Second half goals from new signing Lee Gilroy and last season’s George Naylor Medal winner Shohei Okuno were enough to see Albion Park White Eagles ease past Tarrawanna Blueys at Memorial Park on Sunday. The win leaves the White Eagles on top of their pool and sets up a showdown with Corrimal Rangers next Sunday as the two sides fight over bragging rights going into the next stage of the Fraternity Cup.

The Blueys were left to rue missed chances in the first half and now go into next week’s final pool match looking to sharpen their touch in front of goal before the season proper begins next month.

Albion Park settled first and quickly got into their usual groove of patient passing play, with Mitch Del Turco forcing a parried save out of Blueys keeper Adam Rodriguez before any of his outfield team-mates had managed more than the briefest of touches. But it was the White Eagles’ distribution of the ball that was the greatest pleasure to watch, and as so often happened last season, it was Okuno who was always in the thick of things. His pinpoint pass out to Dejan Djukic on the right wing almost set up a chance for Jeremy Lopez in the 10^th minute, but the Blueys cleared for a corner under pressure.

The best chance early on fell to Tarrawanna, though. Sam Rose flicked the ball on to Rick Goodchild, whose cross found Caleb Russell in space in the box, but the Blueys forward fluffed his shot and the ball careered towards the touchline instead of going goalwards.

At the other end, Gilroy forced a diving save out of Rodriguez, with Lopez charging in for afters, but his effort only found the side-netting.

On 23 minutes, Tarrawanna should have taken the lead. Goodchild again found his man unmarked in front of goal, but Jacob Fryday seemed to slip as he prepared to shoot and another golden chance went begging.

As half time approached, the ever-dangerous Okuno was prowling along the edge of the area, shaping to shoot, but Jarryd Mortimer put a solid block in the way to keep trouble at bay.

So it fell to Mark Every to change the pattern of play and go solo with a dazzling run past three defenders on the stroke of half time. This time it was goalkeeper Rodriguez who took the ball off Every’s toes to keep the score goalless at the break.

Tarrawanna’s back line may have had the busier of the first half, but the Blueys probably had the best of the chances in the opening period.

It took only two minutes into the second stanza for the White Eagles to punish those misses.

Once again Okuno was the play maker, finding Gilroy in the 16 yard area, with the White Eagles forward hitting the ball first time over Rodriguez into the back of the net for 1-0.

Just a few minutes later, it was game over. Okuno won a free kick 25m out on the left side. It’s probably his favourite spot for a pot at goal and sure enough the Japanese ‘Showman’ curled the ball past the wall and in at the near post, giving Rodriguez no chance.

Tarrawanna tried to respond quickly, Goodchild setting up Russell on the edge of the area, but Peter Prandalos got back to put in a block. And it was Goodchild again who created another Blueys chance, this time Matt Mazevski seeing his close range effort cleared off the line.

As the game drew to a close, Tarrawanna substitute Reece McAlpine fired a cross into the area, which Bryce Daenell in the White Eagles goal only managed to punch into the path of Goodchild, but the Blueys midfielder who had created his side’s best chances through the game ballooned the ball over when he finally had a shot at goal himself.

Okuno may well have a claim for man of the match, but Every’s efforts were also magnificent. He tried a repeat of his first half run midway through the second period, powering past two tackles before winning a free kick, which came to nothing. But he also almost got on the scoresheet himself, with a fine second half header, which Rodriguez did well to keep out.

Another clean sheet for the White Eagles suggests they could be a tough team to beat again in 2017. The only worry for coach Jeff Allport looks to be with the unlucky Shaun McRae. Back in action after a long injury lay-off, McRae had only been on the pitch for a few minutes when he twisted awkwardly and limped off again, desperately hoping this was not a repeat of his knee injury in 2016.

Albion Park White Eagles – 2 (Gilroy 37’, Okuno 44’)

Tarrawanna Blueys – 0

Sunday 26 February 2017

Memorial Park, Corrimal

Referee: Ryan O’Sullivan

Assistant referees: Blake Herbert, Ben Moreira

Albion Park White Eagles: Bryce Daenell, Dejan Djukic, Mark Every, Boden Allport, Peter Prandalos, Chris Nathaniel, Mitch Del Turco, Vaughan Patterson, Jeremy Lopez, Shohei Okuno, Lee Gilroy (sub: Djordje Uzelac, Josh Mears, Hayden Waples, Shaun McRae, Nicholas High)

 

Tarrawanna Blueys: Adam Rodriguez, Matthew Naylor, Jarryd Mortimer, Sam Chapple, Allister Carrigan, Josh Chapple, Jacob Fryday, Matthew Mazevski, Caleb Russell, Rick Goodchild, Samuel Rose (subs: Joshua Brown, Ben Learmonth, Jackson Dent, Peter Arnone, Reece McAlpine)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Kiah Hufton