Manly United produced another spirited performance at Cromer Park on Friday night, earning a deserved 1-1 draw against league leaders Sydney United 58.
It was a huge night for First Grade debutant Doug John, while Mackenzie Syron also made his return to the squad following injury. The hosts started brightly and looked dangerous from the opening whistle, with Kakeru Ono forcing a sharp save and Saxon Hillyer rattling the crossbar as Manly created several promising opportunities.
Despite their strong start, Manly found themselves trailing just before half-time when Sydney United capitalised on a loose ball to take a 1-0 lead into the break.
Manly’s reaction after the break was exactly what the game required. After absorbing some early second-half pressure, the team continued to push forward and were rewarded in the 66th minute. Stephan de Robillard showed great determination to recover after being knocked to ground moments earlier before calmly finding the bottom corner to level the scores.
With momentum on their side, Manly pressed for a winner. Piriz remained influential throughout, while Darcy Burgess came agonisingly close deep into stoppage time, forcing an excellent save from Sydney goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic.
The final whistle confirmed a valuable point against one of the competition’s strongest sides and extended Manly’s recent run of positive performances, giving the group plenty of belief as the season enters a crucial stretch.
U20s Denied Late but Take a Valuable Point
The U20s also produced a strong performance against Sydney United 58, sharing the points in a 2-2 draw. Cai Evans struck in the opening minutes to hand Manly an early lead before the visitors responded just before half-time. Max Walker put the hosts back in front in the 59th minute and it looked as though all three points were headed Manly’s way until a stoppage-time equaliser denied the side a deserved victory. Despite the late disappointment, the valuable point keeps Manly in fifth position on the ladder.
Next up, the boys are back at Cromer Park on Saturday June 20 for a 5pm clash with St George FC.
