Reserve Grade – Sydney FC 1-1 Hills United
Sydney FC had surged to the top of the Reserve Grade ladder in recent weeks, playing an exciting mix of aggressive and composed football in the process. And it was this intent that drove them forwards in their encounter with Hills United. Controlling play right from the kick-off, the sky blues pressed forward with patience through Shannon Anlezark and Harry Simmons, having to weather a few Hills attacks from Samir Eshani and Finn O’Donovan in the process but doing so rather well. So when they won a free kick in a dangerous spot, a clever ball from Anlezark just couldn’t be dealt with by the Hills defenders. An early lead perhaps had the sky blues feeling comfortable, translating into some more confidence going forward, but the team in yellow eventually worked into the game, drawing a crucial run of free kicks as the half wore on. Lachlan Ninham was at the heart of it, eventually giving Eshani a smart pass that he threaded between the defenders just before half time.
A slight reshuffling of the deck for Sydney FC saw Cody Towne move forward and Harry Simmons return to the goals, and this tightened up the sky blue defence. This change saw Anlezark having to battle with the Hills midfield, but he was more than up to the task, keeping the pressure on and making them look the most likely to find a breakthrough. Several strong passes from Anlezark looked to create an opportunity, but it was Hills who had the last major chance of the match. Looking for another deflection, Simmons was right there to stop and drive the ball out to secure an important point for the ladder leaders in a relatively even contest.
Match Statistics
Sydney FC 1 (Own Goal 6’)
Hills United 1 (Eshani 16’)
Premier League – Sydney FC 1-0 Hills United
Hills United were one of the teams in with a mathematical chance of chasing down Newcastle for the title, but a tough match-up for the team in yellow saw the sky blues in their way. With a narrow victory last time out for Sydney FC, it was the younger side on the charge and looking for another strong performance against their experienced opponents. A change in formation to bring Chris Turnbull into the midfield brought some more freedom for Jacob Cross, and a few long-range efforts put Fletcher Ball under pressure in the Sydney goal. As had been the story for much of their season, Hills just couldn’t translate their pressure into goals, giving their opponents a chance to take the lead from a late free kick in the first half. Chris Suffield charged to cut it off, but Joshua Ryan’s hit beat the defender, glancing off an unsighted Turnbull before Daniel O’Brien put it away. Hills had a chance to equalise from a corner with the final kick of the half, but Ball once again remained composed to maintain a lead for his side.
A more aggressive approach to their play in the second half saw Hills putting the pressure on and being rewarded with a few corner kicks, but they weren’t quite in sync which allowed Sydney to operate on the counter attack. This didn’t stop Hills from firing shot after shot, but despite the ball crossing the line twice, they weren’t rewarded thanks to a combination of free kicks and missing that vital touch. In the end, the dogged defence of Ball and Ryan weren’t to be denied, fighting to the end to seal a well-earned 3 points and their second victory of the season. For Hills, the change in approach was one they could build on despite a disappointing loss.
Match Statistics
Sydney FC 1 (O’Brien 15’)
Hills United 0
Reserve Grade – Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 Newcastle Jets
With the sky blues working to a three point lead on top of the Reserve Grade table, this was a crucial opportunity for the Newcastle Jets to chase down their rivals. This would be no easy task against Jaxon Taylor and the Wanderers, ably supported by Steve Webb in goal. For the red and black, this posed an opportunity to apply some more pressure to their opponents on the ladder, with a win potentially bringing them back into contention. The Jets looked to play through Jake Vidakovic, with Rumeth Herath and Molly Boland on the wings and Aseem Soti in goal adding to their attack. It had to be a patient approach for the Jets with Webb working the ball forwards when able to, and bringing Jesse Ezzy on from the bench provided some extra punch. Julian Pereira hit the post off a Vidakovic clearance, but the ensuing free kick and corner amounted to nothing before the half.
While the composed approach from the Jets made for a firm structure, it didn’t reap many rewards in the first half. But a renewed effort and intensity, including more impact from Soti saw them begin the second half with all the momentum. An incursion into the Wanderers box from Vidakovic was once again fended off before the Wanderers decided it was time to attack. Webb showed off his passing range, winning possession from the sideline before finding Taylor from the corner, the attacker squeezing the ball between Soti and Vidakovic for the lead. With their noses in front, Webb dropped into a more defensive role and this looked to be a good decision before a late charge from the Newcastle side. A late free kick from Soti found Vidakovic, but his ensuing shot just couldn’t sneak inside the post. The result sees the Wanderers close to within 6 points of the sky blues and 3 points behind the Jets, while Newcastle remain within touching distance, a win behind Sydney.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Taylor 30’)
Newcastle Jets 0
Premier League – Newcastle Jets 0-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
Round 12 presented a chance for the dominant Newcastle Jets to claim the NSWPFA Premier League title. Needing only a draw to make it mathematically impossible for the Wanderers to chase them down, the Jets were in no mood to take things easy on their closest rivals. The Jets sent out an aggressive line-up of Ryan Seck in the middle, flanked by Dimitri Liolio-Davis and Luke David, posing a difficult threat for Andy Waite, Abdullah Karim and co to thwart. Putting their passing game on show, Liolio-Davis found David out wide a couple of times, but some determined saves from both Waite and Karim were the only thing keeping scores level. The momentum was well with the Jets, and aside from a flashy counter-attacking spin from Jordan Crane, the Wanderers had to work hard defensively to remain in the contest.
The second half began just how the first half finished, with the Jets working their triangle formation to perfection to generate shots, just not quite able to break through the stubborn red and black defence. The Wanderers occasionally worked their own passing routines, unable to find their own finishing touches before the Jets brought Chris Hastas on to pose some different questions. Whether it was the pressure coming with a title in their grasp or the red and black fighting hard to remain in the contest, more and more often were the Wanderers able to clear the threat up court, reading the Newcastle passes well and sticking around. This rewarded them with the final chance of the game from a free kick, but it simply wasn’t to be. The Newcastle Jets would be crowned 2023 NSWPFA Premier League champions with 3 matches to spare, one of the more dominant displays in recent years. This was due reward for their efforts through the season, presenting an effective and attacking structure reinforced by some strong defensive efforts. Congratulations, Newcastle!