It was double trouble for Lachlan Rose in a quality performance over Newcastle Olympic on Saturday.
Macarthur FC’s 3-0 victory over Olympic in the FFA Cup round of 32 may have seemed unexpected after a slow start by the Bulls.
Macarthur dominated 87% of possession in Olympic’s half the entire game. Their only downfall was having nine of 38 shots on target.
Entering the match, the Bulls had lost all four of their pre-season friendlies against opposing A-League Men sides, conceding a worrying 17 goals. There has been unrest at the club following certain departures and also vaccination issues.
The pressure leading into week one of the A-League Men season was on.
Enter Macarthur striker Lachlan Rose, the 22-year-old attacker who coach Ante Milicic has high wraps on regarding his potential in the top grade.
From the get go, Rose positioned himself well up front, taking advantage of several chances.
His positioning work did all the talking, keeping Olympic on their haunches while running rings around their weary defence.
Two headers from crosses successfully found the goal, and was unlucky not to secure a hat-trick on multiple occasions.
The Bulls go BANG BANG 💥
A couple of quick-fire goals from Jovanovic and Rose have @mfcbulls out to a comfortable lead in the Hunter. #NOLvMAC #FFACup pic.twitter.com/T2mhob9Qzk
— FFA Cup (@FFACup) November 13, 2021
The 22-year-old was plucked from the NSW NPL 2 during Macarthur’s inaugural season in the A-League Men and has begun transforming into a quality young attacker.
Rose has received much praise surrounding his talent last season. Nevertheless there is some discussion on how good he can really be if he can perform for the full 90 minutes. He has attracted a large fan base and seems to be fitting Milicic’s play-style well.
Macarthur’s attack against Olympic was predominantly played out wide, utilising the width of the field to convert into opportunities. Once those opportunities fell to Rose in the middle, it was game over.
However, the attacker’s success may fall on the responsibility of those around him to deliver his opportunities. The Bulls had an outstanding 93% pass accuracy rate against Olympic, though some balls skied due to treacherous Newcastle wind.
While fans didn’t get to witness many shots at goal taken by Rose, it provides promise that he can deliver wherever the ball may be.
The attacker’s performance helped silence the non-believers after their performances during pre-season. Opportunities and time will allow Rose to blossom into one of the top young goal-scorers in the league.
His outing ultimately showcased what could be to come for Macarthur’s A-League Men’s campaign.
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