Wollongong Olympic were impressive in their 3-1 victory over Port Kembla, topping their Pool with three wins out of three.

Two of Olympic’s goals came from new signings for 2016, Japanese recruit Yusuke Ueda and Wandi Jajaw, who was top scorer last term for Premier League rivals Tarrawanna Blueys. Jake Duczynski was Olympic’s third scorer, with Joseph Lavalle getting his name on the scoresheet for Port Kembla with a first half penalty.

The match started at a lively pace, in spite of the energy-sapping heat of the afternoon.

It was sharp-shooter Jajaw who had the game’s first chance, picking up a perfectly weighted ball from midfield and poising to shoot from the edge of the area before Ryan Franks in the Port goal rushed out to smother the ball.

At the other end of the pitch, Takao Teramoto was linking up well with Port Kembla’s new signings Cameron Morgan and Lavalle, without their possession leading to any threat on the Olympic goal. Morgan had Port’s only real early effort on goal, but his header was easily taken by Hayden Durose.

The match burst into life on 26 minutes, when Ueda ran onto a through ball into the area, beat three defenders for pace and fired his right foot past Franks for the opening goal.

Olympic almost doubled their lead two minutes later when Veda this time played provider for Isaac Lee, who threaded through two defenders before shooting over the bar from close range.

But it was from Port Kembla’s next attack that the equaliser came. Morgan found Adrian Nikolovski charging into the area from the left. Nikolovski’s effort was cleared only as far as Morgan who was brought down as he lined up to shoot, leaving the referee no option but to point to the penalty spot.

Lavalle stepped up to dispatch the spot kick and put Port back on level terms five minutes before the break.

Lee almost regained the lead for Olympic just before half time with a quick one-two with Samuel Gordon before he blasted his shot goalwards, but Franks was good enough to keep the ball out even from close range.

With everything to play for when the sides re-emerged for the second half, it was Port Kembla who looked most likely to score, but Olympic were resolute in defence, getting players in the way when shots were being fired in on goal and Gordon clearing off the line when the ball looked certain to go in for Port Kembla’s second. Ten minutes into the second half, it was Olympic keeper Hayden Durose’s turn to play the hero, diving at full stretch to keep out Teramoto’s effort.

The game turned in the 47^th minute, when a beautifully-placed free kick from Lee found Duczynski, who had time to steer his header wide of Franks into the top corner for Olympic’s second.

A minute later, they almost increased their lead when another free kick just outside the box gave Jajaw the chance to curl one towards the near post, Franks doing well to keep the ball out on an awkward bounce.

But it didn’t take much longer for Jajaw to get his name on the scoresheet. In the 53^rd minute, he beat former Olympic full-back Justin Potter for pace and picked his spot to make it 3-1 and put the game beyond Port Kembla’s reach.

Port never gave up, though. Morgan’s shot looped awkwardly for Durose after taking a deflection; Haydyn Lloyd, in the Olympic defence, got his body in the way of Teramoto, stopping the striker getting a shot in, and William Mobbs, moving up the left flank out of defence almost set up Lavalle for his second, but Durose just got to the ball in time. And it was a Mobbs corner that gave Scott Curran a chance to make his mark in the black and white stripes with ten minutes to go, though the midfielder had to watch as his right foot shot flew just over the crossbar with Durose beaten.

With the game won, there was still time in the dying seconds for one last attempt on goal for Olympic. Lee played a lovely ball through to Ueda, whose right foot strike brought out a diving save from Franks.

This was a fine display from an Olympic side, which could be up there with the leaders this season if they can maintain consistency. But Port Kembla will not be disheartened by their performance either, especially with their new signings looking as if they will gel quickly with some of the team’s older hands.

Wollongong Olympic – 3 (Ueda 26’, Duczynski 47’, Jajaw 53’)

Port Kembla FC – 1 (Lavalle 29’ pen.)

Sunday 6 March 2016

Wetherall Park

Referee: Andrew Naylor

Assistant Referees: Nick Ryan, Daniel Dohnt

Wollongong Olympic: Durose, Lloyd, Keating, Duczynski, Kon Yu, Rodriguez, Fordham, Gordon, Lee, Jajaw, Veda (subs Hazebroek-Southgate, Garesa, Gamble, Sutcliffe, Smith – rotated on and off through the game so no direct 1-1 substitutions in the Fraternity Cup format)

Port Kembla FC: Franks, Richardson, Mobbs, Volkanovski, Stella, Curran, Scazzariello, Teramoto, Morgan, Lavalle, Nikolovski (subs Vinton, Hardy, Woodiwiss, Potter)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo: Pedro Garcia