Manly United produced a disciplined and determined performance on Saturday night, defeating St George City 2-1 at Penshurst Park to claim all three points in Round 16 of the NPL NSW Men’s competition.
The visitors faced an early setback when Sam Griffiths was forced from the field after a heavy collision in the opening minutes. However, the young Manly side responded strongly and gradually worked its way into the contest.
After a tightly fought first half, Kakeru Ono broke the deadlock just before the break with a clever free-kick that found its way into the bottom corner, giving Manly a deserved 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
St George City hit back shortly after the restart to level the scores, setting up an evenly balanced second half in challenging, slippery conditions.
Manly continued to push for a winner and came agonisingly close in the closing stages when Will Faulder’s header struck the post. The breakthrough eventually arrived in stoppage time. A long ball forward found substitute Ayumu Kimura, who produced a composed finish over the goalkeeper to spark celebrations among the
The victory was another impressive display from Vlado Knezevic’s youthful squad, whose discipline, belief and team spirit were rewarded with a valuable three points on the road.
Reflecting on the result, Knezevic summed it up simply: “It was a good win for us because we expected a tough game. We had a big heart, and the boys showed a lot of team spirit.”
U20s Run Riot in Second Half
The U20s also enjoyed a successful trip to Penshurst Park, recording an emphatic 4-0 victory. While the hosts proved difficult to break down in the opening half, Manly found another gear after the break, producing a devastating spell that saw all four goals scored in just 11 minutes. Aston Hulme led the charge with a brace, while Cai Evans and Zach Hillyer also found the back of the net as Manly sealed an impressive win, taking them to third on the ladder.
The positive run of form for Manly sees the Senior squad heading into this weekend’s home clash against Blacktown City filled with confidence to secure more points.
Manly United vs Blacktown City KO: 5pm at Cromer Park on Saturday, May 30.
See full match stats here
Image credit: Football NSW
