Welcome to Wonderkid Watch: A weekly piece that keeps you up to date with the players and stories emerging from A-Leagues clubs playing at NPL level in Australia.
*There were no games in NPLM SA or NPLW VIC this week.
Exciting prospect in red-hot form for high-flying Bulls
You will struggle to find a more in-form player across the state leagues in New South Wales or Australia than Bulls FC Academy star Abdelelah Faisal.
The teenager has scored not one but two hat-tricks in back-to-back matches in Football NSW League One (NSW’s second tier).
In that period, the Bulls have scored 12 goals to sit second in the standings after nine games, five points behind Mt Druitt Town Rangers with a game in hand.
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The 19-year-old lit up the game and the competition with a quick-fire hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Canterbury Bankstown FC at Sydney United Sports Centre on March 30.
Faisal sensationally scored three goals in 25 minutes to inspire the lopsided victory.
After the Bulls’ bye, he continued where he left off over the weekend with another hat-trick in a 6-0 demolition of Inter Lions FC.
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Faisal opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty and struck again in the 16th minute before completing his treble on the hour mark.
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Flynn Madden and Michael Krslovic also scored for the high-flying Bulls.
In League Two, league-leading Newcastle Jets crushed Sydney University 5-0.
Justin Vidic, who made his Isuzu UTE A-League debut this season, scored a first-half double while Will Dobson bagged a brace in the second period, with Janni Rafty also on target.
The big win and third consecutive clean sheet kept the Jets three points ahead of South Coast Flames.
Younis backs up for league-leading Wanderers
It was a hectic weekend for Western Sydney Wanderers sensation Marcus Younis.
On Saturday night, Younis made his first Isuzu UTE A-League appearance in almost three months after coming on as a substitute in the heart-breaking derby defeat to Sydney FC.
The following day, the 18-year-old backed up for Western Sydney’s NPL side – scoring a goal and setting up three others in a 6-1 mauling of St George City.
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Younis managed to do all of that in just 48 minutes as the Wanderers celebrated their seventh straight win to maintain their position atop NPLM NSW, where they are four points clear of Rockdale City.
He helped trigger a breath-taking start to the match away to St George, with Western Sydney scoring three goals in just 14 minutes and four before half-time.
Adam Bugarija, Younis and Aydan Hammond were all on target by the 14-minute mark, while Ryley Hollingdale and Alex Badaloto got on the scoresheet prior to the interval.
Nathanael Blair completed the scoring 13 minutes from the end.
“It didn’t take us too long to get into the game, and I thought we ran with that for almost the entirety of the game,” said head coach Andrew Christiansen via NPL NSW.
“The boys are confident and are disciplined and aggressive. We’re scoring a lot of goals which is really pleasing to see.
“The manner in which the boys are scoring goals, [they are] making the right decisions, and the team unity and fluidity is creating the goals. Defensively, we’re much more disciplined, showing really good desire to defend.”
Elsewhere in the league, Sydney FC and Sutherland Sharks played out a 0-0 draw.
“I thought first half we were dominant without being really clinical and second half I thought we were really poor to be honest, and were probably lucky to get away with a draw,” said head coach Jimmy van Weeren via NPL NSW.
“I think the clean sheet was down to Adam (Pavlesic), because they had some very good chances, and he made some great saves.”
Central Coast Mariners lost 3-1 to Blacktown City in a game that saw Donatien Niyonkuru score.
In NPLW NSW, Bulls FC Academy suffered a 2-1 defeat away to NWS Spirit.
Daniella Naeimi equalised for the Bulls 20 minutes from the end but the visitors ultimately succumbed to NSW in round 7.
Emerging Jets, meanwhile, were unfortunate not to claim their first win of the season following a 2-2 draw against Illawarra Stingrays.
Laura Knipe and Molly Salvador scored for the Jets before they conceded a 94th-minute equaliser.
Melbourne Victory roll on
VPL1 leaders Melbourne Victory won again over the weekend, this time overcoming Brunswick City 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Two goals in the first 15 minutes via Eli Adams and Jesse Hoey saw Victory clinch a third straight win as they moved six points clear at the summit of the second division below NPLM VIC.
“I thought we controlled the game at the start. In fact, I thought we dominated. Then it just turned on us a bit,” said head coach Joe Palatsides.
“We’ve got a philosophy that we want to play all the time. Sometimes, the best decision is not to keep trying to force things to happen.
“Credit to Brunswick – they’re a good team. They’ve only lost one game this year (before today) for a reason.
“The fact that we held on was really pleasing to see. It’s the whole team that keeps putting pressure on, keeps getting back. Overall, pleased to have gotten the three points.”
Western United continued their rise up the standings courtesy of a 3-2 success at home to Werribee City.
Max Bisetto, Oli Lavale and Mark Leonard struck to guide Western past Werribee and up to third in the standings, seven points behind Victory.
Melbourne City, meanwhile, lost 3-1 away to Northcote City.
Harrison Shillington was on target for the visitors.
In NPLM QLD, Rylan Brownlie converted a penalty in Brisbane Roar’s 1-1 draw with Peninsula Power.
Perth Glory lost a wild NPLM WA showdown against Olympic Kingsway over the weekend.
Sam Barry scored twice – including a sublime free-kick – to give the Glory a 3-2 lead, having trailed 2-0 after just 11 minutes but Giovanni De Abreu‘s 65th-minute red card changed the game as Olympic scored four goals in the final 20 minutes.
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In New Zealand’s Central League, Wellington Phoenix made it back-to-back wins by dispatching North Wellington 5-1.
Ryan Watson scored two goals, while Luke Supyk, Hayden Thomas and Luke Flowerdew also found the back of the net.
