Coniston have claimed the Illawarra Premier League second grade title after a 4-2 victory against Bulli on Saturday at Ian McLennan Park.
The game burst into action after a goalless first period as the sides traded goals early in the second half. Adam Voloder bagged a brace later on to secure Coniston the trophy.
It was a timid opening to the match as both teams looked to work their way into the big dance. However, Bulli had a couple of opportunities in the 10th minute as Samuel Adnum and Callum Donnelly both drew good saves from veteran Coniston goalkeeper David Zufic.
Five minutes later, Coniston went close as two crosses flashed across the face of the goal in quick succession, but no Coniston player could get a decisive touch.
Adnum had another shot for Bulli midway through the half firing at goal from close range but Zufic was equal to it once again. Coniston’s Voloder almost around scored two times around half an hour in. His cross-come-shot from the left bouncing on top of the crossbar in the 28th minute. Two minutes later he lined up a curling effort from the right of the box that finish just past the far post.
Voloder continued to look dangerous for the rest of the half rattling the crossbar once again in the 36th minute from inside the box before his left-footed shot flew over the bar a few seconds later.
Despite chances both ways, the teams went into halftime with the deadlock yet to be broken.
The second half was a different story from the first with goals flying in right from the start. Bulli found the opening goal in the 53rd minute. Brownlee broke away down the left and passed the ball beyond an onrushing Zufic despite the goalkeeper getting a touch. However, it didn’t take long for Coniston to respond – Connor Pontarolo seeing his effort from the edge of the box squirm under Kludass and roll into the net less than a minute later.
The action continued to deliver with Coniston awarded a penalty in the 64th minute. Brandon Angelevski stepped up and rolled his effort into the middle of the goal as Kludass dived to his left.
This time it was Bulli who responded quickly. Samuel Adnum turning home a right-sided corner from close in.
Coniston pushed back in front in the final 20 minutes of the game. Voloder who had almost scored on several occasions in the first half netting a late brace. In the 72nd minute, the forward tapped from Aleksandar Duckinoski’s left-sided cross. He scored again six minutes later, running at the Bulli defence centrally before slotting the ball into the bottom left corner from inside the box.
Duckinoski nearly added some further gloss to Coniston’s performance digging out a shot from the left of the box that rolled just past the right post.
A few minutes later, Coniston secured their victory and were crowned second-grade champions.
Bulli FC 2 (Deakin Brownlee 53’, Samuel Adnum 67’)
Coniston FC 4 (Connor Pontarolo 54’, Brandon Angelevski penalty 64’, Adam Voloder 72’ 78’)
Player of the match: Adam Voloder
Bulli FC: 1. KLUDASS Braeden, 22. BRYCE Lachlan, 3. BAULCH Alexander, 26. LEWIS Mitchell, 46. ELPHICK Mason, 28. KIS Josh, 29. MARTIN Flynn, 11. BROWNLEE Deakin, 24. DONNELLY Callum, 47. ZHOU Yik Tung, 25. ADNUM Samuel
Substitutes: 49. COOK Jayden (ELPHIK 74’), 45. DONNELLY Jack (ZHOU 65′), 13. BOWLER Baxter (KIS 80’), 50. BOWLER Fletcher 57. REDZIC Adam (DONNELLY 60’)
Yellow Cards: Josh Kis 20′, Samuel Adnum 71′
Red Cards: Nil
Coniston FC: 12. ZUFIC David, 7. VOLODER Adam, 9. TSCHENTSCHER Matthew, 14. SACCO Gian, 15. DUCKINOVSKI Aleksandar, 22. ANDERSON Travis, 25. KARAYIANNIS Adam, 29. PONTAROLO Connor, 33. ANGELEVSKI Brandon, 35. STERN Daniel
Substitutes: 24. TOOLE Lachlan (SACCO 80′), 28. ANGELKOSKI Filip, 30. POPOSKI Daniel (DUCKINOSKI 90+3′), 31. OLIVERA Brandon (PONTAROLO 82′), 39. MCLEAN Connor (TSCHENTSCHER 90+3′)
Yellow Cards: Matthew Tschentscher 66′, Gian Sacco 69′, Adam Karayiannis 87′, Nicholas Grosdonov 90+4′
Red Cards: Nil
Date: Saturday, 22 October 2022
Venue: Ian McLennan Park, Kembla Grange
Referee: Caleb Blanch
Assistant Referees: Steve Bozic and Damien Dennelly
Fourth Official: Hayden Michlmayr
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
Photos courtesy of Pedro Garcia
