Tarrawanna Blueys came from a goal down at halftime to down Port Kembla 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Wetherall Park.
Michael Mendes gave the home side a halftime lead before four answered goals launched Tarrawanna to victory.
The hosts almost made the perfect start to the match within three minutes. Dane Corolla spun neatly in the left of the box and drove a ball into Alexander Zinnato whose effort was blocked by Taiga Nakayama.
Tarrawanna responded and knitted a nice move together 13 minutes in. Mitchell Di Pietro exchanged a one-two with Zachary Mazevski in the right of the box before firing a shot just wide of the near post following a deflection.
From the resulting corner, Mazevski rose highest, nodding over the bar in another good opportunity for the away side.
The Blueys threatened again in the 21st minute, through full back Nakayama whose dipping effort from the left edge of the box sailed just over.
Just before the half-hour mark, Port returned fire through Mendes who dragged a low shot wide of the right post from the left of the area.
In the 38th minute, Tarrawana had a great chance to open the scoring. Cameron Morgan slipped Matias Torro in behind one-on-one with Port goalkeeper Rodriguez, the latter pulling off a vital save with his feet.
Moments later, the hosts hit the front. Mendes with a low, powerful effort from the right edge of the box that beat Blueys’ goalkeeper Jackson Cracknell.
Port almost had a second with three regular first-half minutes to play as Sebastian Tomasiello’s left-footed shot from inside the box went over.
A fast-paced first half concluded with the home side holding a slender lead over their opponents.
Within the first three minutes of the second half, Tarrawanna drew level. Mazevski lobbed a delicate finish over Rodriguez to swing the momentum in the visitors’ favour.
Less than a minute later, the side turned the scoreline around and took the lead. Mazevski turned provider, sending in a right-sided cutback that Brooker calmly steered into the bottom left corner.
In a nightmare three minutes for Port Kembla, they had it all to do in the second half to get back into the contest despite holding a halftime lead.
The chances kept coming for Tarrawanna as they sought further goals to extend their lead.
The visitors’ pressure paid off with another goal soon after the hour mark. Brooker again found space in the left of the box, this time sliding a left-footed finish under Rodriguez.
Striker Morgan had a flurry of chances after this, including one with 10 minutes to play that flew past the left post.
The Blueys had been resolute in defence in the second half, rarely letting their opponents into shooting opportunities.
In the 83rd minute, Mendes gave Cracknell’s glovework a rare second-half test. The winger unleashed a dipping, curling strike from the right edge of the box that the goalkeeper needed to palm over.
Morgan’s chance for a goal arrived with four minutes to play as he won a penalty. The former Port Kembla ace rolled the ball into the bottom right corner to extend Tarrawanna’s advantage.
Morgan nearly had a double in the 89th minute, with his right-footed shot cleared off the line.
The away side saw out what remained to earn a comprehensive victory courtesy of an unrelenting second-half performance.
Report by Tim Gibson
Photos courtesy of Gragrapix
