QUARRIERS GUARANTEED SAFETY AFTER GOOD WIN AGAINST TARRAWANNA

 Last Saturday afternoon the Kiama Quarriers travelled to Tarrawanna Oval to play the home side in the Illawarra Soccer Premier League.  Kiama were locked in a desperate battle with Tarrawanna, Balgownie and Bulli to avoid relegation from the Premier League and were trailing Tarrawanna by a point coming into the game.  Bulli and Balgownie filled the dreaded bottom two spots and were staring relegation in the eye.  The Quarriers all but guaranteed their position in next years Premier League after securing a well deserved 2 – 1 win that left Tarra in the doldrums.

The Quarriers are a young side and have been playing well in recent weeks and picking up valuable points.  This match was always looming as an important one for them and was a continuation of the rivalry between the two clubs that has existed for a number of years.  Tarra took the points from Kiama earlier in the season at the Leisure Centre with a tough 1 – 0 win that featured tough tackling and no non sense football and this game was never going to be any different.

Quite simply, it was a feast of football and excitement for both sets of supporters and had everybody in the ground sitting on the edge of their seats right up until the final whistle.

Surprisingly for the supporters the match was a very open affair and play raged from end to end for most of the game. With so much at stake it would have been expected for both coaches to be fairly cagey with their tactics but the opposite happened and both teams tore into each other from the kick off.  Kiama’s Coach Brod Creighton and Tarra’s Dave Naylor must both be congratulated for the way in which they approached this match as everybody thought they would both be looking for a draw or trying to eke out a 1 0 win.  How wrong can you be?

Kiama opened the sharper of the two sides and took total control for the first ten-minute period of the game.  They should have put a couple in the back of the net in this phase of the game as first Gallagher, then Merriman made good breaks to put themselves in front of goals but failed with their shots.  Tarra fought their way back into the game and threatened Kiama momentarily while the Quarriers took a little nap but then Kiama really opened up and battered the home side.

In the 19^th minute Nick Gallagher showed great courage in a challenge against the Tarra ‘keeper.  Showing absolutely no regard for his own safety and never taking his eye off the ball he nipped in and got a foot to the ball inside the six yard box and got flattened by the goalie for his efforts.  He felt no pain as the ball trickled over the goal line to put his side up 1 – 0. 

Kiama supporters had no sooner sat back in their seats when Nathan Wright had them on their feet again after blasting a ferocious volley into the back of the net from twenty metres out to put Kiama in the box seat leading 2 – 0 after twenty minutes. 

Suddenly life was good for the Quarriers hardy bunch of supporters and the players on the park enjoyed total domination for the rest of the first half.  Boardman and Gardner on the flanks were teasing the hell out of their opponents while Gallagher and Mavrides were also causing major problems for Tarra. 

At half time Kiama went in with a 2 – 0 lead and were definitely on top of the game.  Tarra were showing flashes of their ability and were still well in the game although shaded by the visitors at that stage.

The second half was a cracker.  Tarra came out fired up and it was obvious that Naylor had given them some magic words during the break.  The first half was definitely Kiama’s but the second was a battle all over the park as the two sides contested every ball and every tackle had a sting in it.

Kiama continued with their attacking ploy and continued to throw players forward at every opportunity.  The fact that Tarra did the same made this a real treat for the crowd and really opened the game up. 

A move involving Gareth Gardner indicated the openness of the game.  He was deep in Kiama’s penalty box defending against a corner and headed the ball out to Mavrides.  He held the ball and slid a well flighted pass up the right hand touch line deep into Tarra’s half.  Gardner sprinted all of eighty metres to get onto the end of the pass and he hooked a dangerous cross across the Tarra box for Gallagher to head over the top.  End to end football and plenty of it. 

Ten minutes from time Tarra put a scare into the Quarriers and pulled back a goal.  It was a well worked move down the left wing and finished with great style.  It should have signalled the end of the attacking game for Kiama but rather than shut up shop they continued with their cavalier game and kept going forward.  It was good to watch but terrible on the nerves for the people on the sidelines.  In the last ten minutes the defensive trio of Jovanov, Mason and Gillespie really earned accolades as they put their bodies on the line with some great tackles and Tarra threw everything they had at Kiama.

The full time whistle was sweet music indeed for the Quarriers and signalled an almighty roar from the small band of supporters on hand.  A 2 – 1 win against Tarra leapfrogged Kiama over the home side and into 9^th place in the League, four off the bottom and well out of harms way as far as relegation is concerned.  The Clubs victory song was dusted off and the players gave a very strong rendition in the dressing sheds after the game.

It was hard to pick out a player of the match for Kiama as all of the players contributed to a terrific result.  Tidswell in goals pulled off some fine saves late in the game to keep the Quarriers in the hunt and the entire defence was terrific.  The general opinion was that the entire side should get the award but after some brain racking Nathan Broad was nominated as the Kiama Leagues Club Man of the Match.  Broad won the award for the second week in a row after a tough and bruising effort on the park.  He is normally recognised as an attacking player but in recent weeks it has been his tough defence that has shone.   

Kiama reserve Grade were on the wrong end of a 5 – 0 shellacking from a Tarrawanna side sitting in third place in the competition.  The match was a bad tempered affair and Tarra finished the game a man short.  The Quarriers played some good football but Tarra had the quality in front of goal.  The players must be congratulated on their dedication as it has been a hard season for them and some of their team mates have let them down towards the end of the season.

Kiama’s Youth Grade had a good 2 – 1 win and well deserved the points.  They have very quietly gone about picking up points as the season has progressed and improved out of sight on the park.  This game was a good example of their improvement so far this year and they played good controlled football that is a tribute to Coach Neil Spence.  The boys are not going to win their competition but have proved themselves to be more than competitive.    

The season is not over yet and the Quarriers can still get themselves in strife if they are not careful.  They must concentrate on the job at hand but they have put themselves in a great position to ensure their own safety. 

Next week the Quarriers have their last home match of the year against Western Suburbs at the Leisure Centre.  West’s took points off Kiama in the earlier game this season and the Quarriers are still pretty miffed about it.  They are very keen to even the score and give West’s a smack in the process.  First Grade kicks of at 3.00pm and will be followed by a social function at the Kiama Leagues Club.  All supporters are welcome to watch the game and then join the players afterwards.  Don’t believe the rumours, Kiama is not Rugby, it is definitely Soccer this week.