Wollongong United made a winning start to their Illawarra Premier League campaign, coming away from Wetherall Park with three points, thanks to goals from Karouna Michael and Daisuke Yuzawa. United could have had a handful more, though, with a string of first half chances, and three times were denied by the woodwork.

Sandy Lowcock got Port’s only goal to open the scoring early on, but the home side struggled playing into the wind through the first half, and failed to break down a solid United back line once the sides changed ends for the second stanza.

Speaking after the game, United coach Oliver Vrtkovski said he thought his side deserved the three points for the number of chances they created in the first half. Although they had not been clinical in front of goal, “if someone had told me before kick-off that we’d get two goals today, I’d have taken that.”

Port coach Noel Spencer was disappointed with the result but paid credit to the United performance on the day. “I was disappointed with our ball retention at crucial moments in the game. We changed our formation for the second half to go more attack minded, but we still didn’t pose enough of a serious threat.”

The game kicked off with a stiff breeze in the visitors’ backs, and it was clear from the whistle that they were going to put this to their advantage.

There was early drama as United won a free kick down the left in the first minute and twice had the ball in the back of the net, though both efforts were disallowed as Matt Floro had first taken the kick too soon, and then the linesman flagged for an infringement in the box at the second attempt.

The first ten minutes saw a series of passing moves testing the Port Kembla defence, with Yuzawa especially getting involved at every opportunity.

So when the home side scored in the twelfth minute, it was virtually the first time the ball had been in the United half. Lowcock burst forward, riding Brendan Reilly’s tackle and rounding the keeper. Maty Brennan put in a desperate last challenge, with many in the ground thinking the defender pushed the ball over his own line, though Lowcock was credited with the goal and gave his side the lead against the run of play.

United didn’t let the goal stop their momentum, though, and they continued to push forward in relentless waves. Billy Tsovolos forced a fine fingertip save out of Brad Jardine, Floro sent the ball inches wide with a shot across the face of the goal, and Yuzawa was not far off with a fine effort from 25 yards out.

In the 25^th minute, United finally got the goal they deserved. Floro fired a shot in from just outside the area, but Michael, standing on the penalty spot stopped the ball in its tracks, turned and drilled it home past Jardine.

United’s new Japanese signing Taka Noji had been creating a lot down the left in the opening exchanges. Half an hour in, he curled a right foot shot in himself which flew just inches over the bar. And then he was involved again moments later, pulling back from the byline for Yuzawa whose shot thundered against the post.

Port had to make do with brief forays into the United half. Billy Mobbs forced a rare save out of Sam Nastic, and Lowcock another which the United keeper dealt with easily.

In the 37^th minute, though, United took the lead.

Floro floated a corner out to Mikal Awad, whose powerful shot could only be parried by Jardine, right into the path of the waiting Yuzawa, who had a simple tap in for 2-1.

Port came out for the second half with an even more attacking format, pushing Blake McGinn forward up the left in an effort to get more ball to Lowcock and Chris Smith up front.

But it was United who nearly increased their lead not long after the restart. Michael sent a through ball to Floro and as everyone looked for an offside flag that didn’t appear, Floro tried to sidefoot it past Jardine, but the Port keeper managed to get a hand to it down low and keep his side in it.

Ben Zucco had a relatively quiet game for Port, but almost equalised on the hour mark with a typically audacious corner, curled in goalwards, forcing Nastic to stretch high and punch away for another corner.

Reilly and Milan Zoric were solid at the back for United, stifling most of what Port threw at them, and there were few real chances in the second half.

Floro hit the angle of post and bar, and there were loud calls for a penalty as Yuzawa came down inside the box, but Port substitute Brooklyn Frkovic had made a brave challenge and got the ball not the man. And there was still time for Yuzawa to set up Noji, whose right foot shot late on pinged against the upright.

United move on to FFA Cup action in midweek with a trip up to Doonside Hawks, from the Blacktown Association. For Port Kembla, next up is another tough tie, with a visit to ladder leaders Wollongong Olympic.

 

Audio with the two coaches after the match at the link below

https://m.soundcloud.com/dylaneloiarvela/the-two-coaches-after-wollongong-united-edge-out-port-kembla

Port Kembla FC – 1 (Brennan 12’ - OG)

Wollongong United – 2 (Michael 25’, Yuzawa 37’)

Assists: United: Floro, Awad                                                                   

Sunday 2 April 2017

Wetherall Park

Referee: Blake Herbert

Assistant Referees: Alex Vangelovoski, Jarryd Higgins

Port Kembla: Brad Jardine, Blake McGinn, Carlo Stella, Kyle Hazebroek-Southgate (Mitch Scazzariello 73’), William Mobbs, Matt Werakso, Kody Maude, Ben Zucco, Sandy Lowcock, Chris Smith, Doug Woodiwiss (Brooklyn Frkovic 58’) (subs not used: Adam Bussoni, Jack Miranda, Daniel Farina)

Wollongong United: Sam Nastic, Maty Brennan, Milan Zoric, Billy Tsovolos, Mikal Awad, Angelo Hajitoffi, Karouna Michael (Kai Miyakawa 67’), Daisuke Yuzawa, Brendan Reilly, Matt Floro (Klime Sekutkoski 77’), Taka Noji (subs not used: Ben Brooks, Nik Ristevski, Zac McLaren)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo by Kiah Hufton