Match of the Round
West Wallsend SFC v Cessnock City Hornets
The match of the round was a fierce contest between West Wallsend SFC and Cessnock City Hornets was cut short at Johnston Park on Saturday after an injury to a Cessnock player that required an ambulance to transport him to hospital.
A collision between two players occurred in the 57th minute and forced the referees to abandon the game.
Saturday afternoon’s game was a momentous occasion at Johnston Park as crowd favourite Bailey Jensen lined up for his 100th game for West Wallsend.
Jensen got on the scoresheet in the third minute much to the delight of the Bluebells faithful. The hosts won a penalty after Spencer Clarke was fouled in the box and Jensen drove a powerful strike into the bottom left corner from the spot.
Cessnock equalised in the 20th minute when their leading goal-scorer Zac Kronholm netted at the back stick from a corner, and the two sides then went into the half-time break level at 1-1.
A rocket from the West Wallsend coaching staff at the break worked wonders as the home side looked much sharper out of the sheds in the second stanza and went back ahead in the 48th minute.
Ben Hawes, who was a half-time substitute, scored a bullet header on debut after getting onto the end of a classy Jake Bower cross to make the score 2-1.
The collision that ended the game occurred just under 10 minutes later and it led to Cessnock initially being awarded a penalty kick. But they were unable to take it before the match was abandoned.
The two side’s coaches commended the referee’s decision and the manner in which it was made and explained.
It has been confirmed Lucas Egge sustained multiple injuries which included a broken collarbone, gash to the face and a concussion.
The Cessnock player was in good spirits and looked forward to returning to the field in two or three months’ time.
The Bluebells’ coach Bailey Cox thought that his side delivered some of their best and worst football on the day.
“First 20 minutes of the first half we were unreal, but the 20 minutes after that was probably the worst we’ve played all year,” Cox said.
“We came out in the second half and we’d gotten a reaction out of the boys, and I thought we were looking alright and then the game ended.”
West Wallsend finished the weekend seventh after the abandoned game. They are five points outside the top four and their next match is against a team above them on the ladder when they travel to Howe Park this Saturday to challenge Singleton Strikers.
Cessnock are eighth and face a tough assignment on Saturday when they host undefeated league leaders Belmont Swansea United at Turner Park.
The match will be rescheduled to be played at a later date.
Thornton Redbacks FC 2-2 South Cardiff FC
Thornton Redbacks FC and South Cardiff FC shared the points in a 2-2 draw after they met at the picturesque Maitland No1 Sportsground on Saturday afternoon.
South Cardiff opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Justin Banek got onto the end of a cross and made no mistake with his strike.
The Redbacks hit back in the 35th minute when Mamadou Diop netted his second goal of the campaign when he found the bottom corner with a curling strike.
The Gunners went into half-time with a one-goal advantage after Alex Phillips made the score 2-1 in the 43rd minute when he charged onto a Brendon King cross and found the back of the net with a first-time finish.
Thornton snatched one back again eight minutes after play restarted when Diop got in behind and hit the post with his attempt before his strike partner Jack Wetney pounced and got to the deflection first to score into an empty net.
The score remained 2-2 when the full-time whistle sounded, as the two sides were unable to capatlise on their chances.
Redbacks co-coach Gary Wand thought that his side was not at their best but declared the match would have been an entertaining one to watch as a neutral.
“We were a bit rusty to start with and we conceded a very soft goal to go behind,” Wand said.
“We went behind twice and it was a tough ground to come back on. The Sportsground really suited their style of play because they play a very expansive game.
“Our two guys up front, Jack and Mo, gave them all sorts of trouble, but defensively we weren’t great.
“It would have been a good game to watch if you were a neutral because at one stage it was end to end.”
South Cardiff’s coach Perry Mellon thought that a draw was a fair result and believed that both teams could have put away more goals than they did.
“We played okay and it was a pretty even game to be honest,” Mellon said.
“After it got to 2-all, they scored an offside goal and missed a couple of other chances and we missed a couple of one-on-ones. It could have been four or five all, really.
“A draw was probably a fair result at the end of the day.”
Thornton dropped to third on the table as Kahibah joined them and fourth-placed Toronto Awaba on 12 points but jumped to second on goal difference.
Thornton will host Toronto Awaba next Saturday in a battle for second spot, but the venue of that match is not yet confirmed with Thornton Park out of action until May.
South Cardiff are now fifth after they too were overtaken by Kahibah, and they will travel to The Gardens on Sunday where they will fight to return to the top four when they challenge Wallsend in the match of the round.
Singleton Strikers FC 2-2 Toronto Awaba FC
Toronto Awaba’s ten men were able to scrap a 2-2 draw against Singleton Strikers FC on Saturday night.
The match had barely begun when Toronto’s goalkeeper Drew Olsen charged out to intercept a pass but instead cleaned up Singleton’s Antoine Penot just outside the 18-yard box and received a red card in the third minute.
That brought Reef Parker off the bench to replace Olsen between the sticks and Kye Howland was sacrificed to make way for the reserve grade goalkeeper as the Stags were forced to play the remainder of the game a man down.
The Strikers opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Corey Cleaver chipped a cross to the back stick and Joel Barner got onto the end of it and headed it into the back of the net.
Singleton extended their lead in the 38th minute when Penot found the bottom right corner with a shot from just inside the box after a pass from Brad Cox, who made a sensational run upfield from deep in his own half before he provided the assist.
The Strikers took the 2-0 lead into the half-time break but the Stags pulled a goal back early in the second stanza.
Nick Roberts charged onto a pin-point Connor Fitzpatrick through ball and slotted it into an empty net after rounding the keeper in the 50th minute.
Roberts and Fitzpatrick combined again for the equaliser in the 83rd minute when Fitzpatrick chipped a cross in behind the Singleton defence into the box and Roberts headed it into the back of the net to make the score 2-2.
That was the way it remained at full-time as the two sides took a point each out of the contest.
For Singleton’s coach Doug West, it certainly felt like two points dropped.
“We were poor in terms of managing the game to the result and sticking to the game plan,” West said.
“There were stages and phases where we were effective and stuck to the plans. Going into half-time 2-0 up, the job was done at that stage and we were managing the game.
“The way we delivered the second half was pretty disappointing. I don’t think it’s a learning curve because the players that were on the park are experienced enough not to have learning curves. I think they just need to be better at delivering and executing the game plan.
“We went forward in numbers, particularly in the first half. We created a lot of opportunities in the second half as well, but we just couldn’t get that final pass away to kill the game off with a third goal.”
Toronto Awaba’s coach Jarrad Hiles was proud of his side for their gutsy effort on a night when they were already without six first grade regulars.
“It didn’t really go to script with Drew getting sent off after three minutes,” Hiles said.
“It was a real gutsy effort because we were missing a stack of players to start with. So to go down to 10 men so early and then be 2-0 down at half-time, but to then get something out of the game, it just shows a lot of courage and character I think.
“I was pleased to get something out of it, but driving home I couldn’t help but think what would have been if we had 11 on the park.”
The Stags moved to 12 points following Saturday night’s draw but dropped from third to fourth after they were overtaken by Kahibah. Kahibah, Thornton and Toronto Awaba are all locked on 12 points, nine behind league leaders Belmont Swansea.
Toronto Awaba’s next league fixture will be away from home against Thornton on Saturday, but they will play an Australia Cup match against Hamilton Azzurri on Wednesday night at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
Singleton are ranked sixth with eight points following Saturday’s draw and they will return to Howe Park this Saturday afternoon when they host West Wallsend.
Kahibah FC 4-0 Wallsend FC
Kahibah finished the weekend with a bang on home soil on Sunday afternoon when they scored a 4-0 victory against Wallsend at Kahibah Oval.
The hosts ran over the top of the Red Devils after the score was locked at 0-0 with 20 minutes to play.
Half-time substitute Lachlan Hodgetts broke the deadlock with a tidy finish from the top of the 18-yard box in the 71st minute before the in-form Daniel Byrne bagged a double with goals in the 73rd and 81st minutes.
There was an overwhelming sense of excitement around Kahibah Oval in the 82nd minute when 14-year-old Cooper Ross entered the game as a substitute in what was his maiden first grade game.
Ross made an instant impact as he set up the fourth and final goal for the hosts which was finished off by Riley Ferguson as Kahibah ran away with a 4-0 victory.
Kahibah’s coach Matt Moncrieff said that he was pleased with the way his side grinded out the win and that he liked what he saw from his defenders, who have now conceded just one goal in their past three matches.
Moncrieff also commended Wallsend for their grit and determination in defence, and labelled them as a team that will be dangerous when things start to click for them and go their way.
The three points launched Kahibah from fifth to second as they joined third-placed Thornton and fourth-placed Toronto Awaba on 12 points but leapfrogged them on goal difference. Those three sides are nine points behind league leaders Belmont Swansea.
BelSwans are Kahibah’s next opponents on Wednesday, April 24, after Moncrieff’s men sit out with the round 10 bye this weekend.
Wallsend is now last with three points after Sunday’s loss and they will go in search of their second win of the season this Saturday against South Cardiff at The Gardens in the match of the round.
Belmont Swansea United FC had the bye.
