Tarrawanna Bluey’s have burst out of the gates in the Illawarra Premier League to vandalise Picton Rangers' return to the top league, with Tarrawanna leaving Hume Oval as 4-1 victors.

At a muggy and heavy Hume Oval track, Picton Rangers returned to the Premier League as runaway champions in the 2015 District League but were reminded quickly of what the Premier League is all about.

Tarrawanna coach Peter Willis was pleased with his side’s opening victory.

“The boys showed a lot of character after coming from 1-0 down, I was very pleased with that aspect.” Willis said.

“We kept battling away and doing the things I want them to do.”

In the 4th minute Tarrawanna was the first team to threaten the opposition goals with an attack triggered by Samuel Chapple in the midfield, unleashing Rick Godchild down the left flank who directed the ball to slide across the face of goal with Darren Stone unable to convert a tough chance.

The intensity of the game began to bubble in the 15th minute with each squad trading aggressive unnecessary fouls and once focus on the ball returned, Picton had found momentum.

In the 27th minute Dayne Morley lifted the Picton faithful off their seats for the first time in 2016, with a left foot pearler finessed into the back of the net for the Rangers to take a 1-0 lead.

In the 33rd minute a lengthy stoppage resulted as the result of a nasty broken nose to Tarrawanna defender Bryce Dolinscak who was unable to return to the field.

Tarrawanna scored an equaliser through striker Darren Stone in the 42nd minute. Probing down the left edge of the field, the Picton defence held off Stone allowing him to creep inside the penalty box to strike the ball between post and keeper for the goal just before the break.

At half-time, the score was 1-1.

Half-time was unable to curb Tarrawanna’s momentum as only minutes in, they surged another goal ahead.

A searching cross from the left corner found Rick Goodchild, who pushed the ball across the face of goals for young signing Samuel Isabella to power the ball into the net for a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute.

Picton did not give up meekly and continued to threaten the Tarrawanna goals.

Substitutions came in for both sides with Picton adding an extra man forward whilst Tarrawanna reinforced their defence.

In the 73rd minute, the match-winning goal came through Tarrawanna’s Rick Goodchild who leapt on a through ball from the midfield and was able to calmly deposit the ball wide of the keeper to confirm a Bluey victory.

Subsitute Allister Carrigan rammed home the victory for the Blueys, skipping between tired defence to score the final goal of the fixture in injury time.

Picton Rangers coach Brett Morley was content following his teams opening performance.

“It’s one game in a long season so we won’t be bashing ourselves up too much. We have a little bit of work to do, but we know that.” Morley said.

“You could say the chances were pretty equal, but they were just clinical and deadly in front of our goals and that was the difference in the end.”

Picton Rangers will take on South Coast United next Sunday, and Tarrawanna Bluey’s will have their opening home fixture against Woonona F.C next Saturday.

 

Picton Rangers - 1 (Morley 27’)

Tarrawanna Blueys - 4 (Stone 42’, Isabella 49’, Goodchild 73’, Carrigan 90’)

 

2:30 pm, Friday 25th of March, 2016

Hume Oval

Referee: Blake Herbert
Assistants: John Ruscica and (Macarthur Referee)

Picton Rangers: Jones, Nicol, Durrant, Goodhew, Muggridge, Hall, Matthews, Morley, Taseski, Morley, Miranda (Sheerin, Roberts, Takacs, Howard, Tesoriero)

Tarrawanna Blueys: Hamilton, Chapman, Dolinscak, Young, Morlando, Mortimer, Stone, Chapple, Fryday, Goodchild, Isabella (Simpson, Chapple, Morgan, Carrigan, Pretto)

 

Report by Daniel McGookin
Photo by Noel Wynn