Report courtesy of Football NSW:
Barely more than a stone’s throw apart geographically and separated by just a single point on the ladder, Rockdale Ilinden (6th) and their visitors St George FC (4th) met in this fiercely local Easter Sunday Round 9 derby at Ilinden Sports Centre.
What unfolded was a blockbuster encounter, with the home side surging to a commanding 3–0 victory.
It was a full-blooded, high-intensity clash featuring a red card, multiple cautions, and plenty of goalmouth action.
Rockdale struck first through a credited Ollie Wiggin effort on the half-hour mark, shortly after St George had been reduced to 10 men. Late first-half goals from Moudi Najjar pouncing on a loose ball and Mathieu Cordier, finishing after sustained pressure, ensured Ilinden went into the break firmly in control.
St George FC had little choice but to throw caution to the wind in the second half. While they came close on a couple of occasions, they were largely denied by the defensive resolve of Lachlan Griffiths and Isaac Danzo, with Griffiths producing several last-ditch tackles in a standout display at the back.
Rockdale, as has been their hallmark at home this season, started with pace and urgency, pinning their opponents deep in their own half. However, it was Griffiths who was called into action early, making a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny Justin Poon in the 5th minute after the forward had beaten the offside trap from a beautifully weighted ball over the top.
To their credit, St George FC weathered the early storm and worked their way into the contest, though they struggled to create any clear-cut chances.
Ilinden began carving out opportunities but lacked the finishing touch in the final third—something they would soon correct in emphatic fashion as the half wore on.
The turning point came in the 25th minute when St George FC were reduced to 10 men. Evan Souris was shown a straight red card after a late and heavy challenge on Brendan Cholakian, with referee Matt Staples consulting his assistants before making the call. It was the correct decision, and it left the visitors facing an uphill battle.
Rockdale capitalised quickly. Wiggin was credited with the opener from a Cordier cross on the left in the 30th minute. It wasn’t the cleanest finish—bundled over the line rather than struck cleanly, but the home crowd cared little as their side took the lead.
St George responded with urgency.
Jayden Seeto came agonisingly close to equalising with a diving header from a Poon delivery, only to see it cleared off the line. Moments later, Jaden Casella delivered a free-kick that found Chris McStay, whose powerful effort took a slight deflection and went out for a corner. McStay, a former Ilinden player, was soon shown a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Ilinden left-back Giorgio Speranza and was lucky to have survived what could have been a different colour.
Rockdale doubled their lead through Najjar, who notched his sixth of the season after reacting quickest to a loose ball.
The hosts weren’t done yet. Deep into stoppage time, Cordier added a third on the counterattack, finishing clinically after finding space.
In fairness to the visitors, they felt aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty moments before the third goal, when Jayden Seeto appeared to be hauled back in the area by Reo Kunimoto. The appeals were waved away, and Rockdale punished them immediately on the break.
The second half saw St George forced to sit deeper, looking to counterattack and utilise the pace of substitute Harrison Farrow.
However, it was largely one-way traffic, with Rockdale pushing for a fourth while St George battled bravely to avoid further damage.
Farrow had a late opportunity for a consolation goal, but his deflected effort drifted wide after a scuffed strike.
As second-half spectacles go, the contest lacked the intensity of the first period, with the result all but decided. Both managers took the opportunity to rotate their squads, handing valuable minutes to bench players.
Ultimately, Rockdale had done the damage in a devastating first-half display, claiming local bragging rights and three crucial points to leapfrog their rivals on the ladder.
While Rockdale had already looked the stronger side before the send-off, the red card proved decisive.
For St George FC, now dealing with an extended injury list, the defeat marks a third consecutive loss, a concerning trend they will be eager to reverse as soon as possible.
Match Stats
Rockdale Ilinden: 3 (Ollie Wiggin 30’, Moudi Najjar 42’, Mathieu Cordier 45+2’)
St. George FC: 0
Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale Sunday 5th April 2026
Referee: Matthew Staples
Assistants: Isaac Riggs & Arinath Gobinath Fourth Official: Tom Seldon
Rockdale Ilinden: 1. Levi Kaye, 3. Lachlan Griffiths (2. Hunter Elliott 61’), 4. Reo Kunimoto, 5. Giorgio Speranza, 6. Isaac Danzo, 7.Ollie Wiggin (22. Harry McCarthy 61’), 9. Moudi Najjar (17. Mohamed Adam 79’), 10. Brendan Cholakian (19. Dean Jovcevski 79’), 11. Lochlan Constable, 26. Harry van der Saag, 66. Mathieu Cordier (8. Jerry Skotadis 67’) Subs Not Used: 16. Michael Marcevski, 21. Ronan Mulgrew Yellow Cards: Ollie Wiggin 56’
Red Cards: Nil
St. George FC: 13. Sebastian La Luz, 2. Rocco Smith (6. Pat O’Shea 46’), 4. Jayden Seeto, 5. Nicholas Kalogerou, 7. Justin Poon (25.Harrison Farrow 46’), 8. Evan Souris, 10. Jayden Casella, 16. Kaiyden Wright (11. Anthony Moraboti 70’), 20. Kota Toyooka (12. Stevan Stanic-Floody 82’), 21. Harry Keys (23. Javier Rodriguez 70’), 88.
Chris McStay
Subs not used: 9. Jake Trew, 40. Marcus Petrovski Yellow Cards: Justin Poon 36’, Chris McStay 39’
Red Cards: Evan Souris 25’
Player Ratings
3 – Isaac Danzo (RI)
2 – Moudi Najjar (RI)
1 – Lachlan Griffiths (RI)