Bulli go top with win over Shell Cove

Bulli bounced back to the top of the Premier League ladder with a workmanlike 2-0 victory over Shell Cove at the WIN Stadium on Sunday. A goal in each half for top marksman Ben McDonald saw the boys in blue home in this first IPL fixture to be played in 2016 at the region's prestige venue.

Shell Cove played some attractive football, with new boys Daniel Vellonio and Jordan Hassiem teaming up well to pose a few problems going forward, but the finishing was poor, with Bulli keeper Yuya Kuwata barely troubled across the 90 minutes.

Vellonio almost got Shell Cove off to a dream start, though, winning a penalty in the seventh minute when he beat his marker for pace and was brought down as he raced towards goal. But the youngster slammed his spot kick against the cross bar, and had to watch as Bulli broke quickly and almost scored to double his misery. It was Sam Davies who set up Dylan Lewis at the far post but the Bulli winger slid the ball just wide of the upright.

Twice more in the opening minutes, Vellonio created space for himself and had a chance to go for goal, but he didn't get enough behind either effort to force a real save out of Kuwata.

Before long, Bulli made Shell Cove pay for those missed opportunities. The opening goal in the 21st minute was typical of Bulli's attacking style this season. Dylan Lewis fired a ball across the goal from the right. When no one was there to put in the final touch, Julian Minutillo picked the ball up on the left and played a neat cross in to Ben McDonald who had a simple tap-in as the Shell Cove defence just watched.

The rest of the first half was played out in relative quiet, with both sides giving the ball away too easily and neither side threatening.

Just before the break, Hassiem did try a clever lob towards Vellonio on the edge of the area. For a brief second Shell Cove hearts may have raced as Vellonio's shot dipped late, but it finished in the top netting without Kuwata getting a touch. Other than that, all the creative play in midfield came to nothing for Shell Cove, with Bulli's defensive line holding good, forcing shots from impossible positions. 

The second half began in much the same vein: Hassiem and Vellonio still working well together until the final third, but the killer touch still missing. Bulli, too, started the second stanza slowly, their only early chance coming just before the hour mark when Lewis teed up McDonald in front of goal. Crowded by Shell Cove defenders, McDonald tried some deft juggling as he prepared to go for goal, but could not get a firm enough touch to finish the game off.

Ryan Emerton, on as a sub with just under half an hour to go, had an immediate impact. He picked the ball up on half way, rode two tackles and went for glory, but Adam Rodriquez in the Shell Cove goal was good enough.

Then Emerton almost played provider for McDonald as he curled a ball in from the right onto McDonald’s head, but the striker somehow flicked his header wide.

With twenty minutes left the game opened up, as Shell Cove pushed forward for an equaliser. Kurdvan Abduljabbar was gifted a lucky rebound as he stood on the penalty spot, but couldn’t settle himself in time and fired the ball over, in what was probably Shell Cove’s best chance of the afternoon.

And the more Shell Cove chased the game, the more they were vulnerable at the back. With eight minutes remaining, Bulli exploited the gaps and wrapped the game up with a second. This time Minutillo ran onto a long ball down the left and drove a clean cross into McDonald, who had time and space to slot the ball past Rodriguez for his second of the game and his fourth goal in two weeks.

Goran Nikolovski saved his side from a heavier defeat late on when he whisked a header clear a split second before Guy Knight was set to pounce on another Emerton cross.

In the end, 2-0 was probably a fair result, though Shell Cove might feel they should have come out of this game with at least a consolation goal.

Bulli lead the ladder on goal difference going into a crucial Round 5, where the top six teams all play each other. Shell Cove move onto an intriguing tie against a Cringila side which has just won its first victory in the IPL 2016 season.


Bulli FC – 2 (McDonald 21’, 82’)

Shell Cove FC – 0

Sunday 17 April 2016

WIN Stadium

Referee: Andrew Naylor

Assistant Referees: Emma Hayes and Greg Reid

Bulli FC: Yuya Kuwata, Matthew Naylor, Scott Best, Aaron Baker (Ryan Emerton 63’), Kenji Takahashi, Guy Knight, Jim Kerr, Sam Davies, Dylan Lewis (Lewis Clements 79’), Ben McDonald, Julian Minutillo (Kyle Jackson 86’) (sub not used: Joao Oliveira-Woolmer)

Shell Cove FC: Adam Rodriguez, Goran Nikolovski, Nathan Macgraw, Kane Wright (Kazuhiro Obata 68’), Filip Angeleski, Ljupco Naumovski (Vanderburg 86’), Daniel Vellonio, Shoehi Arakawa, Lucas Rossi (Jonathan Barzel 40’), Jordan Hassiem, Kurdvan Abduljabbar (sub not used: Michael Mitrevski)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo by Pedro Garcia




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