Warilla Wanderers produced one of the big results of round 19 in the WCG Cranes Illawarra District League when they downed league leaders Coniston 2-1 at King Mickey Park to punch their ticket to September football. Warilla found themselves a goal down after just 12 minutes after a Mark Marinelli own goal gave the visitors the lead. But the Wanderers struck twice in the final twenty minutes - through a Javier Ovando penalty and an own goal by Coniston’s Matthew Cuda – to give the hosts all three points and ensure the side will be playing finals football for the sixth straight season.

Coniston ran out a convincing 3-1 winners when these two sides last faced off in round eight and it appeared that the visitors were aiming for a repeat performance after the side came dangerously close to taking the lead in the 9^th minute when Mark Picciolini managed to receive a great ball from the Coniston midfield before taking a short run himself and firing at the Wanderers goal from distance. Picciolini’s effort was denied by a top-drawer save from Warilla shot-stopper Adam Arnott, who managed to get a hand to Picciolini’s effort and tip the ball around the left-hand post to deny the visitors taking an early lead.

However, just four minutes later, the visitors opened the scoring with Coniston taking the lead in rather odd circumstances. Warilla’s Mark Marinelli attempted to clear the ball out of the Wanderers defense with a powerful effort through the midfield, but his effort would deflect into a pushing Dinko Terzic and Warilla’s own Nathan Pegler, sending the ball rebounding high towards the Warilla goal. Adam Arnott was unable to get back in time to produce a save for the Wanderers and the ball fell into an open net, giving Marinelli an unfortunate own-goal in the referee’s book and Coniston an early lead.

The Wanderers struggled to find their way back into the match after the opening goal, but the side slowly started to warm up and create more chances as the first half dragged on, with Warilla coming close in the 32^nd minute when a free-kick from Javier Ovando on the left-hand side of the field forced a fumble from Coniston gloveman Ben McGinnes. But before Warilla forward Adam White could pick the effort up, McGinnes was able to quickly recover the lost ball and stop the Warilla attack cold.

The visitors had a huge chance to double their advantage five minutes later when a great run and shot on target from Hiroaki Kohinoki forced an even better save from Adam Arnott to tip the ball over the crossbar and give Coniston a corner. The corner also produced a close call for the Wanderers, with a fantastic ball in from Kohinoki finding the head of Takayuki Kayano, who was just unable to direct his effort goalward, his header scraping over the top of the crossbar and ensuring that Coniston only had a one goal lead over the visitors heading into the break, despite having several close calls.

Coniston continued their advantage in the opening stages of the second half, and the side again came close to picking up another goal in the 60^th minute after some fantastic linkup play between Franco Pierro and Lachlan Martin allowed Martin to release a ball through the Warilla defense and to an unmarked Mark Picciolini. However, Picciolini was unable to add to his season tally of ten goals, his effort skimming wide across the Warilla goalmouth and out of play.

Despite playing on the back-foot for a large period of the match to date, Warilla finally found themselves on the scoresheet in the 73^rd minute after a ball into the box was met by the hand of Coniston defender Matthew Cuda, allowing Javier Ovando to step up to the penalty spot and send Coniston keeper Ben McGinnes the wrong way and level the scores at 1-1.

The equalizer gave the hosts a new-found confidence and the side came close to taking the lead five minutes later through an Ovando corner. Ovando fired in a perfectly placed ball to the right post and it was met by a diving header from Mark Marinelli, which managed to beat the Coniston defence but not a resilient Ben McGinnes, who produced a great save to deny the Warilla defender.

But the Wanderers continued to push for a winning goal, and the side came dangerously close to taking the lead again in the 86^th minute when Jesse French showed immense skill to work his way around two Coniston defenders before firing a powerful effort goalward, only firing over the bar due to a smart deflection from Coniston’s Kohei Enokido.

The deflection allowed the visitors a corner and it was here where they again proved lethal in set-pieces, with a sharp cross from Ovando finding the head of a diving Drew Shaw at the left-hand post. Shaw was able to direct his effort goalward and into the back of the net, with the ball deflecting off Coniston’s Matthew Cuda on the line to give the hosts the lead and the makings of a huge result for the Wanderers supporters.

Coniston quickly snapped back into action after the Wanderers took the lead and the side had a great chance to level the scores two minutes later after the side was awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position. District League top scorer Dinko Terzic stepped up to the ball and fired off a powerful effort that was only denied by a phenomenal save from Warilla’s Adam Arnott, who managed to push the ball over the bar and ensure that the Wanderers held on for a vital 2-1 win.

The Wanderers win sees the side move to 34 points, 11 ahead of sixth placed Balgownie Rangers and with only three matches left to play, the result ensures that Barney King’s side will be competing in finals football for the sixth consecutive year. However, with Thirroul Thunder level with Warilla on goal difference and Helensburgh Thistle only two points ahead in third, Warilla will be seeking to jostle for the best possible position in the top five they can, and the side can prove their finals credentials when they take on Thirroul next Saturday at Thomas Gibson Park.

For Coniston, the result sees them lose their four-point advantage over fellow title rivals Bellambi, with the Rosellas scoring late in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win over Unanderra Hearts and move to within one point of Coniston with three games remaining in the District League season. Coniston and Bellambi will face each other on the penultimate match-day of the season but the side will be seeking to hold onto top spot next Saturday when they face Shell Cove at JJ Kelly Park.

Saturday 4 August 2018 at King Mickey Park.

Warilla Wanderers – 2 (Ovando 73’, Cuda (OG) 87’)

Coniston FC – 1 (Marinelli (OG) 13’)

Warilla Wanderers: Adam ARNOTT, Nathan PEGLER, Drew SHAW, Jason GOLDSMITH, Mark MARINELLI, Martin CASTELLI, Ben ELLUL, Aden WADE, Adam WHITE, Javier OVANDO, Jesse FRENCH

Subs: Brenton GERIBO (CASTELLI 89’), Rhys MARSH (ELLUL 81’), Jordan NOLAN, Toni ANASTOVSKI, Blake PUSELL

Coniston FC: Ben MCGINNES, Kohei ENOKIDO, Takayuki KAYANO, Matthew CUDA, Hiroaki KOHINOKI, Franc PIERRO, Dinko TERZIC, Mark PICCIOLINI, Lachlan MARTIN, Luke PICCIOLINI, Bradley MOREIRA

Subs: Ryan VANDENBERG (L. PICCIOLINI 80’), Christian PLAKIAS (MARTIN 68’), Christian BOZINOVSKI, Connor O’NEILL, Jack EVANS-GILDEA

Referee – Nicholas RYAN

Assistant Referees – Brendan FOTHERINGHAM and Demi GODDARD

Report by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt