Four first-half goals from Thirroul Thunder secured the side a 4-0 win against Picton Rangers at Thomas Gibson Park on Sunday afternoon.
Captain Daniel Arthur gave the hosts an early lead before Corey Haines-Grose doubled this advantage in the 17th minute.
Ryan Latini and Bradley Strudwick both scored in the latter stages of the first period to blow out the scoreline.
The Thunder got off to a fast start creating several chances in the opening 10 minutes of the game.
Four minutes in, Strudwick’s volley from the edge of the box looped just over the bar, and three minutes later, Latini sent a tight-angled effort on the right wide of the near post.
The side found the opening goal in the ninth minute as Latini received the ball inside the box and made room for a shot that was saved by Picton keeper Tristan Michelmann.
The ball rolled to Arthur who sidefooted the ball into the left side of the net from close range.
Thirroul doubled their lead eight minutes later, with Haines-Grose turning sharply in the middle of the pitch and driving towards goal before firing a left-footed effort into the top right corner.
The Rangers almost pulled a goal back midway through the half as Thunder shotstopper Liam Harris was drawn into two important saves.
Dayne Morley’s initial shot centrally took a deflection with Harris parrying the ball to Bailey Fitzsimmons on the left, but the keeper made the save at the base of his near post.
Five minutes later, Haines-Grose nearly added a third for the home side, shifting the ball inside from the right and forcing Michelmann into a save low to his left with a well-struck shot.
The Thunder finished off the first half with a couple more goals.
With two minutes to go, Arthur’s right-sided corner curled in goalwards as Michelmann batted the ball into the path of Latini in the middle of the box who found the top right corner.
Strudwick picked up Thirroul’s fourth deep into stoppage time, taking the ball inside from the left and bending a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner from outside the box.
The hosts went into halftime with a commanding four-goal advantage.
It was a comparatively shot-shy second period; however, seven minutes in, Thirroul set off on a breakaway through the middle of the field.
Haines-Grose was played through on goal in the right channel, but an onrushing Michelmann got out to block the shot, and Latini’s follow-up missed the target.
Five minutes after, Strudwick took on a shot from a similar position to his goal in the first half, but this time it flew over the crossbar.
Haines-Grose’s freekick on the edge of the box 70 minutes in narrowly bounced past the left post.
Picton created two chances in the final 15 minutes of the match looking to score a consolation goal.
In the 78th minute, Connor O’Neil’s freekick from close range fell just over the crossbar.
Seconds later, Liam Gregory rounded Harris inside the box; however, his rolling effort towards a vacant net was cleared away by a sliding Stuart Ferguson.
Thirroul nearly made it five in second-half stoppage time with Haines-Grose finding Arthur in the left channel of the box, but his shot flew just past the right post.
This was only the Thunder’s second victory of the season, after beating Kiama in Round 16.
The side now faces three away games in a row travelling to Keith Bond Oval to take on Oak Flats Falcons this Saturday.
This was the first of four away matches for the Rangers, and this Saturday, the Bush Pigs will play Fernhill Foxes at Ray Robinson Field.
Thirroul Thunder 4 (Daniel Arthur 9’, Corey Haines-Grose 17’, Ryan Latini 44’, Bradley Strudwick 45+2’)
Picton Rangers 0
Thirroul Thunder: 1. HARRIS Liam, 2. BOND Daniel, 3. ARTHUR Daniel, 4. HUTTON James, 5. GIBSON Christopher, 6. MORISON Dean, 7. LATINI Ryan, 8. DAVIDSON Todd, 9. HAINES-GROSE Corey, 10. MUCCI Nathan, 11. STRUDWICK Bradley
Substitutes: 12. GYNGELL Robert (LATINI 73’), 13. SWEENEY Hayden, 14. BOND Joshua, 15. FERGUSON Stuart (HUTTON 69’), 16. GOODIER Thomas (STRUDWICK 84’)
Yellow Cards: Bradley Strudwick 66’
Red Cards: Nil
Picton Rangers: 1. MICHELMANN Tristan, 2. COOLEY Craig, 3. NELSON Daniel, 15. LJUBOJA Slaven, 7. MICKAN Joshua, 10. O’NEIL Connor, 11. MORLEY Dayne, 12. GREGORY Liam, 13. MIRANDA Scott, 14. ANDREWS Jackson, 16. FITZSIMMONS Bailey
Substitutes: 6. MAIOLO Joshua (COOLEY 36’), 9. HAYNES Ryan, (MICKAN 40’) 17. FREEMAN Zane (FITZSIMMONS 73’), 22. WHITTINGHAM Aaron
Yellow Cards: Jackson Andrews 66’
Red Cards: Nil
Date: 24 July 2022
Venue: Thomas Gibson Park, Thirroul
Referee: Steve Bozic
Assistant Referees: Mick Agim and Tony Roder
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
