The second-to-last game of the Illawarra Premier League season was the Wollongong derby - Olympic vs United - played out at Memorial Park. A first-half goal from Kazuto Kushida was cancelled out by Vaughan Patterson's effort midway through the second period, before substitute Kenta Azechi grabbed the decisive goal with three minutes played in extra time. An Olympic onslaught of long-balls and crosses for the remainder of extra time was easily dealt with by United, who prevailed 2-1 after 120 minutes.

With barely four minutes on the clock, United almost had the lead - Matthew McNab chipping Olympic goalkeeper Hayden Durose, only for the gloveman to scramble back and claw the ball off his own line. In a double blow for United, McNab was left injured after the initial collision, and was forced off minutes later, appearing in doubt for the Grand Final.

United were well on top as play continued - Olympic defender Jake Duczynski forced into a fine block to prevent Sam Munro from 12 yards, before striker Nathan Elasi was flagged for offside before failing to roll the ball past a stretched Durose.

Olympic were struggling to get the ball out of their own half, with the United central defensive pairing of Ben Brooks and Mark Every smothering Golden Boot winner Yusuke Ueda in both the air and on the ground, preventing any form of hold-up play.

With 26 minutes on the clock, Elasi had his chance to open the scoring - a cut-back cross finding him 6 yards out uncontested, only to put his header into a flying Durose, who somehow hung onto the ball between his legs.

Olympic were resigned to rare patches of opportunity - a Shun Tokuno free kick caught the wind and almost caught out United keeper Sam Nastic, whilst winger Julian Minutillo was finding some success drifting inside from wide.

Just after the half hour mark, United went ahead - a breakdown coming out from the back for Olympic fell to Daisuke Yuzawa, who played a simple pass to Kushida, rolling home to the bottom corner past Durose for 1-0.

After the opener, the pace of the game shot to another level - Olympic thought they would surely hit the back of the net or be awarded a penalty as Nastic and Ueda collided on a cross, the striker poking the rebound over from 6 yards, before the offside flag waved away any cries.

Cody Waller fell fortune of a defensive mis-read just after the break, only to air-swing his shot on goal from 15 yards with only Durose to beat, with a two goal cushion looking comfortable against a mis-firing Olympic attack.

United were one of only three sides to keep Olympic scoreless in the League this season (Corrimal and Bulli the others), but Olympic finally got on the scorecard with 20 minutes to play - Kojiro Hori's cross not dealt with by Nastic under pressure from Ueda, with Patterson on hand to bundle home the loose ball in a congested penalty area.

Two minutes later, the freshly introduced Luke Foster almost sent his side ahead with his first contribution - a last-second tackle from Every on the substitute sent the ball to Matthew Floro, however the ex-United man's shot was saved well by Nastic low at his near post.

A minute later, Foster had another chance - a long ball sent the way of the winger resulting in another aerial contest Nastic failed to win, however the keeper was able to claim the ball before Foster found the rebound.

Olympic found themselves in absolute control of the game at this point - Foster tearing up on the left wing creating chance after chance. A cut-back from Tokuno ended with a lashed shot down low from Foster, fizzing across the face of goal untouched, before another effort from range also flew just wide.

Into stoppage time and Olympic had two chances to win it in regulation time -firstly a corner fell to the feet of Ueda, only to scuff his first-time shot past the right-side upright, before a beautiful Foster cross was just ahead of the run of Ueda after a quick break.

The end of regulation time at 1-1 meant extra-time, cutting short Olympic's momentum and giving United a chance to breathe. As it turned out, this was the pivotal moment in the tie - as substitute Azechi cut inside from the left wing and bombed a goal home within two minutes of play resuming.

United dropped well into their own half to defend the slim lead, and seemed content with passing up possession and field position. The next twenty minutes of play can be summarised very easily: Olympic long ball, United head it clear, then belt it up-field. Repeat.

With 5 minutes remaining, Azechi latched onto one such long ball, turning his man and getting a neat shot off from 12 yards, but a fabulous save from Durose prevented Olympic shipping three goals in consecutive games.

A frantic last minute double-chance for Olympic almost sent the game to penalties - substitute David Hartas having his shot bravely blocked by Kushida, before a point blank header by Foster from the resulting corner was deflected out off Every.

2-1 was the final score from a game which pulsated between action-packed and periods of very little. Given both defences completely snuffed out all bar two chances for each of the two prolific strikers, the midfield influence of Kushida and youthful exuberance of both Waller and Azechi got United over the line. Had the ball fallen the other way, Foster could have had three or four goals within a handful of minutes of being introduced, but it wasn't to be his day.

Wollongong Olympic now bow out, having claimed the Bampton Cup and another second place in the League. Wollongong United will next week be looking to add a Grand Final medal to their pre-season Fraternity Club Cup - the 3pm fixture at WIN Stadium on Sunday 23/9, against a Bulli side looking for a League-Grand Final double.

 

Wollongong Olympic - Patterson 69'

Wollongong United - Kushida 34', Azechi 93'

 

Wollongong Olympic - Hayden DUROSE, Kojiro HORI, Jake DUCZYNSKI, Jack KEATING, Vaughan PATTERSON, Shun TOKUNO, Brendan FORDHAM, Lukas STERGIOU, Matthew FLORO, Julian MINUTILLO, Yusuke UEDA

Subs - David HARTAS (on for STERGIOU 50'), Luke FOSTER (on for MINUTILLO 71'), Haydyn LLOYD, John MARTINOSKI (on for DUCZYNSKI 107'), Christian PRETTO

Wollongong United - Sam NASTIC, Maty BRENNAN, Mark EVERY, Ben BROOKS, Hayden MORTON, Jake LEIGHTON, Sam MUNRO, Kazuto KUSHIDA, Matthew MCNAB, Nathan ELASI, Daisuke YUZAWA

Subs - Cody WALLER (on for MCNAB 9'), Kenta AZECHI (on for WALLER 79'), Jackson BROOKS, Dominic HUDAP, Ben WUNSCH

 

Referee - Bobby MAZEVSKI

Assistants - Nicholas RYAN, Nathan WOTTON, Damien DENNELLY

 

Report by David ATHERTON - Twitter @daveatho5
Photo by Dana Guthrie