Article Courtesy: MITCH COHEN

 

FOOTBALL - ILLAWARRA PREMIER LEAGUE

While most of their title rivals were unable to play, Wollongong Olympic scored a highly valuable 1-0 home win against Bellambi on Sunday.

In their second match of the weekend, Wayne Farnsworth's men secured secured four (of a possible six) points to leave them at the top of-the-table.

But with half the competition yet to kick a ball, the position is by no means locked up.

Yet Olympic coach Farnsworth has no complaints.

"We will be sitting on top of the table now and, really, where else do you want to be?" Farnsworth said.

Olympic made hard work of getting the three points.

Clearly leg-weary from their match with United 24 hours earlier, they missed a number of chances to take the lead in the first half against Bellambi.

On the half-hour mark, Justin Potter arrived first on the scene of an Alex Makin save but somehow managed to skew his attempt on an open goal over the crossbar from point-blank range.

But it could have been worse soon after.

Olympic custodian Hayden Durose let a ball slip through his fingers and slide towards goal.

Fortunately, he recovered and desperately scrambled the ball clear before it crossed the line.

As the game wore on, the Rosellas became more confident of getting something out of the match.

Nick Hardy and Chris Hobbs both had chances for Bellambi but were unable to find a way past a defiant Durose.

Not long after, Olympic went marched upfield and produced what would be the match-winner.

A drilled-in cross from the left was met in the box by Sam Gordon, who poked the ball into the corner of the net.

Bellambi kept coming at the home side after the goal but to Farnsworth's delight, his men held on for the win.

"They are a fighting side. On our day if we take our chances, it is a different league really," Farnsworth said.

"To their credit they stuck to it and they will be a nuisance-value side, that is for sure."

Farnsworth was most pleased with his side's ability to step up on match day twice in a weekend.

"In the end we probably dodged a bullet," he added.

"But to back up two days in conditions like this - this is like playing three games in two days of play. It is a mighty effort.

"If you said to me on Friday that we would get four out of six points, I would have been happy to take it."

Unfortunately, all other Sunday fixtures were postponed due to the rain-soaked playing surfaces.