Wollongong set up thrilling TeleChoice Premier League finale

Wollongong FC coach John Turner had to make one forced change to his line-up from last week’s 3-0 win over Sydney United with Mitchell Long coming into the starting line up for Dez Giraldi, who agreed to a short term deal with Sydney FC during the week. Meanwhile Marconi started with arguably their strongest line up for 2008.
The two teams started the match on a weathered and season wearied pitch and it was Marconi who seemed more interested in playing football in the opening stanza.
Marconi had the first real chance of the match through the boot of their captain Nahuel Arrarte, who forced a good diving save by Justin Pasfield following Arrarte’s well placed driving shot towards the top right corner of the Wolves goal. The Wolves were being torn to shreds at the back early on and the attacking prowess of Tolgay Ozbey, Tallan Martin, Jay Lucas and Nahuel Arrarte were looking ominous.
Marconi struck in the 12^? minute of the match following a brilliant darting run down the right from Ozbey, who turned a couple of Wolves defenders inside out and delivered a deadly cross into Tallen Martin, who powered home a flicking header in front of the Wolves goal and gave Pasfield no chance to save.
The Wolves could have been mistaken for the team playing for pride early on and their frustration boiled over with an early card to Steve Hayes following wave after wave of Marconi attacks.
In the 25? minute Wollongong FC looked certain to peg back Marconi’s lead following a darting run down the right by NSW Premier League excitement machine Illija Prenzoski who latched on to a long-ball by Tynan Diaz and Prenzoski squared a ball into Mitchell Long who fired at close-range at the Marconi goal but Cem Akilli was courageous in saving the point-blank effort.
Just minutes later Marconi again forced Pasfield into action in the Wolves goal, when Arrarte orchestrated a fine through-ball to Kain Rastall who fired firmly from the left of the area to force a fingertip save from Pasfield.  Marconi put further pressure on the Wolves from the corner when their defence failed to clear the ball and it fell to Rastall, again on the edge of the penalty-area, and his dangerous shot at goal looked goal bound but for a desperate lunge by Chris Price to throw his body in front of the shot and take the full brunt of it into his midriff and force it out to safety. From the ensuing corner another chance at goal this time by Ozbey was again thwarted by the ever present Price.
The final chance of the first-half fell to Wollongong when a good one-two going forward between Michael Hawrysiuk and Illija Prenzoski saw Prenzoski beat a couple of players into the area and force a desperate one-on-one save by Akilli, who forced the ball out for a corner. From the ensuing corner, Diaz hit a dangerously swerving corner that was headed away from Lucas for Marconi only to fall to the feet of Price lurking on the edge of the area and his shot rocketed just inches over the Marconi cross bar.
The second-half started with Marconi again coming out of the blocks firing and they looked certain to stretch their lead to 2-0 when Ante Deur was through on goal following a ball from Arrarte and Deur’s one-on-one chance with Pasfield – well saved by the Wolves shot-stopper diving this time to his right.
Wollongong FC lost their captain Ben Blake just five minutes into the second-half when he was replaced by Timor Leste International Alfredo Esteves who was champing at the bit to get some good game time under his belt and prove his worth following a difficult season trying to break into the talented Wollongong team. Alfredo almost paid dividends immediately upon his introduction when a rocketed shot on the edge of Marconi’s area went just inches wide.
Alfredo went from an almost hero to villain just a minute later when he was adjudged to have pushed Tallen Martin in the back in the penalty-area following a good darting run. Jay Lucas stepped-up to take the penalty for Marconi and sent Pasfield the wrong way, sending the home crowd into silence and the Stallions into a two goal lead.
The Wollongong team was uncharacteristic in their approach through the first hour of the match but Marconi was certainly proving that their last match (3-0 demolition of title chasing Sutherland) was no fluke.
The Wolves pegged one back in the 68? minute when it was Price who fired in a well driven shot at an angle from the left side of Marconi’s goal and his powerful drive found the top right of the back of the net and the Wolves faithful could sense a revival on their hands.
The Wolves had sniff of a comeback and their replacement Samet Kaynak dangerously found himself in on goal but his move was thwarted by a good sliding tackle by Nathan Moulds, who stopped the youngster?s progress despite calls from the crowd for a penalty.
Wollongong was rewarded with their equaliser just minutes later when Price got his second following a dangerous cross from Diaz, who found the climbing versatile midfielder who headed home his brace. A deserved goal for Price who was constant in defence and attack throughout the match.
Marconi was next to get a chance following an untimely challenge by Hawrysiuk on Deur just a metre outside the Wolves penalty area but the free-kick taken by Arrarte was fired directly at the 5 man Wollongong wall.
The Wolves, although looking determined, were nervous in defence at times, knowing that they needed at least a draw to make sure they give themselves a chance to play for the Premiership as they go to Sutherland next Sunday in what will be a promoter?s dream final round meeting. The nerves were clearly visible and a low driving shot from Ozbey couldn’t beat Pasfield diving down to his right to swallow up the ball safely. Ozbey was again in on goal and from the clouds ?Man of the Match?- Chris Price came in to blast the ball away from Ozbey’s feet within just a metre of Pasfield’s goal.
The gutsy comeback from Wollongong was complete in the 85? minute when the Wolves playing out from their own area saw a darting run from the back by Alfredo who literally single handedly carved up the Marconi midfield and he sent a pin point perfect through ball beyond the whole Marconi backline and allowed a blinding left sided run by Prenzoski to attack in behind the defence and latch onto the through ball and the advancing Cem Akilli whilst took the pace off the first time shot by Prenzoski watched as Prenzoski followed his shot through to have a second blast at it and put into the back of the net and send the home crowd into hysterical raptures.
The Wolves hung on in the end despite two final chances to Marconi by former Wollongong Wolves players, Matthew Gordon and Nahuel Arrarte.
The emotion around the ground following the full-time whistle was indicative of the grand comeback that the Wollongong team had endured against a quality Marconi team that certainly defied their table standing in the 2008 premiership race.
Wollongong’s coach John Turner after the match reiterated his pre-season comments of his commitment to ensure his team finished the season with a top two finish and is now looking to the finale next Sunday where his team meets Sutherland on the Tiger Turf pitch where his chargers remain undefeated since the resurface:
?I am confident that our training regime on the Tiger Turf pitch this season over at the Fairy Meadow pitch will not hurt our chances?, Turner said.
Turner also gave praise to the Wollongong fans after the match when he laughingly said: ?They are real good judges our fans, they started singing we are gonna win 3-2 following Marconi’s second goal to send them to a 2-0 lead?.
Match Stats
Wollongong FC 3 (Chris PRICE 68′ and 76′, Illija PRENZOSKI 85′)
Marconi Stallions 2 (Tallan MARTIN 12′, Jay LUCAS 54′ (Pen))

Venue: John Crehan Park, CRINGILA
Referee: Strebre Delovski         
Assistant Referees: Dale Fuda, Steven Nguyen
Fourth Official: Michael Seaborn
Crowd: 850
Wollongong FC:1. Justin PASFIELD (GK); 5. Steve HAYES , 6. Illija PRENZOSKI (4. Michael WEST 91′), 7. Michael HAWRYSIUK, 8. Mitchell LONG (Samet KAYNAK 71′), 10. Balla CONDE , 12. Chris PRICE, 13. Tynan DIAZ, 14. Danial CUMMINS, 17. Ben BLAKE (Capt) (2. Alfredo ESTEVES 50′),  19. Matt BAILEY
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Michael TURNBULL (GK), 16 Karouna MICHAEL

Yellow Cards: 5. Steve HAYES 25′, 8. Mitchell LONG 46′
Red Cards: Nil
Marconi Stallions: 20. Cem AKILLI (GK); 2. Wade OOSTENDORP, 5. Nathan MOULDS,, 7. Ben GOUGH (23. Christopher NUNES 86′), 8. Tallan MARTIN (12. Stefan DONEVSKI 86′), 9. Kain RASTALL, 10. Tolgay OZBEY, 13. Ante DEUR, 14. Jay LUCAS (11. Matthew GORDON 63′), 26. Nahuel ARRARTE (Capt), 38. Umut TOKDOGAN

Substitutes Not Used: 1. James CHRONOPOULOS (GK), 18. Sean MITCHELL

Yellow Cards: 38. Umut TOKDOGAN 33′, 7. Ben GOUGH 36′, 20. Cem AKILLI 45′, 14. Jay LUCAS 60′, 8. Tallan MARTIN 63′
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 ? Chris PRICE (WFC)
2 ? Nahuel ARRARTE (MS)
1 ? Illija PRENZOSKI (WFC)
-By Andrew Byron