Tarrawanna Blueys leapt back into the top five in this season’s Illawarra Mercury Premier League with a resounding 5-0 win over Cringila Lions at Crehan Park on Wednesday evening. A goal from Blueys’ leading scorer Darren Stone gave the visitors a slender lead at half time, but Tarrawanna stunned the Lions in the second half with strikes from Matt Mazevski, Sang Yu Park, Sam Isabella and Jacob Fryday.

For Cringila, Mikal Awad hit the woodwork in the second half and Daniel Vasilevski brought out a fine diving save from Blueys keeper David Hamilton. But other than that, the Lions had few clear cut chances and failed to make the most of early possession in both halves.

The Lions’ second heavy defeat at home this week leaves them in tenth, perched perilously close to the bottom of the ladder, with a negative goal difference that may cost them dear come the end of the season.

Cringila were missing lead scorer Daniel Atkins for this midweek evening clash. They brought Caius Don up from defence to lead the frontline. And in the early exchanges, the Lions were dominating.

Don was pairing up well with Joel Taddeo down the left and Awad was showing his usual turn of speed on and off the ball. But it was Cringila’s other midfield talent, Esali Ali, who set up the Lions’ first real chance, winning possession and then sending a superb cross in from the left which flew across the goal just inches away from Don’s outstretched boot.

Tarrawanna took time to settle and when they did begin to pass the ball around, all too often were caught out by the offside trap early on.

Their opening goal came against the run of play and quite out of the blue in the 21^st minute.

Rick Goodchild started the move, finding Bradley Welch who spun on the spot to turn his marker and laid the ball off to Stone standing by the far post. He had a simple tap in once Brynley Richards in the Cringila goal had failed to take the ball.

Moments later Park drove in a powerful shot at a sharp angle from the touchline, but this time Richards was good enough to collect and keep the score at 0-1.

Down at the other end, Vasilevski became the target, twice running onto long balls from the right, his first effort well over the bar, but his second attempt forcing Hamilton into a save to keep Tarrawanna ahead. And Hamilton was back in action just before half time, keeping out a long range effort from Don.

Cringila again came out looking the brighter in the second half, but without threatening the Blueys’ goal, and this time it took less than 15 minutes for the visitors to turn things around.

Once Mazevski had sent his left foot shot past Richards for the Blueys’ second in the 58^th minute, there was only one team in it. It was Goodchild who started that move too, though the final assist came from Park. And moments later, Goodchild was poised to have a go himself, before Mathew Kocic got back just in time to prevent the Blueys midfielder from pulling the trigger.

But it didn’t take long for Tarrawanna to take a three goal lead. In the 63^rd minute, there was Goodchild yet again driving the ball in for Park who fired in an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area.

A minute later, Welch should have added his name to the growing list of Tarrawanna scorers, but he missed the target when through one on one with the keeper.

When Awad’s shot thundered against the crossbar and flew out, it just didn’t seem to be Cringila’s night. That was confirmed with ten minutes remaining when Vasilevski broke clear inside the area and sent a good shot goalwards, but Hamilton made a leap for the ball and took it elegantly in two hands to deny the Lions even a compensation goal.

And there was more misery for Cringila in the dying minutes of the game, when two of Tarrawanna’s substitutes got in on the goal action.

Isabella had barely been on for a minute and got lucky with his first touch of the ball, finding himself five yards out and gifted the ball with nobody near to prevent him shooting. That was 0-4, with five minutes remaining.

But still there was time for another substitute, Jacob Fryday, to score the goal of the game with a solo effort from just outside the box that flew into the back of the net, giving the unlucky Richards no chance.

Cringila can’t be looking forward to their next game, up against another free scoring side pushing for the top five. The Lions face Albion Park White Eagles at Terry Reserve on Saturday.

Next up for Tarrawanna is a visit from South Coast United, where they’ll be looking to continue their rediscovered goal touch at home, after failing to score in their last four IPL matches at Tarrawanna Oval.

Cringila Lions – 0

Tarrawanna Blueys – 5 (Stone 21’, Mazevski 58’, Park 63’, Isabella 85’, Fryday 88’)

Wednesday 22 June 2016

Crehan Park

Referee: Greg Reid

Assistant referees: Jay Walpole, Club Official

Cringila Lions: Brynley Richards, Daniel Wagus (Michael Stojanoski 73’), James Eldred, Matthew Kocic, Todd Sparks (Hironori Kobayashi 40’), Joel Craig, Joel Taddeo, Daniel Vasilevski, Esali Ali, Mikal Awad (Daniel Ramirez 85’), Caius Don (sub not used: Keiran Gorgievski)

Tarrawanna Blueys: David Hamilton, Allister Carrigan, Daniel Chapman, Samuel Chapple, Jake Morlando, Matthew Mazevski, Rick Goodchild, Joshua Chapple, Bradley Welch (Jacob Fryday 75’), Sangyu Park, Darren Stone (Sam Isabella 82’) (subs not used: Bryce Dolinscak, Joshua Brown)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo: Pedro Garcia (Library Archive)