Oak Flats Falcons kept their hopes of finals football alive with battling 1-0 win over Coniston at JJ Kelly Park on Saturday. It puts them level with Helensburgh Thistle in fifth, pending the Thistle’s Round 15 tie at Kiama.

Brenton Lloyd scored the only goal of the game just before the break, though both Jarryd Vinton and Michael Wilson were denied by the woodwork and Wilson missed a penalty in the second half.

Coniston didn’t look like a team pushing for a top five spot and rarely looked like finding a way through a Falcons defence which has now notched up four clean sheets in the last five matches, though a fine save from Oak Flats gloveman Ben Wunsch late on denied the home side an equaliser.

Coniston looked the livelier on the ball in the opening exchanges of this tie, with Savo Sekulic partnering Dinko Terzic up front as targetmen for the home side. Terzic set up Patrik Susnja for the first effort on goal in the tenth minute but the ball flew wide of the upright without troubling Wunsch.

And it would be another fifteen minutes before Coniston had another pop at goal. They pushed forward and probably had the bulk of possession but were repeatedly thwarted by some solid defending, with Jamie Stevenson constantly popping up in the right place to put in a block or make the timely tackle.

Christian Cappetta and Daniel Munilla had a go for the visitors, but for the first half hour, there was little to do for Coniston’s new keeper Cristofer Fuentes Ramirez.

Just past the half hour mark, the hosts had their best period of the game but still failed to break the deadlock. First it was Alan Warburton who denied them, getting back to take the ball off Franco Ledesma’s toes as he was poised to shoot; then it was Franc Pierro who resorted to a long-range shot, but Wunsch gathered; and then Andrew Nanos twice came up from defence for set-pieces and tried to use his height to get above the Falcons. He got there at the second attempt but saw his header fly wide of the upright.

And as half time approached the Falcons began to fly. First Vinton’s shot cannoned against the post, and then the goal in the 44th minute, which would prove decisive in the end.

Chad Keating swung a corner in from the right, Munilla flicked a header on at the near post, Fuentes Ramirez punched it away but only as far as Lloyd. His header from six yards out took a deflection off the back of a defender’s leg but ended up in the back of the net. It was not the prettiest goal of the season, but it could prove crucial for Oak Flats.

The Falcons should have sealed the victory just past the hour mark when Munilla was brought down in the area. Wilson stepped up to take but sent his spot kick flying well over the bar. Looking to capitalise on a potential change of luck, Coniston rang the changes, sending Nanos up front and bringing on James Stewart and Dusan Kolonja to create more pressure out of midfield. But it just wasn’t Coniston’s day.

With ten minutes remaining, Brad Moreira sent across a corner which was cleared as far as Nanos. His powerful header cannoned off the back of Stewart’s head and appeared to be heading for the top corner until Wunsch’s outstretched fingers tipped it over. And Wunsch again saved from Moreira late on as Coniston finally seemed to be finding a way round that Falcons back line.

But it was all too late and the final chance of the match fell to Oak Flats. Substitute Chris Murdzevksi broke down the right and sent the ball in towards Wilson who was racing into the box. The unlucky centre forward got a good connection but saw his header thunder against the bar.

The Falcons held on to win 1-0.

Falcons coach Mark Vinton was delighted with the result, but saved his biggest praise for his back line: “Our defence was the key to success today. Coniston pressed hard, they pressed high and threw everything at us, but the defenders were all magnificent, and Ben (Wunsch) made another great save at the end.”

Looking ahead to next week’s Round 16 tie at Kiama, Vinton said: “It’s another tough fixture but one we have to win if we are to give ourselves a chance for a top five spot.”

Coniston coach Willy Alarcon struggled to find positives from a poor overall performance. “The positive is that even on a day like this when we didn’t threaten them enough, we almost got a result and their keeper made a fine save. But we just aren’t getting a settled side at the moment and we just aren’t scoring enough goals.”

On next week’s tie against Thirroul, he said: “Both sides will be hurting after results this week, but we got in behind them a few times when we last played and we’ll be looking to do that again next week.”

Coniston – 0

Oak Flats Falcons – 1 (Lloyd 44’)

Saturday 1 July 2017 at JJ Kelly Park, Coniston

Coniston FC: Cristofer Fuentes Ramirez, Rory Evans, Andrew Nanos, Matthew Cuda, Patrik Susnja, Brad Moreira, Franc Pierro, Savo Sekulic, Franco Ledesma (Dusan Kolonja 75’), Dinko Terzic, Jimmy Barrios (James Stewart 72’), (subs not used: Frank Gaudiosi, Atanas Simonovski, Lorri Mandredi)

Oak Flats: Ben Wunsch, Jarryd Vinton, Alan Warburton, Ryan Pitt, Jamie Stevenson, Brenton Lloyd, Ryan Franks (Chris Murdzevski 80’), Christian Cappetta, Michael Wilson, Chad Keating (Stephen Jovanovski 89’), Daniel Munilla,  (subs not used Chris Jarman, Jason Murdzevski)

Referee: John Ruscica
Assistant Referees: Brendon Fotheringham, Trae Arnold

Report and photo by Simon Duffin, on Twitter @DuffinWrites