Penalty shootouts define careers. Think, John Aloisi or Roberto Baggio. Shootouts; they create either heroes or villains. Today a hero emerged.

With the scores locked at 4-4, Tarrawanna Blueys would progress to the next week of the finals if they scored. Up stepped 19-year old, Nic Tomasiello. Having witnessed three of his teammates miss the target, including his captain Rick Goodchild, Tomasiello, with ice-cold blood flowing through his veins, hammered the ball with the inside of his right foot into the top-right corner, clutching victory for Tarrawanna and asserting himself on the Illawarra Premier League scene.

However, preceding the penalty shootout drama was 120 minutes of exhilarating end to end football.

The opening 40 minutes was a free-flowing affair with both sides having good chances to score. The most notable chance for Wollongong United fell in the 15^th minute when Naoki Ogawa crossed the ball towards the towering figure of Ben Brooks. Brooks headed the ball downwards towards the bottom right corner, but United was denied an early lead as the ball hit the upright and was heaved away by the Tarrawanna defence.

Nine minutes later, Tarrawanna would have a good chance of their own when centre-half, Michael Robinson, went on a marauding run down the middle of the pitch. Playing a neat one-two, Robinson ran beyond the United defence. Reaching the edge of the box, Robinson opened his body attempting to curl the ball across the goal into the top right corner but was denied by Blake Coad, who acrobatically dived to his left, pushing the ball out for a corner.

In the 41^st minute, Coad’s afternoon would take a turn for the worst when the ball was plucked from his feet by Rick Goodchild. Composing himself, Goodchild took a couple of touches before he passed the ball past the hapless Coad into the back of the net just before half time.

For most of the second 45 minutes, it looked as though Coad’s howler would remain the difference between the sides. Despite the numerous attacks mounted by Wollongong United, Tarrawanna’s defence looked as though it would not be beaten.

As the half progressed, Wollongong United threw more men forwards leaving them vulnerable on the counter and in the 80^th minute, the Bluey’s looked to capitalise on this. Having broken quickly from a period of heavy defending, Tarrawanna stalwart Matt Naylor approached the edge of the 18-yard box and released a shot destined for the bottom right corner. However, his shot was met by the outstretched hand of Blake Coad desperate to redeem his earlier efforts.

Coad's crucial save gave Wollongong some much-needed inspiration as they began one last push for an equaliser in the dying minutes of the match. In the 85^th minute, the Tarrawanna faithful held their breath when United's Deegan Hunter spectacularly bicycle kicked a corner inches wide of the upright. While in the 87^th minute, the strong United crowd prematurely cheered when Deegan swivelled and shot the ball towards goal and appeared to have beat the keeper. However, a lunging Tarrawanna foot made the slightest of touches, causing the ball to roll agonisingly wide of the post.

Alas, Tarrawanna’s luck would eventually run out in the 90^th minute when Matt McNab smashed a freekick into the arm of a Bluey defender, part of the wall that was stationed within the penalty area. Stepping up to the spot, McNab made no mistake, confidently hitting the ball into the bottom left corner to take the game to extra time.

Extra time panned out similarly to regular time with plenty of chances for both teams. It was no surprise then that only eight minutes in, Tarrawanna took the lead. With a free-kick located roughly 30 meters out from goal, Rick Goodchild whipped in a cross that landed between the goalkeeper and the defensive line. Perfectly timing his run, Michael Robinson, reached the ball as it bounced at his head height, before punishing the ball into the back of the net.

A mere five minutes later, the Blueys thought that they had gone 3-1 up when Jake Morlando managed to squeeze his shot from within the six-yard box between the keeper and the post. However, as the crowd celebrated, Morlando collapsed to the ground when he saw the linesman’s flag looming high.

The offside call kept Wollongong in the game, and in the 115^th minute, they made it count. Receiving the ball just outside the area, Matthew McNab rolled the ball out from under his feet, before smashing the ball into the top right corner to bring the scores level once again. The crowd went wild, as did McNab who caught up in the ecstasy of the moment, tore off his shirt in celebration despite already being on a yellow card. McNab received his marching orders and subsequently left his team a man down with five minutes to go.

The one-man advantage buoyed on Tarrawanna for a final press which nearly came to fruition in the final seconds of stoppage time. Having won a free kick on the edge of the box, Goodchild, smashed the ball into the wall prompting loud appeals for handball. However, these calls were turned away as the referee whistled full-time.

Penalties would now decide the fate of the two sides. Taken in front of the Ross Emerton and Phil Porter Pavilion, both sides got off to a strong start, with each converting their first penalty. However, the first slip occurred when Michael Robinson, arguably Tarrawanna's best player of the afternoon, smashed Tarrawanna's second penalty into the crossbar. However, luckily for Robinson, his blushes were saved when Tarrawanna goalkeeper, Adam Rodriguez saved the following penalty in which James Stojanovski made a poor connection with the ball.

Locked at 2 all, three consecutive penalties did not find the back of the net. Firstly, Wollongong United's Kane Wright hit the ball over the crossbar, before the crossbar denied Tarrawanna again on their fourth kick when Mitchell Ferraro stepped up to the spot. However, once more Rodriguez would save the following shot from Wollongong United when he dived to his left to prevent Kawasakiya Hikaru.

Pressure continued to play havoc among the two sides as two more penalties were missed. With an opportunity to seal victory, Rick Goodchild hit the ball wide of the target, while the crossbar came to the aid of Tarrawanna when Billy Tsovolos tried to bury the ball home.

As fate would have it though, the scene was set for Nic Tomiasiello to announce himself to the Illawarra Premier League. Stepping up for Tarrawanna’s eighth kick in the shootout, he confidently struck it past the keeper, before his jubilant teammates swamped him in celebration.

For Wollongong United, their campaign comes to an end in the cruellest of circumstances. However, this will not phase Tarrawanna in slightest who march on to face Albion Park White Eagles next week.

1^st September 2019 @ Tarrawanna Oval

Wollongong United – 2 (McNab 90’ & 155’) (4 Penalties)

Tarrawanna Blueys – 2 (Goodchild 41’, Robinson 98’) (5 Penalties)

Wollongong United – Blake COAD, Maty BRENNAN, Ben BROOKS, Kawasakiya HIKARU, Zac McLAREN, Shane MURRAY, James O’ROURKE, Billy TSOVOLOS, Kane WRIGHT, Naoki OGAWA, Michael MENDES.

Substitutes – Matthew McNAB, Deegan HUNTER, Nick HIGH, James STOJANOVSKI, Sam NASTIC

Tarrawanna Blueys – Adam RODRIGUEZ, Matthew NAYLOR, Haydyn LLOYD, Michael ROBINSON, Daniel CHAPMAN, Mitchell FERRARO, Keisuke HAYASHI, Benjamin LEARMONTH, Rick GOODCHILD, Jake MORLANDO.

Substitutes – Nicolas TOMASIELLO (on for Lloyd), Caleb GRACE, Christian CABO, Brody PAGE, Kaydin HARRISON

Referee – Bobby MAZEVSKI

Assistants – Caleb BLANCH, Ethan ZVARGALIS

Fourth Official – Andrew NAYLOR

Report by Nic Wilson, on twitter @_nicwilson