to hang on.”

Hakoah 2 Roosters 4 (Adem Taslak x 3, Ercan Topal)

Waratah Cup: Hakoah 6 Chullora Wolves 2

Two games washed out

The scheduled fixture between Hurstville City Minotaurs and Nepean FC at Punchbowl Oval was called off on Sunday afternoon due to overnight rain. Springwood United and Belmore Hercules also had their game at Summerhayes Park washed out on Saturday night but it was still a busy week for both sides. Springwood suffered their first loss of the year when they fell 1-0 to competition leaders Prospect at Summerhayes on Thursday night in a round-two catch-up match, Paul Curjak scoring the only goal on the half-hour to propel Prospect to the top of the leaderboard following their 1-1 draw with Bathurst this weekend. Belmore also played on Thursday night, losing 2-1 to Fairfield Wanderers in a hard-fought Waratah Cup knockout bout.

Springwood United Belmore Hercules washed out

Rescheduled round 2: Springwood United 0 Prospect United 1 (Paul Curjak 27m)

Reserve grade: Springwood United Belmore Hercules washed out

Rescheduled round 2: Springwood United 2 Prospect United 2

Waratah Cup: Fairfield Wanderers 2 Belmore Hercules 1

Round 6 scores

Chopin Park Rams 1 (Lawrence Gbusseh 15m) Northbridge FC 1 (Kieran Hall 20m)

Bathurst ’75 1 (Dan Luther 35m) Prospect United 1 (Justin McLeay 6m)

Fairfield Wanderers 0 Hawkesbury City 0

Luddenham United 4 (Michael Wood 4/20m Huso Merdanovic 9m Grant Odei 32m) Gazy Lansvale 2 (Ibrahim Hameed 23/42m)

Hakoah 2 Roosters 4 (Adem Taslak x 3, Ercan Topal)

Hurstville City Minotaurs Nepean FC washed out

Springwood United Belmore Hercules washed out

Rescheduled round 2: Springwood United 0 Prospect United 1 (Paul Curjak 27m)

Reserve grade:

Chopin Park Rams 1 Northbridge FC 0

Bathurst ’75 0 Prospect United 1

Fairfield Wanderers 2 Hawkesbury City 0

Luddenham United 4 Gazy Lansvale 2

Hurstville City Minotaurs Nepean FC washed out

Springwood United Belmore Hercules washed out

Rescheduled round 2: Springwood United 2 Prospect United 2

Next week’s games

Round seven of NSW division two kicks off with a Friday evening extravaganza between competition leaders Prospect United and Northbridge FC at a newly renovated Northbridge Oval (5.30pm kickoff). Chopin Park tackle Luddenham at Chopin Park on Saturday afternoon (3pm) before Saturday evening fixtures featuring Hawkesbury versus Roosters at Benson Lane Field, and Springwood against Bathurst at Summerhayes Park (5pm). On Sunday afternoon (from 3pm), Belmore play Nepean at Blick Oval, and Gazy Lansvale host Wanderers at Cherrybrook Park, while on Sunday night Hakoah and Hurstville clash at Hensley Athletic Field (7pm).

-By Daniel De Nardi

1 Prospect United 6 4 0 2 12 3 9 14
2 Luddenham United 6 4 2 0 16 14 2 12
3 Fairfield Wanderers FC 6 3 1 2 10 8 2 11
4 Chopin Park Rams FC 6 2 0 4 9 4 5 10
5 Hawkesbury City SC 6 2 1 3 10 9 1 9
6 Roosters FC 6 3 3 0 13 13 0 9
7 Hakoah 6 2 2 2 16 11 5 8
8 Bathurst 75 6 2 3 1 10 8 2 7
9 Springwood 5 1 1 3 10 6 4 6
10 Northbridge FC 6 1 2 3 13 14 -1 6
11 Belmore Hercules 5 1 3 1 7 12 -5 4
12 Hurstville City Minotaurs 5 1 3 1 6 11 -5 4
13 Gazy Lansvale 6 1 4 1 10 22 -12 4
14 Nepean FC 5 0 2 3 5 12 -7 3

Northbridge Oval gala kicks off Division Two round 7
21.04.11 11:00



Round seven of NSW division two kicks off with a Friday evening extravaganza between competition leaders Prospect United and Northbridge FC at a newly renovated Northbridge Oval (5.30pm kickoff).
Northbridge have made no attempt to disguise the fact they want to be higher up in State League and part of that long-term goal is to offer a modern facility for its thousands of registered association players to aspire to. They couldn’t ask for a more enticing first-game promotion than to host unbeaten competition leaders Prospect. This is a great chance for football fans to get along to and rejoice in another fine development of our grassroots game

Undefeated Chopin Park Rams tackle Luddenham United in a top-four showdown at Chopin Park on Saturday afternoon (3pm kickoff). Luddenham are second on the ladder, two places above the Rams who start a testing three-week run against top-six sides Wanderers, Roosters and Hawkesbury. United face highflyers Prospect in Tuesday’s round eight and the team is pumped ahead of its early season defining games. Luddenham have won two of its away fixtures while Chopin Park have won just once in four home games, so this should be an interesting affair to untangle.

Hawkesbury City meet Roosters FC in a crunch game at Benson Lane Field on Saturday evening (5pm kickoff). Both sides are at the top of the leaderboard and will be keen to establish themselves as title contenders with another good showing this weekend. Roosters have won two of their last three meetings against Hawkesbury but City finished on top in their last encounter, a 3-0 shellacking at Lidcombe Oval last July. Whoever wins this round-seven rumble will go a long way to confirming their division two championship credentials in 2011.

Springwood United take on Bathurst ’75 in a mid-table scrap at Summerhayes Park on Saturday evening (5pm). The battle between eighth and ninth on the table will help keep one team in touch with the leaders but history shows nothing to aid either side. Springwood won both meetings last year after Bathurst won both league encounters in 2009, United taking a knockout victory over ’75 that year as well; the only stickler being a 1-0 Bathurst win in their last encounter at Summerhayes. This will be a game that must whet the lips of both coaches after such promising starts to the year.

Belmore Hercules play Nepean FC at Blick Oval on Sunday afternoon (3pm kickoff) in a match that can help both sides kickstart their 2011 campaign. Nepean is the only division two side without a win this year and Belmore are a point above them on the table after a wonky start to the year but neither side has impressed in front of goal, combining for a measly 12 goals in 10 matches. Belmore have only found three goalscorers in their five games so far and neither side has kept a clean sheet, so this could be a game decided by which defence chooses to step up.

A struggling Gazy Lansvale host highflying neighbours Fairfield Wanderers at Cherrybrook Park on Sunday afternoon (3pm). Gazy have been out of sorts of the past fortnight and have no respite in sight ahead of their gruelling cross-town derby with Wanderers. The Lansvale defence have leaked a league-worst 22 goals and play teams in the top half of the table for the next seven rounds, but they might not get a sterner test than a fleet-footed Fairfield outfit renowned for their slick ball movement. Interestingly, the teams swapped 3-2 home victories last year and 1-0 home successes the year before, so expect a tight, tense, terrific tussle.

Oh what a difference a year makes. Last year’s wooden-spooners Hakoah finished a clear bottom of the ladder and Hurstville City Minotaurs booted three goals against them in both of their victorious encounters along the way to an unsuccessful grand final appearance. A few months later and Hurstville are a point from the bottom while a new-look Hakoah enjoys a steady start to the year. That the Minotaurs have won their last three against Hakoah makes this Sunday night’s clash at Hensley Athletic Field all the mouth-watering (7pm kickoff).

It will be an exhausting long-weekend for all division two outfits with round eight games taking place on Tuesday afternoon/evening.

- Dan de Nardi

Round 7 Predictions
Northbridge FC 1 vs Prospect United 1
Chopin Park Rams FC 0 vs Luddenham United 3
Hawkesbury City SC 4 vs Roosters FC 2
Springwood 0 vs Bathurst 75 0
Belmore Hercules 3 vs Nepean FC 0
Gazy Lansvale 1 vs Fairfield Wanderers FC 4
Hakoah 5 vs Hurstville City Minotaurs 0

Round 8 Predictions
Belmore Hercules 1 vs Hurstville City Minotaurs 1
Roosters FC 1 vs Gazy Lansvale 0
Fairfield Wanderers FC 4 vs Chopin Park Rams FC 1
Luddenham United 1 vs Prospect United 4
Northbridge FC 2vs Springwood 1
Bathurst 75 1 vs Nepean FC 0
Hawkesbury City SC 2 vs Hakoah 1

Here's my go:

Northbridge FC 1 vs Prospect United 3
Chopin Park Rams FC 0 vs Luddenham United 2
Hawkesbury City SC 2 vs Roosters FC 2 draw
Springwood 1 vs Bathurst 75 0
Belmore Hercules 2 vs Nepean FC 2 draw
Gazy Lansvale 1 vs Fairfield Wanderers FC 5
Hakoah 3 vs Hurstville City Minotaurs 1

Round 8 Predictions
Belmore Hercules 1 vs Hurstville City Minotaurs 2
Roosters FC 3 vs Gazy Lansvale 2
Fairfield Wanderers FC 3 vs Chopin Park Rams FC 1
Luddenham United 3 vs Prospect United 2
Northbridge FC 1 vs Springwood 1 Draw
Bathurst 75 3 vs Nepean FC 1
Hawkesbury City SC 1 vs Hakoah 2


Edited by ynwa: 21/4/2011 03:13:27 PM

TIPS
Northbridge FC 1 vs Prospect United 1
Chopin Park Rams FC 0 vs Luddenham United 4
Hawkesbury City SC 2 vs Roosters FC 0
Springwood 2 vs Bathurst 75 1
Belmore Hercules 3 vs Nepean FC 0
Gazy Lansvale 0 vs Fairfield Wanderers FC 5
Hakoah 1 vs Hurstville City Minotaurs 1

Round 8 Predictions
Belmore Hercules 1 vs Hurstville City Minotaurs 1
Roosters FC 2 vs Gazy Lansvale 0
Fairfield Wanderers FC 3 vs Chopin Park Rams FC 0
Luddenham United 1 vs Prospect United 1
Northbridge FC 0 vs Springwood 2
Bathurst 75 4 vs Nepean FC 0
Hawkesbury City SC 1 vs Hakoah 1

Minotaurs to win.

State League Two Round 8 Review
27.04.11 08:51



Home teams dominated round eight of NSW State League division two with Luddenham taking top spot with a 1-0 defeat of Prospect, Wanderers beating Chopin Park 1-0, Northbridge coming from behind to dismantle Springwood 3-1, and Roosters annihilating Gazy 8-0 to celebrate their top-five return in emphatic fashion.
The only team to win on the road was Nepean, who celebrated their first ever State League win with a 1-0 result at Bathurst. The games between Hurstville and Belmore and Hakoah versus Hawkesbury were washed out.

On the ladder Luddenham are a point in front of Wanderers, with Prospect and Roosters tucked in just behind them, while Hakoah, Hawkesbury, Chopin Park, Springwood and Northbridge are separated by two points in a tight tussle.

Luddenham edge out Prospect

A nine-man Luddenham United held on for a stoic 1-0 win over Prospect United at Luddenham Oval on Tuesday afternoon. Both sides had early chances before the match settled into a midfield struggle baring few open chances. It took a piece of Michael Wood magic to break the deadlock, beating a defender down the right to whip the ball across perfectly for a late Dujon Webster run into the box to head home.

The drama continued when Luddenham had two players sent off in the closing minutes – Reece Shiels for a second yellow card and Angelo Martino for a straight red challenge – but the home side kept Prospect at bay for a solid victory, Luddenham’s fourth in a row.

Prospect’s first loss of the season wasn’t about to alarm coach Tony Caruso. “There’s still 60-odd points to play for so I’m not that worried, no,” he said. “It was a pretty tough match; Luddenham’s always tough. We tried our best to play good football but it didn’t pay off today. The boys are gutted to come away from the game with nothing, but Luddenham defended well after they scored the goal.”

Luddenham coach Andrew Montgomery paid tribute to his side’s determination. “It shows character when we can hang on with nine men, that’s what I’m most proud of. In a game when we were dominated in the first half, to grind out a 1-0 win in the end is a good step in the right direction.”

“[Being first is] a target we’re happy to carry. We’ve dealt first losses to three of the stronger sides now; we just need to keep on winning and not worry about anyone else. [In regards to the red card suspensions] It won’t be a huge challenge losing players as it gives one of the other guys a chance to come in. Pasquale Corso scored two goals for us on the weekend and was on the bench today; we have the depth this year to cover it.”

Luddenham United 1 (Dujon Webster) Prospect United 0

Fairfield defeat Chopin Park

Fairfield Wanderers brought down Chopin Park Rams 1-0 in a close affair at Knight Park on Tuesday afternoon. The win elevated Wanderers above Prospect into second spot on the ladder and dealt Chopin Park back-to-back losses. The game ebbed and flowed and it was a sole goal to Elias Navarrete, who combined well with Diego Dominguez on attack, that gave the home side victory.

Fairfield coach Leo Maturana was pleased. “It was a nice win, a little bit of a squabble, but a win is a win and I’ll take the three points anytime,” he said. “There were only a couple chances throughout the game as it was very hard to play in the greasy conditions. Chopin Park passed quickly and are not a bad team at all. They will make it hard for everybody else.”

Rams coach Radek Czerwinski was not surprised with the result considering he was without four starting players. “I believe it was a tight game. Our tactic was to let them operate the ball in our half and have tight marking in the last third, and with the players we had missing today we basically did well,” he said. “We didn’t have many clear-cut chances but we were still creating. We knew Wanderers are a team capable of scoring a number of goals per game, so I think the defence did hold them pretty well.”

Fairfield Wanderers 1 (Elias Navarrete) Chopin Park Rams 0

Roosters crunch Gazy

Roosters FC sent a teetering Gazy Lansvale into free-fall following a 8-0 rout at Hills Sports High on Tuesday afternoon. The win catapulted Roosters into the top-five while leaving Gazy stone cold last with 30 goals conceded in eight games. The first half was a hardfought contest between the sides until Barki Elven headed in from a set piece, and the home side made it 2-0 just before the break when Ercan Topal snuck one into goal.

The game was still in the balance at 2-0 in the second half before Hulisi Orhan stepped up to add a Roosters third, and that proved to be the meteor that slammed into the dam wall as Elven scored again, followed by another from Orhan, then Topal completed his hat-trick to make it 7-0, and Orhan added one more for good measure to also secure his hat-trick.

Roosters have now scored 21 goals in four matches against Gazy and coach Musti Akca was ecstatic. “There wasn’t that much in it until we got the third goal and then their heads dropped a bit. And once the goals started coming, they just fell apart,” he said. “The boys at the back did a terrific job; they were tight, and I’m very happy with the clean sheet and end result.”

Akca offered some words of encouragement to his Gazy counterpart Safet Alispahic. After going undefeated for the first eight rounds of last year Roosters won just four of their last 15 games, faltered in the finals and had to rebuild their squad for this year. “They’re going through their bad times, we’ve all been there,” he said. “They do have individual talent, they just need to bring it together to be a threat to the big teams.”

Roosters FC 8 (Barki Elven x 2, Ercan Topal x 3, Hulisi Orhan x 3) Gazy Lansvale 0

Northbridge scuttle Springwood

Northbridge FC came from behind to beat Springwood United 3-1 and win their opening game at Northbridge Oval on Tuesday afternoon. With Friday’s much anticipated match called off after vandals had stuffed the oval’s floodlights, Northbridge were keen to reward their fans against Springwood but it was the visitors who struck first, Tim O’Connell taking on the defence to score midway through the first term.

The goal seemed to spring the home side into action and Elliot King drilled in a goalmouth scramble to equalise within minute before Ry Hardy put Northbridge in the lead moments later when he outpaced a defender and smashed his shot underneath the keeper and into the back of the net. At 2-1 up in the second half Northbridge put the matter away with a Max Zanders penalty 20 minutes out from fulltime.

Northbridge coach Joe Haywood was understandably delighted with the result. “It’s important we beat the teams around us and make sure that, week-by-week, it’s a move in the right direction,” he said. “All the players are enjoying themselves at the moment and mixing together well, and the club is really backing the team, so we are trying to make it the best year we can for the club.”

Springwood coach Errol Warwick-Day was a little deflated after the match. “It was a bit tough. I think the players took it a bit too easy and believed they would get away with the game after the first goal,” he said. “Northbridge played a good game.”

Northbridge 3 (Elliot King, Ry Hardy, Max Zanders) Springwood United 1 (Tim O’Connell)

Nepean break duck at Bathurst

Like ninja assassins Nepean FC grabbed their first win of the season with a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Bathurst ’75 at Alec Lamberton Field on Tuesday evening. Nepean had never led a division two game until Nathan Cooper pounced on a Bathurst defensive error to go 1-0 up after 20 minutes, but the home side will probably still be in the dressing sheds kicking themselves at the number of wasted opportunities at the other end.

Having already endured three 1-1 draws this season Nepean were keen to extend their lead and had a second-half goal disallowed for a handball infringement, but they did well to hold off several promising Bathurst raids, while mounting several counter attacks of their own, to taste their first victory of 2011.

Nepean coach Carlos Camacho was thrilled for the club. “I felt something in the team after last week’s hardfought draw with Prospect and today we scored first and held it throughout the game,” he said. “Our keeper had a good game, the backs scrambled well and cut off more than they would have over the first few rounds, we took our chance and tried to hold possession, and the boys that came on from the bench did a good job, but mainly I’m very happy with the spirit of the win.”

“This will lift our confidence and create more of a bond between the players, but we’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves. I just want the boys to celebrate this win, know that we can do it and work even harder at training to keep the momentum going.”

Bathurst coach Mark Rooke was a frustrated man after the game. “We had a [shipload]of chances,” he said subtly. “Some went wide, we missed a few easy ones. I don’t know what to do really. We dominated for long periods of the game and it was like kicking at a brick wall. It was disappointing on our behalf. Everything else is going okay on the pitch, but we can’t go to each game and have so many chances without taking one of them. We will not earn any points.”

Bathurst ’75 0 Nepean FC 1 (Nathan Cooper)

Rain stops play

The cross-town derby between Belmore Hercules and Hurstville City Minotaurs at Blick Oval was called off on Tuesday afternoon due to the wet conditions, as was the Hawkesbury City versus Hakoah clash at Benson Lane Field scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Round 8 scores

Luddenham United 1 (Dujon Webster) Prospect United 0

Fairfield Wanderers 1 (Elias Navarrete) Chopin Park Rams 0

Roosters FC 8 (Barki Elven x 2, Ercan Topal x 3, Hulisi Orhan x 3) Gazy Lansvale 0

Northbridge 3 (Elliot King, Ry Hardy, Max Zanders) Springwood United 1 (Tim O’Connell)

Bathurst ’75 0 Nepean FC 1 (Nathan Cooper)

Belmore Hercules vs Hurstville City Minotaurs washed out

Hawkesbury City vs Hakoah washed out

This weekend’s games

Round nine of NSW division two starts with Nepean meeting Northbridge at Cook Park, St Marys, on Saturday afternoon (3pm), followed by Prospect taking on Wanderers at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening (5pm), then Springwood and Luddenham at Summerhayes Park on Saturday night (7pm). On Sunday afternoon (3pm), the Rams host Roosters at Chopin Park, Gazy Lansvale play Hawkesbury at Cherrybrook Park, and Hurstville face Bathurst at Punchbowl Oval, while Hakoah and Belmore clash at Hensley Athletic Field on Sunday night (7pm).

-By Daniel De Nardi

State League Two Round 9 Preview
28.04.11 08:49



Round nine of NSW division two starts with State League newcomers Nepean meeting Northbridge at Cook Park, St Marys, on Saturday afternoon (3pm).
This should be a terrific match as it pits two teams against each other who have no history and both are riding a mini wave of euphoria, Nepean after winning their first competition game last week (1-0 at Bathurst) and Northbridge with their solid mid-table debut. The northerners are yet to win on the road this year while Nepean would love to show victory to their home faithful for the first time following Tuesday’s success over the mountains.

Prospect United take on Fairfield Wanderers in a humdinger at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening (5pm). Wanderers took second spot on the table from Prospect after United suffered their first loss of the season on Tuesday (1-0 at Luddenham) and Fairfield beat Chopin Park 1-0. The sides traded home wins last year but Prospect might recall a 8-0 thrashing at the hands of old Colo Colo in 2009, but this time around United have the league’s best defence on their side with a paltry four goals conceded in seven games. A Wanderers win would negate third-placed Prospect’s game-in-hand and keep the pressure on Luddenham.

Springwood United welcome competition frontrunners Luddenham United to Summerhayes Park on Saturday night (7pm) for a big game under lights. Springwood would love to topple the division two giants and stay at the front half of the table but they will need to find a way to stifle Luddenham’s deadly strikeforce. Luddenham also waltz the matilda on the road with three away wins already in the swag with the jumbucks, so the home side is definitely in for a real test of its abilities. They do hold onto a slight historical edge with Springwood winning two of their last three contests, but they fell 1-0 to Luddenham at Summerhayes in their last meeting.

Chopin Park Rams host Roosters in a mouth-watering affair at Chopin Park on Sunday afternoon (3pm). Roosters flew into the top-five coop following an 8-0 plucking of Gazy last Tuesday while the Rams were fleeced 1-0 by Fairfield at home, but both sides have the personnel and club spirit that always makes these contests difficult to decipher. The Rams have only lost one of their five home games and will be determined to avoid a third successive defeat to maintain its healthy start to the year. Roosters won’t want to make the mistake of expecting another whitewash.

Hawkesbury City takes aim at Gazy Lansvale in another tough game for the south-west Sydney outfit at Cherrybrook Park on Sunday afternoon (3pm). Gazy are bottom of the table with 30 goals scored against them in eight games. Roosters hammered them 8-0 on Tuesday and they now face a City side who are on the warpath and looking to stay in touch with the leaders. Lansvale have taken three of their last four contests against Hawkesbury, including 4-0 and 3-0 wins at Cherrybrook over the past two years, but they will need to dig deep to have any chance this Sunday.

Hurstville City Minotaurs face Bathurst ’75 in a crunch game at Punchbowl Oval on Sunday afternoon (3pm). For all their woes to start the year equal-bottom side Hurstville are not that badly placed considering they have two catch-up games (against Nepean and Belmore) to play, and they welcome Bathurst at a time when ’75 are struggling to find the back of the net with 11 goals in eight rounds. The Minotaurs have been just as dreadful in front of goal (eight from six matches) and this game could well be decided by the smallest of margins. Hurstville have lost both of their home games this season and Bathurst have lost both of their away fixtures.

Hakoah and Belmore Hercules go into battle at Hensley Athletic Field on Sunday night (7pm) with the respective reward in stark contrast with each other. Hakoah have enjoyed a reasonable start to the year, particularly in lieu of the fact that they finished last in 2010, and another good showing this weekend will keep them on the backs of the leaders. Belmore have struggled to get going this year and can’t afford to drop too much further off the pace. History will comfort Hercules as, when the roles were reversed last year, Hakoah still managed to belie its basement position and persevere for two score draws (3-3 and 2-2).

Round 2 of the Waratah Cup knockout also starts next week with a record seven division two clubs still in the running. On Wednesday night (May 4), Hawkesbury City hosts Northern Beaches association side Collaroy Cromer at Bensons Lane Field (6.30pm kickoff), Bathurst ’75 visits State League 1 outfit Schofields Scorpions at Penrith’s CSI Sports Ground (7.15pm), Gazy Lansvale meets Illawarra Premier League team Picton Rangers at Cherrybrook Park (7.15pm), and Chopin Park Rams welcome Gladesville-Hornsby association representatives Eastwood-St Andrews at Bensons Lane Field (8.15pm).

A day later (Thursday, May 5), Hakoah takes on Illawarra Premier League powerhouse Dandaloo FC at Hensley Athletic Field (7.15pm kickoff). There will be two more round-two games featuring division two outfits the following week (Wednesday, May 11), with Northbridge FC clashing with fellow northern districts club Super League’s Spirit FC at Christie Park (7.15pm), while Fairfield Wanderers also meet a northern traveler in Super League side Northern Tigers at Knight Park (7.15pm).

-By Daniel De Nardi

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Round 9 Predictions

Nepean FC 1 vs Northbridge FC 3
Prospect United 2 vs Fairfield Wanderers FC 2
Springwood 5 vs Luddenham United 1
Gazy Lansvale 3 vs Hawkesbury City SC 5
Chopin Park Rams 1 FC vs Roosters FC 0
Hurstville City Minotaurs 1 vs Bathurst 75 2
Hakoah 1 vs Belmore Hercules 2

u must love how Minotaurs are going at the moment?

Hahhaa im not saying anything till after we play them! :-) but put it this way ive already got my post match speech written out!