Round two action of the Illawarra Mercury Premier League kicked off on Friday night with Cringila hosting Tarrawanna at Crehan Park. The hosts got off to the best start possible with new signing Ryoga Uemoto scoring a brace within the first 10 minutes before a resilient Blueys outfit came surging back to level the scores just before the half through Cody Waller and Benjamin Spruce. This was then followed by a goal early in the second half to Sam Munro and a goal at the death to substitute, Keisuke Hayashi sealed off a 4-2 win to make it two from two for the Blueys this season.

The two teams had met once previously in the pre-season cup with Tarrawanna coming out 1-0 winners. The hosts were eager to bounce back from a 5-2 loss away to Olympic in round one whereas the visitors were coming off a 1-0 win at home to South Coast United.

There were promising signs for the Lions within the first few minutes of the game, dominating both the ball and field position. It wasn’t long before they broke through the Blueys defence in the seventh minute. A wicked deflection off a Lions’ clearance tackle fell perfectly in the path of Ryoga Uemoto through on goal. The striker easily chipping it over goalkeeper, Adam Rodriguez into the net to give the Lions the most ideal start.

The start then got even better for the hosts as just three minutes later Uemoto was at the scene again, this time running onto a long ball from Aleksandar Najdoski. His first touch allowed him to bring it down onto his right foot and calmly slot it to the goalkeepers right. A promising sign from the hosts looking to leave last week’s performance behind them.

Tarrawanna then had their chance to pull one back almost immediately after conceding as Rick Goodchild surged through the midfield. The midfielder then delivered an accurate through-ball finding the path of Cody Waller. However, with his touch falling a little behind him, Cringila were able to block the shot and clear.

In the 23^rd minute, the Lions had a couple of half-chances that could have gone in their favour. Firstly, a counter attack started by Uemoto ended up with a nice interplay from Najdoski and Mojsoski on the left wing. It was Najdoski’s cross that found the feet of Uemoto, only for the Blueys defence to clear. The next chance came off an Ibrahim Sesay corner. The ball curling towards the head of Jackson Brooks who could only aim the shot straight at Rodriguez.

After the missed corner, the game then took a significant turn. Sam Munro picked up the ball in midfield. His surging run allowed him to find the feet of Waller inside the box. The new signing making no mistake this time as his first time finishing rolling in between Nikola Ristevski’s legs for his second goal in as many games.

Just minutes later, a free-kick to Goodchild 22 yards from goal struck the crossbar but the away supporters wouldn’t be too disappointed as they grabbed their equaliser in the 35^th minute. A free-kick close to the corner flag failed to be properly cleared from the Lions defence as Munro drilled it back into the box. The ball deflecting off Liam Unicomb’s foot straight to his teammate, Benjamin Spruce to side foot it off the left post and in. Just like that Tarrawanna were level.

Cringila failed to see the ball much for the remaining minutes of the half with Ristevski making a handful of crucial saves to keep his team from falling behind. In the 41^st minute, a mistake from the Lions backline gave the chance for Stephen Lloyd and Unicomb to drive through on goal. Unicomb slipped through one on one but was denied with a body save from Ristevski. Then in the 43^rd minute, some neat back-and-forth passing between Waller and Spruce down the left was followed by a cross that found the feet of Lloyd in the box. The striker’s first time finished was saved by the outstretched arm of Ristevski.

Despite taking an early two goal advantage, Cringila would have to go into the sheds holding on to a 2-2 score-line.

The second half kicked off quite like the end of the first, with Tarrawanna creating many threatening chances. Two minutes into the half, an early Waller low cross went straight to the feet of Unicomb in the box. Thankfully for Cringila, Ristevski was to deny the Blueys yet again making a save from close range.

However, to the Lions’ despair, Tarrawanna took the lead in the 48^th minute. It was another Goodchild free-kick causing havoc, this time an outer-curling cross bouncing across the six-yard-box finding a Munro at the back post who tapped it in. Tarrawanna taking a deserved lead early in the second half.

Just two minutes later, the hosts would pose an attacking opportunity of their own through a Najdoski corner. His corner delivered with power and pace into the box and was headed down to Sesay on the volley but he could only watch as it was blocked clear.

Chances in the second half were very minimal. Cringila threw everything at the Blueys but a tight backline prevented any chances on goal. The Blueys had various half-chances but couldn’t capitalise as they were happy to keep the ball and play out the game.

Within the last five minutes, the Lions kept throwing bodies forward looking for an equaliser. Takao Teramoto would come the closest as his header off a cross from Mojsoski fell into the arms of Rodriguez.

With a large amount of stoppage time required, Tarrawanna pushed for one last counter attack through Unicomb and substitute, Keisuke Hayashi. A nice passing movement between the two got the better of Cringila’s tiring defence on the right side as Unicomb’s cutback to Hayashi saw him finish it into the side netting, offering a two goal buffer on the final whistle.

The final score finishing 4-2 to the Blueys in what was an interesting encounter at Crehan Park.

Both teams can only wait to find out what the result means to them as the other five games will be played across the weekend. For the Lions, it makes it two losses to start the season, conceding nine goals in the process. They play away to newly promoted, Coniston at JJ Kelly Park, next week. For the Blueys, it’s a perfect start so far and will hope to make it three from three when travel to Fernhill on April 6^th.

 

Friday 29 March at Crehan Park.

Cringila Lions: 2 (UEMOTO 7’ 10’)

Tarrawanna Blueys: 4 (WALLER 28’, SPRUCE 35’, MUNRO 48’, HAYASHI 90+6’)

 

Line-ups:

Cringila Lions: Nikola RISTEVSKI, Aleksandar BRBEVSKI, James RALSTON, Jackson BROOKS, Anthony ROMEO, Takao TERAMOTO, Todd SPARKS, Alex MOJSOSKI, Ibrahim SESAY, Ryoga UEMOTO, Aleksandar NAJDOSKI.

Subs: Mitchell PRESILSKI (RISTEVSKI 90+4’), Anthony OLIVER, Aidan BRESLIN (NAJDOSKI 71’), Aleksandar PRENTOSKI (MOJSOSKI 87’), Jayson MORO.

 

Tarrawanna Blueys: Adam RODRIGUEZ, Matthew NAYLOR, Haydyn LLOYD, Corey HORNER, Benjamin SPRUCE, Mitchell FERRARO, Cody WALLER, Sam MUNRO, Stephen LLOYD, Rick GOODCHILD, Liam UNICOMB.

Subs: Daniel CHAPMAN, Jake MORLANDO (S. LLOYD 70’), Keisuke HAYASHI (WALLER 62’), Yusuke MARUYAMA (SPRUCE 90+1’), Lachlan O’BREE.

 

Referee: Bobby MAZEVSKI

Assistant Referee: Connor GILDEA and Damien DENNELLY

 

Report by Nathan Turner, on Twitter @nathanturner23_

Photo: Graham Brown