Reserve Grade – Western Sydney Wanderers 0-0 Hills United
The opening match of the 2023 NSWPFA Powerchair League season saw Reserve Grade rivals the Wanderers and Hills United take to the court with a few changes to their line-ups. The red and black added Steven Webb to their side with his strength and experience in powerchair sports sure to be a huge asset, while Jonathan Reyes has only just been introduced to powerchair football but has quickly taken to the sport. For Hills, Matt Mallows has been promoted to their Premier League side, giving more opportunities for their young core guided by Samir Eshani.
With Lachlan Ninham in goals for Hills and Jaxon Taylor for the red and black, it was clear neither side wanted to take any early risks. Webb controlled the middle of the park, only thwarted by Eshani and Ninham working together, but in the early passages, it was the Wanderers on top. Eventually the Hills side worked into the match, sending the ball upfield more often, but some rapid red and black counter-attacks kept them on their toes. Most of the play being trapped in the midfield meant few shots came, so the Wanderers shifted Taylor into the outfield to open the second half. This seemed to work well, with the red and black finding more of a foothold in the game. Still, a determined Ninham wasn’t going to give in without a fight.
With time running down, a Wanderers corner saw Eshani crashing into Jesse Ezzy, the striker looking to shoot before being taken out. The penalty fell to Webb who shot to the right side, but a desperate touch from Ninham with his rear guard saw the ball brush past the post, somehow not crossing the goal line. Both sides would go home happy with a point after a hard-fought battle.
Premier League – Western Sydney Wanderers 0-0 Hills United
One of the rivalries to watch out for in 2023 will be between the Wanderers and Hills United. Abdullah Karim, part of the back-to-back title winning side for Hills has made the switch back to the red and black, a side he guided to success in 2016 and 2017. For Hills United, this is a big void to fill, but Matt Mallows’ promotion into the Premier League would go some of the way to covering the change. Chris Suffield would don the keeper’s green shirt for Hills, stabilising the defence while his opposite number Andy Waite would attack the game in his customary style.
It was a battle between Hills’ composure and the Wanderers’ aggression, a composed Josh Merkas coming against an energetic Karim with both looking to bring their team mates into the game. This opened up opportunities for Jordan Crane to set up Karim and Ben Keyte for the red and black, but Suffield and Merkas combined well to thwart them despite some nervous moments. A cross got dangerously close to the post as the half drew on, but Keyte couldn’t finish. Eshani came on to try to wrestle the momentum back, the half winding down in what looked like an even contest.
The starting line-ups would return to begin the second half, but the composed nature of Hills midfield made the red and black look for changes. Webb took to the field for the final 10 minutes of the contest, and suddenly the Wanderers midfield was creating opportunities. The passing between Karim and Webb forced their opponents onto the back foot, but, despite winning a few corners and sidelines, Suffield and Merkas held strong to earn themselves a point.
Reserve Grade – Newcastle Jets 2-1 Sydney FC
A new season for the Newcastle Jets sees a return to the field for Aseem Soti in between the goal posts, a welcome addition for his team. For the sky blues of Sydney FC, Cody Towne will make his debut season in 2023, adding to the exciting young core who continue to grow. A shift from Harry Simmons into the midfield was another step in his development, but it was the Jets who began their season in promising fashion.
An early goal to Rumeth Herath set the tone for the Jets, combining well from the start with Jake Vidakovic and continuing to grow together after a promising 2022 season. Hitting the scoreboard early gave the Jets a chance to control proceedings, with Vidakovic finding Herath constantly when pushing forwards, while Soti would ensure the ball remained in good positions for his team thanks to his aggressive positioning. Mitchell Albert found himself running the midfield and seeking out Towne and Simmons on the wings, but it was the Jets who would feel better at the half.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with Herath pouncing on a loose ball to score his second. This allowed his team to settle into the half and rotate their players, with Cooper Greenwood and Molly Boland spending time out there as passing options and helping to wind down the clock. With moments remaining, Simmons found Albert in the box for a smart finish, but it was too little too late. The Jets begin 2023 in winning form with a composed and polished performance.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 2 (Herath 3’ 27’)
Sydney FC 1 (Albert 38’)
Premier League – Newcastle Jets 4-0 Sydney FC
After coming up short in the league last season in the league, while still claiming back to back APFA Club Championships, the Newcastle Jets were looking to begin their season in winning fashion. Adding Australian Poweroos squad member Luke David would be a big boost to their title hopes, but their starting line-up already featured two more Poweroos squad players in Ryan Seck and Dimitri Liolio-Davis, making this a strong team. For Sydney FC, a structural change sees Joshua Ryan wearing the keeper’s shirt to help build play from the back and create a different dimension to their game.
Unfortunately for the sky blues, the new formation had the worst possible start when Seck found Chris Hastas for a customary clever finish from the forward. Such is the strength of their line-up that their passing efforts kept the sky blues on the defensive. Seck would once again find Hastas, but this time the goal scorer found a gap for his captain, and within 10 minutes, the Jets were sitting pretty with a two goal lead. With the early job done, the Jets could relax, but this allowed their opponents to settle down as well, finding their way into the match as the half wore on. The Jets were determined to end the half on a strong note, with Liolio-Davis going solo and netting his second of the match, giving the sky blues a mountain to climb in the second half.
The job became even more difficult when David picked out Liolio-Davis for his third goal of the match, a season-opening hat-trick for the captain. With such a dominant position, both sides could be forgiven for letting the match fizzle out, with the sky blues able to feel out their structure and the Jets able to play with their formation with the rest of the season in mind. The perfect start to the season for Newcastle sees them shoot straight to the top of the table.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 4 (Hastas 3’, Liolio-Davis 8’ 19’ 21’)
Sydney FC 0