Yesterday we travelled to Belmore to play the previously undefeated Sydney Olympic.
In a fantastic game, we came away winners 2-0 thanks to a brace from our leading marksman Alec Urosevski.
Full match report below courtesy of Football NSW:
Rockdale Ilinden handed Sydney Olympic it’s first defeat of the 2023 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s campaign thanks to a brace from influential club captain Alec Urosevski with a 2-0 victory in the Match of the Round clash at the Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday.
Two of the most respected clubs in the NPL NSW Men’s competition were separated by a second half brace from Urosevski who took the bull by the horns and changed the complexion of the game.
One of the NPL NSW Men’s deadliest strikers used all his experience and skill with his first goal before slotting home from the spot that sealed a huge three points to Paul Dee’s men.
The opening piece of action of the game was an early corner to Rockdale Ilinden taken by Jaden Casella and it perfectly reached Urosevski at the back post, but his header from close range was well saved by Nicholas Sorras.
Sydney Olympic replied in the 8th minute when a long range shot from Nick Fitzgerald should really have tested goalkeeper David Bradasevic but it failed to trouble Rockdale’s number one.
Urosevski, nicknamed ‘the Baker’, was already making his presence felt as his diagonal shot brought out the best in Sorras who punched away superbly.
In the 23rd minute the hosts tried their luck as Roy O’Donovan fired from outside the box, but it was as straight as an arrow and ended up in the safe hands of Bradasevic.
After the drinks break in the 27th minute, a corner that was not well cleared, ended up with Jack Simmons firing from close range, but the ever-alert Bradasevic somehow saved on his own line at the second attempt.
Late in the first half, Casella won a robust challenge in the middle of the park before sprinting away towards goal but unfortunately for the visitors when he pulled the trigger, the ball sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
While there were no goals in the first stanza of play, it was certainly a very entertaining half with chances galore to both sides.
The second half saw the match turn on its head however as the action heated up at Belmore.
The first real chance belonged to Rockdale Ilinden and it was the opening goal of the game.
A nice ball on the right found a galloping Urosevski who cut in and then fired home from an acute angle that was too difficult for Sorras to reach as the ball ended up in the top corner of the net.
Olympic made the fatal mistake of not closely guarding Urosevski who, when given an inch, will take a mile as the home side found out.
In the 56th minute Urosevski scored again by converting a penalty and blasting it straight down the middle to double Rockdale’s lead. The penalty was awarded by referee Sam Kelly when Darcy Burgess brought former Olympic player Brendan Cholakian down from behind.
It was Urosevski’s fifth goal in four games.
In the 79th minute Loic Puyo for the visitors almost put his name on the scoresheet but his resulting shot from outside the box was fired over the crossbar.
A few minutes later, Rockdale should really have made it three when the substitutes combined. Peter Kekeris charged down the left side majestically against his old club before threading the ball across to Will Mutch in the middle, but he shot flew just a few centimetres wide of the intended target.
In the 85th minute Sydney Olympic almost pulled one back when a delightful attempt by Simmons suffered a deflection and finished just marginally higher than he would have liked.
Speaking after the game Rockdale Ilinden’s coach Paul Dee was delighted with the win against their arch-rivals.
“Playing a top-of-the-table team away from home certainly was a big challenge,” he stated. “The effort was there overall but we needed a bit more connected play in the second half. “We also needed to have a bit more threat behind their defensive line and we got our just rewards for doing that in the second half.
“Our back four was outstanding and to have two clean sheets in two weeks against very good opponents is great to see.”
Sydney Olympic coach Labinot Haliti on the other hand understood that some small errors may have cost his team at least a share of the points.
“Little details count and when they scored it made it difficult for us,” he said.
“Their second goal was a penalty, and the game was a bit huff and puff after that.
“The first half was even and was a great half to watch as both teams tried to outplay each other.
“It’s the small margins that count and for their first goal we lost the ball when we had it comfortably and we got punished.
“Next week we have St George City and they are a good team with good players and they deserve respect in what will be a tough game for us.”
Match Stats
SYDNEY OLYMPIC: 0
ROCKDALE ILINDEN: 2 (Urosevski 50’, 56’ pen.)
Sunday 26th February 2023
Belmore Sports Ground
Referee: Sam Kelly
Assistant Referees: Patrick Teleki and Blake Sanchez-Cruz
Fourth Official: Sophie Allum
SYDNEY OLYMPIC: 1. Nicholas Sorras, 3. Michael Neill, 4. Benjamin Van Meurs, 5. Zygmunt Gordon, 6. Jack Simmons, 8. Sammy McIllhatton (14. James Georgaklis 34’), 10. Darcy Burgess (9. Oliver Puflett 56’), 11. Adam Parkhouse, 12. Matthew Buettner, 29. John Fitzgerald, 99. Roy O’Donovan.
Substitutes not used: 7. Will Angel, 20. Chris Parsons, 23. Jakob Cresnar, 45. Marcus Grbevski
Yellow Cards: Gordon 39’
Red Cards: Nil
ROCKDALE ILINDEN: 1. David Bradasevic, 3. Lachlan Griffiths, 4. Nikola Ujdur, 7. Alec Urosevski, 8. Isaac Danzo, 9. Bai Antoniou (17. Loic Puyo 60’), 10. Brendan Cholakian (11. Peter Kekeris 69’), 13. Mathieu Cordier, 14. Brayden Sorge, 21. Lachlan Constable (5. William Mutch 76’), 23. Jaden Casella (6. Nikola Kuleski 76’).
Substitutes not used: 15. Jamie Percevski, 20. Ricardo Rizzo
Yellow Cards: Casella 14’, Constable 24’, Sorge 66’, Urosevski 76’, Danzo 78’, Griffiths 90’