John Crehan Park became the site of euphoria when Cringila Lions FC delivered an outstanding performance that led to their 3-1 victory against Shellharbour FC during Friday night’s important league match. Cringila’s organised and clinical finishing outmatched their opponents while proving their potential to compete for the title in a match at John Crehan Park.
The trio of midfield players Ben Zucco, together with Samuel Gulisano and Anthony Krsteski, controlled the match tempo as Cringila started playing from the initial whistle. Multiple attacking chances developed from the passing precision and intelligent movements of Cringila FC’s midfielders until Samuel Gulisano scored the opening goal in the 9th minute. The precise free kick execution from Zucco delivered the ball to Gulisano, who arrived too late to head the crossbar, but Peter Simonoski read the situation perfectly to grab the rebound and score.
In the 27th minute the hosts made their lead 2-0 greater through a touch of luck. The powerful right flank free kick from Simonoski took a forceful deflection when Blake Mottram’s stretched leg mistakenly guided the ball beyond Nikodin Matic before it found the opposing net. Simonoski confidently converted from the penalty spot to complete his brace just before halftime, giving the team a 3-0 lead. Krsteski’s skillful footwork had resulted in a clumsy challenge in the area just before halftime. This illustrated Cringila’s supremacy even more.
Shellharbour continued their campaign into the second half with a more defensive alignment that successfully slowed down Cringila’s offensive activities to start.
Captain Cody Wehmeyer executed a precise corner kick that ended up as a goal when left back Mustafa Kardoli used his height advantage to score an unstoppable header over Cringila keeper Kenji Sawada.
Cringila was able to defeat Shellharbour through disciplined defensive performance made possible by the proficient guidance of Taylor McDonald. When required to maintain the 2-0 lead, Sawada made crucial saves because the defense kept Shellharbour from generating numerous decisive scoring opportunities.
Cringila Lions looks to keep the momentum before traveling to Terry Reserve to face Albion Park White Eagles on April 27. As Shellharbour hosts the Albion Park White Eagles on April 16, they urgently need to address their defensive shortcomings.
Reported by Nikith George Mathew
File Photo
