Yet another dramatic injury time goal has helped Wollongong Wolves snatch a 2-1 victory against Hakoah Sydney City East on Saturday.
Peter Simonoski’s 90th minute strike sent the home fans into raptures as Wollongong made it back to back wins.
The goal was SImonoski’s second of the night with the young striker hitting the back of the net in the 75th and 90th minutes.
It was another heartbreaking result for Hakoah who pushed Wollongong all the way but lacked the discipline to hold out and claim a point from the contest.
Wollongong started the smoother of the two sides, having a great chance to take the lead in the 7th minute when Peter Simonoski was released onto goal, but a fantastic stop from Hakoah gloveman Anthony Bouzanis ensured that Wollongong would not take an early lead.
However, Hakoah would have a golden chance of their own on the stroke of half-time when a perfectly placed cross from Andre De Jong found the head of Frangie in the box.
Unfortunately Hakoah’s leading goal scorer would fire wide of Justin Pasfield’s post and kept the game deadlocked at the half-time whistle.
Both sides would come out firing in the second half and it was the visitors who would take the lead in the 60th minute, with Anthony Frangie netting from distance with a fantastic chip over Wolves shot-stopper Justin Pasfield to give Hakoah the lead.
Wollongong would come agonizingly close to levelling the scores in the 71st minute when a free-kick from substitute Takuya Nozawa managed to rattle off the left post and into Hakoah keeper Anthony Bouzanis, but the side would finally break through three minutes later, with Wollongong netting through Peter Simonoski.
Again it was Nozawa who caused headaches for the Hakoah defence, with his cross finding the head of Simonoski and allowing the Wolves forward to fire an effort past Anthony Bouzanis and level the scores.
Simonoski – who netted both times in Wollongong’s 2-1 win over Hakoah back in round five – would again pop up to score the winner in the 90th minute, tapping home an effort set up by a blistering Yuzo Tashiro run into the box to give Wollongong their second stoppage time win of the season against Hakoah and their second late winner in a row, having previously downed Sutherland Sharks 2-1 in the dying moments.
Wollongong coach Jacob Timpano was pleased with the late win but noted the side still has progress to make before pushing into finals contention.
“It’s always nice to get the result in the final minutes,” he said.
“The boys showed great character again, the same thing happened last week and then we did it again today.
“It’s two wins in a row now, we are making a little bit of a climb up the table, but there is a long way to go though.”
While in the other dugout, Hakoah assistant coach Zlatko Arambasic thought the side struggled to take their chances and ultimately paid the price for it.
“It’s obviously very disappointing, because I think we had the better of the chances in the game,” he said.
“Late goals [are] the thing that has been very disappointing, [as that’s] twice now against Wollongong in overtime. I’d rather be outplayed in general play and lose to be honest, then lose like this.”
But with Hakoah having now conceded seven goals in stoppage time this season, Arambasic laments that the side needs to get past this issue as soon as possible.
“[It’s] something we are trying to figure out, is there a mental block for the players?” he said.
“I like to believe that we will one day turn that around and the luck will come our way.
“It’s tight in the middle of the competition, but when you have done it five times, the reality is it is hard to play finals football.”
Match Stats
Wollongong Wolves 2 (Peter Simonoski 74’, 90’)
Hakoah Sydney City East FC 1 (Anthony Frangie 60′)
Saturday 23rd June, 2018
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Referee: K Ams
Assistant Referees: A Giev and J Park
Fourth Official: H Jomaa
Wollongong Wolves: 1. Justin Pasfield, 2. Taylor McDonald, 4. Michael Robinson, 5. James Baldacchino, 6. Nicholas Montgomery, 7. Chris Price, 8. Brendan Griffin (40. Takuya Nozawa 62’), 9. Peter Simonoski, 10. Joshua Macdonald, 21. Jordan Nikolovski (30. Yuzo Tashiro 51’), 26. Luke Wilkshire
Substitutes Not Used: 16. Luke Kairies (GK)
Yellow Cards: Luke Wilkshire 5’, Joshua Macdonald 69’
Red Cards: Nil
Hakoah Sydney City East FC: 1. Anthony Bouzanis, 3. Michael Kouta, 5. Mitchell Stamatellis, 8. Oliver Green, 10. Andrew De Jong, 13. Robbie Ezekiel, 14. Anthony Frangie (19. Dom Cox 88’), 17. Harry Jones, 20. James Combes, 21. Amaury Marie Gauthier (11. Jordan Crighton 77’), 60. Takayuki Noji
Substitutes Not Used: 45. Michael Figueira, 15. Steven Katsionis, 16. Joshua Orchard
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
-By Cal Behrendt
Leave a Reply