Match of the Round
Kahibah FC 2-2 Thornton Redbacks FC
This week’s Match of The Round lived up to its title after Kahibah FC and Thornton Redbacks FC contested a 2-2 draw that included a 90th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot.
The Redbacks were leading 2-1 at Kahibah Oval before the hosts won a penalty that was converted by substitute Rhys Tippett, who had entered the field eight minutes earlier.
Thornton struck first when Coby Jenkinson found the back of the net on the half-hour mark before Tyson Masters equalised two minutes out from the break.
Pat Wand restored Thornton’s lead when he made the score 2-1 in the 74th minute, but it was short-lived by Tippett’s stoppage-time strike from the spot as the two sides earned a point each.
Redbacks coach Nima Nikfarjam was disappointed after the match and thought his side deserved the three points.
“I’ve seen better days,” Nikfarjam said.
“It was a game of two halves. In the first half, we controlled the majority of the game. We created multiple chances and hit the post once. We were 1-0 up and for five minutes the boys lost their concentration and they conceded an equaliser late in the half.
“Kahibah started strong in the second half. They bombarded us through the middle and they created multiple chances that our goalkeeper saved.
“We still had chances too, and we missed a couple but got it back to 2-1.
“From that moment, Kahibah played long from everywhere, which is fair enough, and then they got the penalty.”
Kahibah’s coach Matt Moncrieff thought that his side played well in patches but conceded that a draw was probably a fair result.
“We played some good football today. Got punished on transition a couple of times but basically weren’t good enough to get the three points,” Moncrieff said.
“Disappointing result on our home turf.
“We have the bye next week so we need to keep improving and get better for the last eight games.”
Moncrieff said that he was thrilled with the performance of one of his younger players, Luke Springett. Springett was an under-18s player last year and made his first-grade debut at home on the right wing in the Match of the Round.
“He was clearly our best,” Moncrieff said.
Kahibah remains in third on the table and are now just two points behind Singleton Strikers FC.
Moncrieff’s side have the bye this weekend and will resume their campaign on July 1 when they travel out to Blacksmiths Oval to challenge Belmont Swansea United FC.
Thornton are still at the bottom but are now just two points behind, Cessnock City FC, who had the bye this weekend. The Redbacks will play under lights on Friday night when they host Belmont Swansea at Thornton Park.
Toronto Awaba FC 1-0 Wallsend FC
Toronto Awaba FC have extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points after they defeated Wallsend FC 1-0 at Lyall Peacock Field on Saturday.
A 47th-minute Jarrod Purcell strike was the difference as the Stags secured the three points at home despite playing with 10 men for the final 15 minutes after goalkeeper Drew Olsen was sent off following an otherwise standout performance.
Purcell struck two minutes after half-time when he made a brilliant bending run to beat Wallsend’s offside trap and run onto a perfect Flynn Fittler pass to then steady himself and calmly slot home the goal.
The win was Toronto Awaba’s fourth on the trot and their 11th this season in 15 games. They went into the weekend four points clear of second-placed side Singleton Strikers FC and managed to extend that gap to seven points after the Strikers went down 3-2 against South Cardiff FC.
Stags coach Jarrod Hiles was pleased with his side’s ability to get the job done but thought his side got away with one.
“We were pretty lucky to be honest,” Hiles said.
“We could have been 2-0 down after 10 minutes if not for Drew. He saved a penalty in the fifth minute and made another top shelf save not long after that to keep us in the game.
“We were a bit scrappy and I think second best in the first half to be honest. We were lucky we didn’t get punished but Drew stood up when he had to.
“But we came out and scored in the second minute of the second half and that was it.
“The boys just keep finding a way to win. We ride our luck but I’m a believer in you make your own luck.
“We’ve been working pretty hard and we work for each other.”
Toronto Awaba will return to Lyall Peacock Field this Saturday when they host Singleton in a top-of-the-table clash in the Match of the Round.
Wallsend dropped from fifth to sixth after Saturday’s loss and will hit the road again this Sunday when they travel to Turner Park to take on Cessnock City Hornets FC.
Singleton Strikers FC 2-3 South Cardiff FC
Singleton Strikers FC and South Cardiff FC produced a thriller 2-3 result but it was the Gunners that got the job done at Howe Park.
South Cardiff were forced to overturn a two-goal deficit and they left it late to find the winner after the score was locked at 2-all when the match entered stoppage time.
The Strikers established an early lead when the Gunners’ Corey Fletcher scored an own goal in the 13th minute. Jackson Cox found the back of the net for Singleton five minutes later to extend their lead to 2-0.
Thomas Walker pulled one back for the Gunners in the 42nd minute and then equalised from the penalty spot in the 75th.
Substitute Vincent Asembo, who entered the match in the 85th minute, got onto the end of a cutback and scored from close range as the Gunners completed the comeback.
South Cardiff coach Perry Mellon was happy that his men weathered an early storm and scored a crucial win.
“Singleton came out all guns blazing and put us to the sword early. We were lucky to only be 2-0 down,” Mellon said.
“We managed to sneak a goal back just before half-time.
“Our organisation and quality improved in the second half, dominating possession and chances created.
“We had a couple good chances to win the game late and took one of them in the 93rd to come away with a much-needed three points to kick-start our run home.”
South Cardiff’s latest win sees them leapfrog both Belmont Swansea FC and Wallsend FC to finish the weekend in fifth.
Singleton remains second on the table but are now seven points behind leaders Toronto Awaba FC.
West Wallsend SFC 1-0 Belmont Swansea United FC
A Luke Willard goal separated the sides when West Wallsend SFC hosted Belmont Swansea United FC at Johnston Park on Sunday.
A tidy finish from a tight angle across the goalkeeper saw Willard put West Wallsend ahead in the 40th minute.
Westy gained another advantage two minutes later when Joel Nicholson was sent off for BelSwansjust before half-time.
Despite BelSwans playing with 10 men for the entire second-half, they still found a way to dominate in patches. The side created several chances but were kept out by West Wallsend goalkeeper Blake Redman, who made a few big saves to help secure the 1-0 victory for West Wallsend.
Westy remains fourth on the table but have narrowed the gap between Kahibah in third to one point. They still trail ladder leaders Toronto Awaba FC by seven points.
BelSwans have dropped from sixth to seventh but are just one point outside the top five. They will look to bounce back in style when they play away from home under lights on Friday night at Thornton Park against the Redbacks.