Sydney Olympic hosted Marconi Stallions in this weekend’s instalment of NPL NSW which saw the visitors move further up the table. The two teams contested a close game but it was the visitors who emerged victorious with a narrow 1-0 win.
The match started off with attacking and free-flowing football. Possession of the ball was going back and forth but both sides failed to create any clear cut chances.
The first real chance of the game came from Marconi as Speranza found himself running down the wing and fizzed the ball across goal only for one of Olympic’s defenders to slide in and clear the ball.
Olympic’s first big chance of the match came when a loose ball fell to Alex Sanchez in the box. The Spanish striker controlled the ball well but fired it straight at the keeper who saved it with ease.
Marconi came out roaring in the second half with the Stallions dominating possession and creating some chances. The away side then took the lead courtesy of a rocket of a strike from Mitchell Mallia which was sent flying past Paul Henderson and into the back of the net.
The home side struggled to get back into the game after conceding as ball possession was going back and forth once again.
Olympic fans were left on the edge of the seat as the home team managed to win a free kick on the edge of the box in the 90th minute. The free kick was curled past the wall and looked to be going in before it was blocked by a Marconi defender and then cleared out of the box.
This result will see Marconi move further up the table ahead of the finals series. The win over their old rivals will also no doubt be a huge confidence boost ahead of their FFA Cup Round of 32 clash with South Hobart on Wednesday.
