Sharks Hold League Leaders to 1-1 Draw
Honours were shared at the Ilinden Sports Centre as league leaders Rockdale Ilinden were held to a 1-1 draw against relegation threatened Sutherland Sharks on a glorious Sunday afternoon.
It wasn’t for the lack of opportunities the score remained locked at one-apiece at the conclusion in a hard fought and, at times, desperate encounter between these local sides.
The Sharks stunned the hosts early as Mitch Stamatellis found the net with barley four minutes on the clock against his former team. Ilinden sought answers and got it from their usual source in talisman and skipper Alec Urosevski who levelled the scores with a stunning free-kick before the break.
The second half saw a number of chances but the match ended 1-1 with Ilinden’s lead at the top cut to four points with Marconi hot on their heels while the Sharks moved two points away from the relegation zone.
The action started with Stamatellis who had the game’s first goal in the 4th minute. The big defender scored early that gave his side a glimmer of hope that an upset was on the cards.
Rockdale recovered from the early set-back but a defiant Sharks defence kept them at bay whilst creating a couple of breakaway efforts with some quick counter-attacking play looking to catch out their hosts but the final ball option was found wanting too many times.
Lachie Griffiths pulled the ball back for Isaac Danzo to shoot from outside the area midway through the half that sailed wide of the mark with the home side applying pressure on their guests with Nenad Vekic called into action shortly afterwards who pulled off a terrific save to keep his side ahead.
Ilinden came close in the 35th minute when Urosevski kept the ball in on the far side and played a through pass to Bai Antoniou whose flicked effort was well kept out by Vekic at his near post before the Rockdale man was flagged offside
But Rockdale did square the ledger when the League’s leading scorer Urosevski netting home with a stunning free-kick strike from 30-yards in the 41st minute that left Vekic grasping fresh air as it flashed past him.
Both sides needed the half-time break after a battling 45’ minutes in a finely balanced contest.
Urosevski came agonizingly close to repeating his first-half strike just two minutes after the restart but this time it slipped over the bar and the danger for Sutherland passed.
From another corner, Brendan Cholakian couldn’t gain enough height to head home as Sutherland were starting to sit deeper against a rampant Ilinden side intent on retaining their 6-point lead at the top of the table not withstanding the Sharks had their moments.
Substitute Jordan Roberts forced Ilinden ‘keeper Nick Sorras into a save from a free-kick that was arrowing in at his near post when turning the ball around the corner but a last ditch tackle at the other end immediately followed, sparing the blushes of the visitors.
Rockdale emptied their bench in an effort to find a winner and another substitute in Jason Cakovski just a minute earlier, came close for the home side when spinning in the box but scuffing his shot for an easy take by Vekic. While in a frantic passage of play it was that man Stamatellis coming in to thwart the youngster once more before Urosevski unleashed a right-footed curler that again flashed past the woodwork.
It was a fast, unrelenting grandstand finish but with neither team able to secure the winning strike, the points were shared leaving both Coaches with differing opinions at the result with Steve Zoric, coaching against his former team, to state.
“Against a side like Rockdale today was a massive point for us,” he said before continuing.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys and felt we controlled the first-half well and particularly the tempo of the game.
“We knew they would step it up in the second-half and were prepared for that, particularly as they’re fighting for the Premiership and were at home but we stayed composed and structured and had a few chances ourselves and made it very hard for them.
“After rebuilding the squad we thought it would be the second part of the season where we would start to show what we are capable of and that’s proving to be the case and with two big games to finish the campaign and we’ll fight to the end and that’s all we can do.”
Not out of the woods yet, the Sharks have a huge two weeks ahead of them as they hope to pick up more points to remain the top flight for another season.
While Ilinden’s assistant coach Nick Stavroulakis stated it was two points lost at home although their focus remained on the Premiership as well as the Waratah Cup Final at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium next Wednesday night.
“In the context of the season every point counts,” he commented.
“We weren’t at our best in the first-half and at this stage of the season you had two teams fighting for two different things, one trying to stave off relegation worries and the other looking to win their first trophy at this level.
“You can look at it as a point gained but at home we have to consider it two points lost and we’ll look at the good and bad aspect of the game over the next couple of days but we need to regroup and turn our focus to next Wednesday’s Waratah Cup Final and preparing ourselves for another tough midweek fixture and win this Club’s first trophy at this level against a dangerous APIA side,” he concluded.
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Match Stats
Rockdale Ilinden 1 (Alec Urosevski 41’)
Sutherland Sharks 1 (Mitch Stamatellis 4’)
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale
Sunday 11th August 2024
Referee: Mutjaba Ebrahimi
Assistants: Alessandro Llana and Ryan Plant
Fourth Official: Thomas Dale
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Nicholas Sorras, 3. Lachie Griffiths, 5. Giorgio Speranza, 6. Isaac Danzo (14. Brayden Sorge 80’), 7. Alec Urosevski, 9. Bai Antoniou (15. Yinka Sunmola 70’), 10. Brendan Cholakian (8. Dean Pelekanos 62’), 11. Lachie Constable (19. Jason Cakovski 80’), 22. Blake Ricciuto, 23. Hunter Elliott (2. Daniel Collins, 62’), 77. So Kataoka,
Subs not used: 20. Ricardo Rizzo
Yellow Cards: Blake Ricciuto 15’, Brendan Cholakian 62’, Lachie Griffiths 66’
Red Cards: Nil
Sutherland Sharks: 1. Nenad Vekic, 2. Kotaro Katsuta, 4. Mitch Stamatellis, 5. Takahide Umebachi, 7. Lachlan McDonald, 8. Mo Ahmed (17. Richard Shoueiki 89’), 11. Jay McGowan, 15. Matthew Moric (6. Sam Gulisano 75’), 26. Jake Garner, 27. Matty Jackson (3. Jordan Roberts 62’), 77. Levi Sciuriaga (10. Mason Fernandez 62’)
Subs not used: 14. Chris Lindsay, 99. Jacob Cremen-Cowan
Yellow Cards: Mitch Stamatellis 1’, Lachie McDonald 21’, Matthew Moric 39’, Jake Garner 40’, Jay McGowan 47’, Mo Ahmed 75’
Red cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Alec Urosevski (RI)
2 – Mitch Stamatellis (SS)
1 – Giorgio Speranza (RI)
By NPL NSW Men’s Reporter Micky Brock