Reserve Grade – Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 Newcastle Jets
The Newcastle Jets were flying high in the Reserve Grade competition for 2023, but the Wanderers would pose a tricky puzzle to crack. The combination of Jaxon Taylor and Steve Webb meant the red and black would have a difficult defence to break down, but the Jets’ Jake Vidakovic had been combining well with Rumeth Herath on the wing, while Aseem Soti was performing well down back, refusing to allow pressure to slip.
As expected, both sides took some time to find a hold on the match, taking few risks and playing safe passes. This meant the game remained in the balance well into the second half. The one on one play wasn’t working for either side, simply draining time from the match before Taylor was able to work some magic. Conjuring up a solo effort with his trademark trickery, Taylor broke the deadlock and the Wanderers held on until the final whistle.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Taylor 33’)
Newcastle Jets 0
Premier League – Western Sydney Wanderers 2-2 Newcastle Jets
As in the lower division, the Newcastle Jets were undefeated and looking to extend their lead in the Premier League against the Wanderers. Similarly undefeated, the red and black were full of confidence after a derby victory last round. The Jets had been unlocking their opponents’ defences early in their matches, and this was no exception, with Ryan Seck threading the needle to set up both Chris Hastas and Dimitri Liolio—Davis in the opening 10 minutes.
Against any other side, you could be forgiven for awarding the Newcastle side the three points with such a lead, but the red and black found a quick response moments later through Ben Keyte. Abdullah Karim was the architect of Keyte’s opportunity, finding the gap he needed to bring his team back into the match. The middle half of the match was a chess match, both sides poking and probing but unable to find the killer blow until Karim once more fed the ball to Keyte for his brace.
The final few minutes were a hectic back and forth, but both sides were left to settle for a point apiece. There is still plenty to fight for in 2023.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Keyte 12’ 34’)
Newcastle Jets 2 (Hastas 7‘, Liolio-Davis 10‘)
Reserve Grade –Sydney FC 1-0 Hills United
A restructuring of their formation saw Hills United come into their match against Sydney FC with a new look and new impetus for a return to form. Shifting Lachlan Ninham to the wing alongside new recruit Brock Mellor would provide more options for Samir Eshani. For the sky blues, Mitchell Albert was steering the ship expertly, marshalling the defences and surging forward with purpose. An even first half saw both sides going into halftime level, and it looked like this would continue until full time until the moment both sides were looking for arrived.
Albert made a late surge forwards, but an eager Eshani was a little too forceful near the edge of the box. Deemed a contact foul, Albert seized his opportunity as the defence organised themselves a little too slowly. Smashing the ball just inside the near post, a stunned Hills United were left to rue their missed chances as the sky blues celebrated an opportunistic and well-earned victory.
Match Statistics
Sydney FC 1 (Albert 38’)
Hills United 0
Premier League – Sydney FC 0-0 Hills United
Both Sydney FC and Hills United went into what was a must-win fixture with changes to their line-ups for their round 3 encounter. For Hills United, Chris Suffield shifted into the centre of midfield, while the sky blues welcomed Poweroo Tristram Peters into the fold for the first time this season. The match quickly became a battle between Suffield and Peters in the centre of the park, the two Poweroos hopefuls looking to find their team mates, but their defensive skills prevented this for the most of the first half. Matthew Mallows was blighted by mechanical issues, meaning Lachlan Ninham was thrust into the spotlight off the bench.
A few chances from the sky blues and one or two from Hills didn’t trouble the scoreboard before half time, but the break clearly came in handy for the Sydney side. Bringing Fletcher Ball onto the court to support Peters and Daniel O’Brien was a smart ploy, with Ball narrowly missing a chance at the post moments after coming on. O’Brien almost caught Suffield napping with a rebound opportunity but the ball skimmed wide of the post.
Hills United steeled themselves for the final few minutes with Mallows returning to the field, and this was just enough to earn a difficult point from their struggles. A high-tempo scoreless draw was a fair result, but the sky blues would take confidence from a composed performance and surging offensive show.