On a scorching afternoon in South Sydney, a red hot Rockdale Ilinden FC gave the Western Sydney Wanderers NPL side a tough afternoon, running out 5-1 winners.
Rockdale took advantage of an understrength Wanderers defence – which was already missing Edmond Lupancu, and lost Alex Bonetig midway through the first half – and secured their fifth win on the bounce.
After a tight first 20 minutes, the Wanderers had the first chance of the game when Marcus Younis got his head to a George Antonis free-kick, but he couldn’t direct it on target.
Bonetig went off injured soon after, but the Wanderers had two quick chances through Antonis and the returning Alec Badolato, but neither were able to find the goal.
The failure to take these chances was punished right on half-time, when a foul in the box gave Rockdale’s Alec Urosevski the chance to convert from the spot, and he did just that to give his side a narrow lead at the break.
Rockdale carried that momentum into the second half and had a second in the 48th minute, when Urosevski’s shot was parried by Lawrence Caruso into the path of Brendan Cholakian, who scored into an open goal.
Urosevski scored his second goal of the match just five minutes later, with a Rockdale side full of confidence punishing a depleted Wanderers defence. Lachlan Griffiths then scored a fourth
from a short corner routine after the hour mark.
The Wanderers did pull one back with just under 10 minutes to go; substitute Nathaniel Blair used his pace to get around Rockdale keeper David Bradasevic, and his attempted cross was
bundled into the net by defender Will Mutch.
Unfortunately, Rockdale would get the final goal of the match four minutes later when Peter Kekeris curled one into the bottom corner.
The Wanderers will look to bounce back next week at home against APIA Leichhardt FC.
