Albion Park White Eagles came out on top in this battle between the 2015 and 2016 Grand Final Champions, thanks to a late strike by Mitch Del Turco. Billy Tsovolos had earlier cancelled out Vaughan Patterson’s opener for Albion Park, but the home side squandered a string of chances in a game they dominated for long stretches.

The result leaves both teams three points adrift of fifth place Port Kembla, and means a third consecutive defeat for a United side which started the season with such promise but whose coach Oliver Vrtkovski stood down this week, leaving his assistant Zivko Jovanovksi to take up the reins for the remainder of the season.

After heavy overnight rain, the pitch was slippery and bumpy, and the conditions had an impact as both teams struggled to control the ball in the opening exchanges. Even the talented White Eagles midfielder Shohei Okuno failed to find his touch, slicing wildly and uncharacteristically at an early effort, as neither side tested the keepers.

United gloveman Sam Nastic, made the first real save in the 20^th minute, as he gathered a decent shot from Del Turco, and he was back in action moments later, advancing out of his six yard box to take the ball off the toes of Yosuke Tashiro.

But real efforts on goal were few and far between in a scrappy first half. Given the conditions, the home side was playing some good passing football, but their forwards seemed reluctant to pull the trigger and the home crowd was growing restless.

Just past the half hour in virtually their first real attack on goal, United almost took the lead. Angelo Hajittofi floated in a corner from the right, a cluster of heads from both sides rose in unison and the ball suddenly fell to Tashiro who had to react fast to clear off his own line.

The chance lifted the visitors, who pushed on to finish the first half strongly. Zac McLaren couldn’t quite connect with a volley at the far post after a penetrating cross from Daisuke Yuzawa, and Yuzawa himself almost leaped onto a through ball from Ricky Zucco, but sent his effort wide.

So the first half ended goalless, but by the time the whistle blew, United might have felt the momentum had shifted their way.

That was all to change in the second stanza.

Chance after chance fell to the White Eagles: Tashiro sent a header inches wide of the upright; Hikaru Kawasakiya flew in twice but was a split second behind the flight of the ball; Del Turco beat the offside flag, but couldn’t steer the ball past Nastic; Okuno began to work his magic, but couldn’t quite conjure up a trick to break the deadlock; Peter Prandalos sent the ball right across the face of the goal. And still the chances came.

In some games, a dozen missed chances at one end proves crucial and the team under the cosh puts away a winner on the break. But not in this game. Finally, in the 68^th minute, the White Eagles found a way through.

It was Okuno who started the move as usual. He found Kawasakiya deep inside the box who cut back for Patterson on the edge of the area. The White Eagles captain spotted a gap and blasted the ball into the back of the net.

But the lead didn’t last long. Less than five minutes later Mikal Awad won a free kick just outside the penalty area. Zucco stepped up to take and when the ball then flew clear to Tsovolos, he fired it into the net off the crossbar to put his side back in it.

For a few minutes United looked as if they might push on for an unlikely victory, as Yuzawa twice came close, but as the game drew to a close it was the home side that began to press forward again.

Shannon Fielding saw an excellent long-range effort tipped aside for a corner and Milan Zoric somehow got his body in the way of a goalbound shot from Okuno.

But it was the Japanese play-maker who set up the winner with two minutes remaining. He picked out Del Turco, who took one touch before slamming the ball home from inside the box, sending his teammates – and the home fans – into raptures.

After the game, White Eagles coach Jeff Allport acknowledged “We made it hard for ourselves because we didn’t take the chances we created, but I was happy with the performance and to be able to put the game away eventually could be a turning point for us.” The White Eagles host Picton in Round 13.

For new United coach Jovanovski “It was a really good battle out there in conditions that meant we couldn’t play our style of football, but I can’t fault our boys for their efforts and at the end it could have gone either way.”

He admitted the slump in form was testing morale at the club, especially as they had set their sights high at the start of the season. Next weekend’s tie is crucial if his side is to stay in touch with the ladder’s top five. United take on Port Kembla, who are on a winning run and hold that coveted fifth spot – and there’s a dress rehearsal on Monday as the two teams face up in the Bert Bampton Cup.

Albion Park White Eagles – 2 (Patterson 68’, Del Turco 88’)

Wollongong United – 1 (Tsovolos 72’)

Assists: APWE: Kawasakiya, Okuno; United: Zucco

Saturday, 10 June 2017 – Terry Reserve

Referee: Nathan Wotton - Assistant referees: Ethan Lehn, Brodie Merchant

Albion Park White Eagles: Bryce Daenell, Chris Nathaniel, Mark Every, Shannon Fielding Peter Prandalos, Robbie Delbanco, Mitch Del Turco, Vaughan Patterson, Yosuke Tashiro (Luke Debrot 89’), Shohei Okuno, Hikaru Kawasakiya (Lee Gilroy 76’) (subs not used: Hayden Waples, Jacob Hufton, David Prodanovic)

Wollongong United: Sam Nastic, Maty Brennan, Milan Zoric, Ben Brooks, Billy Tsovolos, Mikal Awad (Taka Noji 76’), Angelo Hajittofi, (Kai Miyakawa 83’), Daisuke Yuzawa, Ricky Zucco, Zac McLaren, Klime Sekutkoski (Dylan Chaplin 63’) (subs not used: Nik Ristevski, Bradley Acev)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photos by Kiah Hufton