Wollongong Olympic set out their stall for the 2017 season with some clinical finishing and solid defending to take the opening fixture of the Fraternity Club Cup with a 3-1 victory over Woonona Sharks.

Two goals in three minutes from new boy Blake Coates and a wonder strike from Harrison Brown effectively sealed this tie by half time. The Sharks looked a lot more threatening in the second half, but missed one penalty before Daniel Atkins slotted home another spot kick in the dying moments of the game.

Olympic had a fantastic season in 2016, winning silverware for the first time in decades and making the end-of-season Finals in the Illawarra Premier League. First impressions from this performance suggest a team looking to build on those achievements in 2017.

Although none of last season’s top scorers for Olympic were in the squad for this match, there was a familiarity to the Olympic line-up and style, led from the back by the ever-present Jake Duczynski and Jack Keating. And on the night, their attacking play looked sharp, though it will be interesting to see how they fare against the potentially tougher backline of Bulli in their next fixture.

This tie began quietly enough, in perfectly warm, still conditions.

Olympic looked comfortable in possession and forced five corners in the first ten minutes, though the Sharks packed the area and gave Olympic’s new front pairing no room to shoot.

It was the Sharks who had the earliest efforts on target as they looked quick on the break. Trent Worthington created some space for himself a couple of times early on, but could never get enough behind his shots to trouble Hayden Durose in the Olympic goal.

Sadly, it was goalkeeping error which gifted Olympic their first goal of the 2017 season. Haydyn Lloyd sent in a curling cross from the edge of the area, which Lachlan Ahling appeared to take, but then spilled right into the path of Coates, who had a simple tap-in from close range to give Olympic the lead.

That was in the 15^th minute, and three minutes later it was 2-0. This time it was Jack Balmforth, making his debut for Olympic, who floated a cross in from the left to find Coates again. The Olympic forward was allowed a free header, which he steered into the net via the upright.

Those two goals took the stuffing out of the Sharks, and when Worthington skied the ball over the bar moments later, there was a hint of desperation creeping already. Those feelings can only have got worse when Olympic notched their third in only the 23^rd minute.

Once again it was Lloyd who played provider, sending a perfect cross in from the right to find Brown on the edge of the area. He composed himself and then unleashed an unstoppable shot through a crowded area and past the unfortunate Ahling for 3-0.

Woonona’s new coach Geoff Foster immediately began to ring the changes, using the Fraternity Cup’s rotating substitute rule to great effect as he looked for the formation and combination that could unlock Olympic’s defence.

The problem for Foster was that in Duczynski, Olympic have a captain who is a mountain at the back. He was magisterial throughout the 70 minutes (35 minute each half at this stage of the competition).

But in the second half, the Sharks looked more menacing. Straight after the restart Josh Hutton threaded the ball through to Worthington, who looked certain to score from five yards out, but Durose got his body in the way to deny the hapless Sharks striker.

Olympic sat back and let the Sharks come at them for much of the second half. Shots rained in from Luke McCusker, from David Kotrc, and from a lively-looking substitute Rentano Osa, but all to no avail.

Midway through the second stanza, Woonona were awarded a penalty for handball, but even then the Sharks failed to find the net, as Joel Beattie skied his effort well over.

Valentino Merxhushi stung the fingertips of Durose with his free kick in the 57^th minute, with Cameron Banks rushing in for afters, but Durose recovered himself to put an end to that attack too.

There were just two minutes left on the clock when the Sharks finally got their consolation goal. Another handball led to a second spot kick for Woonona. This time the experienced Atkins stepped up and coolly drilled the ball into the net low to Durose’s left.

The Sharks will have taken heart from a lively second half performance as Foster tweaked his team to find the most effective formation. The big test for Woonona now follows in Round 2, when they take on Picton Rangers in an effort to stay in the competition.

For Olympic, it’s Bulli next up, in what is probably the top tie next weekend. That will be at King Mickey Park on Sunday 26 February.

Wollongong Olympic – 3 (Coates 15’, 18’, Brown 23’)

Woonona – 1 (Atkins pen, 68’)

Assists: (Olympic: Lloyd 2, Pires)

Thursday 16 February 2017

Macedonia Park

Referee: Nathan Wotton

Assistant Referees: Aden Crowley, Gareth Jenkins

Wollongong Olympic: Hayden Durose, Haydyn Lloyd, Jack Keating, Jake Duczynski, Maurice Aloegninou, Harrison Brown, Matthew Galanti, Jack Balmforth, Lukas Stergiou, Blake Coates, Nuno Pires (subs: Daniel Thompson, Dion Avouris, Jamie Wakeling, Vincent Lechner)

Woonona FC: Lachlan Ahling, Josh Hutton, Aiden Breslin, Kallen James, David Kotrc, Chris Gibson, Brendan Pattman, Daniel Atkins, Cameron Banks, Trent Worthington, Valentino Merxhushi (subs: Joel Beattie, Luke McCusker, Jan Mellor, Tom Mindaz, Rentano Osa)

Report by Simon Duffin
Photo: Pedro Garcia (library archive)