WOLVES STAGE COMEBACK FROM A GOAL DOWN

2026 NSW NPL MENS 1

ROUND 8

WOLLONGONG WOLVES v SYDNEY OLYMPIC

WOLVES STAGE COMEBACK FROM A GOAL DOWN

 

After conceding one goal to Sydney Olympic in the first half, the Wollongong Wolves came out in the second stanza with renewed vigour to score two goals to win the Round 7 fixture at Macedonia Park. This was the club’s second victory in succession in 2026. Kuto Fugita scored an easy opening goal for Sydney Olympic with Alex Masciovecchio achieving parity with a stunner of a goal to put his team back in the hunt. Substitute Sebastian Hernandez scored the winner when his shot was deflected in.

 

From the outset, the Wolves were facing the southern end of the ground and Sydney Olympic started the match. The ball went from Joshua Hong back to Martin Fernandez, and he lifted it forward only for the Wolves’ Ryan Lowe to head away. Joshua Da Silva took possession and passed to Fugita on the left. The ball through two players and Yuto Komura produced a high ball that Lowe headed backwards and the Wolves’ custodian Daniel Solsky grasped. These were the early seconds. Unfortunately, Lowe sustained a match ending injury and he was subsequently subbed off. This was very unfortunate as he was playing well of late.

 

There was a breeze blowing diagonally across the pitch under sunny skies. A minute in, Kuzuya Yamamura eluded several players two minutes in, but Ziggy Gordon ended up with the ball out of harm’s way. A pass from Russell to Lachlan Scott saw Scott’s shot being blocked at the opposite end. The Wolves’ striker Liam Ball produced an effort that nearly hit paydirt on ten minutes.

 

A first corner of the encounter emanated on six minutes later. Gordon got onto the end of it, but his header went over the goal frame. Lucas Trajcevski made a timely intercept to keep the Olympic attacking force at bay and Kazuya Yamamura did likewise on Komura. Fugita attempted to curl the ball in at the far post, but the ball traversed wide. He was proving to be a hindrance to the Wolves’ defence. Sebastian Duarte, who was tackling hard and imposing himself in the action, hit a cross from the left that stung the hands of the Olympic keeper, Josip Orlic.

 

Gilt edged chances were not in abundance as each team tried to out fox the other. However, it went awry for the Wolves on the half hour when the away team hit the lead. On the right side, Bailey Callaghan got the ball back to former Wolves’ player Ben Giason. He played the ball into the box to where Fugita was nearby lurking. Solsky came off his line. Fugita gained possession of the ball, rounded the custodian with Russell in attendance and played the ball into the vacant goal. The Wolves were somewhat exposed at this time. The score nearly turned over again as a Fugita strong shot struck the goal frame. Scott headed out a Fernandez corner kick and Komura on the follow-up put the ball over the goal. Marco Arambasic effort was blocked. The striker, with his physical presence, held the ball up well throughout the game.

 

A Madden corner kick was headed out by Da Silva. A Banri Kanaizumi shot was blocked, and later Scott hit his effort high.

 

The Wolves were not quite on their mettle in the first half, and the team was certainly capable of better, even though they matched Olympic in general play, and the one simple goal was the difference.

 

Sydney Olympic had the half time advantage and at this stage had bounced back from their 0-4 defeat in the previous round. The Wolves were searching for a second win in succession.

 

The second half began with the Wolves pinning Olympic down in their own half. Following a Duarte rampage, the defender was hampered and a free kick was justly awarded narrowly outside the box. Yamamura took the set piece and despite a strong effort the ball flew wide of the far post. Russell skied a targeted shot on fifty minutes, and Madden eluded several players as he motored into the penalty area but could not get his shot away with the requisite power at this time. A Russell cross was headed out by Gordon. The Wolves were much more proficient now and were exerting more pressure on the away team with the Olympic players to the fore in the first half being a lot quieter in the second half .

 

After Scott had won a corner kick, Madden played the ball in from thew right corner. It was headed out by Giason with the ball falling at the feet of Masciovecchio. From a metre or so outside the penalty area , he let fly with a first timed hit. The ball flew like a missile straight into the goal near the top corner. It was a stunner.

 

 

In the fifty-sixth minute the Wolves garnered the lead for the initial time in the match. Madden lifted the ball down the line for Hernandez. He then scurried forward and then cut sideways into the box. His strong ensuing shot struck defender Samuel Bosnjak and deflected past Orlic into the goal. Later, a Madden shot took a deflection for a corner kick, but no more success emanated. Kanaizumi, the last man in defence, tucked the ball around an attacker with precision and confidence to Yamamura to see off a danger.

 

Late in proceedings, Hernandez crossed from the left to Masciovecchio to chest the ball down in the box. Olympic recovered to nullify this trouble.

 

The Wolves showed resilience to come back from a goal down to win and played with much improved effort to win the three points and achieve a second victory in a row. The team has moved to seventh position from tenth and Olympic occupy sixteenth position, not a position that the club is used to. The 2-1 scoreline is one of the most prevalent scores in football.

 

Coach Luke Wilkshire – ‘It was not good enough in the first half and we made it known so we adjusted things at half time. We got the response from the boys.. .. Great finish (Alex Masciovecchio) and he did that well and we tried to isolate him there and he created his moments… It was a good reaction, and we got the right response, and the players know that they have the ability to come back in games.’

 

Wilkshire achieved ‘NSW Coach of the Year ‘in 2019.

 

Goal scorer Alex Masciovecchio – ‘ We started the first slow and towards the end of the half we got back in the game a bit more as we were not ourselves. In the second half we knew we had to come out on top as we should have in the first half. Getting in early goal helps whether a screamer or not as it helps with the momentum… We controlled the ball more and played it quicker and more of the simple passes. We started out where we could attack them and in the end the result is there.’

 

Masciovecchio has now scored fourteen goals in his four seasons at the club , from 2023 – 2026.

 

MATCH STATISTICS

WOLLONGONG WOLVES F.C………………..2

Alex Masciovecchio 47’ Sebastian Hernandez 56’

 

SYDNEY OLYMPIC……………………………1

Yuto Fujita 30’

 

@ Macedonia Park, Berkeley

SUNDAY 29th MARCH 2026

3.00 p.m. kick off

 

WOLLONGONG WOLVES

Coach: Luke Wilkshire

1. Daniel Solsky, 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 8. Sebastian Duarte, 9. Ryan Lowe (17. Marcus Beattie 5’), 10. Flynn Madden, 21. Liam Ball (11. Sebastian Hernandez 45’), 13. Tate Russell 16. Lucas Trajcevski (7. Felipe D’Agostino, 72’), 18. Kazuya Yamamura 24. Lachlan Scott (77. Dylan King 90+4’), 25. Alex Masciovecchio

Substitutes Not Used: 2. Kristian Butkovic, 19. Max Cunial (RGK). 44.Taj Demito

 

Yellow Cards: Tate Russell 60’

Red Cards: Nil

 

SYDNEY OLYMPIC

Coach: David Magrone

1. Josip Orlovic, 3. Samuel Bosnjak, 4. Joshua Hong, (23. Brooklyn Mallia 84’) 5. Ziggy Gordon (Capt.) 9. Marco Arambasic (Liam Saba 82’), (11. Giorgos Louca 82’), 16. Bailey Callaghan, 21. Yuta Komura (33. Maxamillion Luburic 64’), 24. Ben Giason, 30. Joshua Da Silva 31. Yuto Fujita (18. Kim Jun-Yong 84’), 34. Marcus Fernandez.

Substitutes Not Used: 14. Jacob Tresoglavic 40. Anthony Carreras 11. 11.Giorgos Louca

 

Yellow Card: Joshua Da Silva 45+3’

Red Cards:

 

Referee: Matthew Harris

Assistant Referees : Cameron Wright and Benjamin Eisikovich

Fourth Official: Reece Edwards

 

By Malcolm Rowney