In a crucial tie for the away side, Helensburgh travelled to Warilla needing a result to put them in the hunt for a finals berth. Their season was on the line against the second placed Wanderers who had won five on the trot.

The start of the game was promising for the Thistles, who enjoyed a large percentage of possession throughout the fixture, with Warilla being forced to play on the counter for much of the opening half. However Helensburgh were unable to create any meaningful chances with their possession, leaving the hole for Warilla to grab one against the run of play after 13 minutes with the first real chance of the game.

Martin Castelli made the run down the right wing, rounding the defence, before cutting back from the by-line to an open Adam White who tapped in a simple shot for the opening goal.

Helensburgh easily could've replied seven minutes later, with an inch-perfect corner finding two Helensburgh heads in the box, however a lack of communication saw the players collide mid-air and neither get the open header on target from 6 yards.

The main threat for the hosts was Castelli, who kept making his runs down the left flank. He was soundly tackled by David Gallagher before getting a shot off earlier in the match, and cannoned a shot into Mitch Buchan on 25 minutes, before a neat low cross from Luke Everingham was agonisingly too far for his outstretched foot to slide in a sure second goal on the half hour.

At this point, Warilla had begun to make their way into the game, and whilst Helensburgh were still enjoying swathes of possession, Warilla were actually making some of the precious little they got.

Jason Goldsmith chested a corner onto the top of the crossbar and Everingham volleyed just wide of the near post, however neither chance quite made the net bulge to get breathing room in a tight affair.

The end of the half was all Helensburgh, however still their chances were straightforward for Warilla gloveman Bradley Hunter. Josh Brady was trying cheeky flick shots from the low crosses being fired in and Andrew Paine had a couple of free kicks in dangerous areas, but all either went well wide or straight into the grateful hands of the Warilla keeper.

Their only good chance came with 6 minutes until the half, as Brady exploited a defensive air-swing to get in behind the defence, however his powerful shot from a fine angle was parried and dived on by Hunter.

Scores remained tight until later in the afternoon, with the Thistles seeming content to continue playing their slow build-up style of play. No sense of urgency was apparent from either side as momentum swung consistently throughout the second period.

Luke Wyatt had a shot blocked from close range, before heading a corner just wide of the far post, with Buchan also missing an open header from yet another corner. A fantastic Paine curling cross from the right wing found the run of Brady only for his 10 yard header to sail centimetres wide of the far post before Wyatt had an acrobatic shot from 18 yards fly over the crossbar.

Warilla went back on the offensive, still searching for a second goal and some breathing room, and nearly had it after 66 minutes - Javier Ovando curled a free kick over the wall from the right wing and a full-stretch save from substitute keeper Braidon Gilbert tipped it away from the bottom corner.

However six minutes later they had their second; Substitute Stewart Robertson tapping a looped free kick back across goal into the bottom right for 2-0.

Knowing a loss was no help, Helensburgh knew they needed a goal from somewhere to get them rolling. Stalwart Andrew Paine felt hard done by as he was adjudged to handle the ball as he controlled a Warilla goal kick, before proceeding to chip Hunter from 25 yards and netting only to be called back.

From there on, Helensburgh seemed to realise the game may have been beyond them, and Warilla were content to sit and play out the rest of the game.

Warilla grabbed a third on the cusp of full time, with a long free kick from the right touchline finding the head of Chad Keating uncontested at the far post to nod home for 3-0.

Barely three minutes later, inside stoppage time, they produced an exact replica with Castelli on the receiving end this time, however Gilbert was on hand to miraculously tip the effort around the post.

Scores ended at 3-0 in what was a rather slow game considering what was at stake. Neither side really appeared to want the win and there was very little desperation to get the ball until the final 15 minutes for Helensburgh who had it all to do by then.

 

Saturday 27th August - King Mickey Park

Referee - G. Reid

Assistants - M. Thorpe, T. Arnold

 

Warilla Wanderers 3 - White 13', Robertson 72', Keating 87'

Helensburgh Thistle 0

 

Warilla Wanderers - Hunter, Anastoski (Pickles), Martin (Heathcote), Hagenaar, Goldsmith, Everingham, Castelli, Keating, White, Ovando, Montalbano (Robertson 40')

Subs - D'Egidio, Robertson, Pickles, Heathcote

Helensburgh Thistle - Ioppolo (Gilbert 46'), Charman, Buchan, Tesanovic, Gallagher, Paine (J. Falkiner 82'), Wyatt, L. Falkiner (Van Zyl), Mucci, Brady, McCann

Subs - J. Falkiner, Van Zyl, Kendrigan, Radnige, Gilbert

 

Report by David Atherton (@daveatho5)

Photo courtesy of Pedro Garcia (library image)