February 25, 2023
Having witnessed APIA Leichhardt Tigers at Lambert Park first hand two weeks ago, my appetite was whetted to get up early back in the UK to watch their next home game via the npl.tv website.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/02/apia-leichhardt-tigers-6-0-rockdale.html
Having recorded a 3-1 victory last week at Sydney 58, today’s opponents were Mount Druitt Town Rangers, from the western suburbs of Sydney. Rangers had started the season with two away defeats, going down 2-4 to Sydney Under 21s and 2-3 to Sydney United, but then won their first home game 3-1 over Bulls Academy to move up to 11th in the table.
Midfielder Nikola Skataric had scored three of their goals, whilst ex-Swansea, Barry Town, Bangor City and Cyprus Under 21 international Jason Demetriou had scored once. Striker Stefan Nikolic had scored against Sydney United to put Rangers in a 2-1 lead but celebrated by taking his shirt off, received a second yellow card to be sent-off, and his side went on to lose the game. He returned today from the one-match suspension but was on the bench.
Right back Jacob Esposito made a handful of appearances for Airdrie in Scotland, but the most famous name in the Mount Druitt line up was defender Tarek Elrich, winner of 3 caps for Australia and who made nearly 300 A-League appearances in a career playing for Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United and Perth Glory.
Mount Druitt play in a yellow and green kit, not too dis-similar to the Australian national strip.
The big news prior to the start of the game was the transfer of APIA’s US striker Jason Romero, who scored four times against Rockdale Ilinden, to A-League side Macarthur. With their Mexican midfield play-maker Ulises Davila out injured for the rest of the season, Macarthur moved to sign Romero on an injury replacement contract. Visa issues had apparently prevented any A-League side from signing Romero before, but having recently received permanent residency, the move to Macarthur could now go through.
Whilst Romero would be a big loss for APIA, it gave the opportunity for Argentinian Diego Celis to step into the centre-forward role.
Bet365.com, who were also showing the match live, had APIA 2/7 favourites, Mount Druitt were 7/1 outsiders, with the draw at 9/2.
The weather at the scheduled 17.45 local time was sunny, with the temperature around 24 degrees. For some reason the match kick-off around 5 minutes late.
The crowd at today’s match looked to be much lower than for the Rockdale game, and one of the two snack bars looked to closed. Perhaps the game being played on a Saturday evening rather than late Sunday afternoon may have been a factor, but there certainly appeared to be a lot fewer children, and presumably their parents, in attendance.
The first chance of the first half fell to the visitors, but centre-back Coskerie headed over from a free-kick from the left when unmarked around 8 yards out. That though was to be virtually the last time Rangers were to be seen as an attacking force in the first half, and Demetriou spent most of his time as the lone striker chasing lost causes.
Both sides began playing pretty passing football but there was little other goal-mouth action in the opening 15 minutes. APIA’s first shot in anger arrived in the 16th minute as Celis turned past his marker and his shot-cum-cross went wide of the far post and ahead of the on-rushing Rory Jordan.
Celis came close again in the 22nd minute but his 20 yard thunderbolt took a slight deflection off a defender to go just over the bar, and Armson’s free-kick was struck a fraction long to be missed by everyone and Symons crashed into the advertising hoardings behind the goal in his effort to get on the end of it. Thankfully, he wasn’t seriously injured and was able to continue playing.
The home side continued to dominate and after Jordan beat his full-back he could only cross straight at keeper Niski, and then Elrich showed good awareness to take the ball off Celis as he was heading toward the Rangers penalty area.
A good move in the 34th minute saw shots from Monge and Jordan blocked, but the breakthrough finally came two minutes later. A flat corner found its way to left back Dakota Askew on the right beyond the far post, and after taking one touch to control, he lashed the ball through a number of bodies into the roof of the net.
APIA pressed for a second goal, and Stewart saw his header from a cross by Celis palmed away by Niski, and on the stroke of half-time, a dynamite 25 yarder from Askew deflected off Celis and just over the bar. However, it remained 1-0 at the interval.
Rangers did muster a shot on goal early in the second period but Demetriou’s long-range left footed attempt went a few feet wide. However, APIA doubled their lead in the 55th minute when Stewart cleverly chipped the ball over a defender to himself to create a 3 on 2 attack, and his pass to Celis saw the Argentinian cut back on to his right foot and send a curler from just outside the area into the bottom corner of the net.
Mount Druitt’s response was to take off Demetriou and replace him with Nikolic but it had little immediate impact as APIA nearly scored a third, but Nicolaou’s header from Armson’s corner was headed off the line by Desilva. Celis then set-up Farinella, but the 20 yard effort was pushed away by Niski.
The Rangers goal remained under siege, and it resembled a shooting gallery as a good move involving Nicolaou, Stewart and Askew resulted in a shot from Farinella being blocked and Armson firing just wide.
The visitors emptied their bench and the changes seemed to give them more energy as they started to gain parity of possession, but there was very little in the way of thrills and spills. The closest was Coskerie sending a free-kick into the side netting.
The floodlights came on for the final 10 minutes as the twilight started to creep in and a couple of substitutions in the closing stages by APIA returned the initiative back to them. Keeper Niski dropped a cross from Farinella under pressure but Denmead could only put the loose ball against the prone keeper, and Farinella thought he had added a third, stretching to prod home Denmead’s cross inside the six yard box, but he was flagged for offside.
As the game moved into added on time APIA’s Kyra hit the bar from a tight angle after good work by Jordan and with just about the last piece of action, after being played in by Jordan, Denmead also hit the bar.
The score remained 2-0 at the final whistle as APIA moved to the top of the table, although Sydney Olympic could replace them if they win their game on Sunday. It was a routine victory, which probably should have been more emphatic, and keeper Necevski didn’t have a shot to save. Mount Druitt dropped to 13th.
Highlights :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CzVFvLe7mw
APIA Leichhardt : Necevski, Nicolaou, Muata-Marlow, S.Symons, Askew - Monge ( Farinella ), Ucchino, Armson, Jordan - Stewart ( Denmead ), Celis ( Kyra )
Mount Druitt Town Rangers : Niski – Esposito ( Harvey ), Coskerie, Elrich, Djordjevic – Skataric ( Faisal ), Desilva, Macerola ( Gallo ), Dias, Frangie ( Katsuta ), – Demetriou ( Nikolic )
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