Olympia Warriors equal their worst run in their history with draw against Taroona

Photos (Top to Bottom): Hugo Luttmer ends up in the net rather than the ball; Taroona's Lucas Wyatt gets in a header while under pressure; There was tension near the end between the Olympia bench and the assistant referee; Referee Brenton Kopra has a word with Olympia coach, Chris Hey; Taroona build up through the midfield; Olympia president George Mamacas is happy with the equaliser; Olympia keeper Dmitri Nester gets to the ball ahead of Taroona's David Abbott; Nester palms the ball away at a corner; The sponsors will be happy with this photo of Taroona attacking from midfield; Olympia's Lee Mason poses a threat to the Taroona goal at a corner; Mark Wakefield comes to Olympia's rescue; Olympia's Adam Hedge plays himself our of trouble; Perfect defending by Taroona; Taroona's Cian Carey heads clear [PlessPix]

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (South Hobart, Sunday, 2 May 2010)

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Olympia Warriors 2 (K Grillas 10, L Mason 72)

Taroona 2 (T Dove 36, 47)

HT: 1-1 Att: 101 Ref: B Kopra

Olympia Warriors: Nester - MacCallum (Hey 53), Richardson, A Hedge, Percy (Wakefield 71) - Wadawu, Mason, Phillips, Meredith (Howell 46) - Cronk, Grillas [Substitute not used: Kay] [Coach: Chris Hey]

Taroona: Nettlefold - Wyatt, Schaap (C Carey 60), Johnson, Elliott - Dove (Duncan Carey 70), Tubb, Atkinson, Abbott - Hamilton, Luttmer (Macgregor 83) [Substitute not used: Hortle] [Coach: Ben Horgan]

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Early on in this match, Taroona looked very shaky at the back and squandered some glorious chances up front, so it was no surprise that Olympia took the lead.

But, the visitors gradually got on top and it was they who led by the early stages of the second half.

An excellent strike by Lee Mason midway through the second half made it 2-2 and both teams held on for a share of the points. They would both, of course, have wanted three points, but when you are last and second-last on the ladder, respectively, even a point is a relief.

Excluding the Summer Cup, and including the last game of last season, Olympia have now gone nine games without a win, which equals Olympia’s record in this regard set in the early 1990s. Should they lose next week, it will be their worst ever run of matches in the club’s history.

Olympia nearly took the lead in the 7th minute following a corner. Jack Elliott almost put the ball into his own net, but goalkeeper Richard Nettlefold scooped the ball off the line and clutched it to his chest. The referee waved play on despite a couple of half-hearted Olympia appeals that the ball had crossed the line.

Within seconds of this, down at the other end, David Abbott, Taroona’s new signing from South Hobart, marked his arrival by being cautioned for a clumsy charge on Olympia’s goalkeeper, Dimitri Nester. Nester lay on the ground and needed treatment but was able to continue.

A terrible error by Nettlefold, who failed to hold a cross and lost possession, enabled Kosta Grillas to turn sharply and fire Olympia into the lead in the 10th minute.

Grillas almost had a second in the 17th minute from Brady Cronk’s right-wing cross, but he headed wide.

Taroona were gradually gaining confidence, however, and a neat build-up seconds later involving Toby Dove and Marcus Atkinson resulted in Abbott shooting wide.

They should have been level in the 18th minute when Abbott attacked down the left and played a perfect ball across the box and to the far post, but Dove, with the goal at his mercy, contrived to miscue his shot and send the ball high and wide of the target. It was the stuff of nightmares for any attacker.

Taroona were creating chances by the minute now as Olympia showed their defensive frailties and, in the 19th minute, Garry Hamilton shot straight at the goalkeeper when the ball was deflected to his feet by Olympia defender Adam Hedge, after a neat chip into the box from the right by Hugo Luttmer.

Nettlefold redeemed himself for his earlier lapses when, in the 34th minute, he produced a brilliant save to deny Grillas, who got onto the end of Nick Meredith’s left-wing cross and fired fiercely at goal.

Taroona grabbed the equaliser in the 36th minute when Luttmer released Abbott on the left and his low cross was turned in by a relieved Dove.

Two minutes into the second half, Abbott and Dove repeated their party trick and it was 2-1 for Taroona.

It was almost a third goal for Dove in the 50th minute, but Nester managed to grab the loose ball after he had parried Dove’s first strike.

Both sides exchanged blows as the half progressed, Luttmer shooting straight at Nester in the 54th minute and Nettlefold blocking an effort from Cronk two minutes later.

Cian Carey replaced the injured Ben Schaap for Taroona on the hour and the loss of this key central defender may have proved critical later on.

In the 63rd minute, Dove again went close, forcing a corner from Abbott’s left-wing cross.

Olympia made it 2-2 in the 72nd minute. Taroona failed to deal with a long throw-in into the box from the left by Owyn Howell and, when the ball fell at the edge of the box, Mason hammered it home past a helpless Nettlefold.

Warren Wadawu had a great chance to score Olympia’s winner two minutes later, but he lifted his effort over the bar.

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· Olympia Warriors coach, Chris Hey, said:

“I thought, once again, we started off well. We played 25 or 30 minutes, and then we got into a hole again.

“Look, I think the guys showed good character today. They fought back well.

“A bit of a scrappy game towards the end there and really good chances for both sides.

· Taroona coach, Ben Horgan, said:

“We didn’t take our chances really and we conceded a couple of sloppy goals.

“We created plenty but just didn’t finish off.

“David Abbott fitted in well and made both goals. It was two great balls from him to make both goals.”