Albion Park White Eagles tightened their grip on third spot in this season’s Illawarra Mercury Premier League and kept the pressure on the league’s front runners with a gutsy 2-1 win over rivals Wollongong Olympic.

Shohei Okuno netted his 13^th goal of the season to give Albion Park an early lead before Olympic’s Jake Duczynski equalised in the 29^th minute. Mitch del Turco’s second half goal was enough to earn the White Eagles the three points.

Olympic ended the game with nine men and had their coach sent from the dugout shortly before the end, but the cards had more to do with dissent than foul play on the field itself. The match was physical and hard-fought between two teams fighting for play off positions and there were handshakes all round at the final whistle.

Bright sunshine greeted the teams as they came out onto Terry Reserve for kick-off on Saturday. But it was the home side that shone in the opening exchanges and inside five minutes they had taken the lead with the first real chance of the match.

Del Turco set the move up down the right side, finding Riku Iwauchi on the edge of the area. The Japanese midfielder flicked the ball onto Okuno who fired a left foot shot past Hayden Durose in the Olympic goal. It was a well-taken opportunity, though Olympic’s defence gave the White Eagles’ top scorer far too much space inside the box.

Brendan Fordham quickly lifted his team with some surging runs down the flank, first setting up Isaac Lee for the visitors’ first effort on goal and then charging to the byline and putting in a cross that Mark Every did well to block. With 23 minutes gone, Olympic’s main marksman Yusuke Ueda had his first attempt, with a left foot drive from the edge of the area that White Eagles custodian Bryce Daenell just managed to get a boot on to clear.

Then it was Kyle Hazebroek who rose highest to meet a Lee cross but couldn’t get over the ball to steer his header down towards goal.

As Olympic pressed for the equaliser, Albion Park had chances on the break. Kotaro Higashi picked out an unmarked Iwauchi by the far post. With Durose out of position, Iwauchi seemed to have an open goal, but to groans from the home crowd he fired his shot wide across the face of the goal for a goal kick.

Barely a minute later that miss could have proved fatal as Olympic nicked the equaliser. Lee sent a corner over to the far post. Daenell failed to collect and Duczynski used his height to power a header through the gap and into the back of the net.

Once the scores were level the rest of the first half was mostly played out in the centre of the park. Olympic probably had most of the possession but it was the home side that had the chances before the break, with Okuno the playmaker in both moves.

First he set up Higashi inside the six yard box, but instead of shooting, the right-winger chose to play the ball square, with nobody there to put in the final touch. Then it was Robert Delbanco who picked up an Okuno through ball on the left side and fired a shot just wide of the upright in the last chance of the first half.

The sides went into the break at one goal apiece.

Five minutes into the second period, Olympic missed their best chance to take the lead. Fordham charged down a poor clearance from Daenell. He quickly laid the ball off to Lee who spotted Hazebroek unmarked inside the box. With a gaping net in front of him, Hazebroek somehow missed the target when all around Terry Reserve thought he had to score.

It was a lucky escape that woke the White Eagles from a second half lull.

On the hour mark Peter Prandalos went on one his trademark runs down the left touchline before launching a dangerous cross into the area, but this time Durose was quick enough to collect off the toes of Iwauchi. Moments later the Olympic keeper was less fortunate as Higashi and Iwauchi teamed up well inside a crowded penalty area setting up del Turco who managed to prod home from three yards out.

With fifteen minutes remaining Durose made the save of the match to keep his side in it. Okuno again powered a shot in from the edge of the area forcing the Olympic keeper to tip the ball over the bar at full stretch.

And as the clock ticked by, Olympic let their frustrations get the better of them. Substitute Andrej Gacesa received a yellow card within minutes of coming on and Chris Jackson got a straight red for remarks he aimed at the referee.

In a last-ditch effort Olympic coach Rob Birkin brought on Lee Kizi with a minute of added time played. The young striker very nearly equalised with his first touch, but Daenell raced out to prevent Kizi getting a boot on the ball.

There was time for more drama but no more goals, as Birkin was sent from the dugout and Lee received his marching orders in the fifth minute of time added on, as a clumsy tackle led to his second yellow.

Olympic’s second defeat in a row leaves them looking over their shoulders at Picton Rangers, who won again this weekend. Olympic have built their season around a consistent starting eleven, with eight of today’s starting line-up having played in every IPL match so far. That would have been nine had Sam Gordon not been suspended for this game. With Harrison Brown suspended following last week’s red card and more suspensions to come from today’s red cards, it would be a shame for Rob Birkin’s side if indiscipline were to cost them a top five spot.

After today’s game, White Eagles coach Jeff Allport said it was a great three points for his side to win: “There’s a grit about us now and that can give us a shot at the title still this year. This was a game where the two sides were going hell for leather to win the game. It was physical but I don’t think the physicality changed the course of the game.”

Albion Park White Eagles – 2 (Okuno 5’, del Turco 62’)

Wollongong Olympic – 1 (Duczynski 29’)

 

Saturday 23 July 2016

Terry Reserve

 

Referee: Adam Naylor

Assistant referees: Liam Webb, Jay Walpole

 

Albion Park White Eagles: Bryce Daenell, Djordje Uzelac, Mark Every, Ryan Suttle, Peter Prandalos, Vaughan Patterson, Riku Iwauchi, Robert Delbanco, Mitch Del Turco (Brian Montanari 82’), Shohei Okuno, Kotaro Higashi (subs not used: Dejan Djukic, James Uzunovski, Dylan Wray, Lachlan Ahling)

Wollongong Olympic: Hayden Durose, Haydyn Lloyd (Andrej Gacesa 80’), Ja Kon Yu, Jack Keating, Jake Duczynski, Harvey Rodriguez (Lee Kizi 90+1’), Chris Jackson, Brendan Fordham, Yusuke Ueda, Isaac Lee, Kyle Hazebroek-Southgate (subs not used: Jon Mangos, Jordan Koroskoski)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo Courtesy of Kiah Hufton