Corrimal Rangers have kept their Illawarra Mercury Premier League title hopes alive after working to a 3-1 win over relegation battlers Cringila Lions at Crehan Park on Sunday afternoon. Corrimal’s Van Elia ensured the side took a one goal lead into the half-time break but Cringila fired back through Ryoga Uemoto shortly after the second half kickoff. However, another goal from Elia and a strike from Tomoki Wada secured the result for the visitors, who rise to second as a result of the victory.

Corrimal claimed all three points when these two sides faced off back in Round 7 – with a five-goal haul from Van Elia helping the side to the victory – but neither side was able to grab control of the match in the opening exchanges, with the Lions having the best chance of the opening exchanges in the 13^th minute after a long ball from Alexander Brbevski found Ryoga Uemoto behind the Rangers backline. However, Uemoto was unable to fire the hosts into the lead, sending his shot wide of goal after falling under significant pressure from the chasing Corrimal defence.

It was the visitors who finally opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, with Corrimal awarded a penalty after Van Elia was challenged in the Cringila box. Elia – who picked up 19 league goals for the campaign before heading into the Cringila match – made no mistake of the spot-kick, sending Cringila shot-stopper Nikola Ristevski the wrong way, burying the ball into the bottom left corner and handing Elia his 20^th league goal of the season.

The Rangers had a golden chance to double their lead on the stroke of half-time, with a Ben Zucco corner from the right-hand side of the park forcing the Cringila defence to clear the ball out of the box. However, their efforts only made it as far as Elia on the edge of the Lions box. Elia quickly fired in a curling effort which managed to weave its’ way through the box only for his effort to be denied by the right-hand upright, with his shot ricocheting off the post and bouncing back into play – ensuring the Rangers only took a slim one goal lead into the half-time break.

With Cringila still at risk of sliding into the relegation zone, the Lions came out for the second period firing and the side quickly found an equalizer in the 49^th minute after a quick ball found Ryoga Uemoto deep in Corrimal territory. Uemoto was then able to show fantastic skill with the ball, twisting his way past the Corrimal defence before lashing a shot past Rangers custodian Nic Loe and into the bottom left corner of the net – levelling the scores.

However, the renewed deadlock only last four minutes before Corrimal found themselves back in front. Ben Zucco kick-started the chance for the Rangers after using his heel to send the ball into the path of Van Elia on the edge of the Cringila box, with Elia quickly able to slot the ball through the Lions backline and into the feet of Tomoki Wada. Wada showed no hesitation with his effort, sliding the ball across the face of goal and past a diving Nikola Ristevski to retake the lead for the visiting side.

Despite going a goal down for the second time in the match, the hosts were unwilling to lie down and the Lions came dangerously close to levelling the scores again in the 68^th minute after an Ibrahim Sesay corner found Jake Webster in Corrimal box. Webster – who netted two goals in his first two First Grade matches this season – was unable to restore the deadlock, with his headed effort denied by a fantastic save from Corrimal keeper Nic Loe, who managed to tip the ball away and keep Corrimal’s lead intact.

The visitors had a good chance of their own to extend their lead only sixty seconds later after a quick break from Tim Wylie saw the Corrimal front-line in yards of space. Wylie opted to slide the ball in towards Van Elia, who was sitting at the edge of the box, with Elia opting to fire a curling effort goalward. However, Elia’s effort was denied by a great save from Cringila’s Nikola Ristevski, who produced an athletic save to keep the Lions in the encounter.

However, Corrimal secured the result with their third goal of the afternoon in the 86^th minute, with a quick break down the left flank from Tim Wylie allowing the Corrimal captain to send the ball across to a waiting Van Elia in the Lions box. Despite falling under pressure from the Cringila defence, Elia was able to show great skill to turn and shoot with the ball, with his effort just sneaking past Cringila gloveman Nikola Ristevski at the right-hand post, handing Corrimal a 3-1 win.

The result means Corrimal leap over Albion Park White Eagles and into second place on the ladder, with the side taking advantage of Albion Park’s 3-3 draw with Woonona on Saturday to return to second after three rounds in third. Rob Jonoski’s side will attempt to cut down the five-point lead of league-leaders Wollongong Olympic next Sunday when they host fellow top-five side Woonona at Memorial Park.

Meanwhile, Cringila drop back to eleventh as a result of the loss to the Rangers, with the Lions overtaken by a South Coast United side who beat Coniston 1-0 on Saturday. Stuart Beedie’s side will attempt to return to winning ways next Sunday when they travel to Wetherall Park to take on a Port Kembla side who claimed a resounding 6-2 win over Bulli on Saturday.

Sunday 21 July 2019 at Crehan Park, Cringila

Cringila Lions – 1 (Uemoto 49’)

Corrimal Rangers FC – 3 (Elia 30’, 86’, Wada 53’)

Cringila Lions: Nikola RISTEVSKI, James RALSTON, Alexander BRBEVSKI, Anthony ROMEO, Aidan BRESLIN, Jackson BROOKS, Takao TERAMOTO, Jake WEBSTER, Todd SPARKS, Ryoga UEMOTO, Ibrahim SESAY

Subs: Alex MOJSOSKI (WEBSTER 70’), Steven UGRINOVSKI (BRESLIN 81’), Thomas RICHMOND, Rory BILLINGTON

Corrimal Rangers FC: Nic LOE, Dean PENDER, Jason ZUFIC, Alvin CECCOLI, Banri KANAIZUMI, Sam MATTHEWS, Lukas STERGIOU, Tomoki WADA, Ben ZUCCO, Van ELIA, Timothy WYLIE

Subs: Paul GUIDO (MATTHEWS 67’), Daniel CARRENO (STERGIOU 89’), Matthew GALANTI (ZUCCO 90+1’), Jake GATES, Yanni MAVRIKIS

Referee – Greg REID

Assistant Referees – Brodie MERCHANT and Reagan STRONG

Report by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt