Cringila Lions will have a shot at a place in the grand final this weekend after battering Bulli 4-0 at Ian McLennan Park on Saturday afternoon.
A Peter Simonoski brace was complimented with goals from Steven Ugrinovski and Stefan Dimoski.
The game burst into action within the first 30 seconds as Bulli were awarded a penalty. Jarvis Patterson stepped up, and he powered an effort to the left side of the goal, but Cringila keeper Nikola Ristevski got a strong hand and prevented the goal.
After this early scare, the Lions began to work their way into the game. In the 10th minute, Keegan Matias found Simonoski in the box who saw his shot deflected spinning past the right post.
Cringila went on to find the opening goal 27 minutes in as Michael Mendes delivered a cross in from the left for Simonoski who poked an effort into the goal. The Lions had another opportunity nine minutes later as Emanuel Hondroudakis lined up a fierce long-range freekick that bounced just past the left post.
Bulli almost went into halftime level with two shots going begging. With five minutes to go, Patterson’s shot narrowly flew over the bar before Lewis Grimshaw’s dipping strike from the left of the box was saved well by Ristevski on the stroke of halftime. Cringila survived this late Bulli surge and went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
The Lions sprinted out of the blocks to start the second half with several opportunities to add a second goal. Four minutes in, Matias leathered a powerful strike from the edge of the box goalward, but Seiya Miyamoto was equal to it. The midfielder went close again a few minutes later receiving the ball with a clear shot at goal from inside the box, but he skied it. Cringila went forward once more with Dimoski also clearing the crossbar from inside the box seconds later.
Bulli had two golden chances to restore parity around the 70th minute. Aaron Baker’s right-sided cross met the head of Ben Mcdonald in the middle who could only direct the ball wide of the left post. Two minutes later, Deakin Brownlee picked up the ball in the left of the box and shifted it inside – his consequent shot clipping the left post.
The side would be left to rue missed chances with Cringila doubling their lead in the 76th minute. Krsteski drilling a ball across the box from the left for Ugrinovski who must’ve scored with his first touch. It was a crucial goal for the Lions in the context of the match, but it was also Ugrinovski’s first goal of the season.
Cringila added a third goal nine minutes after their second. Dimoski latching onto a ball over the top into the right of the box sliding a smart shot beyond Miyamoto and into the goal. The game continued to excite into additional time, as Joel Starr’s long-range shot looked to skim the left post on its way out for a goal kick – another chance that just wouldn’t fall for Bulli. Right at the death, the Lions picked up their fourth goal. Peter Simonoski’s right-sided shot bouncing off the left post and rolling into the goal.
Moments later, the fulltime whistle was blown with Cringila through to a preliminary final against Wollongong United this week.
Bulli FC 0
Cringila Lions 4 (Peter Simonoski 27’ 90+5’, Steven Ugrinovski 76’, Stefan Dimoski 85’)
Bulli FC: 21. MIYAMOTO Seiya, 4. BAKER Aaron, 19. CLARINO Ian, 2. JACKSON Kyle, 16. ROOKE Alex, 6. DAVIES Sam, 33. EMERTON Ryan, 27. STARR Joel, 10. GRIMSHAW Lewis, 11. BROWNLEE Deakin, 7. PATERSON Jarvis
Substitutes: 22. BRYCE Lachlan (CLARINO 70’), 25. ADNUM Sam, 9. MCDONALD Ben (PATTERSON 61’), 24. DONNELLY Callum (EMERTON 84’), 1. KLUDASS Braeden
Yellow Cards: Joel Starr 49’, Lewis Grimshaw 67’
Red Cards: Nil
Cringila Lions: 1. RISTEVSKI Nikola, 6. KOTEVSKI Kayne, 33. HONDROUDAKIS Emanuel, 22. KALMANIDIS, 3. DIAS Andre, 16. ZUCCO Ben, 8. MATIAS Keegan, 47. KRSTESKI Anthony, 17. DIMOSKI Stefan, 9. SIMONOSKI Peter, 7. MENDES Michael
Substitutes: 66. FAKHOURY Jacob (KRSTESKI 90’), 10. UGRINOVSKI Steven (ZUCCO 74’), 24. AKHURST Ryan (MENDES 58’), 36. LEE Brandon, 20. TOLNAY Kurtis
Yellow Cards: Stefan Dimoski 42’
Red Cards: Nil
Date: Sunday, 9 October 2022
Venue: Ian McLennan Park, Kembla Grange
Referee: Jay Walpole
Assistant Referees: Steve Bozic and Reece Edwards
Fourth Official: Greg Reid
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
Photo courtesy of Richie Wagner
