After having their finals hopes squashed against Nepean in Round 19, South Coast Flame were looking for three wins from three to finish of the season starting with a home match against Western Condors. Flame - who were playing with an ad-lib lineup - led by a goal to nil at halftime thanks to a Matt Mazevski penalty but the visitors fought back and stole the three points after Chun Him Yau netted a 92nd-minute winner. In the younger age groups, the under 20s took a massive step towards the finals with a 3-2 victory while the under 18s went down 3-0.

 

The sides exchanged chances in the opening 10 minutes with the away side having the first big opportunity after eight minutes. Matt White scuffed a clearance which fell to Kaito Ikarimoto just outside the box, he had an effort on goal and the Flame skipper avenged his error by pulling off a solid save. In the next cycle of play, the ball was played upfield for Louis Connell who had his shot blocked out for a corner.

 

The chances continued to flow for both sides. In the 12th minute, White made a save off Yau but the ball came back to the Condors number 10 but he couldn’t guide his second attempt on target. In the 16th minute, Dion Sterjovski cut into the box from the left wing and forced Benoit Beaujean into a reaction save. Two minutes later, Condors had another chance, similar to their opportunity six minutes earlier but this time White had made a double save and the ball came to Gaston Roy at point-blank range but he muffed his strike off target.

 

With 25 minutes on the clock, Flame took the lead after a clumsy challenge saw Sterjovski go down in the area leaving the referee with little choice but to award a penalty kick. Mazevski stood up to the mark and confidently thumped his effort to the goalkeeper’s left.

 

In the final five minutes of the half, the visitors squandered another decent chance with Joshua Obeng blazing a shot over the bar, however, they were lucky not to go two behind with Beaujean making another decent save off a low Caleb Grace strike seconds before halftime.

 

The pattern of play from the first half continued in the second with either side having ample opportunities on goal. In the 49th minute, a cross in from the right found Talan Myers who skied his shot over White’s goal and a minute later Flame were on the attack with Grace playing Bojan Caric through but his shot under pressure produced another good save from Beaujean.

 

In the 54th minute, Condors’ Gaston Roy was played through on goal but his one on one effort just went outside the left post. He had a chance to make amends less than a minute later when he produced a Cruyff turn inside the box before slotting the ball into the bottom left corner.

 

The match tensed up for the next 20 minutes before Flame began to dominate the territorial battle in the final stages. With 11 minutes remaining, Mazevski made a cavalier run up the park before earning a foul on the edge of the box, he took the set piece and his vicious drive fizzed past to left post.

 

In the 80th minute, Beaujean made a spectacular fingertip save to deny substitute Jayden Smileski from leaving a stunning mark on the match when he fired a wicked half-volley from just inside the left of the area.

 

As the match ticked into added on time, Panyar Maliet had an opportunity to win the match for the visitors when he chased down a through ball but White was on hand to sweep away the danger. The ball went up the other end of the park and Grace had a chance to grab the winner but he scooped the ball over the bar.

 

In the final minute of added on time, Condors broke South Coast hearts by scoring the winner with Yau running onto a ball over the top of the high line before sneaking his shot past the goalkeeper. The Condors celebrated with glee as it keeps their slim finals chances alive for another day at least.

 

The result leaves South Coast in 9th place and three points behind 8th placed Hurstville City Minotaurs who they play on the final day of the season. Before that, Flame travel to Seymour Shaw to take on an out of form Hurstville FC who may still have a hope of making the finals depending on the result in their match on Sunday.

 

The under 20s secured a vital three points on the quest for finals football with a gutsy 3-2 win. Flame took a 2-1 lead into the break thanks to goals from Cameron Hanson and Sekou Bayo. In the second half, the sides picked up a goal each with Johnny Vicoroski netting his 14th of the season to ensure a Flame win which sees the side move into 5th pending results on Sunday. Flame’s finals fate is now in their own hands and wins in their last two matches will guarantee the side will compete in the playoffs in the club’s inaugural season - next weekend the side face 9th placed Hurstville FC.

 

In the under 18s, Western Condors pounced on a few South Coast mistakes to run out 3-0 victors. Condors led by a goal at the break before two goals in the second half put the match to bed with Blake Mottram scoring a double. The result sees Condors go level with 8th placed Flame but behind them on goal difference. Next up the side take on Hurstville who sit in 10th.

 

Saturday 4 August 2018 @ Crehan Park

 

South Coast Flames FC - 1(MAZEVSKI 25’ pen)

 

Western Condors - 2 (ROY 55’, YAU 90+2)

 

South Coast Flame FC lineup - Matt WHITE, Kenny JAMES, Matt MAZEVSKI, Martin THOMSON, Julio MUSHABA, Andrew CHRISTIE, Wade WILTON, Caleb GRACE, Dion STERJOVSKI, Bojan CARIC, Louis CONNELL

 

Subs - Brandon GROOM, Jayden SMILESKI (on for THOMSON), Aoto SAITO, Jarrod POLLARD, Johnny VICOROSKI

 

Coach - Paul ROBAARD

 

Report and photo by Dylan Arvela, on Twitter @dylanarvela