Match Report: Wollongong Wolves vs St. George City

                                 2025 NSW NPL MENS1 ROUND 2

 

                      WOLLONGONG WOLVES v ST. GEORGE CITY

 

(Up to the 30 minutes mark)

 Lightning strikes involved a clearance of the field with the match being postponed at the thirtieth minute mark. At this stage the Wolves were leading 1-0 due to a well taken effort from Nichols Olsen.

With both teams drawing in Round 1, the stage was set as each vied for a first victory with both teams beginning in earnest.

The Wolves began the proceedings running towards the southern end and St. George City kicked off, with the ball being sent back to the custodian, Jack Kenny, who pumped the ball up field.

The City team was with a fair amount of possession in the early minutes through Marc Mc Nulty and Fumoto Wolves‘ Sebastian Kamada with Dakota Askew being lively in his endeavours. The Hernandez made tracks down the right for some distance in an initial attacking manoeuvre, until he was severely inconvenienced by City defender, Caio De Gody. He was promptly booked for his indiscretion.

The Wolves’ Raphael Le’ai showed resilience in keeping the ball down the left as defenders attempted in vain to dispossess him.

A first Wolves corner kick arrived in the seventh minute., won by the efforts of captain Lachlan Scott. Marcus Beattie swung the ball in. It was headed wide at the far post.

Not long afterwards, the Wolves’ Ben Giason chanced from distance. It was hit superbly but went narrowly over the bar. Hernandez made a marauding run down the right and Le’ai narrowly missed making contact to the cross. Hernandez steamed into the box and went down under a tackle. He was looking for a penalty, but the referee waved play on.

On fifteen minutes City’s Nathan Grimaldi got the ball away before Le’ai raced away, but was thwarted by De Godoy, who reacted well. Dominic Cox threaded the ball through with a decisive pass, but his teammates were not on his wavelength at this time and the chance went begging.. On twenty-five minutes, Cox emerged through the defensive line but was put off by the defensive effort of Dylan Ryan.

A long ball was met by Cox, but Banri Kanaizumi was present to see off the danger. Cox looked dangerous.

At the twenty-eighth minute, the Wolves drew first blood. With Beattie dispatching the ball down the right. Olsen feigned allowing Le’ai to moved further down the pitch. He considered his options before cutting the ball back to Olsen who by now was inside the penalty arc.  On receiving the ball, he shuffled his feet before projecting the ball with precision and power into the goal for his successive goal in two matches, a feat only achieved by four other players.

Two minutes later, Scotsman Marc Mc Nulty had a gilt-edged opportunity when in close vicinity to the Wolves’ domain after Kamada lifted ball in from the left. With his back to goal, the ball was chested down by Louis Khoury to Nathan Roberts behind him. A Wolves defender stuck his foot out with the ball rebounding off a couple of players until falling into the path of McNulty who was on the left. With the goal at his mercy, his left footed shot traversed wide of the goal much to his and his team’s chagrin.

On thirty minutes the match was abandoned due to thunderstorm activity.

MACEDONIA PARK- 31^st Minute onwards

This part of the game began with a dropped ball to the Wolves who ran towards the northern end. St. George had the first shot in anger as Askew hit his opportunity of the bar in rainy conditions

The Wolves had an early chance as with possession as they worked their attack, and Hernandez produced a low show shot which Kenny took with relative ease.

Askew had another shot from distance with a similar outcome for his earlier one as St George City probed but the Wolves defence adequately coped with their forays.

The Wolves were stringing passes together during this fifteen minute   and were still in front.at half time.

Le -Ai put a cross in the forty seventh minute from the left and scant time later Beattie put one in the from the right.  However, on both occasions nothing of any consequence was achieved.

However, the Wolves were not going to held out for long. Scott was inconvenienced in the centre circle on City’s side. Olsen was the recipient of his subsequent free kick up the middle.  He took possession, propped and then lashed it with venom high into the goal to his achieved his brace, with a very long time between each goal.

As time wore on, St George tried in vain to get a slice of the goal action.

Khoury had a shot from the left which was blocked by Beatie with Solomon-Jonn Monahan-Vaiika-providing good balls in. A de Gody effort was stopped by Yates

Olsen went close in on sixty-sixth minutes, but his effort went over narrowly. Fumada looked to add his name to the scoresheet, but Yates managed to push it over.

Substitute Damon Gray added the cherry on top when scored in added time. Hernandez took control of an errant and sped on the right side was enterprising before moving inward with a pass into the centre for Gray.  As he and a defender vied for the ball, the ball went loose before Gray in turn reacted quickly before dispatching it into the net.

This two-part match was over with the Wolves cementing the victory.

 

MATCH STATISTICS

 

WOLLONGONG WOLVES F.C……… 3   

 

Nicholas Olsen 28’, 48, Damon Gray 90+1

 

1. GEORGE CITY…………..………,,.0

 

 

@ WIN STADIUM, WOLLONGONG and MACEDONIA PARK, BERKELEY

 

FRIDAY 14^th FEBRUARY/19^th FEBRUARY

 

7.30 p.m. kick off

 

WOLLONGONG WOLVES

 

Coach: Warren Grieve

 

1. Oliver Yates (GK), 2. Harrison Buesnel, 6. James Anagnostopoulos, 4. Dylan Ryan, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 11. Sebastian Hernandez, 17. Marcus Beattie, 21. Nicholas Olsen (9. Damon Gray 90+), 24. Lachlan Scott, 29. Ben Giason (7. Woon Sub Sim, 67’), 77. Raphael Le’ai. (25. Alex Masciovecchio 78’)

 

Substitutes Not Used: 8. Sebastian Duarte,, 13. Daniel Solsky (GK) 15. Dax Kelly

 

Yellow Cards: Nil

 

Red Cards: nil

 

1. GEORGE CITY

 

Coach: Manny Spanoudakis

1. Jack Kenny, 3. Caio De Godoy (5. Goncalo Agrelos 53’) 4. Solomon-Johnn Monahan-Vaiika, (Capt.), 7. Nathan Roberts, (19. Jesse Photi 46’, 8. Domonic Cox, 9. Marc McNulty 11. Fumoto Kamada, 15. Nathan Grimaldi, 23. Dakota Askew, 25. Brodie Clarkson, 33. Louis Khoury (10. Paolo Mitry 61’).

Subs. Not used: 13. Cameron Kemp, 2. Matthew Wahby 17. Noah Ovens

 

 

Yellow Cards: Caio De Gody 1-, Jack Kenny 90’

 

Red Cards: nil

 

 

Referee: Craig Fisher

 

Assistant Referees: Cameron Wright, Matthew Harris

 

Fourth Official: Damien Delovski

 

By Malcolm Rowney