ROUND 13 REVIEW – NPL 3 NSW MEN’S
You only have to look at the top of the table to see just how competitive this league really is.
As it stands, there are three teams locked on 27 points following the conclusion of round 13 in the 2021 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition.
An efficient night out saw Bankstown City spring one of the shock results as they overcame league leaders Rydalmere Lions; Sydney Uni showed just how dangerous they can be as they saw off Magic while Bankstown United are enjoying a fantastic run as they secured back-to-back derby victories.
All the action from those fixtures and more is covered in this latest edition, so without further ado, let’s unpack all the finer details of round 13.
Sydney University SFC – Gladesville Ryde Magic 4-2
Sydney Uni are on cloud nine after they dispatched of Magic 4-2 at Valentine Sports Park on Friday night.
Peter Crevani got the scoring underway on 11 minutes before Scott Tonkin grabbed his first Uni goal since returning to give his side a 2-0 lead as they headed into the sheds.
The hosts onslaught continued after the interval with ex-Magic star Jordan Barrett coming back to haunt his former club on the 48th minute mark.
The away side did eventually find a way back into the encounter as Chris Gaitatzis pulled one back to make it 3-1 however it was Barrett who popped up yet again to return the margin back to three in the 67th minute.
The scoring was not done there as Gaitatzis also secured a second half brace but it turned out to be a consolation as they suffered their third defeat in four weeks.
For Uni, they are now undefeated in their last four fixtures as they gear up for a visit to Macarthur next Saturday.
Meanwhile, Magic have a date with Rydalmere at Christie Park in the Sunday kick off.
Inner West Hawks FC – Macarthur Rams FC 0-2
Macarthur Rams extended their unbeaten run to three matches after they saw off Inner West Hawks 2-0 at Arlington Oval on Saturday night.
The victory sees the Rams complete a clean sweep against the Hawks who they managed to topple 4-0 in the reverse fixture at Lynwood Park earlier this year.
The win sees them jump up one place in the standings into sixth ahead of their return to Lynwood Park to entertain Uni.
Hawks will be making the journey up the M1 next Saturday as they meet the Pirates at Pluim Park.
Dunbar Rovers FC – Central Coast United FC 2-1
It was an enjoyable night out for Dunbar as they posted their first win in almost a month, edging out Central Coast 2-1 at Heffron Park.
Neither side were able to get on the scoresheet in the first half however promising chances did fall the way of Central Coast trio Josh Cairelli, Tommy Lyons and Mason Wells.
The second half saw the game turned on its head when Dunbar’s Gianni Costantino was dismissed for a professional foul. However, it was the hosts who were actually able to break ahead thanks to Tod Bamber’s effort.
An Adam Woodbine strike saw Stu Davis’ side level the scoring but they were ultimately left with nothing to show for their efforts when Matt Nezval came up with the winner with the last kick of the match.
The Pirates’ away form is a concern for Davis’ side as they return to the Central Coast to prepare for their fixture against the Hawks.
Meanwhile, a difficult test awaits Dunbar next Saturday as they host a well-organised Bankstown United who are skyrocketing up the ladder.
Bankstown City FC – Rydalmere Lions FC 2-1
A massive result played out at Jensen Park as Bankstown dished out what would be just Rydalmere’s second defeat of the campaign.
It all appeared to be going to script for Gavin Rae’s Rydalmere as they took a 1-0 lead into half time via their leading marksman, Matt West.
However, the usual suspects for Bankstown City turned the game on its head with two crucial goals in the final quarter of an hour.
The first of those suspects was Ante Tomic whose screamer from 30 metres out settled into the bottom right corner to level the scoring.
It was then up to Nikola Todoroski who came off the bench to score the deciding goal, slotting it past the keeper after being played in by a beautiful pass from Tomic with 10 minutes remaining.
The three points for Bankstown sees them remain in third on the table but they join both Rydalmere and Dulwich Hill on 27 points.
This win over Rydalmere has paved the way for another thriller next weekend as they head to Arlington Oval to do battle with fellow high-flyers, Dully.
Rydalmere will be on the road again next round as they take part in a derby against Magic at Christie Park.
Inter Lions FC – Dulwich Hill FC 1-3
Daniel Fornito was as deadly as ever as he helped himself to a hat trick against Inter Lions who finished the match with nine men.
Fornito’s first goal of the evening came after just 10 minutes when he got in between Inter’s centre backs to head home Jonathan Green’s delightful cross.
A Nico Paras red card turned the game on its head with Inter now forced to go into damage control to avoid a potential blowout.
The pressure began to build on the home side as expected and it was the league’s leading goal scorer who soon doubled their lead from the penalty spot after Jamie Dib was brought down in the box.
John Theo’s men did manage to reduce the deficit courtesy of Owen Duke but that was about as good as it got for them with Fornito getting on the score sheet again to make it 15 goals to his name this campaign.
The fixture was soured in the final few minutes with Steven Katsionis also dismissed for the hosts after he received a second yellow card.
Eighth placed Inter now turn their attention to a must-win match against Berries while Dully go head to head against Bankstown in what is sure to be an entertaining tie.
Canterbury Bankstown FC – Bankstown United FC 0-2
It would have been an ecstatic Bankstown United dressing room after they secured back-to-back derby victories as well as consecutive clean sheets with Berries the latest team to fall to Scott Belgre’s side.
Mitch Cross broke the deadlock for the visitors when he got on the end of a rebound off a corner to rifle home on 16 minutes.
The score remained locked at 1-0 until the final 10 minutes when Alex Salgueira confirmed the three points with an exquisite volley.
Another chance fell to Mitch Edmunds in the dying stages of the encounter however he was denied by an intuitive finger tip save by Michael Figueira.
United’s latest victory sees them overtake Magic on the ladder as they move to a season-high fourth place ahead of their meeting with Dunbar next weekend.
Meanwhile, Berries remain in 11th as they prepare for another home clash with Inter Lions their next opponent.
-By NPL 3 NSW Men’s Chief Writer Samuel Greco Schwartz (Twitter handle: @SamuelGS97)