Quarter Final 1 - Thirroul Thunder vs Bellambi Rosellas @ Terry Reserve

 

The first match at Albion Park saw Thirroul take on Bellambi with the latter running out 2-0 winners thanks to a brace from Ilija Prenzoski.

 

The first half was very open with both sides creating chances. Thirroul’s Oscar Pruks had a big opportunity to open the scoring in the 16th minute. A ball in from the right-hand-side dropped to him, he lashed a shot goalwards and forced an important save from Vacon Rizvani.

 

Bellambi also had a big chance of their own in the 29th minute. A corner whipped in from the right-hand side wasn’t cleared properly provoking a goalmouth scramble Scott Muilwyk managed to get a shot off but there were too many bodies in the way and the ball was eventually cleared.

 

The sides went into the break with the deadlock still to be broken.

 

It would take an Ilija Prenzoski penalty in the 61st minute to open the scoring. A sidefooted effort low and hard into the bottom corner of the keeper’s left. Thirroul responded three minutes later as Robert Gyngell made a lung-bursting run down the left-hand side and managed to pull a ball back to Nathan Mucci. He was forced wide and put a cross into the rising Samuel Allison who headed wide from close range.

 

With Thirroul pushing for an equaliser, space was left for Bellambi to exploit, creating numerous chances. Eventually, in the 83rd minute, a corner powered towards the near post met the leap of Ilija Prenzoski who flicked the ball over the keeper and into the back on the net, his second of the game.

 

Thirroul Thunder - 0

Bellambi Rosellas - 2 (PRENZOSKI  61’ PEN, 83’)

 

Thirroul Thunder - Liam HARRIS, Jeremy HARRISON, Daniel ARTHUR, Joshua BOND, Alan MADDOCK, Hayden SWEENEY, Tyler BALL, Todd DAVIDSON, Oscar PRUKS, Nathan MUCCI, Robert GYNGELL - SUBS -  Samuel ALLISON, Benjamin WALCHI, Cooper BRINDLE, Tyler ADAMS, Damian LUM

 

Bellambi Rosellas - Vacon RIZVANI, Dale WHITE, Grant ZANNI, Nathan THOMPSON, Tor PREECE, Ilija PRENZOSKI, Nicholas MORGAN, Scott MUILWYK, Matt PASSLACK, Todd SIMPSON - SUBS - Sean POULTON, Dylan WOODS-MCKAY, Ilija BABIC, Steven BAILEY, Jack DUGAN

 

Quarter Final 2 - Albion Park White Eagles vs Oak Flats Falcons @ Terry Reserve

 

Albion Park stormed through to the semifinals of the Fraternity Club Cup with a resounding 5-0 victory against Oak Flats.

 

The opening goal came in the 16th minute when a cross from the right-hand-side met Chris Gomez who fired goalwards, his shot wasn’t able to be held by Chris Jarman, the ball being parried into the path of Yuke Uno who tapped in from close range.

 

In the 29th minute, Uno had a chance to add to his tally when he powered a shot which required an important touch from Jarman to prevent the goal. In the 39th minute, Albion Park inevitably doubled their advantage, Chris Nathaniel converting a cross from the right-hand side.

 

At halftime, Albion Park were two goals to the good and Oak Flats had failed to really test Bradley Jardine in the White Eagle’s goal.

 

The 66th minute brought about Albion Park’s third goal. Valentino Merxhushi powered a strike into the roof of the next from just outside the box. Within a couple of minutes, Albion Park had a fourth as Shaun McRae tapped it home after some nice build-up on the right-hand side.

 

In the 86th minute, McRae scored his second of the game when he calmly drove a shot into the bottom corner from the top of the box. McRae was denied his hattrick a minute from fulltime when he peeled off to the back post and volleyed the ball with real vigour goalwards, Jarman reacted brilliantly and tipped it over the bar for a corner.

 

Oak Flats inability to defend down the right meant it was always going to be a long night for the Falcons. Without some important saves from Chris Jarman, it could’ve been a lot worse.

 

Albion Park White Eagles - 5 (UNO 16’, NATHANIEL 39’, MERXHUSHI 66’, MCRAE 86’)

Oak Flats Falcons - 0

 

Albion Park White Eagles - Bradley JARDINE, Blake MCGINN, Naomichi ARAKI, Kyle SENIOR, Chris NATHANIEL, Robert DELBANCO, Ethan KAMBISOIS, Eiki FUKUSHIGE, Chris GOMEZ, Yuke UNO, Joel BEATTIE - SUBS - Shannon FIELDING, Bojan CARIC, Shayne ARDLE, Valentino MERXHUSHI, Shaun MCRAE

 

Oak Flats Falcons - Chris JARMAN, Lee GILROY, Jamie STEVENSON, Ross GRAHAM, Alan WARBURTON, Christian CAPPETTA, Michael MACGRAW, Jarryd VINTON, Josh EAGLETON, Daniel MUNILLA, Justin POTTER - SUBS - Paul RYRIE, Brenton BURKE, Chad FERNANDEZ, Dylan WRAY

 

Quarter Final 3 - Helensburgh Thistle vs Corrimal Rangers @ Macedonia Park

 

The first quarter final at Macedonia Park saw a courageous Helensburgh outfit go toe-to-toe with the Corrimal Rangers, only falling down in a penalty shootout.

 

The District League side opened the scoring from the penalty spot 12 minutes into the match after a Dean Pender handball allowing Addison Grinham to nonchalantly pass the ball into the bottom left corner from the spot.

 

Corrimal had three half chances over the next 20 minutes with Van Elia's powerful drive the only one troubling Thistle goalkeeper Josh Williams.

 

In the 65th minute, Corrimal equalised through a penalty of their own with Ryan Grima slicing down Elia. Like Grinham, the New Zealander stepped up and picked out the bottom left corner.

 

Corrimal pushed for a winner and their best two opportunities came for Daniel Carreno who fluffed his lines from close range on both occasions.

 

In the shootout, both sides were level after four shots each, Elia netted Corrimal's fifth before Shota Kihira - who had played commendably in the 90 minutes - blasted his penalty over the bar.

 

The nail-biting victory means Corrimal progress to the semi finals where they will face Wollongong Olympic.

 

Rangers coach Robert Jonovski, while relieved to go through admitted his side were off their game.

 

"We were poor in the first half," he said.

 

"It was nowhere near where we know our standards can be but it was a much better second half and we had the chances to wrap up the game in 90 minutes."

 

Helensburgh Thistle - 1 (GRINHAM 12’ PEN)

Corrimal Rangers - 1 (ELIA 65’ PEN)

 

Helensburgh Thistle - Josh WILLIAMS, Ryan GRIMA, Jarrod BENHAM, Ryan HOPE, Dale EDMUNDS, Kade KINSELLA, Shote KIHARI, Yu ITO, Addison GRINHAM, Brad WATTS, Cody CUTHBERTSON - SUBS - Dylan CROKER, Reggae ROWLEY, Ben WATTS, Matt WARDLE

 

Corrimal Rangers - Nikolas LOE, Dean PENDER, Jason ZUFIC, Alvin CECCOLI, Banri KANAIZUMI, Tim WYLIE, Lukas STERGIOU, Tomoki WADA, Sam MATTHEWS, Van ELIA, Matthew GALANTI - SUSB - Ben ZUCCO, Daniel CARRENO, Franco KHOSHABA, Nicholas GROZDANOV, David ZUFIC

 

Quarter Final 4 - Tarrawanna Blueys vs Wollongong Olympic @ Macedonia Park

 

Wollongong Olympic produced a controlled display in the second quarter final at Macedonia Park, seeing off Tarrawanna 3-1.

 

Yusuke Ueda scored his fourth goal of the competition to open the scoring in the 13th minute. A cross came in from the left and it was nodded on by ex-teammate Haydyn Lloyd for Ueda to head home from close range.

 

Olympic doubled their advantage eight minutes out from the break through a vicious 20-metre drive from Ikumi Saito which beat Adam Rodriguez at his near post.

 

The Blueys pulled a goal back inside a minute with a fantastic strike from distance by Liam Unicomb who flicked the ball up before beating the outstretched Hayden Durose.

 

Ten minutes into the second half, Ueda doubled his goal tally and his side's lead. John Martinoski's free kick found the Japanese forward who scuffed his first attempt before burying his second.

 

Tarrawanna tried to get back into the match with half chances from Jared Fish and Ricky Goodchild but Durose was hardly tested.

 

Olympic progress to a semi final against Corrimal with the winner playing the winner of Bellambi and the Albion Park White Eagles.

 

Victorious coach George Antoniou was content with his side's exploits in their highest scoring match of the tournament.

 

"[We are] improving steadily week-on-week which is what we are about in preseason," Antoniou said.

 

"We were not quite there [in terms of attack],... but hopefully it comes together and we can keep moving the ball better than we have been over the last three or four games."

 

Tarrawanna Blueys - 1 (UNICOMB 38’)

Wollongong Olympic - (UEDA 13’ 55’, SAITO 37’)

 

Tarrawanna Blueys - Adam RODRIGUEZ, Daniel CHAPMAN, Haydyn LLOYD, Corey HORNER, Benjamin SPRUCE, Mitchell FERRARO, Cody WALLER, Nicolas TOMASIELLO, Stephan LLOYD, Ricky GOODCHILD, Liam UNICOMB - SUBS - Matthew NAYLOR, Jacob FRYDAY, Jared FISH, Benjamin LEARMONTH, JOSHUA BROWN

 

Wollongong Olympic - Hayden DUROSE, David HARTAS, Mark EVERY, Luke FOSTER, Ikumi SAITO, Vaughan PATTERSON, Dion AVOURIS, Kojiro HORI, Jamie WAKELING, Julian MINUTILLO, Yusuke UEDA - SUBS - John MARTINOSKI, Jack KEATING, Emanual EL ALI, Ekoue D’ALMEIDA

 

Quarter finals played Thursday, 7 March 2019

 

• Note the Fraternity Club Cup knockout stages feature 45 minute halves, a penalty shootout if scores are level after 90 minutes and unlimited interchange.

 

Click here to view results, fixtures and group standings

 

Review by Timothy Gibson (1 and 2) and Dylan Arvela (3 and 4), both on Twitter @Timg123_ and @dylanarvela respectively

 

Photo by Kiah Hufton (Soccer Shots Illawarra archive)