Sydney Olympic 0-2 Wollongong Wolves

3 matches in 7 days looks to have gotten the better of us, as we could not back-up our victories over Hakoah and Mt Druitt Town, going down 2-0 at home to the league leading Wollongong Wolves on Sunday.

Perhaps feeling the effects of the week, we started the match off a little slowly, with Wollongong pouncing early. They had an early chance to open the scoring but were denied by Paul Henderson.

After this inauspicious start, we got ourselves into the game and started to play well, looking threatening in attack.

It was end-to-end stuff, as both sides went back and forth threatening to score. We nearly did midway through the first-half, as Alex Sanchez was put through on goal, he then rounded the goalkeeper only to miss the opportunity. It must be said that it looked a fairly tight angle.

Literally the next passage of play, Wollongong broke away, counter-attacked and went down the other end to open the scoring.

At half-time we went to the sheds trailing 1-0.

The second-half pretty much went the same way as the first-half. Both sides were adventurous and looking for goals, but given our predicament of being behind, we chased a goal a little harder.

The back and forth struggle continued and on several occasions we found ourselves in great positions to grab an equaliser, but the quality in the final pass or shot was lacking.

As we continued to push late on for a goal, we were exposed by another Wollongong counter-attack and with around 5 minutes to go they scored their 2nd to put the game to bed. As we went down 2-0.

It was a match where with a bit of luck we might have gotten something from, but it was not to be. 

We have now not won any of our 3 home matches to start this season, which is always disappointing. We have to win our home games.

It’s been a very hot and cold start to the season for Sydney Olympic, which is evidenced in our results so far this season, twice being held scoreless, another two matches where there were goals galore, sometimes we look like world beaters and at other times bottom feeders. Frustrating to say the least.

In terms of the Club Championship, the U18s picked up a 1-1 draw, and in the U20s, we picked up a 1-0 win.

Last Wednesday, Sydney Olympic ventured out West, for our Round 2 catch-up fixture with Mt Druitt Town.

We were the far better side in the first-half but somehow went into the half-time break with only a slender 3-2 lead. Had we taken our chances, we could have and should have been well out of sight by half-time.

After some nervy moments in the early part of second-half, we put our foot down and took enough of our many chances to run out comfortable 6-2 winners, the score could have easily been double-digits.

We got the all-important 3 points which is what matters.

Sad news during the past week was the passing of Club Legend, Sotiris Patrinos. Brought to Australia from Atromitos in 1960, he helped us win promotion to the NSW 1st Division. He was with us for the next 10 years and will go down as one of the greatest in the Club’s history.

R.I.P. and condolences to his family.

Our next match is away at Rockdale, on Sunday April 14, Kick-Off at 4.30pm.

On the Sydney Olympic Girls side of things, Round 5 saw them draw 1-1 with the Illawarra Stingrays and remain undefeated so far this season. They are sitting in 2nd spot on the ladder at this stage.