The MCR Rail Bert Bampton Cup saw Wollongong Olympic host in-form Albion Park White Eagles, with the latter having vanquished League leaders Kemblawarra 3-2 in the previous round. Having both enjoyed wins in the League only 24 hours earlier - an 8-0 over Cringila and 2-1 over Woonona respectively - Premier League heavyweights were in for another testing afternoon for a place in the final.

The opening passages of play suggested Olympic would be emulating their big score-line from earlier this weekend. Inside 20 seconds, Hazelbroak was played clear through on Eagles keeper Bryce Daenell, who saved from point blank range, with his defence coming to the rescue and clear the bobbling ball before Harrison Brown could poke home into the empty net from 6 yards.
Albion Park were restricted to clutching at half-chances, with Iwauchi Riku having a shot deflect up beautifully for Olympic Keeper Hayden Durose after turning two in close quarters, and R10 sending a free kick sailing high into the fencing from 25 yards.

However it was again Daenell who made another desperate save to keep Albion Park in the game, this time Hazelbroak played through the defence with an aerial return pass from Chris Jackson, only to strike his half volley into the face of onrushing Daenell.

His heroics in goal were rewarded immediately, with the clearance leading to a swift counter attack and the opening goal. Balmforth recieved the ball on the left wing surrounded by two Wollongong defenders in not a particularly threatening area. With one touch of the outside of his boot, he was inside both defenders, and striding across the top of the box, before letting rip a cannon of a shot, ricocheting off the inside of the right hand upright and into the left side-netting.

With a goal in hand, Albion Park took the game and ran with it, with their stingy defence avoiding a single additional shot on target from Olympic in the second quarter of the game.

Albion Park had a 50/50 penalty shout turned down for handball inside the Olympic box, with Robert Delbanco unable to effect a shot on the rebound. Brian Montanari had a good opportunity turned wide by Durose, with a shot from the by-line on a narrow angle never really troubling the Wollongong gloveman. The half's action was concluded with both Riku and Shohei Okuno powering shots harmlessly over Durose's goal.

The second half began as the first finished - Albion Park well in the ascendency and Olympic struggling to register a single shot on target, let alone the early efforts which were unlucky to not see them trouble the scorers.

Montanari was on the end of a golden chance after four minutes, chasing down a delicate through ball only to rush his volley over encroaching Durose and wide of the mark.
Again and again it was the Eagles who presented with chances in front of goal, with the duo of Riku and Okuno carving the midfield apart with their movement off the ball, ably assisted by the passing range of Delbanco.

Riku and Okuno combined again to nearly set up Balmforth for his second, only for the last pass to be intercepted by the proactive Olympic defence.

Okuno stepped up for a key free kick on the hour mark from 25 yards out, directly in front. On first attempt, a dipping free kick got down over the wall and was headed toward the top left corner but for the outstretched hand of Durose to tip it over the bar. However the threat was not over yet, with play being called back for an encroaching wall, and the free kick, direction and save all replicated over again for the same result.

The chances were all Albion Park, with Higashi Kotaro heading wide, Balmforth again missing out on his brace with an acrobatic scissor kick airswing and Montanari shooting across the face of goal.
Olympic thought they had an equaliser on 72 minutes, with Brown rolling home into an open net, however once more play was called back for an earlier foul by Yuseke Ueda on the build-up. Much to the protests of the Wollongong side, scores remained 1-0.

Minutes later, Ueda had another good chance for Olympic, with Daenell making another save from extremely close range, spreading himself to block a half volley after a free kick routine from the right wing. Before the ball was cleared, Olympic had another penalty shout waved away, again Ueda on the ball who was deemed not to have been fouled by Mitchell Delturco.

With only 15 minutes remaining, Olympic began to get increasingly desperate for a goal, only further exposing themselves at the back. The addition of Kotaro for goal-scorer Balmforth only added to the interplay with both Riku and Okuno, the trio terrorising the Wollongong defence late on with fresh legs, mesmerising dribbling and crisp passing.

Half chances galore were afforded to Albion Park in the latter stages, with Okuno shooting on the narrow angle from a fast counter and Durose again denying a close range shot, this time from Kotaro. The combinations were on show increasingly often late on, with one-touch play between Okuno and Riku seeing Kotaro receive a cut-back from the by-line only to slice wide from 12 yards, and some role reversal minutes later with Kotaor turning provider for Okuno for the same result.
With only five minutes remaining, Olympic nearly had an equaliser - Ueda dribbling through the defence and about to shoot, with Mark Every making a full-stretch sliding challenge to nudge the ball out of his stride and away to safety.

The rest of play was seen out by Albion Park safely in the Wollongong half, Okuno hitting the side netting, Riku drawing a save and Riku again denied by a last-man challenge from Jack Keating.
In what was a pulsating, yet not chance-filled match, the goal from Balmforth was a spectacular piece of individual brilliance which deserved the accolades and to move on in the competition. One could not help but watch and admire as it sailed in off the post, to rapturous reception from visiting fans and deserved applause from the otherwise dismayed home crowd.

The Eagles have now knocked out both Olympic and Premier League leaders Kemblawarra, who themselves eliminated challengers Bulli. Albion Park will now watch on with interest on Wednesday night at Macedonia Park for their opponents, either Wollongong United or District League hotshots Warilla Wanderers.

Sunday 3rd July - PCYC
Referee - B. Herbert
Assistants - S. Bell, K. Moss

Wollongong Olympic 0
Albion Park White Eagles 1 - Balmforth 23'

Wollongong Olympic - Durose, Lloyd, Keating, Duckzynck, Gordon, Fordham, Jackson, Hazelbroak (Rodriguez 65'), Lee (Kizi), Ueda, Brown
Subs - Kranjvic, Kizi, Rodriguez, Mangos
Albion Park White Eagles - Daenell, Delturco, Every, Fielding, P. Prandolos, Patterson, Riku, Delbanco, Montanari (Djukic 83'), Okuno, Balmforth (Hotaro 70')
Subs - Ahling, Kotaro, Djukic, Uzelac, R. Prandalos

 

Story by David Atherton

Photo courtesy of Kiah Hufton