Port Kembla kept the top five in sight on Sunday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Cringila, leap-frogging the Lions in the process and ending Round 10 in sixth spot.

A fine first half of flowing football saw the Zebras go into the sheds with a 3-0 advantage, thanks to two goals from Sandy Lowcock and one from fellow frontman Chris Smith. The Lions came back in the second half with a goal from Milan Atlagic and might have pushed for a draw had Darren Jones converted a spot kick not long after. But the momentum was lost and Joe Lavalle’s late goal sealed the points for the home side.

Port flew out of the starting blocks with a goal in the opening minutes before half the crowd had even taken their seats. And it was a long ball out of defence from Carlo Stella which also caught the Lions’ defence napping. Lowcock pounced, out ran his marker and drilled home to give the home side an early lift.

Ten minutes later it was 2-0 as a quick one-two between Lavalle and Cameron Morgan finished with Morgan threading the ball through the Lions’ defence into the path of Smith and the veteran striker calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out.

For the first half hour it was one-way traffic towards the Cringila goal. Smith raced clear again and was poised to shoot when Aleksandar Todoroski got back to take it off his toes. Then it was Matt Werakso who set Lowcock off again, as the defence waited for a non-existent offside flag, but this time Lowcock fired over. And Alexander Boullosa in the Lions’ goal made some superb saves to keep his side in the contest, first flying high to deny Ben Zucco in the top corner, and then a reflex block to keep out Lowcock again.

The visitors had to wait till the 23^rd minute for their first effort on goal, but Atlagic skied his shot well over. Minutes later the tall centre forward almost got one back, though, as he latched onto a Nathan Macgraw ball in, and fired against the upright. This was as close as the Lions would get in the first half, and as the break approached, Port began to press again.

A dipping cross from Brooklyn Frkovic had Boullosa back-pedalling to take, a Lowcock scissors kick flew wide, and then another fluent move led to Port’s third in the 40^th minute. Again it was Morgan who started the move, with a finely placed ball to the feet of Smith, just ten yards out. He had the presence of mind to see Boullosa’s big frame in front of him so laid it off to Lowcock who slotted into the empty net to give the home side a 3-0 half time lead.

Cringila coach Wally Savor brought on new signing Darren Jones, and the former White Eagle had an immediate impact, steadying his side in midfield, and providing more of a punch at the set-pieces. Just past the hour mark the visitors’ change of style paid off. Josiah Sherwen found Alexander Brbevski down the right. He sent in a well-weighted cross onto the head of Atlagic, who had a simple nod-in from close range.

Just a few minutes later, Ibrahim Sesay made a penetrating run into the box, where he was felled by Stella. Jones stepped up to take, but sent the spot kick onto the post. It was a miss that changed the game again. Instead of a tense finale at 3-2, Port were back in control and flowing again.

Zucco had a dipping and curling free kick tipped over by Boullosa. And it was Zucco again who set up the fourth with less than five minutes remaining. He picked out William Mobbs out wide. Mobbs sent in a lethal cross onto the toes of Lavalle, who poked home for 4-1.

There was still time for Port keeper Bradley Jardine to see some action, as he made a point blank save from close range in the 90^th minute. But by then the result was beyond doubt.

For Wally Savor, the result was a ‘reality check after a couple of good wins’. He said his side had paid the price for basic errors at both ends, but he was pleased with how they had responded in the second half and hoped for more of that attitude against Corrimal next week.

Port Kembla coach Noel Spencer was pleased to see his side start so strongly and be so positive in front of goal: “We’ve been working hard during the week to give our supporters something to cheer about, so today’s result was really important for the club and hopefully can be a platform on which to build the rest of the season, starting with next week’s challenging fixture away to Albion Park.”

Port Kembla FC – 4 (Lowcock 3’, 40’, Smith 12’, Lavalle 86’)

Cringila Lions – 1 (Atlagic 61’)

Assists: Port: Stella, Morgan, Smith, Mobbs; Lions: Brbevski      

Sunday 28 May 2017

Wetherall Park

Referee: Bobby Mazevski

Assistant Referees: Trae Arnold, Jarrod Thompson

Port Kembla: Brad Jardine, Brooklyn Frkovic, William Mobbs, Matt Werakso, Carlo Stella (Justin Cario 73’), Kyle Hazebroek, Cameron Morgan, Ben Zucco, Chris Smith (Mitch Scazzariello 88’), Joe Lavalle, Sandy Lowcock (Adam Bussunni 90’) (subs not used: Daniel Farina, Jayden Salucci)

Cringila Lions: Alexander Boullosa, Nathan Macgraw, Grant Wilson, Aleksander Todoroski, Todd Sparks (Joel Taddeo 52’), Shin Ichi Takeuchi (Darren Jones 45’), Josiah Sherwen, Alexander Brbevski (Rodney Lewin 72’), Takao Teramoto, Ibrahim Sesay, Milan Atlagic (subs not used: Nicholas Purdevski, Jacob Martin)

Report by Simon Duffin