It was ninth hosting eighth at Ian McLennan Park this week, with Port Kembla coming to visit South Coast. Both sides were seeking to bridge the gap forming between them and 6th place Picton and keep their slim finals hopes alive, with Port Kembla toppling the Rangers last week and SCU grabbing a point against Wollongong United in a tough encounter.

The first half action was very even, with mixed chances at both ends favouring neither side above the other. Port's Adrian Nikolovski and Douglas Woodiwiss both had early chances fly high and wide from distance, before a flashing header from Takao Teramoto nearly nestled in the top corner if not for the hand of South Coast keeper Jason Bleakley.

United had their shot at a prolonged attacking raid, with Denis Stojic testing Daniel Farina, in goals for Port Kembla, down low, and miscommunication shortly after nearly gifting SCU a goal, with Nikolovski and Farina not on the same wavelength as both attempted to clear the ball.

In a game dominated by strong defensive lines and players willing to step out to intercept awry passes, a majority of chances were from considerable distance.

The home side did take the lead after 8 minutes, a neat play from captain Greg Valic heading a deep cross into the path of Dinko Terzic steaming into the box and volleying home from 12 yards for the opener. From there, they took the rest of the half in their stride.

Yuki Kiyohara went on a mazing run from the right wing, beating three, only to be dispossessed by the last man, and Jun Lee powered wide hunting the scraps outside the box from a half-cleared corner. Again down the right wing, Terzic was set free only to lose out to the last defender, this time Justin Potter striding away with possession. Aden Wade skilfully turned between two on the half hour and let rip from 20 yards, but again Farina wasn't troubled as it was well high and wide.

South Coast were getting closer to their second as the first half wore on, as Lee picked off a goal kick only to shoot into the grateful arms of Farina, and Liam Unicomb was flagged offside by the finest of margins as he dribbled unchallenged toward goal from halfway.

It was Port Kembla who finished the half stronger, not only grabbing the equaliser but possibly could've been in the lead. With under 10 minutes to go, Potter swung a low curling free kick around the outside of the wall from 20 yards, forcing Bleakley into a fine bottom-corner save, however only minutes later Blake Coates nodded an uncleared free kick back into the area for Teramoto to slide in first time and net through the fingers of Bleakley for 1-1 at the interval.

The second half was much more of the same - end-to-end football with neither side able to easily get through the solid backlines.

South Coast nearly hit the lead immediately, with another play going around the Port Kembla defence instead of through it - Kiyohara cutting back from the by-line for Wade to draw a fine reflex save to deny his first-time shot in the centre of the goal from 12 yards.

However, the good chances were now replicated at the other end, another defensive miscommunication saw Bleakley leave his area to clear a ball, colliding with Coates and forcing a hastened clearance as both remained down.

It seemed there was only a few ways of breaching either defence - an error or going the long way around and crossing in, but even still, both defences were able to easily head clear long balls in. With crosses not working, defences talking more effectively and long shots not on target, it was a curious case of how will the game finish.

Whilst a stalemate favoured neither side, the final twenty minutes proved a frantic ending to an otherwise uneventful fixture as both pushed for the three points.

Woodiwiss nearly bagged himself a spectacular goal, launching a long ball from the right touchline near halfway which required Bleakley to rapidly backpedal to tip it away from the far post as it drifted dangerously close.

Again it was Port in the ascendency, with Coates nearly lobbing Bleakley off a goal kick which was allowed to bounce, setting the pacey striker free, with the advancing Bleakley looking nervous as he came out.

Corners were being fired in left and right by Port, with the finest of touches in the box only raising the tension amongst the crowd, nobody sure which way the result would swing.

Terzic saved the day for SCU with 8 minutes to play, grabbing his second and with it the lead again. In a frantic passage of play, Farina punched clear a corner, Oliver Carrasco volleyed the rebound on target only to be blocked on the line by the head of Potter, and Terzic on hand to pounce on the loose ball to bulge the net.

From here Port pushed for a goal even harder than before, leaving themselves wanting at the back. Unicomb fluffed a 4-on-3 counter attack for the hosts late on, shooting way wide from inside the box.

All SCU could do to stop the attacks was get men behind the ball, often not leaving their box in an effort to prevent anything in behind them. Nikolovski drove powerfully over from 20 yards before Carlo Stella curled a free kick over the bar with a hand from Bleakley.

It was another fast break that settled the game, Lee switching play from right to left, and Bertakis half-volleying off the near post into the far side netting to emphatically give the hosts their third goal and the win deep into stoppage time.

 

Sunday 10th July - Ian McLennan Park

Referee - A. Naylor

Assistant Referees - S. Bell, G. Jenkins

 

South Coast United 3 - Terzic 8' 81', Bertakis 90+2'

Port Kembla 1 - Teramoto 40'

 

South Coast United - Bleakley, Gilroy, Wade (Carrasco), Valic, Brown, Terzic (Bertakis 87'), Skara (Solevski 59'), Lee, Unicomb, Stojic, Kiyohara

Subs - Lazarevski, Bertakis, Carrasco, Solevski, Batur

Port Kembla - Karina, Richardson, Nikolovski, Frkovic, Stella, Vinton (Hardy), Woodiwiss (Lowcock 86'), Coates (Lavalle 75'), Werakso, Teramotto

Subs - Franks, Lavalle, Hardy, Lowcock

 

Report by David Atherton @daveatho5

Photo courtesy of Noel Wynn