Coniston stretched their 100% record in the Illawarra District League to eight games defeating last season's champions Warilla Wanderers 3-1 at JJ Kelly Park. Warilla would have been looking to continue their recent good form against Coniston having beaten them on both occasions last season.

Coniston set the tone for the game in the fourth minute when Julian Cesta-Incani made in-roads down the right-hand-side putting a ball into the danger zone. After a failed clearance from Jordan Nolan, Dinko Terzic had a brilliant opportunity to side-foot a volley into the corner but couldn't make connection with the ball and it went behind for a goal kick.

Terzic was involved five minutes later with Christian Plakias teeing him up on the edge of the box, his effort dragged wide of the target.

Four minutes later, Warilla Wanderers came into the game when a corner was punched up rather than out by goalkeeper Ben Mcguinnes meaning Brenton Geribo had a free header at the back post, but it looped over the bar much to the relief of Mcguinnes. The pressure continued from Warilla as just three minutes later, Geribo took aim from range but couldn't put it between the posts.

At the halfway mark of the first half, Coniston’s Hiroaki Kohinoki played a ball through from the left-hand-side for Mark Picciolini who found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but failed to hit the target. Moments later Picciolini profited off of a poor clearance playing in Kohinoki who had to take his shot quickly and smashed it down the throat of Adam Arnott.

The lively Kohinoki was involved two minutes later receiving the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the box, a quick turn got him in a position to shoot but his shot was well over the crossbar.

The best chance of the half came six minutes from time when the ball was played straight into Kohinoki from a Warilla defender from inside the six-yard box, Kohinoki ran towards goal but was caught in two minds whether to cross or shoot and the ball ended up narrowly missing the back post. The Coniston onslaught on the Warilla goal continued for the remainder of the half but this failed to present any real chances.

At halftime, the game was still waiting for the deadlock to be broken despite Coniston's constant attacking display, some composure needed in front of goal.

Coniston, knowing they needed to win this game to keep their 100% record continued to put the same pressure on Warilla as they did in the first half, the first chance came two minutes into the second half after Cesta-Incani passed the ball to Plakias on the edge of the box whose shot failed to trouble the keeper, hitting it straight at Arnott who held the ball well.

Early on in the second half, Coniston were being restricted to long shots and another one was taken in the 51st minute but once again it was hit straight at the goalkeeper. In the 53rd minute Kohinoki ran at the seemingly impenetrable Warilla defence, meaning Terzic was able to make a run off of the left-hand-side, he was slipped in by Kohinoki but his left-footed shot didn't worry Arnott as it went well over the crossbar.

The stubborn Warilla defence was finally breached two minutes later when a corner wasn’t dealt with well leaving Picciolini free inside the six-yard box to head home his seventh goal in three games, a superb start to the season for him.

Warilla, clearly still shocked by that first goal conceded a second three minutes later when a defensive mix-up meant Dinko Terzic was able to literally walk the ball into the net to double Coniston's advantage.

Coniston still wanted more and five minutes later Kohinoki had a brilliant opportunity to put the game beyond doubt when a perfectly executed fake shot on his right-footed opened up the angle for him to take a shot on his left foot, but the ball fizzed into the side netting of Arnott's goal.

Coniston were reduced to ten men 20 minutes from time when substitute Christopher Stevanovski was sent off for a rash challenge on Nolan. Not the kind impact coach Rod Williams would have had in mind. For the next ten minutes, Coniston were under significant pressure, but this was relieved when Coniston won the ball and with Warilla leaving space, Cesta-Incani initiated a counter-attack finding Picciolini who struggling to hold his balance found Terzic who fired over the crossbar.

Just a minute from fulltime Coniston sealed the game when another counter-attack resulted in Solevski squaring the ball to Terzic who passed the ball into the far corner with great composure to get his second of the day.

With just moments of stoppage time to play Aden Wade got a consolation goal Warilla firing a shot into the top corner leaving no chance for Mcguinnes. The game ended with Coniston running out 3-1 winners at JJ Kelly Park to retain their winning streak to eight games. This was despite a valiant defensive performance from Warilla who can take confidence from how they defended for the majority of the game.

This result leaves Coniston second in the table only on goal difference having won all eight of their games this season. They will hope to continue this run as they travel to a Shell Cove side who currently sit seventh in the league and who haven't won in their last two games. As for Warilla, they will be confident of getting back on track as they face a Thirroul side who have conceded eight goals in their past two games.

 

Saturday 12^th May 2018 at JJ Kelly Park

Coniston – 3 (Piccicolini 56’, Terzic 59’, 89’)

Warilla Wanderers – 1 (Wade 90+2’)

 

Coniston FC: Ben MCGUINNES, Kohei ENOKIDO, Takayuki KAYANO, Matthew CUDA, Julian CESTA-INCANI, Christian PLAKIAS, Hiroaki KOHINOKI, Frank PIERRO, Dinko TERZIC, Mark PICCIOLINI, Bradley MOREIRA

Substitutes: Lachlan MARTIN (PIERRO), Luke PICCIOLINI, Cameron SOLEVSKI (PICCIOLINI), Christopher STEVANKOVSKI (KOHINOKI), Ryan VANDENBERG

 

Warilla Wanderers: Adam ARNOTT, Nathan PEGLER, Ryhs MARSH, Martin CASTELLI, Jordan NOLAN, Brenton GERIBO, Jeremy LOPEZ, Ben ELLUL, Aden WADE, Javier OVANDO, Jesse FRENCH

Substitutes: Adrian MONTALBANO (MARSH), Mark MARINELLI, Drew SHAW, Toni ANASTOVSKI (PEGLER), Blake PUSELL

 

Referee: Jarrod THOMPSON

Assistant Referees: Jackson CORKS and Rob SINDEVSKI

Photo courtesy of Pedro Garcia