For all those used to watching A-League matches with no travelling fans, Saturday night at Belmore Sports Ground showed what a real local derby is all about.
The Olympic fans were out in large numbers, and the Edensor Park fans wanted to out show their arch-rivals. In the end, it added much color and noise to the game and produced a great atmosphere.
A picturesque night was met by a large crowd of approximately 2,500 who made their way to Belmore to watch Sydney United score a lucky 1-0 victory over Sydney Olympic in round two of the NSW Premier League.
A Luka Glava converted penalty in the 41st minute was enough to steal the points for Sydney United, thanks to an unnecessary challenge by Olympic’s Devrimol.
Olympic had much of the possession throughout the match but were unlucky and lacked in the final third.
People are calling this match a Grand Final rehearsal. Don’t know what the Bonnyrigg and Blacktown fans will have to say to this one, though!
In comments after the game, Sydney Olympic boss Pat Marando said, “They (Sydney United) are the benchmark for the rest of the teams to work towards.
“In saying this, I thought we dominated the match tonight, and we didn’t deserve to come out of the match with nothing.
“In midfield we were superior, though lacked the consistency in the final third.”
Sydney United player/coach David Zdrilic said, “Sydney Olympic played really well today, dominating possession and putting us under a lot of pressure.
“We knew that we would be under the pump before the match, and coming here to take points is something that not many teams will do.”
Next week Sydney Olympic take on Bankstown FC at Jensen Park in another grudge match, and Sydney United are back at home against the West Sydney Berries.
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