A hat-trick from Matthew McNab helped Kemblawarra Fury to edge out Albion Park White Eagles in a seven goal thriller on Saturday at Terry Reserve. Fabian Iacovelli got the visitors off to a dream start with the opener in the second minute. Mitch del Turco equalised against his old team, with Peter Prandalos and Shohei Okuno picking up second half goals that were just not quite enough to earn their side a point.

Speaking after the match, White Eagles coach Jeff Allport acknowledged it had been a great game for the neutral to watch: “At half time, I felt we were on top and I thought we’d go on and win it, but a couple of defensive lapses cost us and allowed them back into the game. Overall, we more than matched them and I’m really proud of the team today.”

For Fury coach Luke Maguire, the game was closer than he’d have liked: “I’m pleased to have the three points, but I felt we should have scored three or four more but blew those chances. Those were very difficult conditions to play in, though.”

The conditions Maguire was referring to were the swirling wind and the newly-laid pitch, which made it hard for both sides to play the passing football they are used to. In the long grass, an accurate long ball was going to be far more effective than quick fire short passes, and the Fury cottoned on to this from the whistle.

Within seconds of kick-off, Iacovelli ran onto a long ball and laid it off for McNab, whose effort was blocked by White Eagles keeper Bryce Daenell – the start of a busy afternoon for the home side’s guardian.

Another long ball barely a minute later drew Daenell not only off his line but out of his area, forcing him to head the ball clear. But his header only went as far as Iacovelli, who spotted his chance and coolly lobbed the ball into the back of the net from 40 yards out with Daenell stranded.

With the White Eagles defenders struggling on the bumpy surface, another stray back pass was intercepted by McNab, who again lobbed Daenell, only to watch the ball fly narrowly over the bar this time.

Once the home side had settled, though, they began to dominate possession. Vaughan Patterson tried a neat back flick at the near post from a corner which David Poeira in the Fury goal did well to turn away.

But the Fury still looked dangerous on the break, with the White Eagles defence repeatedly on the back foot. McNab pounced when Daniel Dafkovski completely misjudged the bounce, but the Fury forward opted to pass rather than go for goal himself and the danger faded. Then, Iacovelli set up Robbie Shields who looked certain to score, but Dafkovski got back to clear the ball off the Fury forward’s toes.

The White Eagles’ equaliser came in only the 17^th minute of this end-to-end match.

A beautiful passing move initiated by Okuno cut through the Fury defence, with Kotaro Higashi providing the final ball that left del Turco an easy finish, despatching the ball low to Poeira’s left.

And for the rest of the first half, it was the home side that looked more likely to score again. Dejan Djukic and del Turco played a neat one-two before pulling the ball back for Okuno who had a free header, but sent the ball flying over the bar. It was Okuno again whose long ball found Higashi racing forward. Del Turco met Higashi’s cross with an almighty lunge, but Poeira stretched out low to keep the scores level at half time.

If the first half had been end-to-end entertainment, the second stanza made the first 45 minutes look like a gentle dress rehearsal.

The Fury regained the lead in the 53^rd minute. Shields won a free kick just outside the area. Up stepped Alvin Ceccoli who curled a beautiful left foot shot past the wall, forcing a parry from Daenell, but McNab was right where a centre forward should be and snapped up the rebound for his first of the afternoon.

Barely two minutes later, White Eagles defender Prandalos found himself in possession on the edge of the Fury area. He took one touch and powered a right foot shot through a crowded area into the back of the net for the equaliser.

But the home side’s joy was short-lived as Fury were back in front within seconds. Straight from the restart, Shields managed to turn his marker and lay the ball off to McNab who gave Daenell little chance with another sweet right foot.

When Sam Munro played a clever back heel into the path of McNab ten minutes later, the Fury forward grabbed his hat-trick with a bullet shot from the edge of the area, and for the first time the visitors had a two goal cushion.

But in the 73^rd minute, the home side had renewed hope when Okuno made the most of a defender’s slip to pick the ball up in the box and rifle home to make it 3-4.

Again from the restart, the Fury almost scored as McNab picked the ball up at the far post. Many in the home crowd couldn’t watch as the Fury forward shaped to shoot, but this time he fired the ball past the upright.

The game was far from over, and the White Eagles’ third goal set up a grandstand finish, with more chances at both ends.

Daenell kept out a Shields cracker with one hand; and at the other end, when Albion Park broke clear, it was Brenton Rhodes who got a foot in to hook the ball clear. Daenell denied Shields yet again at point blank, before the White Eagles raced clear, with substitute Chris Nathaniel this time winding the Fury’s Lachlan O’Connor as he got his body in the way of Nathaniel’s shot.

McNab was still hungry for more, but Prandalos got himself in the way of the Fury forward’s shot. And again at the other end, a Nathaniel free kick sought out Patterson who couldn’t quite get to the ball for an equaliser against his old club.

With tension mounting both on and off the pitch as both sides kept going for goal, Albion Park had perhaps their best chance to nick an equaliser in the 89^th minute. Darren Jones threaded the ball through to del Turco bearing down on the goal. The crowd leapt to its feet, but groaned as del Turco fired the ball wide.

And it was the Fury who had the final effort on goal, with McNab bringing out yet another fingertip save from Daenell, who had been kept busy from the opening seconds through to the 93^rd minute.

Today’s goals take the goal tally for both Albion Park’s Okuno and Kemblawarra’s McNab to six for the IPL season so far. If anybody is to challenge Ben McDonald of Bulli for the Golden Boot this season, it is surely one of these two.

 

Albion Park White Eagles – 3 (Del Turco 17’, Prandalos 55’, Okuno 73’)

Kemblawarra Fury – 4 (Iacovelli 2’, McNab 53’, 56’, 66’)

Saturday 23 April 2016

Terry Reserve

Referee: Bobby Mazevski

Assistant referees: William Whitehouse, Stuart Bell

Albion Park White Eagles: Bryce Daenell, Mark Every, Grant Wilson, Daniel Dafkovski (Riku Iwauchi 65’), Peter Prandalos, Vaughan Patterson, Mitch Del Turco, Darren Jones, Dejan Djukic (Javier Ovando 85’), Shohei Okuno, Kotaro Higashi (Chris Nathaniel 63’) (sub not used: Lachlan Ahling)

Kemblawarra Fury: David Poeira, Shane Murray, Tyson Rhodes (Ryan Suttle 40’), Shane Lyons (Carter Madden 90’), Brenton Rhodes, Lachlan O’Connor, Fabian Iacovelli, Alvin Cecccoli, Matthew McNab, Robbie Shields (Sang Ho Lee 83’), Sam Munro (subs not used: Nicolo Sama, David Zufic)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Kiah Hufton