BUPL Round 3 Review
This week saw 4 competitive games with more teams finding their first points of the season and others starting to gain momentum and the top of the competition ladder.
This weeks Match of The Round saw Panania Diggers remain undefeated with a win over Revesby Workers with a game that was a tail of one half.
Meanwhile, Yagoona Lions continue their winning form as they defeated Padstow United while Padstow Hornets were able to defeat Bass Hill Rangers.
Elsewhere, Georges River Thistle were able to claim their first points of the season with a win over Central Sydney Wolves.
Match of the Round: Revesby Workers 1-5 Panania Diggers Reserve Grade Score: Revesby Workers 0-1 Panania Diggers
The match of the round this week saw a first goal fest as Panania Diggers were able to claim their third win back-to-back-to-back to start off the competition.
The Diggers looked to start the game on the front foot early as they had not been able to scored a goal in the first 60 minutes in their previous two games.
It did not take long for the Diggers to score their first as Nicholas Vertsonis was able to find the back of the net in 6th minute.
Nicholas Vertsonis did not take his foot of the throttle as he then made it a brace for himself in the 8th minute before completing his hattrick in the 22nd minute to give his side a 3-0 lead before the sides had a drinks break and Revesby Workers had some time to regroup.
Panania Diggers continued to make chances in front of goal putting Revesby Workers goalkeeper, Stuart Grantham under a lot of pressure.
However, for the first time in the game, Diggers goalkeeper Logan Hession was forced into a clever one-on-one save as Workers attacker found himself in behind Diggers defence.
Diggers hero from round 2, Joshua Adams would find their 4th goal of the game as he scored in the 30th minute of the match before scoring his brace in 36th minute of the match when he beat a defender and scored and the keepers near post.
Before the end of the half, Revesby Workers were able to score off a corner as Bojan Hadzic found the back of the net in the 42nd minute.
The teams went into the halftime break with Panania Diggers up 5-1.
The second half was a lot quieter with neither side able to find the back of the net.
Revesby Workers goalkeeper proved important in the second half stopping a lot of shots at goal from the Panania attack.
Midway through the second half, Panania winger Thomas Tremolada found some space outside of the box with a drill shot to the goalkeeper right top corner, which Grantham was able to tip over the bar smartly with an out stretched arm.
With Panania unable to convert their attacks into a goal the game would end with Panania Diggers defeating Revesby Workers 5-1.
Panania will play take on undefeated Padstow Hornets at Padstow Park Friday night while Revesby Workers take on Padstow United at Padstow Park.
Padstow United 3-5 Yagoona Lions Reserve Grade score: Padstow United 0-1 Yagoona Lions
Yagoona Lions were able to take all the three points against an undefeated Padstow United after a thrilling game which saw 8 goals scored in the 90 minutes.
Yagoona Lions were out for revenge after being knocked out in the MPL finals in 2022 by Padstow United.
However, it was Padstow United who would open the scoring when he found the back of the net in the 5th minute of the match to give Padstow the lead early.
Yagoona Lions would not drop their heads as they looked to put pressure onto the Padstow United defence.
Yagoona would find the equalizer in the 17th minute through an own goal by Padstow United’s number 9 Julian Och.
Yagoona Lions would continue their momentum into the 22nd minute when Jamie Bazevski found the back of the net to give his side a 2-1 advantage.
Steven Kotevski was able to find Yagoona Lions third goal of the match in the 45th minute as Yagoona Lions went up in the break 3-1.
Yagoona Lions came out firing in the break and continued to pile on the attacking pressure.
It was in the 51st minute when one of the inform players of the competition, Jamie Bazevski, would find his second goal of the match to make it goals in 3 matches and give his side a 4-1 lead.
Yagoona Lions number 9 Joshua Briskoski would score in the 53rd minute to put his side 4 goal up and a comeback from Padstow United looked impossible now.
However, Padstow did not drop their heads as they looked to create attacking opportunities which they would need to convert to get themselves back into the match.
An own goal from Yagoona lions Adrian Ristevski would give Padstow United in the 65th minute before Rafa Coutinho would score his second in the 75th minute.
However, that would be all she wrote with Yagoona Lions winning the game 5-3.
Yagoona Lions will visit Greenacre Eagles in round 4 as Padstow United play Revesby Workers at Padstow Park with both sides looking for their first win of the season.
Bass Hill Rangers 0-2 Padstow Hornets Reserve Grade Score: Bass Hill Rangers 3-3 Padstow Hornets
After a difficult start for Bass Hill Rangers for 2023 taking on two finalists from the 2022 finals, it did not get easier for them as they lost 2-0 to the 2022 champions, Padstow Hornets.
Padstow Hornets, having conceded first in their opening 2 matches, looked to open the game well creating a few attacking opportunities whilst staying solid at the back and not allowing Bass Hill many chances at goal.
However, their was not much action in the first half with both sides unable to convert any attacking chances at goal with the game going into halftime with both sides locked up at 0-0.
This would be the third game in a row where Bass Hill Rangers would go into half time at 0-0 proving how strong their defence has been in the opening half of their fixtures.
However, it would be Padstow Hornets who would come out stronger in the second half as hattrick scorer in the previous week, Mike Cklamovski would score the first goal of the match to give his side a 1-0 advantage.
Both sides would continue to create chances with Bass Hill looking to score an equalizer as well as Padstow Hornets looking to extend their lead to two goals.
The game would be put to bed in the 82nd minute as Mike Cklamovski would score his brace to help his side to a 2-0 victory.
Bass Hill will look to bounce back against Georges River Thistle in round 4 while Padstow Hornets will look to end Panania Digger winning form at Padstow Park.
Central Sydney Wolves 0-2 Georges River Thistle Reserve Grade score: Central Sydney Wolves 4-1 Georges River Thistle
After a difficult first two rounds to the competition, Georges River Thistle proved they’re side that are ready to compete this season as they defeated Central Sydney Wolves 2-0.
Central Sydney Wolves showed a lot of promise against a strong squad in Padstow United last weekend, creating many attaching opportunities and they looked like the side that would control this game early.
However, it was Georges River Thistle who would score the opener early into the first half of the match as Joshua Thomas found the back of the net in the 10th minute.
With Central Sydney Wolves looking to equalize shorty after conceding, it would be Thistle who would score through their number 9, Mathew Tahere who would give his side a two-goal advantage in the 21st minute.
Although Central Sydney Wolves aimed to score before going into halftime, Thistle’s defence proved strong as they went into half time 2-0.
Everyone knows a 2-0 lead it one of the most dangerous score lines to defend in football and Thistle looked to be strong in the second half to not give Central Sydney Wolves a chance to come back in the second half.
Although the second half had a few chances in the second half with the best chances coming from the Wolves. Thistle would hold them out to give themselves a 2-0 victory and their first points of the season.
Central Sydney Wolves will take on Bankstown Sports Strikers in round 4 at Padstow Park as Georges River Thistle look to keep momentum going as they take on Bass Hill at Coleman Park.
