Australian Championship Saturday Round-Up: 14 November
Saturday's Australian Championship programme began with a first-half goal rush in Hobart and a tense, a finely balanced contest in Sydney, before a tense tussle in Western Australia. Wollongong Wolves kept their season alive with a 4-1 win over South Hobart at D'Arcy Street, all five goals arriving before half-time, while Sydney United 58 took a huge step towards the knockout phase by beating defending champions South Melbourne 1-0 at Edensor Park through Leroy Jennings's 63rd-minute strike. And in the later kick-off, Bayswater City held on against Sydney Olympic to put themselves in pole position in Group C.
Sydney United 58 1-0 South Melbourne
Sydney United 58 labelled this one a must-win before kick-off and followed through, Leroy Jennings's 63rd-minute finish handing them a 1-0 victory over defending champions South Melbourne at Edensor Park. Undefeated South Melbourne arrived on the brink of qualifying for the quarter-finals, with the two sides having drawn 1-1 in their previous meeting, where the Victorian side won the bonus point on penalties.
The visitors carried the early threat and Sydney United were let off the hook in the 10th minute after Jordan Swibel played in David Yoo. Swibel then side-footed just wide of the post, before Adam Pavlesic in the Sydney United goal saved Yuki Uchida's header from close range. Kosta Barbarouses, still awaiting his first goal in the Australian Championship, fired just wide in the 27th minute after some lovely interplay between South Melbourne's forward line.
Sydney United slowly found a way into the contest, with Jennings twice testing Javier Lopez from distance as half-time loomed.
South Melbourne pushed hard after the break. Pavlesic palmed away a Lampard corner in the 58th minute with a visiting attacker lurking, and Lampard volleyed over the bar on the hour mark following a run of three straight corners. The home side survived the spell and struck almost immediately. Mason Wells hit the post direct from a corner, his inswinger flying over Lopez's outstretched hand, and two minutes later the ball fell fortuitously to Jennings in the box and he fired in low with his left foot to open the scoring.
South Melbourne were never out of it. As second half stoppage time loomed, William Kounnas forced a great one-on-one save out of Lopez, and Nicholas Pratezina fired wide of the post in the 92nd minute when played into space in the area by Kounnas.
In the end Sydney United held on to claim a vital three points that puts them on the brink of finals qualification ahead of a final day matchup with Sutherland Sharks. South Melbourne still leads the group and host Canberra Croatia at Lakeside Stadium next Friday.
South Hobart 1-4 Wollongong Wolves
Wollongong Wolves kept their season alive in emphatic fashion at D'Arcy Street, overturning an early deficit to beat South Hobart 4-1 with a frenetic first half that produced all five goals of the afternoon. The result sets up a decisive Round 6 game against Lions FC.
It was South Hobart who struck first. Kobe Kemp sent the home side ahead with a goal in the sixth minute, but the lead lasted only minutes. Alex Masciovecchio equalised for the Wolves with a tap-in after some smart play by the visitors down the left.
Wollongong claimed the advantage in the 18th minute and never looked back. Zachary De Jesus scored his first goal for the Wolves with a cross from the right that went all the way in, before Yuto Fujita added a volleyed strike eight minutes later to put the visitors 3-1 up. The Wolves skipper, Lachlan Scott, then made it four in the 36th minute. The goal was Scott’s seventh in the Australian Championship, making him the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer.
There were no more goals after the break, though not for the want of trying. The hosts struck the woodwork with a header, while Wollongong twice came close from distance.
However South Hobart couldn’t find a way back into the contest, and the result extinguishes their faint hopes of reaching the quarter-finals. However it keeps Wollongong alive, heading into their final round, do-or-die showdown with Lions FC.
Bayswater City 2-1 Sydney Olympic
Bayswater City put one hand on the Group C top seed with a 2-1 win over Sydney Olympic at Frank Drago Reserve, two goals inside the opening 10 minutes proving the difference.
Results elsewhere this weekend meant the top two spots were already locked in, with Bayswater and Oakleigh Cannons the two sides left, while Olympic were playing for pride only.
The hosts could not have started better. Oliver La Galia opened the scoring just five minutes in, set up by Chok Dau, and Cameron Teece doubled the lead inside the opening 10 minutes. It was Teece's third goal of the Australian Championship, a great turn and finish on the half volley in the area that left the keeper with no chance.
Olympic dragged themselves into the contest. Lewis Italiano, making his 100th appearance for the club, made a series of saves before the visitors made one count. Michael Ruhs would not be denied, nodding home in the 34th minute to hand the Golden Boot frontrunner his fifth goal of the campaign.
Olympic pushed for an equaliser after the break, with Ruhs and the two Petratos brothers prominent in their attack.Sean O'Connor tested Olympic custodian Filip Kurto on the hour mark, before club legend Sam Mitchinson made a substitute appearance in what could be his final game at Frank Drago Reserve.
As the game opened up and Olympic pressed for an equaliser, Bayswater threatened on the break. Moudi Najjar attempted a spectacular overhead effort that fell to safety, and Italiano tipped over the bar a near-own goal. It was the home side who came closest to scoring the next goal, with Joel Anasmo denied by a brilliant save by Kurto when played in behind.
Bayswater now head to Oakleigh Cannons next weekend for a showdown to determine the Group C top seed, in pole position knowing even a narrow defeat could be enough, while Sydney Olympic will finish their Championship season away at Marconi Stallions.
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