Reserve Grade –Sydney FC 3-0 Hills United
Sydney FC’s Reserve Grade side were looking to chase down the Newcastle Jets on top of the table, and a match against a very young Hills United side presented a good opportunity for the side. Presenting one of the youngest sides in the competition in terms of age and experience, Lachlan Ninham shifted to centre as the team welcomed back Finn O’Donovan on the wing. But the reinforcements weren’t enough to stop the sky blues from getting off to a fast start. First Fletcher Ball and then Shannon Anlezark charged into the box and within 5 minutes, the Sydney side took control of the match with two quick goals. Still, keeping their heads down allowed the Hills side to slowly work into the match, but it was the quickfire counter attacks of their opponents that didn’t allow them to build any real pressure before half-time.
It was a credit to the young Hills side that they were able to limit the damage, with Ollie McPhail working hard in goal and making some clever saves with the assistance of Ninham. The match evened up in the second half, with both sides having their chances, but when the sky blues won a dangerous free kick Anlezark was smart enough to pick out Ball for a nice deflected goal to seal the three points. The result sees Sydney close to within a win at the top of the table, while Hills would take plenty of positives from the match despite the result.
Match Statistics
Sydney FC 3 (Ball 4’ 33’, Anlezark 5’)
Hills United 0
Premier League – Sydney FC 0-0 Hills United
The battle between the sky blues and Hills United was one that saw two teams struggling to score goals locking horns with an opportunity to really kick their season off. Adding Tristram Peters to their line-up for this match-up was a boost to the Sydney side, adding pressure on the wing and forcing the Hills side to work hard with their efforts. To begin with things were going rather well, with the Hills formation able to rebuff their opponents, but missing a few opportunities from their opponents goal kicks, along with not finishing off some promising passing moves gave the sky blues a sniff. Surging forwards, it was only through some desperate defending that Suffield and Turnbull were able to prevent Josh Ryan from fighting through and Peters from squeezing a shot home at the post.
The second half was not particularly well structured from the Hills side, and the sky blues were more than willing to add to the pressure those mistakes was allowing. It was a good thing that Suffield and Turnbull were able to defend with such comfort thanks to their years of working together, but as Suffield tried to work into more offensive areas, Cross and Mallows were called in to cover for him which they did with relative composure. Still, a lack of pressure from Hills until later in the half had them panicking when their chances did arrive. Suffield was unable to finish from a rebound, then a couple of inaccurate shots from the side weren’t able to break the deadlock. Both sides would be disappointed with the result, but a point each was a fair outcome in an arm wrestle of a match.
Reserve Grade – Newcastle Jets 0-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
With a big result in the earlier Reserve Grade match, the Newcastle Jets would be looking for a good performance against the Wanderers. The combination of Jake Vidakovic and Rumeth Herath received some valuable backup in Aseem Soti, but even this would be challenged by the red and black. Steve Webb had shifted back to goal keeper, allowing Jaxon Taylor more room to work in midfield, but the match was a tight tussle from the onset. Neither team could really find their rhythm, stuck between trying to pass and attempting to dribble through their opponents. This made for a scrappy match, but even then both sides had their chances. Vidakovic was always looking to advance the game, but with solid defending, the Wanderers kept things calm to thwart his efforts.
Going into the halftime break with scores level, neither side would have felt too concerned with their opponents’ efforts, but as the match progressed, the pressure began to grow. It was impossible to keep Taylor quiet for the entire match, but even he wasn’t able to find an angle to breach the defence. Soti was well versed in cutting down opportunities before they became problematic, so neither side had a chance to build any real momentum. A frustrating encounter saw both sides earn a point which could be valuable when the season resumes in a few weeks.
Premier League – Newcastle Jets 2-1 Western Sydney Wanderers
The previous encounter between the Newcastle Jets and Western Sydney Wanderers was arguably the match of the season so far, with both sides earning a point in an entertaining 2-2 draw. The Wanderers featured a full-strength side for the first time this season, also featuring Bryce Castles in what looked to be a strong attack-minded side. The Jets were coming off a disappointing loss to Hills United in their previous match, but the strength of this team was their tenacity and refusal to give up before the final whistle. This resolve was put to the test once more as the red and black brought an aggressive passing mentality to this match. When Castles took to the field, the intensity shifted once more. Taking the ball from the sideline, Castles whipped it across to Jordan Crane for a determined finish, stunning their opponents by taking a surprise lead into the second half.
The best teams are the ones who are able to recognise their struggles and fight through them, and this was the case with the Newcastle team. The experienced trio of Hastas, Liolio-Davis and Seck were smart enough to find the chinks in the red and black armour, despite an aggressive Andy Waite looking to stop them. Having worked on their set plays, Seck was able to play a solid pass to Hastas to even the scores with only a few minutes gone in the second half. The arm wrestle that ensued was a brutal one with challenges coming from everywhere as each team looked to find a final opening. The minutes ticked away until the Newcastle side found their opening. Seck played a sideline pass through Liolio-Davis down to Hastas on the wing, a clever one-two play finding Liolio-Davis open in the middle of the box. Celebrating enthusiastically with another late goal, the frantic Wanderers simply ran out of time with such a late goal scored against them. This result finally broke the red and black’s unbeaten run, but both sides were in a strong position to fight for the championship at the upcoming APFA Club Championships.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 2 (Hastas 25‘, Liolio-Davis 38‘)
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Crane 15’)