West Illawarra hosted Coniston FC in Round 18 of the WCG Cranes District League on Saturday afternoon at Unanderra Oval. With only four more games left, the result of the contest could drastically change the table. Coniston had their eyes on maintaining 5^th place but with Oak Flats and Berkeley hot on their heels, Coniston could not afford to slip up against a side they had previously drawn with nil all in the reverse fixture. Wests were also in a battle of their own, trying to hold their heads above the bottom of the table.

The game began in a fiery fashion, with both teams flying into challenges whole heartily. Coniston had most of the possession in the first 5 minutes, not allowing the Devils to gain any foothold. Just 7 minutes in, Coniston would get their reward when Adrian Nikolovski beat one defender with a slick turn, through in a couple of step-overs, nutmegged another defender before being brought down inside the area. The referee awarded a penalty which Nikolovski duly stepped up and converted. It did however take two attempts as an infringement occurred during the first penalty. Nikolovski held his nerve to convert the retake.

The lads in black and yellow dominated the play and all the major chances in the first half. They didn’t allow the hosts any possession, completely playing Wests out of their game with their passing.

But the visitors would throw away a couple of golden chances, especially Matthew Cuda failed to convert a fantastic team play after he skied a ball that was laid across the six-yard box. Christian Plakias was denied by the post when he took on a deep left footed shot.

The Coniston side couldn’t double their advantage in the first half but they controlled the tempo of the match and didn’t allow Wests to have a single big chance.

Half Time saw Wests 0-1 Coniston

Wests came out after the half time break with something to prove. They started to control the ball and hold more possession. Godfrey Franco used pure strength to hold off an incoming defender, turned down, ran to the bi-line and cut it inside to Nathan Pulsic who sent the ball straight over the crossbar from right in front of goal. The chance could have changed the game but instead it woke up the away side who would punish the Devils’ mistake.

Just five minutes later, Wests failed to clear a ball further than Jimmy Barrios. Barrios scored a pearler of a goal with his left foot, curling it into the side netting. The goal crushed the spirit of the home side who had tried hard to claw back into the contest.

Plakias would score in the 65^th minute after an almost identical set of errors fell into the same area as Barrios’ goal. Plakias stuck the ball sweet with the inside of his left boot bending the ball into the same side netting. Coniston had finished the game and dropped off allowing Wests to hold a bit more of the ball but it was too late to start a comeback.

A brain snap from Ryan Vandenberg would overshadow the terrific win for the visitors. He was sent off for violent conduct although it didn’t affect the result in the end.

The contest finished with Coniston well deserved winners by 3 goals to nil.

 

 

Full Time

West Illawarra 0

Coniston Fc 3 (Nikolovski 9’, Barrios 53’, Plakias 65’)

West Illawarra

Booth, Melkerts, Matsuzawa, Rusic, Franco, Kougious, Twigg, Pulsic, Tortorella, Youssif, Pisani.

Replacements

Boyd, Turner, Osborne, Potter, Timpano

Coniston Fc

Fuentes Ramirez, Nanos, Vandenberg, Mitkovski, Cuda, Plakias, Piesco, Moreira, Nikolovski, Petreski, Barrios.

Replacements

Gaudiosi, Tschentscher, Jowanie, Sekulic.

Report by Liam Emerton

Photo by Noel Wynn