Wollongong Wolves set up a mouth-watering 6th Round FFA Cup tie against Illawarra Premier League leaders Bulli FC after disposing of Kemblawarra Fury on Wednesday night at Macedonia Park. The Zucco brothers did the job for the Wolves, with Ben scoring an opportunist opener with a long-range shot from the centre circle in the second minute, and ex-Fury forward Ricky getting the second with a fine header just past the hour mark.

The Fury dominated possession for large chunks of the game and had their chances, but could not find a way past a resolute Wolves defence led by Darcy Madden and Kota Kawase, with keeper Daniel Collison also making a string of saves to deny the Fury any joy on the night.

Much of the crowd were still taking their seats at the start of the game when Ben Zucco picked the ball up on the half way line and spotted Fury keeper David Poeira off his line. His long-range shot was timed to perfection and landed at the back of the net to get the Wolves off to a flying start. Five minutes later, he tried something similar, but this time Poeira was wise to the trick.

For the first fifteen minutes the momentum was all with the Wolves. They were quick to the challenge when the Fury gained possession and sharp in attack, especially on the break. It was another ex-Fury Sam Matthews who raced clear in the 13th minute before delivering the ball to Ben Zucco again, with Tyson Rhodes getting back this time to block a further strike.

Without Alvin Ceccoli, the Fury were playing with centre forward Matthew McNab out on the right in midfield, and depending on Robbie Shields up front, with Ho Lee and Jordan Simpson tucked in behind. But the Wolves’ defenders towered over Lee and the Fury midfield was barely able to get the ball through to Shields. A wayward effort from Shane Lyons from about 40 yards out was about all the Fury had to show for the opening 20 minutes.

When Shields beat his defender and reached the byline in the 24th minute, there were the first signs of the Fury lifting their game. Shields chipped the ball back for Lee, who might have done better with his header, but this was the moment the game shifted.

Suddenly it was the Wolves who were struggling to string passes together, and it was the Fury that began to press, patiently building their attacking moves from the back. The Fury won a series of corners, but still didn’t really threaten the Wolves’ goal right up to half time.

And they did need to watch for the Wolves on the break, because when they did get a sight on goal, they were still coming closer to adding to their lead. Danny Lazarevski set up one good chance just before half time, which Matthews steered just wide of the upright, with Poeira beaten.
The Wolves went in at half time a goal to the good.

Fury coach Luke Maguire switched things round for the second half, bringing McNab back to his usual attacking role, and bringing on Carter Madden to replace Simpson in midfield.

That substitution meant there were three sets of brothers on the pitch at the same time: the Zucco brothers for the Wolves, the Rhodes brothers at the back for the Fury, and one Madden on each side.

The new formation looked a lot more effective from the outset.

McNab won the ball on the edge of the area and laid it back for Madden to have a shot. Collison took with ease, but it was a sign of new energy and creativity in the Fury ranks. Minutes later, Lyons found Shields who pulled the ball back for Ho Lee, who needed one touch too many before unleashing his shot.

Then it was Lachlan O’Connot who worked a neat 1-2 with Lee before forcing a fine save from Collison down at the near post. That was the closest the Fury had come to scoring, and they were playing like a side that knew goals would come.

The trouble was, the next goal came at the other end. Another quick break out of defence forced a corner down the left for the Wolves. Stojic drove the ball in and Ricky Zucco rose highest to power the ball into the back of the net for the Wolves’ second.

For ten minutes more, the Fury upped their game once again. McNab twice linked up well with Sam Munro, with one attack ending in a point blank save from Collison and the other seeing the ball fly away for a corner. Shields also had a shot heading goalwards, but this time Kawase got his body in the way.

But almost as suddenly as Kemblawarra had switched their game on after 20 minutes or so, they seemed to lose any momentum or belief with fifteen minutes still to play.

It was the Wollongong Wolves who might have increased their lead as the game drew to a close. Poeira had his work cut out, parrying a driven effort from the edge of the area by Stefan Dimoski, and then just beating Dimoski again when substitute Robert Delbanco seemed to have set him up in front of goal.

To their credit, the Fury never gave up. But when Shields saw yet another shot blocked in the 4th minute of time added on, he finished on the ground after a dramatic somersault in the area, and the referee blew time seconds later.

A Fury v Bulli  FFA Cup 6th Round tie would have been a great advert for the Illawarra Mercury Premier League in a national competition. But a Bulli v Wolves contest guarantees at least one side from the region will progress to Round 7, just one step away from the national Round of 32. And of course, we still have Wollongong United also in Round 6 of the tournament.


Kemblawarra Fury – 0
Wollongong Wolves – 2 (Ben Zucco 2’, Rocky Zucco 65’)

Wednesday 20 April 2016
Macedonia Park

Referee: B. Abraham
Assistant referees: S. Ho; J. Adabjou

Kemblawarra Fury: David Poeira, Lachlan O’Connor, Tyson Rhodes (Josh Mears 77’), Shane Lyons, Brenton Rhodes, Sang Ho Lee, (Dean Pender 90’), Fabian Iacovelli, Jordan Simpson (Carter Madden 45’), Matthew McNab, Robbie Shields, Sam Munro (subs not used: David Hartas, David Zufic)

Wollongong Wolves: Daniel Collison, Kota Kawase, Darcy Madden, Danny Lazarevski, Zac MacKenzie, Stefan Dimoski, Steven Hristovski, David Stojic (James Baldacchino 90’), Ben Zucco, Sam Matthews (Robert Delbanco 80’), Ricky Zucco (Brett Wilson 66') (subs not used: Jack Lombo, Daniel Arcaba)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo by Pedro Garcia