Warilla Wanderers fired a warning shot across the bows of their WGC Cranes District League rivals on Saturday with a 7-0 thrashing of Oak Flats Falcons. The win puts the pressure on leaders Corrimal Rangers who take on third placed Fernhill on Sunday afternoon.

Leading scorer Bojan Caric added two to his season’s tally and was denied a hat-trick by the woodwork in the second half. Chad Keating also bagged a brace and there were goals for Javier Ovando, Martin Castelli and Luke Everingham to complete the rout.

The Falcons were poor across the park, but central defender Daniele Pisani was surely the Falcons’ best player on the day, in spite of the scoreline. Without his resolute actions in defence Warilla would almost certainly have reached double figures.

Considering the state of Keith Bond Oval only a week ago, it’s extraordinary we were able to have football on this pitch today. The ground was cutting up a bit and some players struggled with the slippery conditions, but the game kicked off in bright sunshine, with a stiff breeze blowing across the pitch.

Warilla were quickly onto the attack in the opening minutes, with Keating and Caric pairing up well to form the main line of attack down the left flank. The Falcons defence was under pressure from the outset, and it wasn’t long before they conceded.

It was Ryan Hunter, up from a defensive position, who made the first goal, arching a powerful shot in from 25 yards out, forcing Chris Jarman in the Oak Flats goal to parry the ball out. It fell straight to the feet of Ovando, who still needed to see off challenges from either side before powering the ball in off the crossbar for the opener on eleven minutes.

Warilla’s second came from the right side of the field. This time Adam White burst through to the byline before pulling the ball back, where Caric kept his composure and calmly back-heeled the ball into the net, while defenders and keeper looked on.

And it was quickly 3-0, with Warilla’s third coming via Route 1. Bradley Hunter’s clearance found Keating down the left. He chipped the ball into the path of Caric, who let it bounce once before unleashing a right foot shot that careered into the back of the net via the upright.

The Falcons were killed off before they’d even taken off for the afternoon.

The home side’s first effort on goal came in the 33rd minute, when Christian Cappetta fired a volley well over the bar. Sam Bosowiec also had a pop at goal and Jamie Stevenson saw his free kick fly just wide of the upright with five minutes to go to half time.

But two more goals to the visitors before the break basically put paid to any chance of a comeback for the Falcons.

First Keating scored a blinder, unleashing a left foot shot from 30 yards out that left everybody standing and watching. And then Castelli rose highest to send his header sailing past a desperate Jarman to make it 0-5 at half time.

And still the tide hadn’t turned, even after the break, with Warilla peppering the Oak Flats goal for the next 45 minutes.

Moments after the restart White almost scored, flicking on an Ovando free kick, but Jarman was good enough this time. Then it was Castelli going for his second. He rode the tackles too easily and bore down on goal, but his right foot shot was wide of the upright.

And Jarman was kept busy again, tipping over a beautiful curling shot from Ovando from the edge of the area. But it was the woodwork that saved the Falcons further embarrassment, and denied Caric a hat-trick, when the Wanderers’ centre forward fired a missile in from the edge of the area that cannoned against the post.

Oak Flats’ best chance came in the 73rd minute when good work from Josh de Gouveia saw him get the better of his marker and lay the ball off for Brenton Lloyd, but the Falcons striker’s shot was weak and made an easy take for Hunter.

Moments later it was 6-0. This time substitute Stewart Robertson was given space and time to race into the area. Jarman blocked his shot, but it went straight to Keating who had a simple side foot into an open goal for the visitors’ sixth.

With seven minutes remaining it was 7-0, with Everingham getting his name on the scoresheet by firing through a crowded area from the edge of the box. Everingham almost nabbed a second with seconds to go, but this time Jarman got a leg stretched out to keep the ball out.

Warilla coach Barney King was upbeat after the game: “Well, that was a convincing win in spite of us missing a few key players. Caric is getting into a bit of form at the right time, Harvey (Ovando) is doing well, and it’s nice to see Ryan Hunter in there as a utility player. But it will be a test of our resources to go up to Campbelltown on Monday to play the Bampton Cup, and we have another tough tie next week against Thirroul.”

The defeat leaves Oak Flats in seventh, still only three points adrift of the crucial fifth spot, but the Falcons are in a bit of a downward spiral, with only one win in eight now. Next up for them, an in-form University.

Oak Flats Falcons – 0
Warilla Wanderers – 7 (Ovando 11’,  Caric 20’, 28’, Keating 43’, 76’, Castelli 44’, Everingham 83’)

Saturday 12 June 2016 -  Keith Bond Oval

Referee: John Ruscica
Assistant Referees: Caleb Blanch, Casey Bedford

Oak Flats: Chris Jarman, Brenton Burke, Gary Newall, Stephen Jovanovski (Matthew Cesta 45’), Daniele Pisani , Chris Murdzevski (Brady Eagleton 88’), Christian Cappetta (Joshua Martin 75’), Jamie Stevenson, Josh de Gouveia, Brenton Lloyd, Sam Bosowiec (subs not used David Kiss, Ben Wunsch)

Warilla Wanderers: Bradley Hunter, Nicholas del Turco (Toni Anastovski 75’), John Hagenaar, Jason Goldsmith, Ryan Hunter, Luke Everingham,  Martin Castelli, Chad Keating (Adrian Montalbano 80’), Bojan Caric, Javier Ovando (Stewart Robertson 73’), Adam White (sub not used: Ken Nguyen)

Report by Simon Duffin
Photo: Pedro Garcia (archive)