QUARRIERS SHARE THE HONOURS IN TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH

Last Saturday the Kiama Soccer Club played local rivals Albion Park White Eagles in a top of the table clash at Terry Reserve, Albion Park.  After a terrific struggle with both sides throwing everything they had at the other, the game ended in a 2 – 2 draw. 

The Eagles were relegated from the Premier League last year and were keen to get promoted straight back this year.  They have put together a formidable side and saw Kiama as a major hurdle in that promotion attempt.

The game was played in dismal conditions with constant rain and a boggy playing surface but the weather did not affect the standard of the game.  Quite simply, this was the best game the Quarriers have played for many years and White Eagles must be applauded for their contribution to a terrific match.

 

Both teams were eager to get stuck in and the pace was frantic from the kick-off.  Kiama’s midfield of Mason, Jovanov, Price and Gillespie got on top of their opposition and it was Kiama who looked the better side.  The midfield was no place for the feint hearted and the referee had a tough time keeping the two teams apart in the early exchanges, handing out a number of yellow cards in doing so. Kiama opened the scoring in the 10th minute through striker Luke Bedford who scored with a close range header after a shot from Brad Boardman was deflected.  Boardman drove into the attacking zone on the left side of the field and cut inside to unleash a strong shot.  The ball hit a defender and ballooned into the air towards the far post where Bedford stole in with a header.

 

The Quarriers were unlucky not to make it 2 – 0 shortly afterwards when Boardman hit a long range shot from the left side that hit the crossbar with the keeper beaten.  At this stage of the game Kiama were playing fantastic one touch football and were dangerous every time they came forward.  Veteran striker Jim Berry was being used as a target man and Bedford, Gillespie and Boardman were all running off his flicks deft touches.  Jovanov and Mason were supplying the defensive base for these attacks while at the back Mike Merriman was playing champagne soccer and looked a class above everybody else on the park.  

 

Kiama’s game plan suffered a blow just before half time when midfield destroyer Gillespie was forced from the field with a hip injury and he was replaced with the very composed Jason Lockhart.  A quick shuffle in the Quarriers lineup saw Lockhart move into the middle of the midfield and his ball distribution and coolness under pressure quickly began to show dividends for the Quarriers.

 

The Quarriers could consider themselves unlucky to go into half time with only a one goal lead as their play deserved a lot more but White Eagles are a strong team and they held their composure and stuck to their game plan of moving the ball out through their defence and midfield with short passes and they continued to look dangerous.  At this stage the game could have gone to either team but the real winners were the supporters on the sidelines who were being treated to a special game.

 

Kiama started the second half in great style with another long range short from Jovanov hitting the crossbar after only four minutes.  But better was to come as Bedford totally destroyed the right side of the park with a great run from the halfway line.  He beat a few players and cut infield and sprinted into the penalty box.  As he went around the last defender the player lunged at Bedford and sent him sprawling and conceded a penalty.  This should have been a card offence, perhaps even a red card as the player was the last defender and he illegally stopped a goal scoring opportunity. 

 

Kiama were quite happy with the penalty and Jim Berry stepped up to take it.  He hit a very firm shot to the left of the keeper and was stunned to see the custodian pull of a great one handed save and push the ball around the post. As often happens in tight games, the save swung the odds in the Eagles favour and they worked the ball downfield.  Two minutes after the penalty they equalized and the game was suddenly in the balance. 

 

Many teams would have slowed the game down and defended their positions but both teams in this game simply pushed the accelerator even harder and the game swung into overdrive.  It was impossible for the players to continue at this pace and both coaches began to draw on their reserve bench.  Lockhart and Price took a well earned rest and Cartwright And Woodcock came off the bench into the midfield.   

 

Kiama struck the next blow at fifty minutes and took the lead through Jim Berry.  This was a lovely goal and Berry picked the ball up just inside the Eagles half.  He ran with the ball and dummied to pass on a few occasions before sneaking through a gap in the defence.  As the cover came across and the keeper came off his line Berry deftly chipped the goalkeeper for a very clever and memorable goal.

 

But the Eagles were not finished and had a few ideas of their own about who should win this game.  They broke down the left side of the park and won a free kick about forty metres out.  The ball was slung to the far post and goalkeeper Tidswell came off his line but failed to win the ball in the air.  After a goalmouth scramble Albion Park bundled the ball into the net for the equalizer.

 

For the remaining fifteen minutes of the game it was a raging battle as the play swung from one end of the park to the other.  The Quarriers had a number of chances go begging but the best was down to Berry again who got on the end of a deflected shot and hit a bullet like header towards goal.  The keeper was lying on the ground after his first save but miraculously got up and put a hand to the ball.

 

The match almost ended in tragedy for Kiama as the Eagles had the last chance of the game.  They broke quickly down the left wing and with virtually the last kick of the match saw a shot skim over the cross bar from twelve metres out. After a tremendous battle a 2 – 2 draw was probably a fair result and both sides came off the park feeling that perhaps they could have won the game.  The Quarriers led twice, missed a penalty and hit the bar twice and could probably claim a moral victory.  The real winners were the supporters and you would have to wait a long time for another game as good as this one.

 

There was not a player of the field who did not play well but for the Quarriers Mike Merriman was a tower of strength in the sweepers role.  He was ably supported by Jason Sawyer who just kept on plugging away with little fuss and bother and got his job done.  Damien Mason in the midfield was a standout as was Luke Bedford in the striker’s role but the Kiama Leagues Club Man of the Match was defender Michael Broad who did a terrific marking job in snuffing out the Eagles main striking player.

 

There are not too many clubs in the First Division that will go to Terry Reserve and take points of the White Eagles.  They are a good side with a lot of depth and will give the competition a real shake.  The fact that Kiama more than matched them should give the Kiama players and supporters a big boost for the rest of the season.