Neither Fernhill nor Bulli were able to claim a vital three points in their Round 16 Illawarra Mercury Premier League clash, with the two sides playing out a 1-1 draw at Ray Robinson Field on Saturday afternoon. In slippery conditions, the Foxes took the lead through a Jeremy Kemp strike before the visitors levelled the match in the 33^rd minute thanks to a Ben McDonald header. Despite both sides having chances in the second period, neither side was able to get over the line and secure all three points.

Bulli came into the fixture aiming to avenge their 1-0 Round 5 defeat to the Foxes, but neither side was able to come out firing during the opening exchanges, with both teams attempting to figure out how a Ray Robinson pitch would play given the recent wet weather but it was the visitors who had the first decent chance of the game in the 20^th minute after a cut-in from the left flank by Bulli forward Ben McDonald allowed the player to fire off a warning shot at Fernhill keeper Bryce Daenell, who was able to collect the effort with relative ease.

Despite an early period of pressure from Bulli, it was the hosts who opened the scoring a minute later, with a ball from Dean Morosin finding Rhys Wilson out on the right-hand side of the park. Wilson was able to burst down the sideline before cutting out Jeremy Kemp at the near post with a great pass. Kemp was able to deftly knock the ball over the head of a diving Yuya Kuwada and into the back of the net, handing the Foxes the lead.

However, the early goal was not enough to shock Bulli completely and the visiting side’s attacking persistence paid off in the 34^th minute after an Aaron Baker cross from the right-hand side of the field found Ben McDonald in the Fernhill box. McDonald was able to expertly direct the ball past Fernhill gloveman Bryce Daenell, with his headed effort sneaking in at the right-hand post to pull Bulli level.

Fernhill came close to grabbing a second goal just before the half-time break after Jeremy Kemp demonstrated great strength to hold off a pair of Bulli challenges before releasing Yoji Ogawa, but Ogawa was unable to send his side into the lead, with his shot falling straight into the path of Bulli custodian Yuya Kuwada, sending the teams into the half-time break on level terms.

With both sides seeking a goal to tip the match in their favor, it was the visitors who almost netted the third goal of the afternoon in the 57^th minute after a nodded pass from Ben McDonald found substitute Brendan Pattman in the Fernhill box. Pattman attempted to nod the ball into the back of the net but while his headed effort beat Fernhill keeper Bryce Daenell it was unable to beat the right-hand post, with the ball bouncing off the upright and heading back into play where a grateful Daenell could sweep up the loose ball.

The visitors again came close to taking the lead two minutes later after a deep Aaron Baker cross found Ben McDonald in the box, but McDonald was unable to replicate his earlier goal, nodding his effort the wrong side of the Fernhill goalposts.

With Bulli beginning to press their attacking dominance, the hosts were mainly restricted to attacking via the counter, but this tactic almost paid off for the Foxes in the 64^th minute after a chipped ball from Jeremy Kemp found Jordan Hughes deep in the Bulli box. However, Hughes was unable to direct his shot downward, with his leaping effort sailing over the top of the crossbar.

The Foxes had another great chance to take the lead one minute later with a deep Yoji Ogawa corner that Jordan Hughes was able to knock past Yuya Kuwada. However, Hughes’ effort was saved on the goal-line by Bulli midfielder Ryan Emerton, using his body to block the shot and keep the visitors in the match.

Bulli saw a golden chance of their own go begging in the 70^th minute after a long range shot from substitute Brendan Pattman forced a great save from Fernhill keeper Bryce Daenell, but the Foxes failed to deal with the loose follow-up ball and Bulli’s Mitchell Del Turco took advantage of the loose ball, tapping an effort that was only denied by the left-hand post, with the shot hitting the upright and bouncing away from the scrambling Fernhill defence.

As the match drew to a close, Fernhill saw another good chance go unclaimed in the 79^th minute after a long-range strike from substitute Elias Ayoub forced a top-drawer save from Bulli custodian Yuya Kuwada, who managed to tip Ayoub’s strike over the crossbar and keep the visitors on level terms.

Bulli had a late chance to snatch all three points in the 89^th minute after another deep Aaron Baker cross from the right flank found Ben McDonald in the Fernhill penalty area, but McDonald was unable to write himself into the headlines, with his headed effort sneaking just left of the goalposts, ensuring both sides nabbed a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

The result keeps Fernhill at the bottom of the ladder, with the point gained not enough to overtake a South Coast United side who also picked up a point on Saturday in a 0-0 draw with Wollongong United. The Foxes will seek to move out of the relegation zone next round when they travel to Wetherall Park next Saturday to take on Port Kembla.

Meanwhile the draw means Bulli moves within two points of fifth-placed Woonona after the Sharks lost 7-2 to Wollongong Olympic on Saturday. Matt Bailey’s side will aim to breach the top five next round when they host a Cringila Lions side who went down 2-1 to Albion Park White Eagles on Friday evening, with Bulli aiming to claim all three points when the two sides face off at Balls Paddock next Saturday.

Saturday 6 July 2019 at Ray Robinson Field, Towradgi

Fernhill FC – 1 (Kemp 21’)

Bulli FC – 1 (McDonald 33’)

Fernhill FC: Bryce DAENELL, Rob WATSON, Ryan HUNTER, Dean MOROSIN, Jordan HUGHES, Ben RIACH, Jeremy KEMP, Yoji OGAWA, Dean KERR, Rhys WILSON, Tatsunori NAKAGAWA

Subs: Alexander JOSIPOVIC, Thomas POTTS, Elias AYOUB (KERR 45’), Luke DEFREITAS (HUGHES 76’), Shinsei TANAKA (RIACH 70’)

Bulli FC: Yuya KUWADA, Rui KAMADA, Kenji TAKAHASHI, Kyle JACKSON, Aaron BAKER, Sam DAVIES, Ryan EMERTON, Mitchell DEL TURCO, Blake HEWSON, Luke FOSTER, Ben MCDONALD

Subs: Brendan PATTMAN (HEWSON 55’), Trent SIERRA (FOSTER 67’), Sam LENDRUM, Sam MIRANDA (EMERTON 80’)

Referee – Blake HERBERT

Assistant Referees – Casey FLEMMING and Steven BOZIC

Report by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

Photo by Pedro Garcia