South Coast United v Woonona shaped up to be an intriguing battle in the fight for mid-table standings come seasons' end. United had gone 5 games unbeaten, whilst the Sharks have continued their stuttering season by registering only 3 points from the 4 games since they toppled Kemblawarra back in June.

Conditions at Ian McLennan Park made proceedings of a particular nature, both sides unable to exchange slick passing movements across the rain-gutted pitch. A brand of long-ball, off-the-deck football was forced into action for both sides, and very little was played out of the back.

This did open up many opportunities for both front-lines on the counter, pacey wingers were brought into play hunting the long-ball. Liam Unicomb & Dinko Terzic for SCU and Cameron Banks & Brendan Pattman flanking Caleb Russell for Woonona.

Whilst both sides had periods of notable possession or chances throughout the match, opportunities on goal came at a premium. With end-to-end football rarely getting through the solid backlines of each side, attacking raids always went either around or over, but never through.

Liam Unicomb had a solid opportunity inside 5 minutes, chesting down an inch-perfect cross and volleying on the second touch, however as much of the day would turn out, the shot skewed wide.

Woonona took the initiative early in the game - Trent Worthington and Cameron Banks combined to weave through two wrong-footed defenders on the right flank and tee up Caleb Russell, but his dinked shot was also wide.

Unicomb was denied the opener against the run of play for an offside, sadly rendering his lovely chest-half volley combination in off the near post meaningless.

Hayden Nicol was nearly gifted a goal-scoring chance inside the box with Cameron Besgrove slipping in the chase for a loose ball and barely clearing in time, deflecting off Nicol, so close he was. Another fall in the SCU box favoured the hosts shortly after, a nice lay-off header from Scott Curran into the path of Nicol who stumbled and fell.

The hosts tried to fight back, and could easily have had two goals within 60 seconds - first Terzic unable to nudge home a cross which evaded both Tommy Skara and Sharks keeper Brad Jardine, then Terzic again taking advantage of a defensive slip to volley from 18 yards unmarked, only to draw a fine fingertip save from Jardine to tip it over the crossbar.

Woonona headed into the break on a roll, grabbing the opener with 3 minutes remaining and nearly another at the death. The goal played out painfully for neutral and United supporters, with a back-pass bobbling over the foot of Jason Bleakley, who in turn slipped as he tried to recover, leaving Joshua Hutton to dribble the ball into the goal uncontested.

Russell could've doubled the lead on halftime, however a close range from Pattman's cross hit the body of Bleakley and was smothered by the gloveman to snuff out the threat.

The second half was scarce for goal-scoring chances, with SCU growing increasingly urgent about an equaliser whilst Woonona were more than happy to put the ball out of play time after time and hold their solitary goal advantage. Such was the strength of both defences that a total of 3 shots went on target in the whole second period.

Banks had a powerful volley from 12 yards pushed away with a great reflex save from Bleakley away to his left. Shortly after, Russell wasted a 3-on-2 break, hesitating on the pass and eventually being dispossessed before anything was made of the play.

Terzic, Skara and Oliver Carrasco all had shots from out wide which couldn't clear the near post, Banks doing likewise down the other end before putting one from 20 yards straight into the arms of Bleakley.

It wasn't until stoppage time where the next two moments played out - ironically one nearly fashioning a replica of Woonona's first. Again, Bleakley advanced to clear a back-pass, more carefully as the game wore on, but he struck Worthington pressuring him at close range, only for the deflection to fall straight into the keeper's hands.

The relentless SCU push for an opener nearly happened with the last minute of play, Carrasco providing a cross which substitute Jun Lee headed at the far post, drawing a full-stretch, fingertip save from Jardine to deny the substitute.

Considering the relatively straight-forward run-in's for both Tarrawanna and Port Kembla above them on the table, the battle between SCU and Woonona will be a fascinating sub-plot to the end of the season. SCU have to play away at Fury, Albion Park and Wollongong Olympic, all top-5 sides, whilst the Sharks host Wollongong United and Bulli either side of a trip to Port Kembla. With only 1 point separating the pair, this season is far from over for both clubs.

 

Sunday 7th August - Ian McLennan Park

Referee - B. Herbert

Assistant Referees - W. Whitehead, M. Kusi

 

South Coast United 0

Woonona Sharks 1 - Hutton 42'

 

South Coast United - Bleakley, Gilroy, Wade (Lee 71'), Valic, Brown, Terzic, Batur (Bertakis 60'), Skara (Solevski 83'), Carrasco, Unicomb, Kiyohara

Subs - Lazarevski, Nimac, Bertakis, Solevski, Lee

Woonona Sharks - Jardine, Hutton, Breslin, Gibson, Besgrove, Curran, Worthington, Nicol, Banks, Russell (Fetterplace 90'), Pattman (Beattie 90')

Subs - Booth, Fetterplace, Ellul, Beattie

 

Report by David Atherton @daveatho5

Photo courtesy of Pedro Garcia