Coniston FC drew with Albion Park White Eagles 1-1 @ JJ Kelly Park
Coniston’s rejuvenation continues under their new coaching staff after grinding out a draw against league heavyweights Albion Park White Eagles.
They did not have it all their own way though especially after James Baldacchino popped up to glance a header in off the far post from a corner after just eight minutes.
Coniston had fleeting moments in the first half which was largely dominated by the Eagles.
The home side managed to arrest some of the momentum through the second half and they seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, it was the White Eagles holding on.
Right on 90 minutes, a Coniston raid down the left saw the ball cutback across the edge of the box. Harrison Taranto composed himself and slotted it into the corner to earn his club a deserved draw.
The draw puts a dent into Albion Park’s quest to chase down the league leaders. They turn their attention to the Bampton Cup Final next week against Wollongong Olympic.
Coniston, on the other hand, keep picking up points as others around them falter. They are within touching distance of the playoffs. They haven’t kept a clean sheet since round 9. Coniston will have the week off before looking to fire up against foes Wollongong United.
Bulli FC defeated Helensburgh Thistle 4-1 @ Rex Jackson Oval
Lewis Grimshaw starred, scoring a hattrick as Bulli swept past Helensburgh at Rex Jackson after a ruthless second half.
Charlie Jones had an early chance for Helensburgh as a ricochet fell nicely for him in front of goal however, Daniel Collison produced a strong one handed save to deny him.
Not long after, Helensburgh won the ball in midfield. The ball fell to Jones who sent Jonty Busch through on goal. He showed great composure as he nestled the ball across Collison and into the far corner to put the home side ahead on ten minutes.
Midw
ay through the half, Grimshaw latched onto loose ball 25 yards and with an open goal at his mercy, he just couldn’t find the power to beat the retreating Alexander Baulch who recovered just in time to clear the chance.
Just before half time, Bulli launched a swift break that saw Deakin Peterson force Adam Hillman into a strong save.
Right on the stroke of half time, a Grimshaw corner somehow managed to sneak in to the near post as Bulli drew level.
The goal sparked the visitors as they scored again just minutes after the restart. A flick on found Grimshaw in the box. He laid off to Peterson who did well to get a shot away which appeared to take a slight deflection as it whistled past Hillman.
Just five minutes later, Peterson returned the favour as he squared to Grimshaw in the box. He needed two goes to put the ball past Hillman as Bulli extended their lead and took firm control of the game.
Less than a minute later, a Grimshaw free kick from 30 yards struck the near post and ricocheted off Hillman into the near post as he secured his hattrick.
On
the hour, Hillman produced a great one-handed flying save to deny Joel Starr.
Bulli’s win sees them level on points with Helensburgh in fifth spot. They have the week off before hosting Shellharbour FC.
As for Helensburgh, they haven’t won in the last four matches and are doing well to just hang onto fifth spot. They will be looking to bounce back in a couple of weeks as they host Berkeley Sports.
Tarrawanna defeated South Coast United 4-1 @ Tarrawanna Oval
The Blueys perhaps produced their best 90 minutes of the season after a strong win over South Coast United.
Advin Trebincevic got the Blueys going with a goal on 14 minutes.
Kade Kinsella has started find some form and he slotted home on 38 minutes to double their advantage. Just two minutes later, Tarrawanna took a strong hold of the game when Cooper Schofield buried his opportunity and at 3-0, the Blueys were in firm control.
It was an uncharacteristic half of football for South Coast United who simply failed to get going, To their credit though, they started the second stanza with renewed energy and when Abdul Aljabery pulled a goal back on 62 minutes, there were a few flutters from the home side.
They managed to settle back into the game and repel South Coast United. Jayden Grumley iced the game on 85 minutes for Tarrawanna after the youngster notched up his fifth goal of the season.
The Blueys picked up their first win in six games and with that, have picked themselves up off the bottom of the ladder. They still have work to do to avoid relegation. They go again in a couple of weeks with a visit to Terry Reserve.
For South Coast, it’s their third loss in a row as they slide down the ladder. They welcome Wollongong Olympic in the next fortnight.
Shellharbour FC drew with Shellharbour FC 1-1 @ Barrack Heights Oval
Shellharbour were just minutes away from securing their biggest scalp of the season, however, they were forced to settle for a draw after a late equaliser.
Both sides came into this match with plenty to play for albeit at opposite ends of the table.
You wouldn’t know it looking at the first half with Shellharbour dominating large parts of the half limiting United to half chances.
Just minutes before the break, Shellharbour hit the front after they exploited from a turnover in midfield. The ball played to Po-An Lin who fired in
to the top corner from the edge of the box to excite the home fans. It was a goal was that was not undeserved.
As good sides do, Wollongong United recalibrated at half time and came out with a greater sense of purpose and better execution. They were held firm by a resilient Shellharbour defence that repelled their raids.
United were dealt a late blow when Evan Ball was shown a straight red card and they had to see out the game with 10 players.
With one last push, a United throw in was hurled into the mixer. The ball fell to Daniel Geroski who turned and chipped the ball over Adam Rodriguez to rescue what looked like an unlikely point.
United have won just once in their last five games following their Australia Cup run. They have surrendered the league lead, and they missed an opportunity t
o regain the lead despite Olympic having a game in hand. They will look to reset with the week off as they prepare to take on a rejuvenated Coniston.
Despite securing a point, it wasn’t enough to lift Shellharbour FC off the foot of the table. They trail the Blueys by a point. The relegation battle is likely to go right down to the wire, and every point right now will feel like gold. Shellharbour visit Bulli in their next league fixture.
Cringila Lions defeated Berkeley Sports 2-1 @ Berkeley Sportsground
The Lions are back roaring again as they edge past Berkeley on Sunday.
Brent McCance scored his first league goal of the season as he put the goats ahead on 18 minutes.
Cringila showed attacking intent and deservedly levelled right on the stroke of half time through Harrison Anagnostopoulos.
That goal gave Cringila some momentum going into the break and just five minutes after the restart, James Ralston popped up to put the Lions ahead for the first time in the match.
It was a lead the Lions would not surrender despite some close calls. The game getting a little fiery towards the backend as both sides looked to get the all-important result.
The Lions hung firm as they continued to be one of the current form teams. The win solidifying their position in the top five although we wouldn’t quite discount them from Premiership success just yet.
The Lions can all but assure themselves a finals berth with a win over Helensburgh in their next league match.
For Berkeley, they have had quite a respectful season in their first year back in the top league however, with the bottom teams getting results, they are not quite safe just yet. They play a catch-up game next week against Helensburgh before visiting Port Kembla. A positive result in any one of those two games should be enough to secure another season in the PL1.
Wollongong Olympic v Port Kembla – Washed out
