Last season’s Grand Final Champions put a string of disappointing results behind them with a dominant display at Ocean Park on Saturday. Two goals from Mitch Del Turco and one apiece for Japanese duo Shohei Okuno and Hikaru Kawasakiya were enough to see off Woonona, who grabbed a late consolation with the goal of the match from Caleb Russell.

The White Eagles looked comfortable, in spite of playing almost half the match with 10 men after Mark Every got his marching orders for a second yellow.

But for Albion Park coach Jeff Allport, “We controlled the game even more after going down to ten men. We kept the ball well and it almost looked as if we had the extra man.”

Woonona coach Geoff Foster was disappointed his side were not able to exploit the one man advantage. “We needed to stretch them side to side but we kept playing down the middle and that played into their hands. We’re just not taking our opportunities, and at the moment we can’t buy a goal. The consolation was nice at the end, but the game was lost by then.”

Considering the heavy overnight rain, the pitch seemed in good condition as the match kicked off. And within ten minutes the White Eagles were already flying.

Okuno threaded a perfect ball through three defenders into the path of Del Turco, who slotted home nicely for the opener from inside the box.

 

The first half was tight, though, with Every as busy at the back as the Sharks’ back four. The White Eagles right back didn’t let an early yellow card put him off some crunching tackles to stifle any moves on goal by the Sharks forwards.

Down at the other end, Okuno and Kawasakiya, had a string of chances, but were repeatedly denied either by the woodwork, the offside flag or their own wayward shooting.

There were loud calls, too, for penalties at both ends, though the referee waved play on on both occasions.

Kawasakiya curled a beauty inches over the bar, and Jacob Madden made a brave stop as Yosuke Tashiro bore down on goal as the Sharks defence stood still waiting for an offside flag that never appeared.

Tashiro did bundle the ball into the net just before the half hour mark, but this time the offside flag was raised.

Valentino Merxhushi looked the most dangerous of the Woonona weapons. He forced Bryce Daenell to tip the ball around the post for a corner and then let fly with a rocket just before the break which produced the save of the game as Daenell flew across the ten yard box to deny him again.

By then, it was already 2-0, though. After looking unusually off target in front of goal for much of the first half, Okuno latched onto a Tashiro lay off in the 42^nd minute and drilled the ball home to double the lead.

Half time 0-2.

In the 53^rd minute Every mistimed a tackle and had to walk after receiving his second yellow.

That could have been a turning point, but just two minutes later the visitors increased their lead, as Kawasakiya prodded home low to the keeper’s right after a Del Turco lay off inside the area.

Foster rang the changes to try to get back into the game, with substitute Russell sending a beautiful chip towards Trent Worthington whose volley from twelve yards out forced another good stop from Daenell.

But with twelves minutes remaining it was 4-0 and game over. Substitute Luke Debrot found Del Turco on the edge of the area. He skipped to the right and fired a right foot shot beyond the reach of Madden.

Worthington forced another fingertip save from Daenell before Russell’s glorious strike with four left to play. Luke Foster’s corner was cleared as far as the waiting Russell who slammed a right foot shot through a crowded area, against the crossbar and into the net, for only the Sharks’ fourth goal of the IPL season.

For Allport, it was vital not to have let a lead slip, as has happened repeatedly this season: “Before the match, we spoke about moments that mark a transition in a game, and this time we stuck to our focus in relation to such a moment, which allowed us to continue playing football.”

Next up for the White Eagles is an FFA Cup tie on Tuesday against NPL1 side Hakoah Sydney after which they host the high-flying Tarrawanna Blueys in a Round 10 clash that could be crucial for the White Eagles if they are to stay in the hunt for finals football this season.

Woonona’s season doesn’t get any easier with a visit to Macedonia Park next weekend to take on a Wollongong United side looking for points to stay in touch with the ladder leaders.

Woonona FC – 1 (Russell 86’)

Albion Park White Eagles – 4 (Del Turco 8’, 78’, Okuno 42’, Kawasakiya 55’)

Assists: White Eagles: (Okuno, Tashiro, Del Turco, Debrot)

Ocean Park, Saturday 20 May 2017

Referee: Nicholas Ryan
Assistant referees: Brodie Merchant, Nathan Wallace

 

Woonona FC: Jacob Madden, Cameron Besgrove, Chris Gibson, Aidan Breslin, Luke Foster, Trent Worthington, Brendan Pattman, Scott Curran (Jai Mellor 67’), Cameron Banks (Caleb Russell 56’), Luke McCusker, Valentino Merxhushi (Joel Beattie 56’) (subs not used: David Kotrc, Lachlan Ahling)

Albion Park White Eagles: Bryce Daenell, Boden Allport, Mark Every, Peter Prandalos, Chris Nathaniel, Robbie Delbanco, Mitch Del Turco, Vaughan Patterson, Yosuke Tashiro (Luke Debrot 68’), Shohei Okuno (Dejan Djukic 83’), Hikaru Kawasakiya (Lee Gilroy 81’) (subs not used: Djordje Uzelac, Hayden Soper)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photos by Kiah Hufton