Kiama Quarriers and Fernhill Foxes fought out a tight 2-2 draw at Kiama Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoon. Kiama took the lead twice, through Chris Christodoulou and then Daniel Swinton, but both times saw themselves pegged back by Fernhill, as first Marc Sergi got his name on the scoresheet and then Chris Hobbs who equalised the second time just after the break.

The draw leaves both sides unbeaten in their first two outings this season, but both coaches felt they were unlucky not to go away with the three points.

An entertaining first half saw Fernhill dominate possession but fail to convert that into a half time lead, whereas the home side took the few opportunities that came their way.

The Foxes were putting pressure on the Kiama defence from the first minute, with striker Hobbs seeing his right foot shot crash against the woodwork after deflecting off the back of Kiama’s Kane Rowe. Five minutes later the ever-creative Sergi, fed the ball out to Keiran Morris on the right flank. His effort was not far over the target either.

But it was the Quarriers who broke clear and scored first in the eighth minute. A long ball over the top from Jacob Lester landed perfectly for Christodoulou, who spotted Fernhill keeper Akira Tatsubayashi off his line. The Kiama forward let the ball bounce once and then lobbed the stranded keeper to give the home side the lead.

It didn’t take the Foxes long to get themselves back in the game, though. In the 12^th minute, Matt Richardson beat his marker just inside the area and then found Morris out on the right. He pulled the ball back for Sergi who fired the ball in from 12 yards out, his shot crashing against the underside of the bar before flying in for the equaliser.

The Foxes were flying at this point, dominating possession and keeping the Kiama defence on its toes. Corners were curling in from both sides, with first Morris forcing a last gasp save from Dylan McDonald in the Kiama goal, and then Sergi from the other side bringing out the best from McDonald once again as his corner swooped down goalwards.

But it was the Quarriers who broke quickly and took the lead again just past the half hour. This time it was Swinton, who picked the ball up just outside the area. He took one touch before unleashing a sweet left foot that curled round the defence into the far corner to give Kiama a 2-1 lead at half time.

Within seconds of the restart, though, the visitors had drawn level once again.

This time it was Sergi playing provider as he laid the ball off to Hobbs, who rounded his marker too easily, leaving him perfectly-placed on his right foot. The Fernhill forward doesn’t miss opportunities like that, and before Kiama had had a chance to settle for the second half, the scores were level at 2-2.

It was Fernhill who were in the ascendancy at this point. Minutes after the equaliser, Sergi set up Brett Kear, who rushed his shot and sent it flying wide. Then from yet another dangerous Fernhill corner, this time taken by Richardson, Scott Muilwyk rose highest and steered his header towards goal, only for a desperate Kiama defender to get his body in the way on the line and send the ball clear.

There were more heroics in the Kiama defence, with Daniel Gillespie tireless at the back (but also racing forward to put pressure at the other end when the opportunity came his way), and Todd Wade rushing back to prevent Muilwyk from shooting, when the Fernhill striker was in a perfect position to score.

Ironically, as the game opened up in the second half, there were more mistakes creeping in and neither side created many chances in the last half hour or so.

Kiama player-coach James Spence brought himself on to shore up a tiring defence with ten minutes to go, and his presence led to some of the Quarriers’ nicest passing moves of the game. Lester linked up well with Gillespie and Swinton to win a free kick 25 metres out, but Christodoulou fired the ball over the bar from the set-piece.

And then the Quarriers almost nicked the three points with two minutes to go. Substitute James Donlan did well down the right, cutting the ball in for fellow sub Jesse Annen, who turned and shot from six yards out, Tatsubayashi pulling off a fine reflex save to keep his side in it.

Fernhill coach Daniel McGoldrick was disappointed not to have gone away with the three points. Speaking after the game, he said: “We had a lot of possession, and we had the chances in the first half, but we weren’t effective in the final third, and then we were lax in defence a couple of times and that cost us. In tight games like this – and last week against Corrimal – our finishing has been a little bit off-mark.”

But he also sees the positives in his side’s unbeaten start to the season: “We’re showing a resilience this season, and today was the kind of game we’d have lost last year”.

Kiama’s player-coach James Spence was also disappointed not to have won today: “We defended well today and I can’t knock our players for effort, but we couldn’t keep the ball when we broke out, and we lost our shape a couple of times to let them in. We’re not as fit as we’d like to be but that’s improving. I just brought myself on for the last ten minutes to shore up the defence which was beginning to struggle against their three men up front.”

“Before the season started, I saw our fixtures and said I’d be happy with four points from the first two games, so overall I’m pleased with where we are at this stage.”

Kiama Quarriers FC – 2 (Christodoulou 8’, Swinton 32’)

Fernhill FC – 2 (Sergi 12’, Hobbs 46’)

Saturday 2 April 2016

Kiama Leisure Centre

Referee: Nicholas Ryan

Assistant Referees: Tara Brown, Club Official

Kiama Quarriers FC: Dylan McDonald, Daniel Gillespie, Chris Hill, Dean Land, Kane Rowe, Todd Wade (James Spence 82’), Daniel Swinton, Aaron Buzinki (Jesse Annen 67’), Chris Christodoulou, Keegan Beringer (james Donlan 82’), Jacob Lester (subs not used Marks, Herbert)

Fernhill FC: Akira Tatsubayashi, Anthony Oliver, Dale White, Luke McDonald, Sean Poulton, Keiran Morris (Brod Moss 70’), Matt Richardson, Marc Sergi, Chris Hobbs, Scott Muilwyk, Brett Kear (Ben Moerman 65’) (subs not used James McClelland, Jeremy Robertson)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo by Pedro Garcia (archive)