Blacktown City re-ignited their title ambitions earning an efficient 4-1 victory over Bulls FC Academy on Sunday afternoon at Landen Stadium.
It was an action-packed first half with Jesper Webber giving the visitors a lead in the 25th minute.
However, two goals before the half-hour mark from Jak O’Brien and Ben Berry earned Blacktown the halftime advantage.
After weathering an early second-half storm, the home side added twice to their lead with Lachlan Campbell and Mario Shabow both scoring.
The match got off to a quiet start with neither team looking dangerous in the opening 10 minutes.
Mark Crittenden’s men showed some initiative in the 12th minute as Shadow lined up a volley from the edge of the box that was held onto by Bulls’ goalkeeper and former Blacktown City number one Alex Robinson.
Grant Lynch burst into the left of the box seconds later and drove a ball across the face of goal that failed to find a City attacker to get onto the end of it.
Shabow had another chance 17 minutes in as Tyren Burnie set off on a determined run into the right of the box.
The fullback played it to Shabow centrally who forced Robinson into a spectacular save to tip it over the bar.
The hosts continued to threaten the Bulls’ goal as Charles Mendy’s close-range volley drew another impressive stop from Robinson who parried it away.
However, Blacktown City were stunned a couple of minutes later as the Academy hit the front.
Ali Auglah poked the ball through to Webber on halfway who burst in on goal and slotted home a cool finish to give the Bulls a shock lead.
Their advantage didn’t last long though as a quickfire double from City turned the scoreline around before the half-hour mark.
In the 27th minute, Burnie’s right-sided cross found O’Brien in the middle who juggled the ball expertly before executing a delicate lob over Robinson to restore parity.
Three minutes later, a cross, this time from the left, was glanced into the right side of the net by Berry, rounding out a crazy five-minute period.
Blacktown City took their lead into halftime in a strong showing from the reigning Champions.
The away side made a purposeful start to the second period and would have scored but for two sensational saves from Blacktown City goalkeeper Tristan Prendergast.
Four minutes in, Webber’s lofted effort into the far-left corner from the edge of the box was palmed over the bar by stretching Prendergast.
From the resulting corner, the ball bounced around unpredictably in the box before Bulls’ defender Jonathan Maras edged it goalwards, but Prendergast heroically clawed it away from the line.
The hosts withstood this pressure and got some breathing room in the game scoring their third goal 67 minutes in.
A left-sided corner met the head of Campbell at the near post who steered it into the far side of the net, to put his side in a commanding position.
Blacktown had a glorious chance for a fourth seven minutes later as the exciting Burnie motored down the right once again finding Tatsuya Kato in the box who blazed it over.
The side picked up their fourth goal with 13 minutes to play though, as Shabow was slipped into the box, rolling an accurate finish into the far-right corner.
Blacktown City played out the remaining minutes to secure an important victory that ended a tough run for the side.
Match Stats
Blacktown City FC 4 (Jak O’Brien 27’, Ben Berry 30’, Lachlan Campbell 67’, Mario Shabow 77’)
Bulls FC Academy 1 (Jesper Webber 25’)
Sunday 30 April 2023
Landen Stadium, Seven Hills
Referee: Ivica Covic
Assistant Referees: Joel Crawford and Simon Ashari
Fourth Official: Thomas Dale
Blacktown City FC: 1. Tristan Prendergast (GK), 4. Lachlan Campbell, 5. Grant Lynch (3. Daniel Collins 78’), 6. Matthew Lewis (C) (14. Caleb Jackson-Brown 82’), 8. Jak O’Brien, 10. Mario Shabow, 12. Tyren Burnie, 16. Ben Berry, 18. Nicholas O’Brien, 21. Charles Mendy, 22. Carlos De Oliveira (17. Tatsuya Kato 54’)
Substitutes Not Used: 30. Jacob Fernandez (GK), 36. Darian Daghero, 43. Enrico Mazzotta
Yellow Cards: Nicholas O’Brien 43’
Red Cards: Nil
Bulls FC Academy: 30. Alexander Robinson (GK), 2. Anthony Krilic (3. Theph Theph 59’), 5. Jonathan Maras (13. Jordan Ivancic 59’), 7. Ali Auglah, 19. Jesper Webber, 20. Adrian Knez (14. Sunday Yona 72’), 21. Lachlan Macdonald (12. Charlie Ragg 72’), 22. Edward Caspers (C) (15. Mabior Garang 59’), 32. Isaac Hovar, 52. Rhys Youlley, 53. Joel Bertolissio
Substitutes Not Used: 40. Griffin Barry (GK)
Yellow Cards: Jordan Ivancic 64’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Mario Shabow (BC)
2 – Tyren Burnie (BC)
1 – Jesper Webber (BA)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_