Fernhill kept its hopes of playing finals football alive with a resilient display to beat in-form Warilla on Saturday. Goals from Japanese pair Masa Wada and Hiro Kobayashi proved enough to overcome a Warilla side that had enough chances to win this game easily, but managed only one goal, courtesy of Stewart Robertson’s second half strike.

At times the Foxes were hanging on by a thread as Warilla mounted attack after attack on the Fernhill goal, but a combination of fine saves from Foxes keeper Akira Tatsubayashi, some timely tackles from Fernhill’s back four, bodies in the way to block goalbound shots and some misfired attempts on goal kept the visitors at bay for much of the match, and twice it was the woodwork that kept Fernhill in the match.

For the first 25 minutes, there was only one team in this game, as Warilla worked to keep up its five game winning streak. Colin Walker was always a threat up front, causing Fernhill’s defence all sorts of problems as he showed off his skills on the ball and looked hungry to add to his season’s 13 goal tally. It was Walker who came closest early on as he drove a left foot shot just wide of the upright. And in the 18^th minute, his flicked header was cleared off the line by Marc Sergi, back defending a corner for Fernhill.

A minute later he rose again to get his head on a free kick that was floated into the box, but this time Tatsubayashi claimed the ball just in time. When Warilla won their fourth corner in as many minutes, it felt as if a goal had to come. Once again Walker rose highest and flicked a header goalwards, but this time it hit Tatsubayashi on the feet and flew clear.

When Fernhill finally won a corner down at the other end, Wada’s header was going for the far corner before it too was blocked. But it was a sign that Fernhill could be dangerous on the break.

In the 28^th minute, Wada fired a blistering right foot shot which caught a deflection before flying for a corner. And it was Wada again who got up highest at the far post from the corner to direct his header into the back of the net and give Fernhill an unlikely lead.

Warilla quickly pressed for an equaliser, forcing corner after corner on the back of virtually constant possession. But Fernhill always held firm.

Just before the break, many around the ground thought Warilla had equalised when Jeremy Lopez set up Luke Everingham, who unleashed a rocket from the edge of the area. But the ball had hit the side-netting, and Warilla had to go in at half time a goal down.

The second half began in much the same way as the first, with Warilla dominating possession and pouring forward in numbers. Rhys Marsh saw his powerful shot blocked by Jeremy Robertson; Captain Chad Keating curled a left foot just over the bar from outside the area; and Colin Walker continued to look dangerous.

But with Warilla pressing forward, the game opened up more for Fernhill too. Sergi’s left foot shot landed in the top netting before Wada again forced a corner after firing a cross across the face of the goal.

Just past the hour mark, Walker was put through by Lopez, but he was on his weaker right foot and Tatsubayashi dealt easily with his shot. In the 66^th minute Fernhill’s Broderick Moss fired a clearance against his own post before watching with relief as the ball flew away for a corner. Another desperate goalmouth scramble followed, but still Warilla could not get the final touch for that elusive equaliser. On 68 minutes, the visitors sent on top scorer Luke Greathead as substitute, gambling on the injury he had been nursing not flaring up.

Greathead was immediately in on the action and pairing up well with Walker. His right foot shot in the 72^nd minute was tipped away for yet another Warilla corner, and Greathead was on the receiving end of the corner too, only this time his shot was blocked. But the ball came free to Robertson at the far post, who calmly stroked the ball home for the equaliser.

At one goal apiece with fifteen minutes to play, the game reached fever pitch as both sides pushed for the winner.

As before, Warilla created more chances, but just couldn’t put the ball away. Walker was well-placed in front of goal, and this time on his left foot, but somehow the ball flew sideways for a corner. Tatsubayashi denied Lopez and Moss blocked yet another goalbound shot from Greathead.

And then with two minutes to play, Fernhill broke clear and scored the winner.

Wada started the move from the half way line, finding substitute Chris Hobbs down the right. His crossed bypassed Ben Moerman in front of goal and found Kobayashi at the far post, who fired the ball home to the delight of the Fernhill fans.

Warilla pressed right to the end for an equaliser to keep their  hopes of a top three spot alive. In the dying seconds, Everingham had one final attempt on goal, but this time Kazu Obata got his body in the way. And Fernhill had held out for a vital victory.

After the game, Fernhill coach Daniel McGoldrick was delighted: “On the balance of play, they had a number of chances and could have won the game in the first half. In the end, a combination of a bit of good fortune and some resilience kept us alive, and we took our chances. And that’s something we’ve failed to do on several occasions this season.

‘That’s the mantra I’ve been trying to instil in the boys: to play a compressive defence and then play an expansive attack. Sometimes we do it, sometimes we don’t, but I’m very happy to take the three points today. There’s a great spirit in the club and if results go our way next weekend, we could be playing in the finals, which nobody expected at the start of the season”

Warilla Assistant Coach Michael Clout was obviously disappointed: “We had the better chances overall, but their keeper kept them in it with some great saves.”

Asked why his team had not sat back at 1-1 when a point would have been good enough for a finals berth, Clout said: “It’s not coach Barney (King)’s philosophy to park the bus. We were here to get the three points, as the three points would give us a shot at second spot and two bites at the cherry for the Grand Final. But now we’re in the lottery of needing a result against Picton next week and watching other results around the grounds.”

- Simon Duffin -

Photo Courtesy of Yetti Grobbe-Brand