It may have taken three rounds, but Sydney Olympic FC have finally got its 2024 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season off the ground with a convincing display, defeating staunch rivals Sydney United 58 6-0 in front of their home fans at Belmore Sports Ground on Saturday.
Two goals in the first half from Teng Kuol and Roy O’Donovan were followed up by four in the second via Abraham Majok, Oliver Puflett, Jaden Casella and second by Kuol as the home side impressed.
In the 12th minute Sydney United 58 had the first real chance of the game. Shunta Nakamura created space down the right channel and sent a cross to Carlos De Oliveira in the middle, but his low shot on goal was met with a great save by Noah James to his left.
Sydney Olympic replied in the 18th minute when Adam Parkhouse danced his way through some defence outside the box before bringing out the best in Oliver Kalac who saved well to his right to prevent the opening goal.
A few minutes later Sydney United 58 went up the other end and the ball fell nicely for Matthew Hatch on the left who fired his powerful left-footed shot straight into the side netting.
A Sydney Olympic corner was fisted away by Kalac in the 25th minute but only as far as Michael Vakis on the edge of the box who met it with a powerful volley that took a slight deflection and finished just a fraction wide of the goal.
The home side then had the ball in the back of the net in the 30th minute but the goal took some time to be awarded as referee Stephen Lucas deliberated for a while on the sideline with his assistant Cameron Wright as the issue centred on a possible offside.
Parkhouse’s shot was parried by Kalac to Teng Kuol who, from close range, turned it in at his second attempt as Kalac had managed to block his first attempt. Sydney Olympic then duly celebrated their opening goal.
In the 37th minute Sydney Olympic doubled their lead as they were awarded a penalty when Vakis was brought down in the penalty area by Bailey Rule. It was the veteran Roy O’Donovan who confidently went to the spot and sent the visiting ‘keeper the wrong way. The first half thus ended with Olympic ahead by two goals.
Very early in the second stanza of play Sydney Olympic should really have made it three when a diagonal rocket from the right by William Mutch crashed straight into the base of the post.
However, Sydney Olympic didn’t have to wait too long to have their third when Kuol scored his second in the 53rd as he rose up at the far post to meet a corner from Darcy Burgess and head it home.
Sydney United 58 went to the bench in the 60th minute and made a triple substitution to shuffle the cards around and add fresh legs into the clash, but it didn’t seem to pay off as Sydney Olympic scored again shortly afterwards.
It was the 64th minute when the ball made its way across the face of goal thanks to some nice Parkhouse work before reaching Abraham Majok who slotted it home nicely.
In the 75th minute a free kick from the left reached Oliver Puflett in the box but his delightful header, which seemed destined to hit the back of the net, took a slight deflection and went wide.
Sydney Olympic then made it five in the 83rd minute when from really nothing it was Oliver Puflett who, on the turn, fired into the back of the net,
The sixth goal, and the nail in the coffin, arrived in the 88th minute when Puflett crossed the ball from the by-line and from close range Jaden Casella who was ‘johnny on the spot’ and knocked it in.
Post game Sydney Olympic coach Labinot Haliti was understandably delighted with his club’s first victory of the year, but was not getting too carried away.
“It’s not about the score,” he said.
“When we get a loss or a draw it is easy to say things are not working, but I said about 10 months ago that it is a process.
“Today we took another step forward in the way we want to play. In the last two weeks the boys have been unbelievably good, and the Chairman and the CEO have also great belief in the boys and I can’t be more proud of them.
“Everything went well today but I was impressed just the same with our first two games. The score is great today but even in our first game we had chance after chance and it’s a process about where we want to be heading.
“We will take it one game at a time and make no mistake about it, Sydney United is a good club but we believe in what we are doing.”
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Source: Football NSW.
