Illawarra Mercury Premier League Semi Final Wrap

In a re-match of the 2014 Premier League Grand Final, Dapto Dandaloo and Bulli locked horns at Tarrawanna Oval on Sunday for the right to be the first team through to this season’s decider at WIN Stadium.

As was the case in 2014 it was the League Champions, Dapto Dandaloo (this time ) who prevailed by three goals to nil.

Bulli had slightly the better of the first half and created a number of half chances which they failed to convert and on two occasions looked certain to score but both Sam Davies and Ben McDonald didn’t get enough on their goal bound headers, allowing Mitchell Blowes to produce two fine fingertip saves which left the game scoreless at the break.

The Fury came out with a bit more intensity at the start of the second stanza and took the lead 10 minutes after the re-start courtesy of an Alvin Ceccoli.
Bulli’s Scott Curran clumsily bundled over Robbie Shields in the penalty area leaving Referee Tomas Royall a straight forward decision to point to the spot.
Ceccoli, who has had mixed results from the 11metre mark during the competition proper made no mistake this time when it mattered most to give his side the lead probably at this point against the run of play.

The pivotal moment of the game arrived six minutes later when Bulli were themselves awarded a penalty after the Fury’s Shane Lyons was adjudged to have handled the ball.
Matthew Naylor, who is normally so reliable from the spot, stepped up only to see Blowes pull off a marvellous save low down to his left.
Ben McDonald was first to the knockdown but his effort sailed over the bar.

From that point, the Fury gained the ascendancy and when Shields scored with 15 minutes to go it was safe to say the Dapto Dandaloo had booked their placed in the season’s decider.
David Hartas put the icing on the cake with a fine run and finish in the 84^thminute to leave the Fury as deserving winners on the day.

In the elimination semi-final at Elizabeth Park on Sunday, it was a dour struggle between Wollongong United and Albion Park WE which ended scoreless after ninety minutes.

All along I think that both coaches would have agreed that the first goal scorer was always going to win this one after both sides played in mid-week in tough encounters and it now required extra time to find the winner in this one.

In contrast to normal time, there was an avalanche of goals during the extra period with United running out comfortable winners in the end by four goals to one.
Four goals in a five minute burst midway through the extra period (Billy Tsovolos 105’ Johnny Martinoski 106’ 110’ Matt Floro 110’) blew White Eagles chances away.
David Buchanan scored a late consolation with one of his trade mark headers from a corner but it was a case of too little too late with their season coming to an end.

Youth Grade

In the Grand Final Qualifier at Tarrawanna Oval, runaway League Champions, Bulli advanced to the ‘Big Show’ with a one goal to nil victory over Runner’s Up, Dapto Dandaloo.
On this occasion, there was very little between the two sides and it required an outrageous goal from Bulli’s Lewis Clements, four minutes from time to separate the two sides.

Bulli won a free-kick out near the touchline and ten metres inside the Fury’s half of the field.
Clements hit the ball with some force and his shot (we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt J) much to the astonishment of just about everyone at the ground, the ball nestled in the top right hand corner of the net for a wonder goal of which Ronaldo would more than likely be happy to claim.

The result of the elimination semi-final at Elizabeth Park between Albion Park WE and Port Kembla was a lot more decisive with the Zebras running out winners by five goals to nil.

After a scoreless first half in which the White Eagles were reduced to ten men when Dejan Djukic was sent off in stoppage time for a R7 offence, Port Kembla went on the offensive scoring all five goals in the second period, with Jayden Salucci 2, Adam Bassuni, Jordan Hughes & Patrick Arcaba getting on the score-sheet.
In a tempestuous affair at time, both sides had a player sent off in the second half with Joshua Crapis (APWE) and Chris Twigg (PK) earning the wrath of the Match Official.

 

- Photo courtesy of Fotosportz (archive photo) -