Four second half goals saw Tarrawanna Blueys overturn a two goal half time deficit and so cement their place in the Illawarra Mercury Premier League finals series. Sam Chapple, Rick Goodchild, Liam Unicomb and Kazuma Nagaishi hit the target as the Blueys ran rampant in the driving rain at Macedonia Park.

Daisuke Yuzawa’s two first half goals appeared to have steered Wollongong United towards their own Finals berth, but the 2015 Grand Final winner’s season came to a soggy end in the second stanza. Ricky Zucco’s late strike gave United brief hope, but Port Kembla’s win at Wetherall Park meant even a draw would not be enough for the Lions.

The weather always looked likely to play a role as the two teams lined up for a make or break final round of the regular season. A howling wind would make life hard for the visitors in the first half, and as dark clouds loomed on the horizon, it looked at first as though this may be a bad omen for the Blueys. But nobody could have foreseen the storm that was about to hit United’s hopes.

Yuzawa, making his first appearance since mid-July, was soon linking up well with Zucco up front and with the wind behind them, the pair were quickly putting the Blueys defence under pressure. It was another recent returnee to the United squad, Angelo Hajittofi, who set up the best early chance, though, as Ben Brooks’ glancing header had everyone beaten but flew tantalisingly close to the upright.

The crowd didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal, though. Midway through the half, Yuzawa pounced on a poor backpass, skipped past a helpless Adam Rodriguez and drilled the ball into an empty net.

He was denied by a superb save from Rodriguez minutes later, but in the 36^th minute he struck again for his ninth goal of the season, putting United 2-0 up, and seemingly cruising into the Finals themselves.

Goodchild came close for Tarrawanna moments later, striking the crossbar with a dipping right foot, but the Blueys went into the sheds for the break needing Albion Park to hold on for at least a draw at Port Kembla if they were to make the top five.

Torrential rain and an even stronger wind greeted the players as they emerged for the second half.

In two minutes, the visitors got one back, as the vicious wind picked up Chapple’s curling corner and dragged the ball into the back of the net. The Blueys were back in it.

Just past the hour mark, as the wind seemed to drop for a second, United won a free-kick 25 yards out. Zucco stepped up to take and many in the stand thought he had scored as the ball dipped ferociously, but it was in the top netting and the score remained 2-1.

Jared Fish came on to bolster the Blueys front line and within five minutes Tarrawanna turned the game on its head.

Darren Stone sent a perfectly-placed ball to the feet of Goodchild who tumbled in the area under a close challenge. The referee pointed to the spot and Goodchild stepped up to equalise for the Blueys.

And it was Stone again who set up the third in the 71^st minute. This time he drove the ball in from the left, and as Sam Nastic came out to gather, Unicomb darted in and flicked the ball over the line. All of a sudden it was 3-2 to the Blueys, and with news of a goal for Port Kembla coming through, it was United who needed a win.

But with ten minutes to go, the Blueys took a 4-2 lead. Again it was Stone who played provider, picking out Nagaishi in the box. The striker’s first effort thundered against the woodwork, but he got lucky with the rebound, and made no mistake with his second attempt.

In the 84^th minute Zucco’s back header just crept over the line to make it 3-4, but United still needed two more to get the result they needed.

As the rain cascaded off the roof of the stand, home fans had to watch as the Blueys almost extended their lead at the end. Nastic denied Fish twice and substitute Matt Mazevski hit the upright, but the score remained at 3-4, sending Tarrawanna into the Finals and putting an end to the United season. A storm had hit Macedonia Park in more ways than one.

Having seen his side lose after leading comfortably two weeks in a row, Blueys coach Peter Willis was pleased to see his team take on the role of comeback kids. Speaking after the match, he said: “Apart from two sloppy mistakes in difficult conditions in the first half, I didn’t think we played that badly. But we put pressure on them in the second half, adding Fish to have two up front and with Nagaishi holding the ball up well, we managed to execute our wide play better. I’m really pleased for the boys”.

With Port Kembla’s win giving them fifth spot, that means fourth-placed Blueys will face up to the Zebras next weekend as the Finals series kicks off.

 

Wollongong United – 3 (Yuzawa 24’, 36’, Zucco 84’)

Tarrawanna Blueys – 1 (Chapple 47’, Goodchild pen 69’, Unicomb 71’, Nagaishi 80’)

Macedonia Park, Sunday 22 August 2017

Referee: Greg Reid
Assistant referees: Dean Moreira, Bradley Moreira

Wollongong United: Sam Nastic, Maty Brennan, Jackson Brooks (Bradley Acev 83’), Ben Brooks, Angelo Hajittofi, Billy Tsovolos, Dylain Chaplin (Klime Sekutkoski 75’), Zac McLaren, Daisuke Yuzawa, Taka Noji, Ricky Zucco, (subs not used: Jake Leighton, Steve Ugrinovski, Shivan Swamy)

Tarrawanna Blueys: Adam Rodriguez, Matthew Naylor, Jarryd Mortimer (Jared Fish 65’), Sam Chapple, Jake Morlando, Daniel Chapman, Liam Unicomb (Allister Carrigan 90’), Darren Stone, Woo Oh, Rick Goodchild, Kazuma Nagaishi (Matthew Mazevski 82’) (subs not used:, Caleb Grace, Christian Pretto)

 

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Noel Wynn