Monday 2 July 2018

Blacktown City 1-0 Sydney Olympic

The annual petering out of Sydney Olympic’s season has begun, after witnessing a very lacklustre performance against Blacktown City on Sunday Afternoon. We always seem to save these types of performances at the most important times of the year, we can’t seem to get it done when it matters most and it has been that way for years. We are sliding at the wrong time of the year and it’s going to take something miraculous to halt that slide.

In the first-half we were second-best as Blacktown controlled proceedings and had most of the chances. We needed to be saved on multiple occasions by Paul Henderson who made a series of great saves. Where would we be if he wasn’t with us? And where will we be when he eventually hangs the gloves up? Up shit creek is where. We had a couple of chances as well but we failed to deliver the killer blow, a well-known story for Sydney Olympic this season. At the half-time break the score was dead-locked at 0-0 and we needed to improve in the second-half if we were to get the result.

The second-half was more of the same and within the first few minutes of the re-start we had gone behind and were now down 1-0. After this we reacted well and went in search of an equaliser, but it was not to be. Blacktown countered at pace, knowing full well that there would be space left for them as we pushed forward. Luckily for us they could not extend their lead, leaving us the opportunity to maybe go on and snatch something late on. Unfortunately, we could not manage to find a goal, thus ending a quite frustrating afternoon.

If it was not for Paul Henderson in this match we would have conceded more than 1. The continued absence of George Timotheou in defence leaves a big hole in this team and it was quite obvious again today, when he is due back no one is quite sure of. As for our attack, it has stagnated, the signing of James Demetriou was meant to help us in this regard, but he has been unsighted in the team since he re-signed with us nearly a month ago now.

We’ve had a strangle-hold on 1st place for many weeks now, but we have not been able to capitalise on the situation. We have not been able to increase our lead at the top and significantly gap the rest of the competition. When you also consider that our closest competitor APIA Leichhardt have had the handicap of playing several extra midweek matches in the last few weeks and are actually crushing their opposition in the process, it is even more pathetic from us.

Apart from 1 game this year against Wollongong where we put 5 passed them, we have scraped passed teams for the most part, struggling and generally edging them out by the odd-goal. We should be murdering sides and have had chances during matches this year to do so.

In the last few weeks we have lost to a shocking Bonnyrigg team, struggled to a draw with Hakoah, squandered the chance to beat APIA and have now lost to Blacktown City, we are hitting poor form at the wrong time of the season.

And the worst part is we do not have any excuses for it, we were knocked out of the Cup long ago, and that was supposed to be a “good thing” as we re-focused on our 1 mission, and that was to finish 1st. Despite still being 1 point in front, that looks like being a tall order now.

In the Club Championship, the U18s lost 1-0 and the U20s also lost, going down 3-1. So, zero points for the entire weekend. If we are not careful we will be dragged into something we don’t want any part of.

Our next match is next Sunday Evening July 8, a tricky match against Rockdale at their dump. 468 West Botany St. Rockdale. Kick-Off is at 5pm. A win is essential here.

No comments:

Post a Comment