Back To Winning Ways After Putting 4 Past Sydney FC
We took a huge step forward in our fight to avoid relegation on Saturday, producing a stunning 4–0 victory over Sydney FC in wet and challenging conditions at Seymour Shaw.
From the very start, we were on the front foot. Within seconds, Maki Petratos found himself in a dangerous position, forcing Taye Hedley into a desperate headed clearance. Moments later, we appealed for a penalty when Matthew Jackson was pulled down in the box by Sydney FC centre-back Nicholas Zdrillic, but play went on. Almost immediately after, Lachlan Fields had a shot deflected away by Zdrillic as we kept the pressure on.
Matthew Jackson appealing for what should’ve been a penalty…
Our early dominance was rewarded in the 13th minute. Lachlan Fields rose high to meet a cross, and while his header came back off the post, the ball fell perfectly for Yianni Nicolaou, who smashed it home to the delight of our supporters.
We kept control and continued to create chances. In the 25th minute, Petratos forced a brilliant diving save from Sydney’s goalkeeper Jacob Cremen-Cowan. Just a minute later, we doubled our advantage. From a corner, a defensive clearance saw the ball fall to Brendan Gan who drove a low shot on goal. After a poor clearance, it fell to Richard Shoueiki, who showed great composure to round the keeper and slot home from close range.
Richard Shoueiki celebrating a well deserved goal
Sydney threatened occasionally before the break, but we stayed solid. In the 37th minute, Caelan Marshall-Witte made a crucial tackle to deny Leo Mazis, and right on half-time, Jacod Creman-Cowan was equal to a dangerous free kick from Mazis, tipping it away with authority.
The visitors had some promising moments early in the second half, with Marin France sending a dangerous ball into the box in the 52nd minute that went unused. Then in the 57th minute, France combined sharply with Nickolas Alfaro, who fired straight at Nizic.
In the 68th minute, we produced one of the moments of the season. Tariq Maia controlled the ball on his chest about 25 metres from goal before unleashing an incredible half-volley into the top corner — a goal that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it.
Tariq Maia after scoring his wonder-goal
We weren’t done yet. In the 82nd minute, Mazis forced another fine one-handed save from Cremen-Cowan, but Mohamed Ahmed was quickest to react, tucking away the rebound to make it 4–0. We almost added a fifth in stoppage time when Marcus Fernandez’s shot rattled the post.
At full-time, the feeling was one of joy, relief, and belief. This was our biggest and most complete win in weeks, a performance that reflected the hard work we’ve been putting in. While we know the job isn’t done and tough games lie ahead, this was a cathartic moment — proof of what we can achieve when we play with energy, hunger, and togetherness.
Richard Shoueiki summed it up perfectly after the match:
“Today’s win means everything to us. Every game from now until the end of the season is like a Grand Final. We’ve been fighting and training hard, and it showed tonight. Every team is tough, and for us to win like this at home in front of our supporters is brilliant.”