Reserve Grade – Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 Hills United
Having closed in to within 6 points of the ladder leading Sydney FC, the Wanderers’ match against Hills United represented a golden opportunity to chase down their rivals. Hills have battled for form for the majority of the season, but a string of matches for Lachlan Ninham with Samir Eshani by his side had built some confidence for the side. But with an in-form Steve Webb and goal scoring threat Jaxon Taylor, along with strong support from Jonathan Reyes and Julian Pereira, the red and black were looking to continue their run. A combination of attack and defence saw Webb begin conservatively, but as the match wore on, he became more adventurous. That increased pressure made it more and more difficult for the Hills side to escape their defensive zone, but a relatively composed half saw them reach the second half without conceding.
Having had some time to figure out their opponent’s weaknesses, the red and black came out with a stronger level of intent, including far more team work between Webb and Taylor. This renewed focus forced their opponents into some errors, the pressure remaining for longer and longer as the match progressed. Finally Webb fired the ball into a dangerous area, giving the Hills defence too much trouble to deal with, forcing them into putting the ball into their own net. Not wanting to give them time to recover, Webb was there again to strike, breaking through for the second for his side in the space of 2 minutes. The result saw the Wanderers close in to within 3 points of their rivals, leaving them level with the Newcastle side before the later matches. This title race was set to go down to the wire.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Own Goal 33’, Webb 35’)
Hills United 0
Premier League – Western Sydney Wanderers 1-1 Hills United
With the Premier League title already decided, it was down to the Wanderers and Hills United to decide who would clinch second place. A win here would go a long way towards separating the two sides, so you would rightly expect a fiery contest here. The pace was high from the first whistle, both sides exchanging passes and paintwork as they worked into the contest, with the opening moments leading to some potential chances for Hills. The red and black defence from Andy Waite and Abdullah Karim did well to fend off attempts from Chris Suffield and Jacob Cross before turning that defence into attack. A composed approach saw the Wanderers string a sequence of throw ins and corners before Jordan Crane found Karim at the near post, the shot placed perfectly between Suffield and Chris Turnbull for the opener. As one might expect from such a contest, Hills rapidly looked to fight back. Launching a surge through Matt Mallows who drew a deep free kick, Cross found Suffield in the middle of the box who played the ball in on the near post, with Waite unable to do more than bounce if off the attacker but unable to keep it out of the goal.
The remainder of the first half was an end to end battle, with neither side able to control possession or find a way through their opponents’ defences. The half time break did little to change this, with the ball flying through the midfield and roaming from end to end. The Wanderers were doing well in generating opportunities from set pieces, particularly corners and sidelines, but the combination of Suffield and Turnbull was enough to hold out and launch counter attacks of their own. Waite was there to stop them, and the tension continued to build as the match progressed. Things came to a head when the Wanderers coach received back to back yellow cards, a sign of a passionate encounter after a Wanderers goal was overruled when Ben Keyte encroached on the 5 metres from a goal kick. But the red and black had one final chance from a corner, unlucky not to convert it into the three points. Still, the point would maintain their lead over a plucky Hills side and continue the battle into the final two rounds.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Karim 9’)
Hills United 1 (Own Goal 12’)
Reserve Grade – Newcastle Jets 0-0 Sydney FC
The day’s earlier match resulting in a win for the surging Wanderers was sure to put the pressure on the sky blues and Jets in the later match. The Sydney side had been fielding a balanced attack through Shannon Anlezark, his distribution bringing his team mates into the game and seeing Harry Simmons and Cody Towne having more and more impact as the season progressed. For the Newcastle team, Jake Vidakovic had been teaming up well with Aseem Soti and Rumeth Herath to give an offensive punch, but their results had been not what they were hoping for of late. Both teams were clearly thinking about the result, so the offensive efforts were tinted by a focus on defence, but that didn’t stop both sides from pushing and pushing for the breakthrough.
The second half brought some adjustments from both sides, but the match descended into a battle for possession between Anlezark and Vidakovic. Neither player was willing to let the ball escape from the battle, trapping it in midfield and reducing the chances available for their team mates. The rare surge into their opponent’s box was calmly dealt with by the defenders, or snuffed out by the occasional 2 on 1 infringement. Soti came out to provide a passing option from these opportunities, but neither side could come up with the winning shot. A goalless draw was the final result, retaining the sky blues’ 3 point lead with 2 matches to go. The title is far from decided, and the final two rounds will be must watch football.
Premier League – Newcastle Jets 1-0 Sydney FC
Having sealed the NSWPFA Premier League title in Round 12, the Newcastle Jets had the chance for an extended victory lap for the final three rounds of the season. This provided them with the opportunity to give Jake Vidakovic some significant minutes in their first grade side, giving him some crucial experience in his side’s structure going forward. The sky blues were buoyed by a win last time out against Hills United, and bolstering their ranks in Round 13 was Australian Poweroos’s representative Tristram Peters. This was sure to add to the confidence the young side had, and they did their best to start the match positively. An emphasis on passing once the play had reached the right areas of the pitch saw Joshua Ryan and Ryan Seck fighting for dominance in the centre of the pitch. The contest was relatively even for the majority of the first half, and despite having to make a few crucial saves, the sky blues would be pleased with their defensive efforts in the first 20 minutes.
The second half saw the Newcastle side bring their captain, Dimitri Liolio-Davis into the match and this created an instant change in intensity. The added passing and shot generation from the skipper put the sky blues on the back foot once Seck had recalibrated his passes to suit his captain, and soon this saw the Sydney defenders fighting for their lives once more. As the minutes ticked by, it was looking more and more like the sky blues could gain something from the match, but fighting tooth and nail for every ball was a tough ask for the side. As was the trait of a champion team, the Jets were patient and continued to press until the final whistle. With time winding down, finally they found their opening with Seck firing the ball down to Liolio-Davis. Instead of shooting, he then found Chris Hastas, the Jets’ winger sliding the ball between the posts for a last-gasp victory for the champions. Late heartbreak for the sky blues was deflating for the young side, but pushing the Jets all the way to the final whistle was a considerable effort and something they would surely build on for the remainder of the season and into the future.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 1 (Hastas 39’)
Sydney FC 0
NSWPFA Powerchair League Recap – Round 13, 2023
Reserve Grade – Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 Hills United
Having closed in to within 6 points of the ladder leading Sydney FC, the Wanderers’ match against Hills United represented a golden opportunity to chase down their rivals. Hills have battled for form for the majority of the season, but a string of matches for Lachlan Ninham with Samir Eshani by his side had built some confidence for the side. But with an in-form Steve Webb and goal scoring threat Jaxon Taylor, along with strong support from Jonathan Reyes and Julian Pereira, the red and black were looking to continue their run. A combination of attack and defence saw Webb begin conservatively, but as the match wore on, he became more adventurous. That increased pressure made it more and more difficult for the Hills side to escape their defensive zone, but a relatively composed half saw them reach the second half without conceding.
Having had some time to figure out their opponent’s weaknesses, the red and black came out with a stronger level of intent, including far more team work between Webb and Taylor. This renewed focus forced their opponents into some errors, the pressure remaining for longer and longer as the match progressed. Finally Webb fired the ball into a dangerous area, giving the Hills defence too much trouble to deal with, forcing them into putting the ball into their own net. Not wanting to give them time to recover, Webb was there again to strike, breaking through for the second for his side in the space of 2 minutes. The result saw the Wanderers close in to within 3 points of their rivals, leaving them level with the Newcastle side before the later matches. This title race was set to go down to the wire.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Own Goal 33’, Webb 35’)
Hills United 0
Premier League – Western Sydney Wanderers 1-1 Hills United
With the Premier League title already decided, it was down to the Wanderers and Hills United to decide who would clinch second place. A win here would go a long way towards separating the two sides, so you would rightly expect a fiery contest here. The pace was high from the first whistle, both sides exchanging passes and paintwork as they worked into the contest, with the opening moments leading to some potential chances for Hills. The red and black defence from Andy Waite and Abdullah Karim did well to fend off attempts from Chris Suffield and Jacob Cross before turning that defence into attack. A composed approach saw the Wanderers string a sequence of throw ins and corners before Jordan Crane found Karim at the near post, the shot placed perfectly between Suffield and Chris Turnbull for the opener. As one might expect from such a contest, Hills rapidly looked to fight back. Launching a surge through Matt Mallows who drew a deep free kick, Cross found Suffield in the middle of the box who played the ball in on the near post, with Waite unable to do more than bounce if off the attacker but unable to keep it out of the goal.
The remainder of the first half was an end to end battle, with neither side able to control possession or find a way through their opponents’ defences. The half time break did little to change this, with the ball flying through the midfield and roaming from end to end. The Wanderers were doing well in generating opportunities from set pieces, particularly corners and sidelines, but the combination of Suffield and Turnbull was enough to hold out and launch counter attacks of their own. Waite was there to stop them, and the tension continued to build as the match progressed. Things came to a head when the Wanderers coach received back to back yellow cards, a sign of a passionate encounter after a Wanderers goal was overruled when Ben Keyte encroached on the 5 metres from a goal kick. But the red and black had one final chance from a corner, unlucky not to convert it into the three points. Still, the point would maintain their lead over a plucky Hills side and continue the battle into the final two rounds.
Match Statistics
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Karim 9’)
Hills United 1 (Own Goal 12’)
Reserve Grade – Newcastle Jets 0-0 Sydney FC
The day’s earlier match resulting in a win for the surging Wanderers was sure to put the pressure on the sky blues and Jets in the later match. The Sydney side had been fielding a balanced attack through Shannon Anlezark, his distribution bringing his team mates into the game and seeing Harry Simmons and Cody Towne having more and more impact as the season progressed. For the Newcastle team, Jake Vidakovic had been teaming up well with Aseem Soti and Rumeth Herath to give an offensive punch, but their results had been not what they were hoping for of late. Both teams were clearly thinking about the result, so the offensive efforts were tinted by a focus on defence, but that didn’t stop both sides from pushing and pushing for the breakthrough.
The second half brought some adjustments from both sides, but the match descended into a battle for possession between Anlezark and Vidakovic. Neither player was willing to let the ball escape from the battle, trapping it in midfield and reducing the chances available for their team mates. The rare surge into their opponent’s box was calmly dealt with by the defenders, or snuffed out by the occasional 2 on 1 infringement. Soti came out to provide a passing option from these opportunities, but neither side could come up with the winning shot. A goalless draw was the final result, retaining the sky blues’ 3 point lead with 2 matches to go. The title is far from decided, and the final two rounds will be must watch football.
Premier League – Newcastle Jets 1-0 Sydney FC
Having sealed the NSWPFA Premier League title in Round 12, the Newcastle Jets had the chance for an extended victory lap for the final three rounds of the season. This provided them with the opportunity to give Jake Vidakovic some significant minutes in their first grade side, giving him some crucial experience in his side’s structure going forward. The sky blues were buoyed by a win last time out against Hills United, and bolstering their ranks in Round 13 was Australian Poweroos’s representative Tristram Peters. This was sure to add to the confidence the young side had, and they did their best to start the match positively. An emphasis on passing once the play had reached the right areas of the pitch saw Joshua Ryan and Ryan Seck fighting for dominance in the centre of the pitch. The contest was relatively even for the majority of the first half, and despite having to make a few crucial saves, the sky blues would be pleased with their defensive efforts in the first 20 minutes.
The second half saw the Newcastle side bring their captain, Dimitri Liolio-Davis into the match and this created an instant change in intensity. The added passing and shot generation from the skipper put the sky blues on the back foot once Seck had recalibrated his passes to suit his captain, and soon this saw the Sydney defenders fighting for their lives once more. As the minutes ticked by, it was looking more and more like the sky blues could gain something from the match, but fighting tooth and nail for every ball was a tough ask for the side. As was the trait of a champion team, the Jets were patient and continued to press until the final whistle. With time winding down, finally they found their opening with Seck firing the ball down to Liolio-Davis. Instead of shooting, he then found Chris Hastas, the Jets’ winger sliding the ball between the posts for a last-gasp victory for the champions. Late heartbreak for the sky blues was deflating for the young side, but pushing the Jets all the way to the final whistle was a considerable effort and something they would surely build on for the remainder of the season and into the future.
Match Statistics
Newcastle Jets 1 (Hastas 39’)
Sydney FC 0