Warilla Wanderers consolidated their hold on third spot in the WGC Cranes District League with a 3-1 win over fourth placed Coniston. Early goals from Ben Ellul and Kaine Good helped the home side on its way, and although Coniston came back strongly in the second half with a goal from Franc Pierro, Bojan Caric’s penalty just before the hour mark stopped the visitors in their tracks.

It was a lively start in the bright sunshine at King Mickey Park, with chances at both ends, as these two table-topping teams sought to gain an early advantage. But it was the home side who were 2-0 up by the 17^th minute, as first Ben Ellul stroked home a left foot shot after a ball in from Jordan Nolan in only the second minute, and then Kaine Good doubled the lead fifteen minutes later after good work by Caric on the edge of the area.

The Wanderers could have more early on as Caric looped a header towards the top corner and then Javier Ovando sent a left foot volley inches wide of the upright.

For Coniston, there were early chances too, as first Dinko Terzic slid a close range effort across the face of the goal moments after Warilla’s opener, and then Jim Stewart took the same angle from further out as he watched his shot fire just wide of the far post.

But at 2-0 down so early on, this was always going to be a game-chasing exercise for Coniston. And the early setbacks led to a lack of composure, with too many unforced errors in the middle of the park, meaning the attacking trio of Terzic, Pierro and Adrian Nikolovski barely got a touch in the first half.

It was midfielder Brad Moreira who slammed a long-range shot goalwards in the 34^th minute, the ball thundering into the head of a Wanderers defender, with loud calls for handball as the player tried to protect himself. But the referee waved play on and the attack broke down.

Coniston went into the break two goals down, but by the end of the half, they were starting to press the Warilla defence. And quick as a flash after the restart, the visitors got a goal back.

Franco Ledesma had come on for the second half to replace the injured Terzic and the striker had an immediate impact, winning the ball just past half way and finding Stewart down the left. The winger sent a well-weighted ball across the box to Pierro who volleyed home to give his side hope.

With their tails up Coniston pressed forward looking for an equaliser. Stewart used his pace to burst forward and into the penalty area with three defenders in his wake, but the left-winger couldn’t quite keep his shot down and the ball flew just over the bar.

At the other end an Ovando corner took one bounce onto the crossbar before Moreira cleared off his own line. And then came the penalty which basically finished the game off with just over half an hour left to play. Caric steered the spot kick out of Coniston keeper Alex Makin’s reach to restore his side’s two goal advantage.

Coniston did get the ball in the net with a fine finish from Nikolovski, but the referee had already blown for a corner and the goal would not count. And from then on, it was Warilla who looked more likely to score, and Makin did well to keep the scoreline to 3-1, with saves from Caric, Ellul, Nolan and late on denying substitute Tim White.

 

Speaking after the game, Coniston coach Willy Alarcon said: “You can’t give a team like Warilla a two goal start as we did today. But credit to the boys, they responded well, got an early goal in the second half and had good chances for an equaliser before the penalty that just stifled our momentum.” His concern, looking ahead to next week’s home fixture against ladder leaders Fernhill, is to give his side a light week after a heavy schedule of matches lately and a number of key players carrying light injuries. “It’ll be tough next week against the top side, but we are a force to be reckoned with in this league.”

Warilla coach Barney King acknowledged that the good start made a difference and that his side’s penalty swung the match back in the Wanderers’ favour after Coniston were coming back into it. “We missed a lot of chances late on, though, as we did last week when Fernhill defended so well against us.” And he believes the depth in his squad means Warilla could still be challenging for top spot as the season moves forward. With Daniel Atkins moving to Warilla from Woonona, James Young back from injury and Adam White available again from next week, King will have even more options when his side takes on Kiama in Round 11 before the season swings into its second half with the return matches from Round 12 onwards.

Warilla Wanderers FC – 3 (Ellul 2’, Good 17’, Caric pen 58’)

Coniston – 1 (Pierro 47’)

Assists: Warilla: Nolan, Caric; Coniston: Stewart

Saturday 27 May 2017

King Mickey Park

Referee: Blake Herbert

Assistant Referees: Graeme Charker, Keelum Harrison

Warilla Wanderers: Val Rizvani, Nicholas Del Turco (Nathan Pegler 78’), Toni Anastovski, Martin Castelli, Jason Goldsmith, Luke Everingham, Ben Ellul (Tim White 82’), Kaine Good, Bojan Caric, Javier Ovando, Jordan Nolan (subs not used: Adrian Montalbano, Stewart Robertson, Blake Pusell)

Coniston FC: Alex Makin, Patrik Susnya, Andrew Nanos, Vasko Mitkovski (Matthew Stojanoski 71’), Matthew Cuda, Brad Moreira, Ryan Vandenberg, Franc Pierro, Adrian Nikolovski, Dinko Terzic (Franco Ledesma 45’), Jim Stewart (subs: Frank Gaudiosi, Adem Akkoc, Connor O’Neill)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Pickles