Hills United Football Club extended their lead on top of the table in the Premier League, while the Newcastle Jets Powerchair Football Club cement their ascendancy in Reserve Grade after yet another slender victory.
With both sides depleted, it was a tough battle for Hills and Sydney FC Powerchair Team in the lower grade. While Josh Ryan worked to control things, it was a determined sky blues who controlled the field position. They made it count through Shannon Anlezark late in the first half, with a smart block from Mitchell Albert from a sideline cross making the most of some defensive indecision. A change in formation gave Hills more impetus in the second stanza, but strong Sydney defence didn’t allow the breakthrough and sealed the win.
A sluggish start from the team in yellow and inspired start for the sky blues saw Santo Bongiovanni combine their passing and positioning to pierce the Hills defence with precision to take a commanding 2 goal lead mid-way through the first half. But a determined Abdullah Karim scored twice in the minutes leading up until the half, converting from a corner before finishing off a smart cross by Jacob Cross. The second half was dominated by the Hills side, with passing and positioning tearing holes in the sky blue midfield, and they would not be denied as Karim completed his hat-trick from another corner before Chris Suffield found a goal from long range right on full time.
In a tense affair from the start, a competitive Wanderers reserve grade side matched the Jets early on. Scores remained level until the half before the Jets struck. Managing to squeeze the ball between defenders, Ryan Seck found Jake Vidakovic on his season and Newcastle debut for a tap-in. The tightness remained until the final whistle, but despite a long-range effort being smartly deflected wide by Seck, the red and black couldn’t find an equalizer.
For the Premier League encounter, a reshuffled Jets line-up found themselves trailing early when the Wanderers pounced on a Jets’ goal kick. Luke David sent the ball back past a disappointed James Kim, but as has been the case all season, the Jets found their passing groove. Smart interplay between Ryan Seck and Dimitri Liolio-Davis saw the Jets take the defence apart and Seck tucking the ball inside the post to level scores up. Aseem Soti stepped up to replace James Kim in goals after a chair malfunction for the Jets, but the two Jets’ keepers and Andy Waite in the Wanderers’ goal made some clutch saves, with both sides having to settle for a hard-earned point.
Round 8 Results:
Reserve Grade:
Sydney FC 1-0 Hills United
Newcastle Jets 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
Premier League:
Hills United 5-2 Sydney FC
Newcastle Jets 1-1 Western Sydney Wanderers