This season Cringila have found it hard to string together any wins, instead alternating wins and losses (making them due to knock off Bulli in two weeks, watch out!) Picton as yet may have 3 games in hand but have only scored twice in their opening four games, walking away with not a single point and leaking at least three goals per game.

On a cold night at Crehan Park, with cramps aplenty, a crippled Picton side with up to 10 first-teamers out arrived and tried to make the most of the fixture. Most of their evening was instead spent chasing down Cringila winger Sho Katayama and picking the ball out of their net.

It was an ominous start for the hosts - who could've had two goals in the opening three minutes. Initially, Shin Ichi Takeuchi saw a snap shot saved low by Bradley Jones, who managed to only just dive on the loose ball before Takao Teramoto poked in the follow up, followed shortly after as Milan Atlagic fell in midfield and was deemed to handball the loose ball as Teramoto picked it up and ran open on goal and netting.

Picton's first chance came after 18 minutes, as a Jarred Morley free kick from the left wing found the pack in close to goal, and with a header emerging goal-bound, it took a clearance from Todd Sparks on the line to prevent the opener.

It appeared to be a scrappy affair as neither side took hold of the game, until some magic by 'Big-Sho' Katayama began finding its way down the right flank. The opener came from a poor Liam Storkey clearance, which fell to the feet of Katayama 20 yards out, and the half volley dipped crisply into the back of the net for 1-0 to the hosts.

Ten minutes later he could've had his and Cringila's second, with Atlagic capitalising on Dale Nicol pulling up hamstrung in the chase, passing to Katayama only to blaze over from 10 yards.

Cringila were relentless in attack with the opener in their pocket - Teramoto began roaming through midfield and picking passes down either flank and making good runs into the box, Katayama still troubling Jones from every free kick around the area.

But blink and you'd have missed it - less than two minutes after kick off and Cringila capitalised on a defensive slip for Takevchi to find the back of the net at his near post from 20 yards before much of the crowd had found their seats again.

From here, Cringila calmed their game down and controlled the flow of play - restricting Picton's chances further. Mitchell Hall proved to be the only player from the visitors who could find a shot on goal, but even with deflections and one-on-ones, the striker couldn't catch a break against Lions gloveman Alexander Boullosa.

His, and Picton's, best chance of the game came just after the hour - Will McLeod's deflected cross finding Hall on the penalty spot completely unmarked, chesting and volleying but skying over the bar. It was just not his night.

Katayama was terrorising each free kick a nervy Rangers defence gave up - nearly finding the top corner from 30 yards in a central position, Jones relieved to see it clear the crossbar and bulge the top netting.

In his first touch of the game, substitute Rod Lewin polished off the game for Cringila, a cut-back from winger Katayama finding him set on the penalty spot and, opening his body, side-footing into the bottom corner at the far post.

There proved to be enough time for Hall to have yet another thwarted chance, volleying a free ball amidst a clustered penalty area, Boullosa unsighted gets a hand on it and is able to scamper back before the ball crossed the line.

Cringila saw out the last minutes calmly in possession of the ball and the three points as Picton was resigned to their fourth loss in a row. It was a deserved win for the hosts who controlled the counter attack of Picton and kept Hall under wraps for most of the game. Striker Atlagic proved to be quite wasteful in front of goal, but his midfielders tracking in made up for it, finding the net thrice.

 

Friday 5th May - Crehan Park

Referee - A. Maharaj

Assistants - G. Jenkins, A. Phipps

 

Cringila Lions - 3 (Katayama 23', Takeuchi 47', Lewin 77')

Picton Rangers - 0

 

Cringila Lions - Boullosa, Macgraw, Wilson, Todoroski, Sparks, Sherwen, Takeuchi (Martin), Brbevski (Cesay), Teramoto (Lewin), Atlagic, Katayama

Subs - Lewin, Cesay, Matrin, Ramirez, Purdevski

Picton Rangers - Jones, Dymond, Nicol (McLeod), Storkey (Cole), B. Berkeley (H. Berkeley), Lloyd, Hall, J. Morley, Howard, D. Morley, Miranda

Subs - H. Berkeley, Cole, Realph, McLeod, O'Bree

 

Report by David Atherton - @daveatho5