Berkeley held Warilla to a scoreless draw in a fairly dull affair at Berkeley Sports Ground. Berkeley went into the game having achieved their second win in their last five games and looking to go off of the foot of the table pending results of the teams around them. Warilla’s form contrasted significantly as they had lost their last three games conceding eight goals in the process. They desperately needed a result, but it wouldn’t come easy against a resurgent Berkeley side who would look to seize the opportunity of inflicting more pain on a struggling Warilla side.

The first chance of the game fell to Berkeley when three minutes in Luke Boersma was able to shape to shoot from just outside the box and narrowly cleared the crossbar. Berkeley started the game well dominating possession and chances. The next opportunity for Berkeley came in the 11th minute as Dylan Evans played a quick one-two with Boersma going on to receive the ball inside the box but failed to make solid contact with the ball and the shot went well wide. Six minutes later Berkeley continued to threaten the Warilla goal, on this occasion Corey Butcher stepped up for a freekick on the right-hand-side from around 23 metres out. The ball once again whizzed over the crossbar.

Berkeley’s consistent attacking meant that gaps were being left in behind for Warilla to exploit. Just a minute after Butcher’s freekick flew over the bar, Warilla came forwards through Aden Wade on the right-hand-side who delivered a ball which missed everyone in the box and came through to Ben Ellul on the left-hand-side who quickly moved the ball onto his right foot, he tried to curl a shot into the far corner but couldn’t quite hit the target.

Halfway through the first half, Berkeley came forwards again, the lively Boersma delivered a ball into the box which found Jon Adams at the back post, but his strike was blocked. Five minutes later, Warilla started to come into the game, as Ellul’s pass from the left-hand-side found Wade on the edge of the box but he didn’t catch it well and the ball rolled into the arms of Mitchell O’Neill. Five minutes after this, Warilla had another opportunity which would prove to be the last of the half when a freekick was won on the right-hand-side. The ball was whipped into the box by Adam White who forced O’Neill to punch the ball away from the danger zone.

Berkeley started the game well and created a few chances, but Warilla slowly came back into the game towards the end of the half. Both sides really needed a result and would need to show more in the second half if they were to come away with three points.

The second half began the way the first half ended with Warilla attacking, this time Jeremy Lopez managed to get on the end of a deflected corner, but the shot was blocked. The next chance came twelve minutes later for Warilla when White was played through face-to-face with O’Neill but skied his shot much to the despair of the Warilla faithful. Five minutes later, another Warilla corner caused problems for the Berkeley defence. Nathan Pegler managed to get free at the back post but couldn’t direct on target and the ball went wide of the goal.

Just before the hour mark, Berkeley had a chance as Ross Prandalos powered down the left-hand-side and delivered a ball into the box which wasn’t dealt with by Warilla defence meaning the ball dropped to Jake Gates on the edge of the box fired the ball down the throat of the keeper from just outside the box. Five minutes later, Berkeley had another chance when Boersma’s drilled corner was headed out to the edge of the box for Dylan Evans who didn’t place his shot between the posts.

With Warilla needing a victory, they came forward on the cusp of the final whistle with Matthew Mears lining up a strike from range, his shot fired off the post and out for a goal kick. The game ended moments later.

This an important result for Berkeley who needed to keep their recent run of form going. Coach Paul Mears echoed this after the game stating that ‘I think it’s a point gained really’. This draw means that they have now kept a clean sheet in three of their last five games and all they need now is to start consistently scoring goals. They face a Shell Cove side next time out who have lost four out of the last five and have conceded a total of 16 goals in those games. This could be the perfect opportunity to get some goals Mears also believed this saying that ‘we’re going to look to win the game, we need to get some points’.

Warilla will be disappointed that they couldn’t pick up a result but considering their form going into the game and Berkeley’s positive form, a point, in the end, isn’t the worst result. Having said this, they will need to start to pick up some points with Balgownie loitering just two points below them. This was Warilla’s first draw of the season and just the third time they have failed to score in a game this season. Warilla will play Unanderra who have recently caused a major upset against Thirroul, they will need to perform much better than they did against Berkeley if they are to pick up all three points which are desperately needed considering the recent poor form.

 

Saturday 7^th July 2018 at Berkeley Sports Ground

Berkeley – 0

Warilla – 0

 

Berkeley: Mitchell O’NEILL, Hayden TILL, Ross PRANDALOS, Justin MEARS, Trent THOMPSON, Matthew MEARS, Dylan EVANS, Jake GATES (MOON), Luke BOERSMA, Corey BUTCHER, Jon ADAMS

Substitutes: Greg MOON (GATES), Digvijay SHEKHAWAT, Jeremy FLANAGAN, Lachlan BOERSMA

 

Warilla: Adam ARNOTT, Brenton GERIBO, Nathan PEGLER, Jordan NOLAN (FRENCH), Jason GOLDSMITH, Martin CASTELLI, Adam WHITE, Aden WADE, Jeremy LOPEZ, Javier OVANDO, Ben ELLUL

Substitutes: Jesse FRENCH (NOLAN), Mark MARINELLI, Stewart ROBERTSON, Drew SHAW, Blake PUSELL

 

Referee: J. RUSCICA

Assistant Referee: G. CHARKER

 

Report by Timothy Gibson on Twitter, timg123_

File Photo: Pedro Garcia