A phenomenal performance from Albion Park’s Cameron Morgan has helped the side to a 6-1 thumping over Port Kembla in a Round 12 Illawarra Mercury Premier League clash at Terry Reserve on Saturday afternoon. Morgan scored all six goals for the hosts – including five in the opening half – to send Albion Park six goals clear, before a Kyle Senior own-goal closed the gap for Port Kembla, who have now gone four games without a win.

Port Kembla came into the match hoping to make it three wins from three games against Albion Park in 2019 – with the side winning 1-0 on the opening matchday and 4-0 in the Bert Bampton Cup Round of 16 – but the hosts came out looking for blood and they opened the scoring in the 4^th minute of play, with a Chris Nathaniel corner from the right-hand side of the field finding the head of Cameron Morgan at the near post. Morgan showed a good amount of skill to nod the ball past Port Kembla keeper Chris Fuentes Ramirez and into the right-hand corner of the net, giving the hosts an early lead.

Albion Park doubled their lead in the 17^th minute after Morgan moved into the path of a loose ball on the edge of the box and fired a clinical attempt past Fuentes Ramirez and into the back of the net. However, Morgan – who moved from Port Kembla to Albion Park at the start of the 2019 campaign – was not finished for the day and the White Eagles forward nabbed his first hat-trick of the afternoon in the 21^st minute, latching onto the end of a through ball from Naomichi Araki down the right-hand flank. Morgan quickly pulled the ball under control before burying the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net, extending Albion Park’s lead to three goals.

The hosts continued their ruthless assault on Port Kembla and Albion Park added another goal to the scoresheet six minutes later. Again it was Cameron Morgan at the center of the play, with the forward skimming a free-kick from the left-hand side of the final third through the crowded Port Kembla box and into the right-hand corner of the net, extending Albion Park’s lead to four within the opening half-hour of the encounter.

Morgan nabbed his fifth goal of the game in the 35^th minute, bursting past the Port Kembla backline to take full advantage of a quick break out of the Albion Park midfield and slot a shot past Chris Fuentes Ramirez to give Albion Park one of their biggest leads to date during this campaign.

Port Kembla’s chances in the opening half were few and far between, but the visitors came close to pulling a goal back in the 37^th minute, after a through ball to Sandy Lowcock saw the Port Kembla forward open in the Albion Park box. Lowcock opted to chip the ball over the head of Albion Park custodian Brad Jardine but the effort was unable to find the back of the net, hitting the crossbar and rebounding away from goal.

Port Kembla had another chance just before the half-time break after a bursting run from Mitchell Di Pietro allowed the player to level a cross into the Albion Park box, but unfortunately for the travelling Port Kembla fans Di Pietro’s intended target – Aden Wade – was just unable to reach the ball as it skimmed across the penalty spot and back into the grateful clutches of the Albion Park defence.

Despite being five goals up at the half-time break, Albion Park came out in the second period looking to extend their lead even further and the side picked up their sixth goal of the afternoon in the 58^th minute after Kyle Senior was brought down in the Port Kembla box. Cameron Morgan stepped up to take the spot-kick for the hosts and made no mistake of the chance, sending Port Kembla shot-stopper Chris Fuentes Ramirez the wrong way and burying the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

As Albion Park began to take their foot off the pedal, Port Kembla began to search for a consolation goal and the side came close to grabbing one in the 72^nd minute after a bouncing ball from Port Kembla substitute Nobuaki Mochizuki found Sandy Lowcock on the edge of the Albion Park box. Lowcock showed great control to craft an effort out of the loose ball, but the shot was unable to trouble the scorers, flying straight into the arms of Albion Park keeper Brad Jardine.

However, a minute later the visitors finally opened their account for the match after a Mitchell Di Pietro free-kick on the left-hand side of the park fell into Albion Park defender Kyle Senior. Senior was unable to clear the ball out of play, instead knocking the ball past Jardine and into the back of the Albion Park net, breaking the hosts’ clean sheet and giving Port Kembla fans a reason to cheer.

Albion Park had a brief chance to restore their six goal lead in the 75^th minute after a quick ball from Luke Debrot found Joel Beattie on the edge of the box, but Beattie’s powerful effort was denied by a fantastic save from Port Kembla gloveman Chris Fuentes Ramirez, tipping the ball away from the goal and ensuring that Albion Park could not add another goal to their tally.

As the match reached the final stages, Port Kembla continued to press in search of another goal against an Albion Park side that was slowly cruising to the three points, but the visitors were unable to craft another great opportunity in the final moments, handing Albion Park victory in a powerful 6-1 victory.

Albion Park’s win sees the side rise temporarily to second place on the ladder – after Tarrawanna slipped to a 3-2 defeat to South Coast United on Saturday evening – but the side could remain in second spot by the end of the round if Corrimal and Wollongong United fail to win their Round 11 clashes. Paul Carter’s side next faces Wollongong United next Saturday at Macedonia Park, as they hope to keep pace with the title hunt.

Meanwhile, the loss sees Port Kembla at risk of falling to eighth on the Premier League ladder, with Bulli, Wollongong United, Woonona and Coniston all still left to play their Round 11 clashes. Steven Dimitrievski’s side will hope to return to winning ways when they host Woonona in the Quarterfinals of the Bert Bampton Cup on Wednesday evening at Wetherall Park as the side attempts to reach their first Bert Bampton Cup Semi-Final since 2014.

Saturday 8 June 2019 at Terry Reserve, Albion Park

Albion Park White Eagles – 6 (Morgan 4’, 17’, 21’, 27’, 35’, 58’)

Port Kembla FC – 1 (Senior (OG) 73’)

Albion Park White Eagles: Brad JARDINE, Luke DEBROT, Shannon FIELDING, Kyle SENIOR, Chris NATHANIEL, Blake MCGINN, Robert DELBANCO, Cody WEHMEYER, Naomichi ARAKI, Cameron MORGAN, Joel BEATTIE

Subs: Yuki UNO (MORGAN 77’), Eiki FUKUSHIGE, Oliver CARRASCO (MCGINN 62’), Chris GOMEZ (WEHMEYER 67’), Jacob HUFTON

Port Kembla FC: Chris FUENTES RAMIREZ, William MOBBS, Nathan BELSITO, Carlo STELLA, Mitchell DI PIETRO, Toni MUSUMICCI, Karouna MICHEAL, Aden WADE, Fabian IACOVELLI, Sandy LOWCOCK, Bradley ACEV

Subs: Jayden SALUCCI (IACOVELLI 75’), Kenta HARA (MICHEAL 67’), Nobuaki MOCHIZUKI (BELSITO 45’), Danijiel DJUKIC, Yacoub HADAYA

Referee – Andrew NAYLOR

Assistant Referees – Martin ROWNEY and Demi GODDARD

Report by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

Photo courtesy of Kiah Hufton