August 26, 2024
2024 NPL NSW MENS 1 ROUND 30
WOLLONGONG WOLVES v MANLY UNITED
MANLY UNITED ACHIEVE THE DOUBLE OVER THE WOLVES
Before the final round of 2024, the finals qualification equation was dependent on a Wolves win and a loss by another team. Nether of these scenarios eventuated as the Wolves suffered defeat and it became a moot point. The game was played at Macedonia Park on a lush green surface with Wolves succumbing to Manly United by two goals to one. Manly scored first followed by the Wolves near half time, with Manly hitting back late in the second half. Presley Ortiz scored a brace for Manly and Jake Trew scored for the Wolves. Manly had also beaten the home side in the seasons earlier encounter by the identical to this result.
With Dylan Ryan and Andre Takami restored to the starting line-up after some week’s absence and usual player Yagoub Mustafa not available for some reason, the team was facing toward the southern end as Manly United kicked off. Manly delivered the ball upfield very quickly and Takami headed out for a throw in for good measure. A first free kick of the afternoon saw Chris McStay’s lifted effort from outside the penalty area caused consternation, only for Manly to react positively to this threat. Six minutes in, Manly’s Farah Koko made a nuisance of himself with the Wolves’ custodian Vedran Janjetovic grasping the ball. To see off any possible danger. Ryan headed out with Stefano Rossello challenging and following Banri Kanaizumi enterprising foray up the middle, McStay doubled back to intercept when Manly enacted a break.
Manly had two corners in succession from eleventh minute, Manly’s Connor Rose headed over and he connected again but it did fall for him and the Wolves recovered. Thirteen minutes in, Sebastian Hernandez eluded players down the right in a good side in an attacking foray before Jesse Piriz stopped him in his tracks and dispossessed. Bilal Belkadi headed out for Manly as Trew threatened.
However, the game breaker occurred in the twenty-first minute after each team vied for an opener. Ortiz managed to squeeze the ball into the goal for Manly to take the lead and cause the Wolves exasperation, after Farah Koko had provided a pass. This was Ortiz’s second goal for Manly after scoring five earlier in the season for his former club, St. George City. Incidentally, he scored against the Wolves back in 2023.
The Wolves looked to hit straight when Samuel Riak made an enterprising run down the right and ultimately work his way into the box but despite his best intentions nothing of any consequence was achieved. At the opposite end, Piriz shot high. The Wolves were showing some desperation at their situation and on thirty-four minutes, McStay’s effort went unfortunately wide of the post. Later, a Lachlan Scott shot was blocked by Belkadi, and Ortiz lifted ball intended for Koko, was dealt with by the Woives. Rossello ploughed a shot that rebounded off a player and from the ensuing corner kick from Joe Fox ‘s effort flew through a crowded goal area with Janjetovic seeing the ball late and making a mercurial save.
A minute later, Hernandez showed a clean pair of heals and Trew got onto his pass and scored the equaliser, his seventh goal of the campaign. The Wolves were back in the hunt. At the first half ended, Harrison Buesnell blocked Fox’s effort and Hernandez was dispossessed by Zac Sfiligoi.
With all being equal at half time and the Wolves thrown a lifeline, there was still much to play for. To finish the season with a victory would be some sense of a crowning glory for both teams, even allowing for anything else.
Manly added fresh legs for the second half with a double substitution, and before too long, Takami inconvenienced Ortiz and the subsequent free kick traversed wide. Ahiuwalia headed away and later produced a skyward shot as Manly looked to gain the lead once more. On forty-nine minutes, Ryan burst forward and exploded into the box, but Ahiuwalia collected the ball to thwart this thrusting foray.
Scott went looking for an opening, and his subsequent shot six minutes after the second half resumption, was pushed out by the Manly goalkeeper Levi Kaye. Scott had a second chance with the rebound but stuck it over. The Wolves Takumi Ofuka flew into the box as he began to become more involved but was tackled by Benjamin Koop. Fox picked up a loose ball in the centre before passing out to Koop. His effort on goal was turned away for a corner kick. As this came in Manly went close though somehow Ofuka and Janjetovic in combination kept the ball out. McStay broke through down the right before crossing. However, it directly to Kaye. The Wolves kept up their search for a winning edge though it did not present. Ofuka passed to Ryan and his teasing cross was headed over by McStay. This was a good opportunity.
However, Manly had other things to say and on seventy minutes the team went ahead again. It was that player, Ortiz who headed home Keirin Paull’s cross giving Janjetovic no chance of preventing.
Not long afterwards, Alex Masciovecchio placed the ball wide following a Takami cross. From a hand ball indiscretion in the centre Ofuka shot struck the defensive wall and this effort amounted to nothing. Scott worked his way with deft skill but was ultimately left without the ball. He later, rushed into the box, but his effort it did not fall into place.
Damon Gray had two chances to change the outcome of the match for the Wolves. His first attempt flew over the cross bar and his second went close, though the fingertips of substitute goalie, Jay Coates kept it out.
Janjetovic came out his area in a race to the ball with Ortiz. The Wolves’ custodian won out in this instance. McStay was close to gaining an equaliser for his team. but his header went wide from Masciovecchio’s cross. Though there was much to play for, the Wolves unfortunately were not at their best, though Riak was the most impressive.
The Wolves ultimately failed in their quest for finals football and neglected to win this match. Manly had the better of chances to convert two. The Wolves concluded the season in seventh position on forty-four points while Manly United achieved thirty-five points and occupy ninth position.
Impressive and experienced Wolves custodian, Vedran Janjetovic – ‘yeah, we have slipped up a few times during the season to put ourselves into this position, so we only have ourselves to blame. It came down to a few odd games if you look over the results, a couple of late goals that we conceded so we kind of did it to ourselves, and we left it to fate. You can’t do these things nowadays. We must focus. At the end of the day, we put ourselves in this predicament.. Just got a toe to it, it was soft counterattack again it was one of those things….. Considering four and a half years off with absolutely no training, no nothing, I think I have been right, but in the last four or five weeks, I have been playing with a broken finger and today you can hear my voice, so I’m not feeling the best. but I will give myself A for effort, keeping the body as good as it can be….. We will see when everything is wrapped up. I would love to go again. (Next year.), The body feels good so we will see how things go. We dug deep with a few good results but once again we should have been comfortably in the finals by now. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.’
WOLLONGONG WOLVES …………1
Jake Trew 45’
MANLY UNITED…….………………..2
Presley Ortiz 22’ , 72’.
@ Macedonia Park, Berkeley.
SUNDAY 25th August
3.00 p.m. kick off.
WOLLONGONG WOLVES
Coach: David Carney
- Vedran Janjetovic (GK), 2. Harrison Buesnell, 3. Darcy Madden (Damon Gray 87’) 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 6. Samuel Riak 9. Jake Trew (27. Damon Gray 65’), 7. Takumi Ofuka 11. Sebastien Hernandez (25. Alex Masciovecchio 65’) 24. Lachlan Scott (Capt.), 88. Christopher McStay.
Substitutes Not Used:13. Darcy Madden, 3. Oliver Yates, 15. Dax Kelly, 29. Ben Giason.
Yellow Cards: nil
Red Cards: nil
MANLY UNITED
Coach: Patrick Zwaanswiljk
1.Levi Kaye (31. Jay Coates 79’), 2. Kieren Paull, 3. Zac Sfiligoi, 4. Jesse Piriz, 76’), 8. Joseph Fox 11. Connor Rose (16. Zayne Ahluwalia 37’), 18. Presley Ortiz, 19. Alen Aganovic, 20. Farah Koko (7. Peter Kekeris 58’), 39. Stefano Rossello (12. Miguel Bauza 46’), 45. Bilal Belkadi. (9. Benjamin Koop 46’).
Substitutes not used 25. Rocco Pelle,
Yellow Cards: Bilal Belkadi 42’, Zac Sfiligoi 86’
Red Cards: nil
Referee: Eric Saba
Assistant Referees: Joshua Eiser and Aisha Stutt
Fourth Official: Matt Staples
By Malcolm Rowney
