Olympia fail to break losing streak

Photos (Top to Bottom): Referee Sean Collins tosses the coin; Amadu Koroma gets a pass away before Rory McCallum can intercept; Olympia's Adam Hedge heads clear; Olympia's Mark Wakefield beats Amadu Koroma and takes on Corey Smith; Olympia's Adam Hedge clears his lines; Knights' Mynonge Kamba (left) is intent on marking Olympia's Warren Wadawu at a corner; Knights' Alex Holmes and Jacob Huigsloot get in each other's way and fail to clear Nick Meredith's free-kick; Olympia's Brady Cronk gets in a shot; Olympia's Adam Hedge wheels away after scoring the equaliser; Adam Hedge is congratulated by jubilant team-mates after scoring the equaliser; Knights' Jade Clay has Aaron Percy on the run; Olympia's Nick Meredith (left) about to take on Jade Clay; Knights' Mynonge Kamba clashes with Olympia's Ben Phillips; Knights' Brodie Green (right) gets the ball away from Olympia's Warren Wadawu; Olympia's Warren Wadawu about to run into a wall of Knights defenders; Olympia's Warren Wadawu (right) about to be tackled by the Knights' Brodie Green; Olympia's Warren Wadawu tangles with the Knights' Juma Barabara [PlessPix]

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (South Hobart, Saturday, 17 April 2010)

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Olympia Warriors 1 (A Hedge 27)

Glenorchy Knights 4 (J Barabara 24, D White 36, 38 pen, A Koroma 72)

HT: 1-3 Att: 120 Ref: S Collins

Olympia Warriors: Nester - Wakefield, McCallum, A Hedge, Wiggins (Mohamad 75) - Meredith, Phillips, Wadawu, Kumpulainen - Cronk, Grillas (Percy 27) [Substitutes not used: Howell, Farrugia] [Coach: Chris Hey]

Glenorchy Knights: Peter - Green (Mrzyk 79), Grundy (Smith 46), Holmes, J Huigsloot - Clay, Fielding (Kamba 53), Dzelalija, White - Barabara, Koroma [Substitute not used: Vavoulas] [Coach: Eamonn Kelly]

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Olympia have a good record against the Knights and there was an air of expectation and optimism amongst the Warrior supporters before this match.

This soon evaporated, however, as the Knights went on the offensive and Olympia were fortunate to escape unscathed in the 19th minute when Amadu Koroma broke clear down the left and rounded the keeper before knocking the ball low across the goalmouth from a difficult angle. Luckily for Olympia, none of Koroma’s team-mates were up in support and Ben Phillips had time to clear.

The Knights pressure soon told, however, and they took the lead in the 24th minute following Daniel White’s corner from the left. Olympia goalkeeper Dmitri Nester could only palm the ball on and Alex Holmes nodded it back into the middle for Juma Barabara to score.

Jacob Huigsloot received a yellow card in the 26th minute for a foul and it was from the resultant free-kick that Olympia drew level. Nick Meredith floated the free-kick into the box, where Knights defenders Huigsloot and Holmes impeded each other as they tried to clear. The ball fell to Brady Cronk, whose shot was parried by goalkeeper Ben Peter, but only to Adam Hedge, who netted easily.

Kosta Grillas, the striker upon whom Olympia’s hopes rested, limped off a minute later after aggravating a hamstring injury which had side-lined him for the previous two games.

It was a bad blow for the Warriors, but they should have taken the lead in the 34th minute when an astute pass by Meredith found Warren Wadawu in a one-on-one with the keeper. The Zimbabwean’s shot was feeble, however, and a grateful Peter easily collected the ball without having to extend himself.

Two minutes later, it was the Knights who regained the lead. Jade Clay’s long throw-in from the left was flicked on by Koroma and, when Nester could only flap at the ball and force it towards the far post, White appeared from nowhere like an express train and he hammered a bullet-like shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 for the visitors.

In the 38th minute, it was 3-1, White converting a penalty conceded by Hedge, who was adjudged to have handled Huigsloot’s powerful drive.

The second half began with Olympia’s Ben Phillips desperately unlucky not to score when his shot from the edge of the box rattled Peter’s crossbar.

Olympia were denied a penalty just 5 minutes into the second period when Wadawu played Chris Kumpulainen into the box. He was brought down by Tony Dzelalija, but Mr Collins waved play on.

Knights regained their composure quickly and in the 51st minute Holmes sent a header from White’s cross narrowly wide.

Olympia came back strongly and Kumpulainen shot wide in the 55th minute, while a minute later, Wadawu fired straight at Peter. Shortly after that, Phillips forced Peter to make a splendid diving save.

The Knights were not finished either, with Nester turning a Huigsloot header against the woodwork and White directing an easy header from close range over the bar.

Eighteen minutes from the end, Koroma made it 4-1 when he converted White’s cross from the left and that knocked the stuffing out of Olympia, who had to endure their fifth defeat of the league season from six outings.

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· Olympia Warriors central-defender Rory McCallum, said:

“We played great. In the second half we came out and had a few chances and we almost scored. We were unlucky not to find the back of the net.

“We held them off for the first half as well, so it was pretty good.

“I think we may have turned a corner. Last week we played much better than before and we just have to keep going now.”

· Glenorchy Knights coach, Eamonn Kelly, said:

“It wasn’t pretty, but it was three points. It was one of those games, you know. We never got into it and we never played football like we normally do.

“It was disappointing. We won 4-1, but it was just the way we won. I think we stooped to their level of football. You know, it was aerial ping pong for the first half. We tried to string a couple of passes together, but I don’t think we could have scored in a brothel today.

“We scored four goals, but it wasn’t pretty. And, losing Fish [Fielding] and Googsie [Grundy] at half-time...they had commitments, and I thank them for at least turning up for the first half of it. As soon as they went we lost shape and as a result we were all over the place. We can’t afford to be doing that against the better teams.

“We got away with it today, but against the better teams we may not get away with it.