Kemblawarra Fury hosted Cringila Lions on Wednesday at Macedonia Park for the rescheduled second round of the Illawarra Mercury Premier League.

Kemblawarra were looking to close the gap on Bulli after being 6 points behind with a game in hand. Cringila needed to steady the ship. Their inconsistent start to the season saw them beat Albion Park and lose a tight game to Wollongong United but loses by a couple of hefty margins as well. The Lions would have needed to bring their a-game to beat Fury who looked focused from the get go.

An unusual start to the game saw Cringila reduced to 9 men for a very brief period, after two of their players were found wearing wrong coloured undershorts. But soon enough the Lions sorted it out and had 11 players back on the pitch.

The first 10 minutes of the match saw an evenly fought contest between the two sides, Kemblawarra held a slight advantage in possession but Cringila were showing their determination to win the ball back. Fury seemed to try and force the crucial pass, losing possession through mis-placed passes and sloppy turnovers. In the next 5 minutes, Kemblawarra settled themselves, playing much more quality balls into their forwards feet.

The breakthrough came on the 15^th minute when Sam Munro played a magnificent releasing ball which skimmed down the right wing for Daniel Hartas who cut the ball back across the face of the goal, with pace and intent. The ball found the feet of Mathew McNab who had no problem tapping the ball into the empty net.

Sho Katayama looked the most promising for the visitors to bring them back into the contest, Fury had trouble keeping him at bay. Katayama, fittingly, was the catalyst for Cringila’s first big opportunity after he laid a sublime ball in for Milan Atlagic who was just beaten to the ball by Fury’s Goalkeeper Mitchell Blowes. Cringila would appeal for a penalty, but the referee waved away the claims of the opposition, signalling that the number one had touched the ball first. It was a confidence boost for Cringila, who began to hold more and more of the ball.

But in a turn of the tables, Fury knocked a long ball down field and caught the Cringila defence reeling. Anthony Proia pounced on the ball first, using his pace and strength to get past the opposition’s defence, he then doubled Kemblawarra’s lead with a clinical finish into the side netting. Fury were beginning to show how dangerous they can be even coming out of a defensive spell.

Cringila had their opportunities in the first half, both falling to Milan Atlagic. Atlagic scuffed two one on one chances which could have been the real difference maker. Fury’s defence looked a tad shaky but their offensive display would relieve even more pressure.

On the brink of half time, Adam Biddle produced the assist of the game as his first-time ball chipped the visitors’ defence. The ball then back spun into the feet of Proia who fired home his second of the match. Fury’s attack looked merciless everything about their play had intent.

The first half didn’t reflect the game in whole, but more the clinical nature of Fury. Proia should have had his third when he struck the ball first time in the 50^th minute, but he couldn’t fire it past Alexander Boullosa, who made a fair save.

As the rain started to drizzle down, so did the quality of the football match, sloppy passes and unforced errors saw both teams unable to hold a significant amount of pressure. Atlagic had one more chance to start the comeback but it was denied by a fantastic tackle from Kyle Senior. It didn’t look good for Cringila who lacked the clinical finish that Fury had.

A penalty earned in the 79 minute by Atlagic saw the travelling side potentially start the comeback. The brightest of the Cringila side, Katayama, stepped up and sent the goalie the wrong way. A positive feeling for the Lions who probably deserved at least one goal back.

But the good feeling was short lived as one minute later Proia fired his chance home, nicking the post on the way in. Bringing up his Hattrick in a show of class by the number 15. His 3^rd put Cringila back out of the game.

The hosts would advance their lead even further. Fabian Iacovelli would finish off Cringila after a scrappy piece of play drew the Lion’s keeper out, allowing Iacovelli to finish into an empty net.

The final five minutes produced nothing more than a battle of possession and so the second half ended.

Kemblawarra Fury 5 (M.McNab 15’, A.Proia 33’ 45’ 80’, F.Iacovelli 85’

Cringila Lions 1 (S.Katayama 79’)

Kemblawarra Fury

M.Blowes, S.Wright, D.Hartas, F.Iacovelli, A.Ceccoli, A.Biddle, S.Murry, S.Munro, L.O’Connor, A.Proia, M.McNab.

Replacements

K.Senior, S.Matthews, K.Kushida, V.Elia, D.Zufic

Cringila Lions

A.Boullosa, N.Macgraw, G.Wilson, A.Todoroski, T.Sparks, J.Sherwin, I.Cesay, T.Teramoto, S.Takeuchi, S.Katayama, M.Atlagic

Replacements

R.Lewin, D.Ramirez, J.Martin, N.Purdevski, A.Brbevski.

 

Report by Liam Emerton