March 31, 2025
2025 NSDW NPL MENS 1 ROUND 8
WOLLONGONG WOLVES v SYDNEY UNITED 58
WOLVES SUFFER NARROW DEFEAT BY SYDNEY UNITED 58
With a change of venue from Macedonia Park to Sir Ian McLennan Park artificial turf due to the excessive precipitation, the Wollongong Wolves and Sydney 58 played their Round 8 encounter, with the away team winning by two goals to one. The match was played in different weather conditions with pouring rain alternating with sunny periods throughout proceedings. Sydney United 58’s goals were scored by Mason Wells and substitute Mario Shabow together with the Wolves top scorer at this stage, Nicholas Olsen, achieving his sixth goal of the 2025 campaign. Three opportunities were denied by the goal frame, two for the Wolves and one for Sydney United 58.
A downpour five minutes before the match commenced continued to greet the players as they walked onto the pitch. The Wolves were running towards the northern as Sydney United kicked off. The ball was dispatched up to Leroy Jennings to begin with, with progression being made, but in no time flat, the Wolves had gained possession. Captain Lachlan Scott minutes later, attempted to thread the ball forward through following an enterprising passing movement being enacted through a high number of players. Olsen hit his shot wide as the Wolves attempted to score an early goal like in previous matches. Three minutes in, Olsen produced another fine effort from outside the penalty area only to take a deflection to deviate the ball from its desired trajectory only for it to be further deflected off the right post. A few minutes on, a free kick from Olsen was repelled by the defensive wall.
Six minutes in, Sydney United broke out quickly and the culmination of this attacking saw Carlos De Oliveira pushing the ball across the face of goal, However, Jennings was not able to get quick enough to turn it into the goal. Three minutes later, as Sydney United applied some pressure, Matthew Hatch sent the ball from the left. However, it was headed out by James Anagnostopoulos. Jennings put a cross in only for the Wolves central defender, Banri Kanaizumi to clear the danger.
At ten minutes, the rain ceased. Olsen chested the ball down in defence following a Sydney United corner kick. Jennings attempted to dribble past defenders to set himself up for a shot, but space was closed quite quickly. At the other end, Raphael Le’ai endeavoured to add his name on the score sheet from close in but the United custodian, Tristan Prendergast went low to deny. Back quickly to the other end, Hatch placed the ball in from the left, with Alexander Lacalandra taking control, then shooting. The Wolves custodian Oliver Yates was equal to the task to thwart.
On twenty minutes, the clouds opened once again and a minute later, a good Sydney United attacking foray saw De Oliveira looking likely to achieve only for his effort to rattle the cross bar. Sydney United were constraining the Wolves attacks during the last fifteen minutes or so, by having a lot of play in the opposition territory with the Wolves at times, breaking the shackles with counter attacks.
The first goal emanated in the twenty-fifth minute. To the left of goal, Alexander Lacalandra lifted to the far post area. Mason Wells pulled the trigger only for a dynamic save from Yates. However, the ball went to Wells and this time he was successful when he slotted home.as Wolves central defender Harrison Buesnell tried valiantly to keep the ball out
A Jennings’ effort went wide as Sydney United endeavoured to cement their advantage., An Olsen effort ricocheted off the back off a defender and Buesnell shielded the ball strongly for a goal kick as McGing kept trying to reach the ball. Olsen set Le’ai up and he charged forward, with his fine shot stinging Prendergast’s hands,. As the ball rebounded, the custodian reacted quickly to deny Le’ai a second go.
At the break, the away team held a slender lead.
The second half brought more of the to and fro play, though the Wolves had a lot of the attacking play as they searched for something meaningful from the game. However, in the final third many of the Wolves passes did not stick and were intercepted, which did not help matters. As the play got under way in the second stanza, Giason ‘s cross field ball found Beattie but in the wash-up no joy was to be had. Scott robbed Vlastelica, but Sydney recovered, before a Le’ai effort thumped of the back of Hatch. Two minutes later, Le’ai was inconvenienced by Michael Glassock outside the penalty area and a free kick was awarded. Olsen’s first attempt struck the defensive wall with his second taking a deflection and was narrowly wide of the post.
A minute after the hour mark, Masciovecchio charged towards the goal, but the chance went begging. A flashpoint emerged with a Kanaizumi tackle on Shabow when he retaliated. Both players were subsequently booked. Shabow was immediately involved in a Sydney quick foray when it culminated in Shabow attempting an audacious overhead kick, but alas, he did not connect properly. A great save from Yates kept the Wolves in the match following. A Wells’ corner kick at the opposite end was kept safe by a Buesnell header out.
The Wolves had their best chance of an equaliser when Masciovecchio headed for goal from the left side. With just Prendergast to beat from an angle, Masciovecchio shot straight at the keeper.
This was costly as Sydney United went another goal ahead. Wells pushed the ball down the right for the overlapping Rule. He slotted the ball across the face of goal. Defenders stretched to get the ball, but it was just out of range. It reached Shabow and this ever-threatening player stroked the ball into the goal for an easy achievement. There seemed to be an offside but was not given, and as the ball came in Yates was hampered with Lacalandra being closely in front of him. The Wolves were now up against it.
Minutes later, Shabow passed to Glassock, and he tried for his team’s third goal, but Yates was there to take.
Scott had a good chance from close vicinity that looked likely, only for the ball somehow to be kept out. Beattie came in from the right and his thunderous effort cannoned off the goal frame being ever so close. A Lacalandra shot was taken by Yates and a Shabow effort went wide as the clock wound down.
In added time, the ever-dangerous striker, Olsen scored a consolation for the Wolves. Yates chested the ball down and dispatched it out to Buesnell,. He, in turn. pushed it along the line up to one of the young substitutes who had come on. He subsequently lifted the ball over to the left side for Ben Giason to head across to the right side. The ball eluded Dylan King and bounced. Adrian Vlastelica attempted in vain to get his head to it. As the ball dropped Olsen pounced, with his forceful left footed shot zooming into the goal for a deserved strike.
The Wolves now have lost two on the trot but with the team playing as it does, a run of wins is not out of the question. Sydney United 58’s victory in this game was their second of the season.
Coach Warren Grieve – ‘Absolutely. I think that we set ourselves up to play a certain way this weekend and having a week to prepare for it really set us to do a good job. But in reality, you just can’t play well, you must get the ball into the back of the net. We did not do that today, Credit to their goalkeeper, he pulled off some magnificent saves. I said to the boys at half time being one nil down, we are going to continue to create chances. We certainly did that. A lot of positive signs but not the result………. We were playing a team that played very deep, very compact and making it extremely difficult for you. We had tried to find those openings; we had to get them out of their defensive shape. We did that but we can improve on that, one hundred per cent. We did create more than enough chances, Alex had one saved, Lachie had one saved and with Marcus being denied by the post and another hit the post, and finally the ball went in, but too little too late, unfortunately. We had chances in the first half and if one went in, it could have different. We will continue to create chances. We put young boys in at the end, one of which is only seventeen which shows the future is bright for the Illawarra’
Goal scorer Nicholas Olsen – ‘It was a tough one for us., but we can’t just blame the weather or the pitch. We can’t really make excuses, but that is football. We did very well in the first half, and I feel that in the second half we took our foot off the pedal. We were playing catch up. You need a bit of luck and if one goes in, we bag a point. Our final pass lacked a bit. We had our game plan, and we stuck to it. In possession we did very well,’
MATCH STATISTICS
WOLLONGONG WOLVES F.C……………1
Nicholas Olsen 90+3’
SYDNEY UNITED 58…………..………,,,,2
Mason Wells 25’ Mario Shabow 72’
@ SIR IAN McLENNAN PARK, KEMBLA GRANGE
SUNDAY 30th MARCH
3.00 p.m. kick off
WOLLONGONG WOLVES
Coach: Warren Grieve
- Oliver Yates GK 2. Harrison Buesnel 4. Dylan Ryan (15. Dax Kelly 72’) 5. Banri Kanaizumi, 6. James Anagnostopoulos, 7. Sim Woon Sub, 17 Marcus Beattie, 21. Nicholas Olsen, 24. Lachlan Scott (Capt.) (11. Liam Ball 81’) 25. Alex Masciovecchio (Damon Gray 70’), 29. Ben Giason, 77. Raphael Le’ai (4. Dylan King 87’).
Substitutes Not Used: 13. RGK Daniel Solsky,
Yellow Cards: Banri Kanaizumi 63’
Red Cards: nil
SYDNEY UNITED 58
Coach: Ante Juric
- Tristan Prendergast, 3. Bailey Rule, 4. Adrian Vlastelica, 10. Carlos De Oliveira, 11. Matthew Hatch, 13. Alessandro Lacalandra 14. Liam McGing, (Stephan De Robillard 88’) 17. Michael Glassock 23. Mason Wells, 32. Leroy Jennings (Richard Darko 73’) 43. Michael Pratezina (8. Mario Shabow 46’).
Substitutes Not Used 16. Anthony Kilic 31. Josip Orlovic.15. Tariq Maia 31. Josip Orlovic
Yellow Cards: Mario Shabow 63’
Red Cards: nil
Referee: Brodie Merchant
Assistant Referees: Matthew Harrison, Lachlan Hines
Fourth Official: Luke Chapman
By Malcolm Rowney
