Reserve Grade – Newcastle Jets 1-0 Sydney FC
An understrength Newcastle Jets went into their crucial Reserve Grade match with Sydney FC looking to continue their strong start to the season. The sky blues picked up a strong victory in the previous round, but the presence of the Jets’ Jake Vidakovic would make this a particularly difficult affair. And so it proved in the first half, with the trio of Mitchell Albert, Harry Simmons and Riley Brown unable to find their way past the persistent Vidakovic. With Molly Boland and Cooper Greenwood on the wings, Vidakovic had someone to clear to, and this worked to great effect leading into the half-time interval.
A productive half-time chat saw Vidakovic pushing forward with more intent, putting the sky blues under more and more pressure until he found his opening. Sending the defenders one way, Vidakovic was then able to smartly sneak behind for another goal to add to his tally. A single goal’s advantage was something the sky blues would look to erase, and their passing efforts increased but the final ball was lacking despite their best attempts. The Newcastle Jets would extend their lead on top of the table with another composed performance.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 1 (Vidakovic 27’)
Sydney FC 0
Premier League – Newcastle Jets 2-0 Sydney FC
After claiming their first points of the season in the previous round, Sydney FC would be looking to their match-up with the league-leading Newcastle Jets with an air of confidence. Back in the opening round of the season, the Jets put in a dominant performance to kick-start their season but this would be a far more difficult prospect in their second encounter with the sky blues. Reverting to their usual line-up, Sydney FC brought their usual energy and enthusiasm from the kick-off, but eventually the Newcastle side found some control through Ryan Seck in the centre. His distribution has been fantastic in both general play and from set pieces and so it proved once more when he picked out his captain Dimitri Liolio-Davis for his sixth goal of the season.
Still, it was a more stubborn sky blue defence that managed to keep the deficit to a single goal at the half, forcing their opponents into a structural change to see if they could put the game away. Liolio-Davis shifted back to defence, allowing for a more attacking formation which soon paid dividends. Seck had been given license to fight forward, taking full advantage to score from a solo effort. With a two goal disadvantage, credit had to go to the Sydney side for their continual efforts, working the ball into advanced positions but unable to find that final breakthrough. With Daniel O’Brien and Fletcher Ball on the court, there were plenty of attempts on goal and the Jets had to be wary, but their composure told in the end as they were able to seal another 3 points, extending their lead at the top of the division once more.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 2 (Liolio-Davis 11’, Seck 27’)
Sydney FC 0
Reserve Grade – Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 Hills United
For the first time in the 2023 Powerchair League season, Hills United were able to field the same line-up for consecutive rounds. This wasn’t the case for their opponents, the Wanderers who had to shuffle their deck for their Round 4 encounter, sending Jaxon Taylor between the goal posts, while Julian Pereira and Jonathan Reyes took on the majority of the midfield duties. For Hills United, it was once again Samir Eshani wearing the goal keeper’s shirt while playing in midfield with Lachlan Ninham and Brock Mellor on the wings, and Ollie McPhail in goals. The contrasting mentalities of both sides were plain to see from the kick off, with Hills working the ball forwards while the red and black played on the counter attack. The yellow team were being rewarded for their attacking thrusts, but Taylor was a man on a mission. Shot after shot was saved until the final minute of the half. Ninham found Eshani from a free kick, his shot deflected to the post and sneaking in before a rushing Reyes could stop it.
The second half saw Taylor working the ball forwards more, turning the game into an end to end struggle, but McPhail and Eshani still made crucial saves at the right times. The flow of the game made for an exciting spectacle, but once again it was Hills who found the breakthrough. Ninham played a strong ball across the box, leaving Taylor stranded and unable to avoid putting it in his own goal for an unlucky concession. This was just the buffer Hills needed, able to see out the final few minutes with composure, preventing a final surge from the red and black. Their first win of the season sees the battle for second tighten up with every game up for grabs.
Match Statistics
Hills United 2 (Eshani 19’, Own Goal 33’)
Western Sydney Wanderers 0
Premier League – Western Sydney Wanderers 0-0 Hills United
Just like their Reserve Grade counterparts, the Hills United Premier League side also went into their Round 4 encounter with the Wanderers with an unchanged side. This was in contrast to the red and black who had to make some changes, giving Jaxon Taylor his first start of the season in goal, behind Abdullah Karim and Jordan Crane, as well as Queensland and Poweroos recruit, Bryce Castles. The match was a high-powered contest with the ball going from end to end with some intensity, with several goal kicks from the Wanderers running the length of the court after Hills had worked hard to push the ball forward. The new combination of Castles, Crane and Karim was slowly gelling, with their passing forcing Hills into some defensive scrambling, but Chris Suffield and Chris Turnbull were smart enough to coordinate their defences despite some significant pressure. A few speculative shots from range from Castles and Karim didn’t trouble the scorers before the break either.
The second half saw Jonathan Reyes take to the court defensively while Castles took the goal keeper’s bib, giving him more freedom to roam the court. This thrust Karim forward, but it was Hills who managed their marking better to attack with more intent. Jacob Cross looked to find Matthew Mallows a few times from the sideline or the corner, but the unfamiliar combination of Karim and Castles in the box prevented any scoring. Hills’ best chance of the match came in the middle of the half, but no one could direct Cross’ pass goalward. But the red and black had the final thrust of the match, camped down in the corner for several minutes but unable to link up with an open Crane on the far side thanks to composed defending from Suffield and Turnbull. The points were shared at the end, with Hills still yet to score for the season, while the Wanderers remain undefeated in second place.