Shannon Fielding’s 92nd minute goal secured a dramatic 2-1 win for the Albion Park White Eagles over Cringila on Friday night. The Lions went behind in the first half before substitute Ibrahim Sesay pulled them level with five minutes remaining but conceding late on has dealt a heartbreaking blow to their dwindling finals aspirations.

 

Cringila were content to stand off the visitors for the opening stages of the match and the only real chance the White Eagles managed in the first 30 minutes came for Kody Maude. In the 16th minute, Chris Nathaniel played a ball through the Lion’s defence but Nikola Ristevski smothered the ball just as Maude toed his effort.

 

In fact, the best chance of the opening half an hour fell for Cringila in the 25th minute. Todd Spark’s pass deflected off a White Eagles’ defender and fell to the feet of Takao Teramoto but the Japanese midfielder’s shot produced a solid one on one stop from Chris Fuentes Ramirez.

 

Albion Park would take the lead with 10 minutes left in the half. Maude was once again in the thick of the action, he played Robbie Delbanco through on goal with the midfielder riding the challenge of a marker before his shot found the back of the net despite the Ristevski getting a glove to it.

 

In the final five minutes of the half, Cringila striker Nuno Pires had three chances to level the score. Two were from outside the box while the best of the bunch came in the 42nd minute when a ball was played in from the left and he scuffed his effort to the right of goal from around the penalty mark.

 

Cringila would go into the break down by a goal but they were fortunate not to be down by two with Albion Park having a superb opportunity seconds before the whistle. The White Eagles countered off a Lions corner through Maude who whipped in a cross from Hikaru Kawasakiya who air swung from the edge of the six-yard box, a follow-up effort came for Shannon Fielding but he skyed his shot well over the bar.

 

Albion Park looked to press home their advantage in the early period of the second half with attacking duo Chris Gomez and Shayne Ardle having decent opportunities to grab their side’s second of the night. In the 12th minute, Gomez surged past his marker but blazed his strike over and three minutes later Ardle had a snapshot in the box that forced Nikola Ristevski into an instinctive save.

 

Cringila began to get a sniff of an equaliser as away side were beginning to look happy with just holding onto their one-goal lead. However, the Lions weren’t able to create much from open play which restricted them to dead ball opportunities which came at ever decreasing intervals. Fuentes Ramirez was able to claim most of them until the 85th minute when Cringila pulled level. The home side won a free kick on the right edge of the box which Aleksander Prentoski swung the ball into the area, Pires miss kicked the ball from six-yards out but luckily for him, it spun back for Sesay who thumped it into the net via a crowded penalty area.

 

Cringila looked to have stolen a point before Paul Carter’s side was able to rally and regain the lead with less than a minute to play. Albion Park was awarded a free kick on the left wing which Shayne Ardle curled into the box, Fielding rose at the near post to guide the ball home to the jubilation of the White Eagles faithful. Cringila couldn’t respond with Albion Park winning 2-1.

 

The results sees the White Eagles - at least momentarily -  leap over Wollongong United into 3rd. Coach Paul Carter believed his side were deserving of the three points on the balance of play though he thought his side could have sealed the match earlier, “We probably had the chances to put them away in the second half and close the game out.” Albion Park are back in action on Monday when they visit the PCYC to take on Wollongong Olympic in the Bert Bampton Cup quarter-final. Their next league match is away to Port Kembla.

 

As for Cringila, the defeat leaves them in 9th though if Woonona can upset Olympic on Saturday they could drop to 10th. Cringila host Corrimal Rangers in Round 13.

 

View the match-winning goal on Albion Park White Eagle's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/AlbionParkWhiteEagles/videos/1734908249912279/?hc_ref=ARS9rIToG8TVARKhkp9ovbz0-ArpekBhHPQj9sUKavBuW0rQ2Wnh6HOiiz4rMnbEz68

 

Friday 8 June 2018 @ Crehan Park

 

Cringila Lions - 1 (SESAY 85’)

 

Albion Park White Eagles - 2 (DELBANCO 35’, FIELDING 90+2’)

 

Cringila Lions - Nikola RISTEVSKI, Aleksander PRENTOSKI, James RALSTON, Anthony ROMEO, Josiah SHERWEN, Todd SPARKS, Takao TERAMOTO, Nuno PIRES, Tyon MACLOU, Moto KINJO, Andre DIAS

 

Subs - Ibrahim SESAY (on for DIAS), Jake BAILEY (on for KINJO), Kristofer STEFANOVSKI

 

Coach - Zivko JOVANOVSKI

 

Albion Park White Eagles - Chris FUENTES RAMIREZ, Blake MCGINN, Kane WRIGHT, Shannon FIELDING, Chris NATHANIEL, Robbie DELBANCO, Kody MAUDE, Chris GOMEZ, Shayne ARDLE, Hikaru KAWASAKIYA

 

Subs - Jesse CASEY (on for GOMEZ), FERRES AOUN, Cody WEHMEYER, Jacob HUFTON

 

Coach - Paul CARTER

 

Referee - Nicolas RYAN

 

Assistant Referees - Brody MURRELL, Jarrod MCDEAN

 

Report by Dylan Arvela, on Twitter @dylanarvela

 

Photo courtesy of illawarrapremierleague.com