Match of the Round
West Wallsend SFC 2-2 South Cardiff FC
West Wallsend SFC coach Bailey Cox believed ill-discipline cost them in their 2-2 draw with South Cardiff FC at Johnston Park on Sunday afternoon.
The two sides who were looking for their second win of the season couldn’t be separated for large amounts of time in the first half with an end-to-end contest on show.
South Cardiff’s Brendon King continued his efforts from round one with a shot on target in the 10th minute but was unable to find the back of the net.
The two sides worked overtime to get on the scoreboard but it was West Wallsend who broke first.
Dain Greentree sent a spectacular ball into the box and found Spencer Clarke who wasted no time to head the ball into the back of the net.
The Bluebells weren’t slowing down and had a promising attack off a corner kick in the 36th minute but Gunners’ goalkeeper Izaac Terry denied them a second goal.
West Wallsend didn’t have to wait long for their second of the match when Kaleb Cox launched a low ball through the feet of his opponents into the bottom left corner in the 45th minute sending his side into half-time leading 2-0.
The Bluebells weren’t backing down in the second half when Josh Carroll produced an immediate header making Terry pull out another save.
West Wallsend looked to make it 3-0 after Spencer Clarke was brought down just outside the box by Jackson Pereira and awarded a free kick.
Carroll hoped to secure his first goal of the match but sent the ball flying over the crossbar.
Bluebells goalkeeper Blake Redman was put to work in the final 30 minutes of the match when the Gunners broke through their defence and Lucas Egge had a powerful shot denied by Redman.
Egge had another attempt to claw one back for side just moments later but was once again denied by Redman.
The Gunners secured their first goal of the match in the 89th minute when Callum Cousins sent the ball over Redman’s head and into the back of the net.
The game appeared to be in its final moments following a South Cardiff corner but a scuffle in the box sent both sides down to 10 men.
South Cardiff Anthony Carter and West Wallsend Blake Redman were handed their marching orders in the 90th minute after receiving straight reds for violent conduct.
After discussions between the referee and his linesmen, it was determined the initial offence took place before the ball had been kicked and the Gunners retook the corner in the dying moments of the match.
South Cardiff sent the ball into the box finding Pereira who headed the ball into the back of the net in the 97th minute and secured his side a point.
Bailey Cox believed his side took their foot off the pedal in the final 20 minutes.
“I thought we were really good for 80 minutes but then took the foot off and let them back in,” Bailey Cox said.
“We were really comfortable for 80% or more of the game but we can’t be doing that if we want to achieve anything.”
Besides letting South Cardiff back into the match, Bailey Cox believed discipline lost them two points.
“We just took our foot off, that was our only problem,” Bailey Cox said.
“Nothing changed for us other than that and being ill disciplined, throwing the game away.
“From what my lads have said and what the referee explained it’s just discipline that cost us two points.”
South Cardiff coach Perry Mellon believed his side dug deep to secure a point.
“First-half we were probably not that great,” Mellon said.
“Not aggressive enough, not organised enough.
“Second half we were better, we didn’t create too many chances, but we dug deep in and got a point at the end.”
Despite pushing the Bluebells to the very end, Mellon believes they are still the team to beat.
“They’re still the team to beat, especially at Westy they’re tough to play against,” Mellon said.
“It’s a positive that we could come away with something.
“So, maybe we are up there, maybe we’re not.”
West Wallsend will travel away from home for the first time this season when they travel to Turner Park to take on Cessnock City Hornets. While South Cardiff will travel to Ladbroke Gardens going head-to-head with Wallsend FC.
Kahibah FC 4-1 Thornton Redbacks
Thornton Redbacks FC coach Scott Winslade believed his side was the better team in their 4-1 defeat to Kahibah FC at Kahibah Oval on Friday night.
Robbie Turnbull opened the game for Kahibah finding the back of the net 17 minutes into the first half.
Rams’ striker Daniel Byrne didn’t slow down from round one netting his fourth goal of the season in the 20th minute.
Thornton clawed one back moments later in the 22nd minute when Caleb Walz was able to make something out of nothing and score his first goal of the season.
The second half continued an even contest between the sides until Redbacks Josh Gorman was sent his marching orders after receiving a second yellow.
Gorman was awarded a yellow card in the 66th minute for a reckless challenge, followed by a second yellow for dissent just seconds later.
Despite going down to 10 men the Redbacks kept pushing for an equaliser but were caught on the counter by a strong Kahibah defensive line.
Things went from bad to worse for Thornton when Byrne scored his second for the evening in the 85th minute and Jonathon Middleby hit the back of the net in the 90th minute.
Despite their second 4-1 loss in just as many weeks Winslade believed his side were the stronger team in the contest.
“I think we played quite well, the scoreline again doesn’t really represent the game,” Winslade said.
“We played the majority of the second half with 10 men and were probably the better side in that time.
“To be honest when we went down to 10 men we stepped it up and my players left everything out and it was only two late goals that finished the game off.
“But when we were 2-1 down and down to 10 we hit the crossbar, we had a close free kick that just went wide so we were still creating, we were still pushing hard and you know the football gods will turn at some point.”
Winslade thought tough calls against his side contributed to their loss on Friday night.
“They got a lot of lucky decisions last night and they’ll be grateful for that,” said Winslade.
“It didn’t seem to go both ways and we were the ones that suffered from that.”
Thornton will travel for the third week in a row when they search for their first win of the season against Dudley Redhead United SFC. While Kahibah will hope to continue their winning streak when they go up against Lake Macquarie City FC.
Toronto Awaba FC 3-0 Wallsend FC
Toronto Awaba FC kept the good times rolling when they defeated Wallsend FC 3-0 on Friday night at Lyall Peacock Oval.
Wallsend can take a positive away from the defeat knowing they didn’t concede until the 12th minute, a major improvement compared to round one when Kahibah FC netted three in the first seven minutes.
Stags captain Zane Winslade put his mark on the competition scoring his first goal of the season in the 12th minute.
Winslade didn’t have to wait long for his second when he found the back of the net in the 63rd minute.
Things went from bad to worse for the Red Devils when right back Piaget Abayo was sent his marching orders in the 71st minute for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity.
The Stags cemented their win in the 90th minute when Kye Howland scored his first goal of the season.
Toronto will want to make it three from three when they host Singleton Strikers at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility next Saturday.
Wallsend will be searching for their first win of the season when they return home to host South Cardiff FC.
Dudley Redhead United 1-0 Singleton Strikers
Dudley Redhead United secured their first win of the season in front of a home crowd when they defeated Singleton Strikers FC 1-0 at Lydon Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The Thistles’ came out firing, dominating the first 20 minutes before the Strikers settled into the match.
It was an end-to-end contest but neither team were able to break through sending the sides into half-time locked up 0-0.
Dudley continued their dominant performance in the second half but were continuously denied by Strikers’ goalkeeper Stuart Plant.
A blow came for the Strikers when midfielder Jackson Cox received his second yellow of the match in the 75th minute for dissent.
The Thistles’ played to their advantage, testing the Strikers defence through a series of corners and continuously putting Plant to work.
Dudley secured all three points in the dying moments of the game when the ball from a corner dropped to the feet of Joel Bucci at the edge of the box.
Bucci launched the ball into the top right corner, locking in his side's first win of the season.
Dudley will go searching for the second win of the season when they welcome Thornton Redbacks home on Saturday afternoon.
Singleton will travel to Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday afternoon looking to put a stop to Toronto Awaba’s winning ways.
Cessnock City Hornets 2-1 Lake Macquarie City FC
Cessnock City Hornets secured their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon when they defeated Lake Macquarie City FC 2-1 at Turner Park.
For the second week in a row, Lake Macquarie found the back of the net first before falling short at the end.
Rooster Tate Bennellick opened up the scoring in the 11th minute netting the only goal for the first half.
It was an end-to-end contest with each team searching for a goal but were continuously denied.
Cessnock’s Zachary Kronholm found his chance when he netted the Hornets’ first goal of the season in the 65th minute, equalising with the Roosters.
The Hornets didn’t have to wait long for the opportunity to extend their lead when awarded a penalty.
But Lakes goalkeeper Cobe Preston stepped up for his side and saved his second penalty in as many rounds denying Cessnock the lead.
Momentum changed when Lakes defender Matthew Langton received a second yellow in the 78th minute for stopping a promising attack and sent his side down to 10 men.
Things continued to go downhill for the Roosters when Kronholm scored his second for the afternoon just four minutes later to take Cessnock to victory.
The Hornets will be looking to kick-start a winning streak when they go head-to-head with undefeated West Wallsend SFC next Sunday afternoon.
Lake Macquarie will continue to search for their first win of the season when they host Kahibah FC on Friday night.