Kiama Quarriers stunned the WGC Cranes District League champions Corrimal Rangers with a 2-1 victory on the last day of the regular season, only to suffer heartbreak as news filtered through from Balgownie that the home side there had made the end-of-season Finals with the last kick of the game.

Goals from Chris Christodoulou and a penalty from Daniel Swinton gave Kiama a two goal cushion, which would have been enough to see their side into the coveted fifth spot in the ladder until Save Treneski’s 90^th minute goal for Corrimal.

This was the Rangers’ first defeat of the season and came after an extraordinary run of twenty consecutive wins. Treneski’s goal, meanwhile, may well mean that the District League Golden Boot is shared between him and teammate Mark Picciolini (though the statistics still need to be checked).

There was no sign of the drama ahead as the Quarriers players lined up to give the Rangers a guard of honour in acknowledgement of their title win and – until today – unbeaten season.

The game began calmly enough, too, with Corrimal looking confident, as Kiama worked the offside trap to good effect, but created little up front themselves.

Then suddenly in the fourteenth minute, Christodoulou picked the ball up 30 yards out and unleashed a rocket with his right foot that flew past Mitchell Blowes in the Corrimal goal to give Kiama a shock lead.

The Rangers responded immediately, with Kiama keeper Dylan McDonald forced into superb saves to keep the league champions out. First it was Paul Guido, whose strike from the edge of the area brought out a finger tip reflex save from McDonald, and then Domenic Magill’s flying header from ten yards out saw McDonald dive to his left to keep his side in front.

Unused to going behind in games, Corrimal stepped up a gear, but Kiama defended resolutely, not allowing the Rangers’ free-scoring forwards any space. Daniel Gillespie was key to Kiama’s defence, reading the game superbly and putting in the vital tackle whenever Corrimal looked a threat. So crucial was he to the Quarriers’ game that even when he was off the pitch for five minutes receiving treatment, coach James Spence opted not to replace him and played with ten men until he was ready to return.

Treneski set up Mark Picciolini minutes before the break but the Corrimal forward’s header flew inches over the bar. And then as half time approached, Treneski himself had a go from 35 yards out, with McDonald forced to collect after an awkward bounce.

Kiama went into the break a goal up, but all the signs were that Corrimal would come back into this match as the game wore on.

Sure enough, within a minute of the restart, McDonald was back in action tipping a left foot shot from Guido over for a corner after the Corrimal midfielder made space for himself inside the area.

But once the home side had settled for the second stanza, they too were showing signs of hunger in front of goal. Twice inside a minute Christodoulou set up Aaron Buzinki, with Blowes pulling off an acrobatic save to deny the Kiama midfielder and then captain Vasko Mitkovski getting a foot in the way to block another Buzinki goalbound effort.

At the other end, Treneski finally turned free of Gillespie and shaped to shoot from ten yards out, but somehow the Quarriers defender recovered his composure enough to put in yet another brave tackle.

With the game reaching fever pitch and action at both ends, it seemed extraordinary that the second half was only twelve minutes old when Magill picked the ball up just outside the area and thundered a strike against the crossbar.

But still Kiama kept the champions at bay.

Gillespie again was on hand to block Treneski before Magill burst forward and found the Corrimal forward finally in space just past the hour mark. But this time the striker fired his shot across the face of the goal, inches wide of the upright.

Luke Picciolini came on for Corrimal and almost had an immediate impact as he swung a corner in from the left, forcing McDonald to punch clear as the ball curled goalwards.

Then it was Chris Stevanovski who almost caught the Kiama defence out with a left foot shot from the edge of the area, but again it was just off target.

With fifteen minutes to play, Kiama went two up. It was a sign of Spence’s attacking intent that he had brought on striker Swinton, and the move paid off when Swinton was brought down inside the box and calmly stepped forward to despatch the spot kick himself for an unlikely two goal lead for the home side.

Suddenly, with news of Oak Flats getting a goal back against Balgownie, it looked possible that Kiama could earn a fairytale place in the District League finals series.

There were still chances at either end, but when Mark Picciolini failed to connect with a perfectly-placed Stevanovksi cross, it looked as if Corrimal were going to draw a blank for the first time this season.

Keegan Beringer almost lobbed Blowes with minutes remaining, but the Corrimal keeper was good enough to prevent an unthinkable 3-0 scoreline.

Then suddenly in the 90^th minute, Treneski latched onto a Guido throughball, made space for himself that he had barely had all game, and fired a shot into the back of the net at the near post.

And as added time was played, Corrimal came desperately close to maintaining their unbeaten record, with Treneski denied yet again by McDonald and a bullet header by Mark Picciolini blocked by Chris Hill to keep Kiama in front.

The referee blew for time to cheers from the home fans, though there were mixed feelings as the Kiama players left the pitch, as news came through of Balgownie’s last gasp win to deny the Quarriers a Finals berth.

For Kiama coach James Spence it was a ‘bittersweet’ moment: “So many mixed emotions there. I’m so proud of the boys for the win, but it hurts that we just missed out on the Finals. Today we defended well for 89 minutes and took our chances well. I have to single out our defence, though. I can’t fault Daniel (Gillespie) and Chris Hill, but we also had youth grade players Josh Gomes and Luke Munro playing their heart out in there for us. It’s a great end to the season.”

Kiama Quarriers FC – 2 (Christodoulou 15’, Swinton pen 75’)

Corrimal Rangers – 1 (Treneski 90’)

 

Saturday 27 August 2016

Kiama Sporting Complex

 

Referee: Peter Ilcevski

Assistant Referees: Jarryd Higgins, Max Vercoe

Kiama Quarriers FC: Dylan McDonald, Daniel Gillespie, Chris Hill, James Donlan, Luke Munro, Jesse Annen, Jacob Lester, Aaron Buzinki (Todd Wade 70’), Keegan Beringer, Chris Christodoulou, Joshua Gomes (Daniel Swinton 65’) (subs not used James Spence, Phil Bitterlin)

Corrimal Rangers: Mitchell Blowes, Vasko Mitkovski, Fabian Cappetta, Andrew Nanos, Gavin O’Brien, Paul Guido, Chris Stevanovski, Domenic Magill, Mark Picciolini, Kolan Hmda (Luke Picciolini 64’), Save Treneski (subs not used: Christian Plakias, Nathan Belsito, Melih Yilmaz, Nicholas Purdevski)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Pedro Garcia (library image)