Warilla Wanderers outgunned the Fernhill Foxes in a six goal thriller at Ray Robinson Oval on Tuesday evening. Ninety minutes of end-to-end football was decided ultimately by the Wanderers’ clinical finishing, though both sides had a dozen or so chances.

The win takes Warilla through to next weekend’s Major Semi Final, where they take on District League Champions Corrimal Rangers for a place in the 2016 Grand Final. Fernhill must now beat Balgownie Rangers in the other Semi Final for a potential rematch against the Wanderers should they fail to get past Corrimal.

Both teams came out of the blocks showing they meant business, with drama at both ends within the first two minutes.

Straight from the whistle, Fernhill attacked with a fine passing move that almost caught the Warilla defence napping, captain Ben Moerman firing just inches wide of the upright from ten yards out.

Then down at the other end, Bojan Caric’s pace inside the box led Akira Tatsubayashi in the Foxes’ goal into a reckless challenge that earned Warilla an early spot kick. Tatsubayashi quickly made amends, though, stretching down low to his left to keep out Javier Ovando’s penalty.

It was the Foxes who settled first, with some neat passing, suggesting it was only a matter of time before they’d find a way through the Warilla back line. Kazuma Nagaishi fired over from the edge of the area and Andrew Keep forced a parried save out of Bradley Hunter in the Warilla goal before Moerman opened the scoring in the 16^th minute.

There was good build up play led by Nagaishi who played the ball square to Marc Sergi who flicked the ball on to Moerman and the Foxes forward finished with a fine strike to make it 1-0.

With their tails up, the Foxes flew forward looking for a second. First Sergi burst forward towards the target and was only stopped by a solid Ryan Hunter tackle and then Scott Muilwyk won the ball on halfway and pushed forward, but the Wanderers’ defence held firm.

It wasn’t long before Warilla came back into the game themselves. Caric showed another turn of pace down the left to set up Ovando, who was denied again by Tatsubayashi.

Just on the half hour mark, Caric won a free kick just outside the box, which led to Warilla’s equaliser. The free kick was curled in towards Luke Everingham whose header was only cleared as far as Ryan Hunter. The Wanderers defender decided to go for goal from just outside the area and somehow his shot flew through a sea of legs into the back of the net, giving Tatsubayashi little chance.

The Foxes responded by lifting their game again. A sustained period of pressure saw a Muilwyk shot blocked, a Sergi free kick tipped just over the bar and a superb dipping shot from defender Anthony Oliver pushed away for yet another corner. Then it was Sergi again who picked the ball up 30 yards out, turned and drove a thundering shot against the woodwork. And as half time approached, Moerman broke clear and looked to be going one on one with the Warilla keeper until Nicholas Del Turco got back to put in a perfectly-timed tackle in a dangerous spot.

Half a dozen chances in as many minutes might have sent the Foxes in at half time on a high. But they were cruelly cut down by a single superbly taken chance at the other end.

Warilla’s second goal was a real solo effort from Martin Castelli. From 25 yards out, he sent in a dipping, swerving shot that beat Tatsubayashi and gave the Wanderers a surprise advantage at the break.

Half time: 1-2.

The second half began with as much end-to-end action as the first. Adam White, Chad Keating and Caric all kept Tatsubayashi busy in the opening minutes of the second stanza. While Sergi again forced a fine save out of Bradley Hunter to keep Warilla’s noses in front.

Just past the hour mark, though, Warilla increased their lead. It was Ovando’s long ball from half way that set up the move. White drove the ball in from the left, and Caric slotted home under Tatsubayashi’s body from close range.

The game was far from over, though. Fernhill coach Dan McGoldrick brought on Chris Hobbs to add a bit of width to his attack, and it didn’t take long for the substitute to make his mark, chipping over Hunter from ten yards out after Sergi had set him up inside the area. Moments later he had another chance from the same spot, but this time he skied his effort.

With just over ten minutes to play, the Wanderers wrapped up the game. Ovando again started the move from half way, finding substitute Luke Greathead down the left. He drove the ball into the middle where Tatsubayashi fumbled straight into the path of White who made no mistake from close range.

At 4-2 and just minutes to play, casual onlookers might have expected the game to drift towards full time. But not with these two teams.

Tatsubayashi denied Greathead a 90^th minute goal with a fine reflex block, before two more chances at the other end as first Sergi and then Muilwyk tried to find a way past the solid Warilla defence. Muilwyk’s shot took a deflection into Hunter’s hands for the final kick of a relentlessly competitive tie.

Warilla coach Barney King was relieved to have won through on the night: “They disrupted us tonight and they had their chances. But we took ours and they didn’t take theirs. That was the difference.”

Looking ahead to the Semi Final against Corrimal on Saturday, King said: “Well, we’ve beaten them in the Bampton Cup but they’ve edged us in both league games. I’m hoping to have a full squad for the weekend and hopefully I get the selection right to give us every chance.”

For McGoldrick, “We made enough chances to win the game, but we made too many mistakes to win it too. The score could have been 6-6 tonight, there were so many chances. And both of us need to tighten up our play if we are to progress against the likes of Corrimal in this Finals series.”

“Once we’d gone 4-2 down, it was a case of managing our troops, taking off the guys who were on a yellow card because we can’t afford to lose them for next weekend, when we already have two or three others not available. But looking positively, in terms of creativity, chances and energy, I was happy with how we played. We just made too many mistakes on the night.”

 

 

Fernhill FC – 2 (Moerman 16’, Hobbs 69’)

Warilla Wanderers FC – 4 (Hunter 30’, Castelli 43’, Caric 61’, White 79’)

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Ray Robinson Field

Referee: Andrew Taylor

Assistant Referees: Michael Kusi-Appauh, Emajen Crawley

Fourth Official: Nathan Wotton

Fernhill FC: Akira Tatsubayashi, Anthony Oliver, Luke McDonald (Andrew Breslin 83’), Julian Cesta-Incani (Dean Morosin 67’), Scott Muilwyk, Dale White, Andrew Keep, Marc Sergi, Ben Moerman, Kazuma Nagaishi, Matt Richardson (Chris Hobbs 59’) (sub not used James McClelland)

Warilla Wanderers: Bradley Hunter, Nicholas del Turco, Adam Martin, Ryan Hunter, Jason Goldsmith, Luke Everingham, Adam White (Stewart Robertson 89’), Chad Keating (Luke Greathead 54’), Bojan Caric (Toni Anastoski 67’), Javier Ovando, Martin Castelli (subs not used: Paul Gaffney, Ken Nguyen)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Pedro Garcia (Library image)