Thirroul have secured one of their most important victories of the year, downing University 1-0 in this round 21 PeopleCare District League clash at Thomas Gibson Park. Angus Nicol scored what turned out to be the winner in the 54^th minute as the Thunder overtake the students to plant themselves three points in the top five for the first time this season.

Thirroul were looking to turn-around their disappointing loss to Picton last round, when they were beaten 5-0 at home. As for University, they enjoyed the week off following their 4-0 drubbing of Warilla at home in round 20. The reverse fixture between the two sides ended level, with the teams settling for a one-all draw at Kooloobong Oval in round 10.

The game started with a slow pace, with neither team wanting to make a mistake early on to concede first. The home side thought they forced that mistake when Robert Gyngnell was allegedly brought down in the box by University’s, Brooklan Frkovic, only for the home sides cry’s to be denied as referee, Blake Herbert waved play on.

The students then started to work their way into some attacking opportunities in the seventh and eighth minutes. First, Luke McCann’s run with the ball onwards to goal allowed some space to open up for a shot but it could only rise over. Then, Chris Twigg’s through ball found the run of Nelson McLeod near the left sideline. The midfielder was able to bring it back on goal but his curled effort was saved comfortably by Thirroul shot-stopper, Liam Harris.

The game steadied into a back and forth battle of the midfield, with University controlling the ball and field positions on a few more occasions. The next chance came for Thirroul in the 26^th minute when Nathan Mucci created space for a shot up the left but could only be deflected. Luckily for him, the ball fell straight to Gyngell who was unmarked on the six-yard box. However, the striker couldn’t angle his feet as his touch rolled into the arms of Liam Stevenson in goal.

There was no more action in the first half as both sides hit the sheds.

The second half was a lot different to the first, both teams coming out firing, with neither showing who wanted it more because it was so equal. The first chance of the half fell to the home side when Mucci threatened up the left again. His curled effort from 20 yards out just flew wide of the goal.

Just 60 seconds later, University pushed up the other end in search of the first goal of the game. They almost had it too, but it was the fingertip of Harris denying a Bruce Wilson shot following a corner.

But then in the 54^th minute, Angus Nicol stepped up to score a brilliant solo goal to put his team ahead. It was a throw-in on the left that went to Mucci on the edge of the area where he tapped it back to Nicol. The midfielder looked up and saw several University players in front of him before dribbling through them all in the box. With the ball at his feet and only six yards out, he made no mistake drilling the shot past Stevenson and into the net, sending the Thirroul fans into a frenzy.

In the 64^th minute, Mucci’s accurate corner drifted towards the back post where it found an unmarked Nicol. The midfielder was searching for his second but couldn’t find it as he angled his header wide. Just two minutes later, Nicol was in the action again when he set up Gyngell for a shot on the edge of the box. Although, he couldn’t get any power behind it, as it rolled into the arms of Stevenson.

After withstanding an immense amount of pressure, University started to find their feet and surge for a comeback. In the 70^th minute, Twigg’s long free-kick almost caught Harris off-guard when the shot curled and dipped onto goal. Thankfully for the Thunder, Harris was able to re-adjust and tip the shot onto the crossbar.

In the 76^th minute, a run up the right from James Galea saw him open up space for the cross when he delivered a looping ball to the back post to find Adam Bassuni. Despite jumping higher than his opposing number, he couldn’t aim his header onto goal.

With the students pushing everyone forward looking for an equaliser, it left their defence vulnerable for a counter-attack, which is exactly what Thirroul did in the 78^th minute. It started on the right when Mucci sent it out for Nicol surging up the sideline. His cross was looking for the late run from Todd Davidson at the back-post in between the University’s retrieving defence. The ball was perfect but the header wasn’t as it went just over the bar.

The students continued to look for their equaliser going into the final ten minutes. They came ever so close but it was a reflex stop from Harris to deny. Some nice passing play in the midfield between McCann and Galea opened up space for McCann to slip Twigg a through ball into the box. McCann continued his run into the area as Twigg cleverly back-heeled it straight to the feet of the midfielder open on the penalty spot. With little time to think, he powered a first time shot on target, only to be saved by the outstretched arm of Harris. Thirroul got themselves out of that one and it was a hands on head reaction from the students.

Despite the onslaught of attack University threw at the Thunder in the dying stages, they just couldn’t find the equaliser as Thirroul snatched up fifth spot in the penultimate round of the premiership.

The win for Thirroul pushes them above the students into fifth. A draw against Balgownie next week will secure finals football for the Thunder and a loss could see them drop out should University win their game.

As for the students, they drop out of the five for the first time since round five. They will need to beat Oak Flats next week and hope the Rangers beat Thirroul if they wish to make the finals. It all comes down to the final day.

 

Saturday 17 August at Thomas Gibson Park

Thirroul Thunder FC: 1 (NICOL 54’)

University FC: 0

 

Line-Ups:

Thirroul Thunder FC: Liam HARRIS, Joel MUCCI, Hayden SWEENEY, James TOWNSON, Alan MADDOCK, Angus NICOL, Ryan LATINI, Todd DAVIDSON, Robert GYNGELL, Nathan MUCCI, Daniel ARTHUR.

Subs: Joshua BOND (GYNGELL 70’), Marcus RUSBOURNE (SWEENEY 85’), Oscar PRUKS, Jeremy HARRISON, Tyler ADAMS.

 

University FC: Liam STEVENSON, James GALEA, Brooklan FRKOVIC, Curtis IVERSON, Anthony OLIVER, Bruce WILSON, Nelson MCLEOD, Luke MCCANN, Adam BASSUNI, Chris TWIGG, Alex COETZER.

Subs: Joshua MARTIN (COETZER 65’), Jesse HOWARD (TWIGG 85’), Max PROUT, Caleb BIONDO.

 

Referee: Blake HERBERT

Assistant Referees: Stuart BELL and Emerson PEARDON.

 

Report by Nathan Turner, on Twitter @nathanturner23_

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