QUARRIERS LOSE IN EXTRA TIME TO GOLDEN GOAL.

The Kiama Quarriers Soccer Club played Balgownie Rangers in Round One of the Bert Bampton Knock0out cup at the Leisure Centre last Saturday afternoon. In a fighting display by the local team the Quarriers were unlucky to get knocked out of the Cup after losing the game 2 – 1 to a “golden goal” in extra time. This was the first time this year that Kiama have been able to put a near full strength side on the park and the team really gave Premier League Balgownie a shake.   Coach Brod Creighton used all of the players at his disposal to put out a strong First Grader team while also using some regular First Graders in the Youth Grade Cup game as well.  This weekend the First Grade slightly but strengthened the Youth Grade who won 3 – 0 against an outclassed Albion Park White Eagles.

  The First Grade game was an absolute cracker from the Quarriers point of view and the boys came off the park feeling that they should have done a little better and knocked off their opponents.  Balgownie won promotion to the Premier League after being runners up in last years First Division.  They have spent a lot of money on new players but they failed to shine against a busy Kiama team. The Quarriers dropped Brad Tuohy and Luke Bedford to the Youth Grade and brought in new signing Neil Wurst and, Mark Price and youngster Craig Costello.   This was Costello’s first run in the top flight and he was very before the game.  The boy should not have worried because although he lacks confidence and experience he more than made up for it with effort and ability.

  From the kick off Kiama looked to be the sharper of the two sides and had a number of goal scoring chances go begging.  They were well on top of Bally and should have punished them in this period.  It was obvious that team Captain Dave Jovanov was not at full fitness and he appeared to be carrying an injury. He only lasted until half time and was replaced by young Ryan Omrod. Kiama were very good in phases of the game but at times their concentration seemed to drop right off.  It was during one of these periods that Bally opened the scoring with a soft goal.  Gillespie hit a bad pass just outside Kiama’s penalty box and the ball was intercepted by a Bally striker.  As he surged into the box he was clumsily knocked over by young Costello.  The referee was right on the spot and awarded Balgownie a penalty, which they had no trouble in slotting into the net.

For the remainder of the half Kiama were stretched a bit and this was Balgownie’s best period.  They pushed the ball around well and looked the goods and it appeared that the Quarriers were going to be over run. But the Quarriers were not lacking in spirit and they dug deep and somehow kept the score to only one goal. The second half was a good one for Kiama and they gradually pegged back Bally and started to control the game.  Brad Boardman looked out of touch in the forward line and was shuffled back into the midfield to bring on the experienced Gary Kearton.  Boardman seemed to grow another leg and he took hold of the game and controlled the entire midfield.  Wurst came into his normal form as well and Kiama looked the more dangerous of the two sides.

Bally’s coach, ex Wollongong wolves player Jock Morlando, was tearing his hair out on the sidelines and there didn’t seem too much he could do to stir up his highly fancied side.  Creighton on the other hand was in a very relaxed mode and spent much of the second half up in the grandstand. Twenty minutes into the second half Kiama evened up the score through Kearton.  He got the ball out wide on the left flank and looked to be going nowhere.  He stepped inside a defender and from twenty metres out hit a screamer of a drive past a static goalkeeper.  The goal ignited Kiama and they finished far the stronger in the second half.

  In fact Bally were lucky to see the game out and get to extra time when midfielder Woodcock drive a pile driver from thirty metres out that hit the underside of the cross bar and bounced down.  Omrod got onto the rebound and pushed the shot over the bar.  There was not even time to restart the game and it went into extra time with the scores locked at

1 – 1. The Bert Bampton Cup is played under the “golden goal” rule where fifteen minutes each way of extra time is played.  The game is finalized with the first goal and this makes it a very exciting prospect.

  The Quarriers continued in the same vein as they had left off and looked the fitter and stronger of the two teams.  They threatened the Bally goal repeatedly without giving the goalkeeper too many frights. Kiama threw everything at the visitors and looked to have run out of ideas with four minutes left in the game and a penalty shoot-out looking likely.  With so many men thrown forward looking for the win it is always a risk that the back door is left open and that is exactly what happened.  Balgownie broke quickly down the left flank and with only defender Jody Beringer home for Kiama the visitors out sprinted him to score the winning goal.

  Kiama were out of the cup and losers 2 – 1 to Balgownie but took great satisfaction from playing over the top of their fancy opponents.  On this form, Kiama look to be in line for a good season while Balgownie’s may well be a long and painful one. Kiama’s best player was a toss up between Mick Gillespie and defender Jason Sawyer but young debutante Costello must also get a wrap.  He was in everything and although he doesn’t look pretty on the field, he did a terrific job. Co-incidentally Kiama were knocked out in the First Round of the Cup last year by Balgownie as well in a penalty shoot out after extra time left the sides drawn 1 – 1.   Maybe next year.

Next week Kiama play their first matches in the 2001 season against South Coast United at the Kiama Leisure Centre.  First Grade kick off at 3.00pm and all supporters are welcome.