A late Jesse French brace inspired Fernhill to a 3-1 win over Gerringong Breakers on Saturday morning at Ian McLennan Park.
The Foxes deservedly trailed going into halftime after Joshua Hawker’s early penalty headlined a compact and disciplined first half from Gerringong.
Fernhill again showed their title credentials in the second half, with former Woonona title-winning duo Brendan Pattman and Jesse French scoring three.
This was a rematch of last season’s preliminary final, in which the Foxes’ ruthless first half guided them through to a grand final that they would eventually win. Gerringong exceeded plenty of expectations in 2023, making the finals in their first year in the District League.
Fast-forward to the latter stages of this campaign, and the standings are similar. Fernhill find themselves embroiled in another title battle, while the Breakers are on the periphery of the finals.
Gerringong looked determined to avoid a repeat of last season’s precursor to the big dance. They were happy to let the Foxes control possession and press selectively so they could break quickly.
However, the first real chance came from Fernhill via a set piece six minutes in. The left-sided corner was swung in towards the penalty spot where Seamus Dowd headed over.
But the Breakers’ patient pouncing should have paid off eight minutes later. Rhyley Foenander received the ball inside the left of the box one-on-one with Fernhill goalkeeper Yuki Yasuda, who pulled off a crucial early save.
Gerringong exposed the gap in behind the right side of the Fernhill defence again 26 minutes in. Foenander setting off on another well-timed run to race through on goal, but Yasuda managed to block the winger’s attempt.
As the match approached the half-hour mark, the Breakers started to get a hold of the ball, knocking it around well and exploiting the wide areas.
A clever move from the side in the 36th minute saw the side get a penalty for a handball from Fernhill defender Ashley Hawkes. Hawker took responsibility and placed the ball into the right of the goal as Yasuda dived the other way.
Gerringong’s approach had so far gotten the better of Fernhill – limiting their opponents to very few chances while they had had plenty of joy in attack. The Breakers took their well-earned lead into halftime.
The second got off to a chaotic start, with a more intense Fernhill, trying to assert themselves, while Gerringong’s pace on the break remained constant.
In the 53rd minute, a giveaway in the Fernhill backline rolled Joaquin Riquelme, whose shot was caught by Yasuda.
The Foxes had a big chance to draw level in the 65th minute. Shayne Ardle’s right-sided cross was only cleared as far as French, where the experienced forward failed to make meaningful contact with the ball, and it bounced to Breakers’ goalkeeper Joel Lockard.
Fernhill continued to probe, seeking a route back into the game, and eight minutes later, they found the equaliser. Pattman latched onto a ball into the area and prodded a smart finish past Lockard into the bottom right corner.
In the final 15 minutes, Fernhill captain Jordan Hughes stepped up for his team with his directness and willingness to run causing havoc in the Gerringong defence.
With 10 regular minutes to play, the winger burst in behind down the left and would gone through on goal if it wasn’t for Breakers’ defender Daniel Gillespie fouling him and getting sent off.
The red card gave the Foxes some momentum as Hughes’ quality down the left almost conjured up a goal; a couple of his shots just missed the goal.
French then forced a top save out of Lockard with his effort from the edge of the box that required the goalkeeper to palm it over.
However, despite Fernhill’s pressure, they almost found themselves behind again in the final regular moments of the contest. Hawker took on a long-range curler from the left that looked like it was arcing towards the top corner before it cannoned back off the crossbar.
The Foxes resumed their assault on the Gerringong goal, and in the first minute of stoppage time, they took the lead. A frantic scrap in the ball resulted in the dropping to French. He stayed calm and slid a finish past Lockard.
Several stoppages throughout the second half left Fernhill with a large chunk of additional time to survive. The side did not have defence on their minds, though, and scored their third goal in the dying embers.
Luke Behl-Shanks found a way through the high Gerringong backline to bear down on goal. Lockard saved his low shot, but the ball bobbled to French, where he had the simple task of scoring into a vacant net.
That goal confirmed Fernhill’s comeback victory and kept them in a strong position to win the District League league championship.
The side will host Balgownie late on Tuesday night next, while Gerringong travel to Thirroul on Saturday.
Report by Tim Gibson
