NWS Spirit FC have snapped a five-game winless run with a commanding and thoroughly dominant 3-0 victory over cellar dwellers Sydney Olympic FC at Christie Park on Saturday night.
From the opening whistle, NWS Spirit asserted control, showing composure in possession and limiting Sydney Olympic to only fleeting and half-chance opportunities inside their attacking third.
Their early pressure soon told, with sustained attacking phases forcing veteran Ziggy Gordon into a clumsy challenge inside the penalty area, resulting in a clear spot-kick for the home side. Kosta Petratos stepped up confidently and made no mistake, calmly dispatching the penalty into the bottom left corner. Despite goalkeeper Anthony Carreras diving the right way, the strike had too much precision and power.
Spirit continued to threaten immediately after, piling numbers forward in search of a second goal, but their next opportunity was initially flagged offside after a dangerous delivery into the box.
Sydney Olympic did briefly show signs of life through Lucas Williams, who delivered a promising cross right across the face of goal, but two attackers failed to commit as the chance drifted harmlessly through the area.
Discipline began to play its part in a tense spell of the match, with Samuel Bosnjak shown the first yellow card of the evening for a foul on Kaan Nizam just outside the penalty area. Not long after, Corey Kavanagh was also booked following a careless challenge as Spirit maintained their physical edge.
The pressure eventually paid off again in the 35th minute, with Petratos doubling both his tally and Spirit’s advantage. A well-worked move involving Andre Takami and Benjamin Duroux sliced open the Olympic defence, allowing Petratos to finish coolly past Carreras and make it 2-0.
Sydney Olympic’s frustrations continued into the second half, picking up another early yellow card as Spirit again won territory and a dangerous free kick in a promising position.
From the set piece, the delivery was perfectly placed onto Petratos, who produced a moment of class with a sharp backheel finish to complete his hat-trick and put the result beyond doubt.
Olympic’s goalkeeper was then fortunate to avoid a red card after a reckless challenge as the ball was running out, with Spirit once again awarded a dangerous free kick from a threatening position.
Petratos remained a constant threat throughout the remainder of the contest, with Ziggy Gordon forced into several key defensive interventions to prevent further damage.
Spirit controlled possession and game tempo in the closing stages, comfortably seeing out the match and securing all three points. Despite the victory, they remain six points adrift at the bottom of the table following Blacktown City FC’s win over Sutherland Sharks.
NWS Spirit FC head coach Sergio Malfara said it was great to finally pick up some points.
“We’re super happy,” Malfara said.
“Obviously, it’s been a bit of a tough run for us but credit to the players and the staff, we’ve been working around the clock to try and turn it around.
“Today was just a result of the hard work they put in.”
