Kiama Quarriers battled their way off the bottom of the District League ladder with a 5-2 victory over a Bellambi side which finished the match with only nine men after red cards for player-coach Tim Hooker and Jacob Miller.

Bellambi went in at the break 2-1 up in spite of playing more than half the first period a man short, but Kiama made the numerical advantage count in the second stanza, firing in four goals to take the tie and leapfrog over the Rosellas in the standings after Round 7.

This was a physical encounter that had seven yellow cards as well as the reds, but it also saw some quality finishes at both ends, making it an entertaining spectacle for the neutral.

The opening exchanges gave no hint of the drama about to unfold. Mitch Hoswell had the only half chance in the first fifteen minutes, but sent his effort across the face of the goal.

But the Bellambi centre forward out-leaped the Kiama defence in the sixteenth minute and sent Miller’s corner one bounce into the top of the net to give his side the lead.

The home side responded quickly, though, and in less than two minutes they had equalised. Michael Hampton raced onto a through ball into the box and sent a right foot shot past a helpless Ben Levai in the Bellambi goal.

The drama continued moments later when Hooker received a straight red which left his side with an uphill battle for the next 70 minutes.

But the Rosellas responded well themselves and took the lead two minutes later. This time it was Miller who picked up the ball on the edge of the area, made a ten metre dash along the 18 yard line before spotting a gap and unleashed a left foot shot that gave Mitchell Reeve in the Kiama goal no chance.

Blake Ross filled in at the back in place of Hooker and was quickly called into action as Kiama tried again to reply immediately. Jacob Lester floated in a dangerous cross which Ross managed to get his head on, though he almost steered his clearance into his own net.

The home side began to dominate possession as the one man advantage began to tell, but Bellambi looked solid at the back going into the break. It was Hampton who might have had a second just before half time as he was put through in virtually the same spot from which he had already scored, but he almost had too much time on the ball and sent his shot flying over the bar this time.

Bellambi looked good for their 2-1 lead at the break, but the last thing a team playing with ten men needed to do was concede early, and that’s precisely what the Rosellas did.

Daniel Gillespie’s 49^th minute equaliser was a superb solo effort, though, and must be an early candidate for goal of the season. The right-back burst forward past two defenders and fired a rifle shot through a packed area from 30 yards out.

Once Kiama had drawn level, it was always likely that they would go on and win this one as Bellambi legs tired.

Just past the hour mark Gillespie went on another charge forward, this time winning a free kick 30 yards out. Kiama captain Chris Christodoulou stepped up to take and whipped his shot in at the near post to put his side in front for the first time.

Miller continued to look Bellambi’s most likely threat and at one point he almost lobbed the Kiama gloveman after spotting him off his line, but Reeve just got back to take at the second attempt.

At the other end Levai was not having a happy afternoon, though he did make one superb save getting down low to deny Keegan Beringer as the Kiama forward bore down on him 1 on 1.

Kiama’s fourth came when Chris Hill got up well to steer Lester’s free kick home from inside the six yard box. But even at 4-2 down Bellambi didn’t give in.

The fresh legs of Conor Pontarolo and Liam Ross almost found a way through the Quarriers’ defences, but Adam Hinkley got back to make the vital tackle.

All was lost for the Rosellas when Miller received his marching orders with 12 minutes left, with another straight red for responding to a tackle that left him hobbling off the pitch anyway.

Down to nine men, it was almost inevitable that Kiama would score again, and with nine minutes remaining it was Hampton who put the icing on the Quarriers’ cake with another fine finish from another Lester assist.

After the game Kiama coach James Spence said his side had been poor in the first half and “Bellambi were up for it. But we had a better second half, did our job and scored some cracking goals in the process.”

Bellambi coach Hooker said it had been a ‘hard day at the office’, with the early red card changing the game, but he felt his side had performed well playing with ten men for such a long period. “We were the better side in the first half and were on top even with ten men. But congratulations to Kiama who took their chances well.”

Kiama Quarriers FC – 5 (Hampton 18’, 81’, Gillespie 49’, Christodoulou 61’, Hill 67’)

Bellambi FC – 1 (Hoswell 15’, Miller 21’)

Assists: Kiama: Lester 2; Bellambi: Miller

Saturday 6 May 2017

Kiama Sporting Complex

Referee: Greg Reid

Assistant Referees: Andrew Thomason, Aaron Carey

Kiama Quarriers FC: Mitchell Reeve, Daniel Gillespie, Adam Hinkley, Chris Hill, Luke Munro, Ben Hardcastle, Jacob Lester, Michael Hampton (Josh Gomes 86’), Keegan Beringer (Karl Graf 86’), Chris Christodoulou (Jesse Annan 74’), Cameron Barrett (subs not used: Todd Wade, Mitch O’Neill)

Bellambi FC: Ben Levai, Daniel Harrington (Josh McCready 68’), David Kiss, Tim Hooker, Joel Thompson, Blake Ross, Darren Carney (Connor Pontarolo 45’), Yasufumi Miyamoto (Liam Ross 68’), Mitch Hoswell, Jacob Miller, Keisuke Sato (subs not used Zachary Noel-Strang, Jack McNamara)

Report by Simon Duffin