Stefan Dimoski’s first half strike was enough to give Wollongong Olympic the three points they needed to draw level with Bulli at the top of the Illawarra Mercury Premier League ladder as the season hits the halfway stage. This was Bulli’s first league defeat of the season and came hot on the heels of their midweek disappointment in falling to Blacktown City in the FFA Cup.

For Bulli coach Matt Bailey those midweek endeavours had taken their toll and there were some tired legs on the pitch for this game. He was disappointed with the result but paid credit to Olympic who ‘nullified our play and got their job done’.

The mood was a little different outside the home side’s sheds at the end of the game as Olympic coach Rob Birkin acknowledged his side were ‘right where they needed to be at this stage in the season, after setting ourselves some lofty goals.’ He was especially pleased with how newcomer Dimoski had quickly settled in – with three goals in two outings for Olympic – and was playing ‘with a smile on his face’.

Chances were few and far between at either end for the first forty minutes of this encounter between first and second on the ladder. Ben McDonald tested Hayden Durose in the Olympic goal early on with a nice turn and strike from the edge of the area, but other than that this was not the usual Bulli firing on all cylinders, and the solid Olympic defence was more than a match for anything getting within 20 yards of the goal.

Down at the other end, Corey Horner and Kenji Takahashi looked just as secure in defence, with a flicked header from Olympic' lead scorer Yusuke Ueda the closest the home side came in the opening half hour.

As the game wore on, it felt increasingly as if the deadlock could only be broken by a single defensive mistake or a stroke of brilliance up front.

That almost happened just past the half hour mark when Ryan Emerton whipped in a curling free kick which Durose only managed to take at the second attempt as McDonald prepared to pounce.

But it was a classy move from Olympic which decided the game. With less than five minutes of the first half remaining, John Martinoski picked out Dimoski down the right just outside the box. The ex-Wollongong Wolf struck it on the half-volley and steered the ball low to the left beyond the reach of Yuya Kuwata to give his side the lead and send the home crowd into raptures.

Half time 1-0.

Ten minutes into the second half, with no sign of a breakthrough, Bulli began to make changes. Bailey brought on Dylan Lewis, who was rested on the bench after the midweek Cup tie, and the striker immediately added energy to the visitors’ play. Marcus Beattie was his usual busy self, as willing to race back to smother an attacking threat as he is to look for openings up front, but until Lewis came on, his efforts produced little for Bulli.

Beattie and Lewis have a good understanding of each other, though, and it took a solid block from Olympic centre back Jake Duczynski to stop a quickfire passing move between the Bulli pair and prevent a close range shot being put in.

At the other end, Ueda looked keen to add to his 11 goal tally for the season. He forced a fine stop out of Kuwata with a left-foot shot from a tight angle and then brought the best out of Takahashi after Dimoski set him up just ten yards out. But it was as the provider that Ueda almost settled things with fifteen minutes remaining. He flicked on to Olympic captain Brendan Fordham who had a clear sight of goal and would have been disappointed not to keep his shot on target.

With twelve minutes left, Bulli almost equalised. Guy Knight sent in one of his trademark free kicks. Lewis got a head to it and flicked it goalwards, bringing out a fingertip save as Durose forced the ball onto the crossbar.

And then Bulli did get the ball into the net as Beattie and Knight linked up well before Knight slammed the ball home, only to look in despair as the offside flag was raised.

Bulli continued to press forward as the game went into time added on, but still, there was no way past the best defence in the Premier League and Olympic held on to draw level on points at the top of the ladder.

Next up for Olympic is a home tie against Cringila Lions. Bulli, meanwhile, take on the other title challenger in Round 12, with a visit to Kemblawarra Fury.

So the final word goes to the ladder leaders’ coach Bailey: “We’re at the top of the comp at halfway after ten games undefeated. Today’s result brings us back to the chasing pack, but we go into the second half of the season with confidence”.

Wollongong Olympic – 1 (Dimoski 41’)
Bulli FC – 0
Assists: (Olympic: Martinoski)

Saturday 3 June 2017

PCYC, Wollongong

Referee: Bobby Mazevski

Assistant Referees: Patrick Hutton and Annaliese Phipps

Wollongong Olympic: Hayden Durose, Haydyn Lloyd, Shun Tokuno, Jack Keating, Jake Duczynski, Harrison Brown, Lukas Stergiou (Brendan Belsito 67’), Yusuke Ueda (Jack Balmforth 87’), John Martinoski, Stefan Dimoski (Blake Coates 80’), Brendan Fordham (sub not used: Jamie Wakeling)

Bulli FC: Yuya Kuwata, Scott Best, Kenji Takahashi, Corey Horner, Kyle Jackson (Lewis Clements 75’),  Sam Davies, Guy Knight, Ryan Emerton, Marcus Beattie, Andrew Gamble (Dylan Lewis 56’), Ben McDonald (subs not used: Nik Miceski, Jayden Lewis, Khalid Alali)

Report by Simon Duffin, on Twitter @DuffinWrites