Two goals in a two minute spell midway through the second half, edged three valuable points Kiama's way in its 3-2 win over Wollongong Olympic in The Quarry last Saturday.

In cold, blustery conditions, the IFA District League game was sparked into life when the referee awarded Olympic a disputed penalty for hand ball in the 17th minute to put the visitors in front. Prior to that, neither side had managed to counter the conditions which were not conducive to playing good football. But the referee had a hand in the composition of the game again 15 minutes later when he sent off an Olympic player for verbal abuse after a foul on Kiama striker BIlly Sterjovksi.

Then, on the half hour, the referee again awarded a penalty, this time to Kiama for a similar incident in the Olympic penalty area. Sterjovksi made no mistake from the spot kick to equalise. The goal lifted Kiama which started to insert its numerical superiority, but Sterjovski, James Mortimer and then Kyle Glazier in the 39th minute, could not find a way through a well-organised Olympic defense.

In the second half, Kiama keeper, Gorge Guevara was called upon to pull off some remarkable saves to keep The Quarriers in the game, one effort, a real textbook stop which was goal bound all the way.Kiama were finding it hard breaking down the ten men of Olympic and while keeper Guevara was solid, so too were defenders Stephen Dick and Nate Chellew, both winning important challenges and aerial duels to keep the visitors at bay.

However on the hour a lapse of concentration at the back saw Olympic take the lead against the run of play when a corner swung over in the wind to find the head of an unmarked Olympic striker ten yards out to make 2-1. Kiama huffed and puffed but could not breakdown a resolute Olympic rearguard, which was obviously content at this stage of the game to play the long ball away from any danger and sit tight on its slender lead with bodies behind the ball.

Midfield playmaker, Gary Vian was introduced by coach, Robert Hernandez, and immediately Kiama looked more composed on the ball and started to create chances from the middle of the park. Vian was making his long awaited comeback from injury. Winger, Daniel Swinton, always looked menacing on the ball, but the final telling pass was lacking, that was until the 78th minute when he linked up with Andy Lockard to fire in a cross for Mortimer to head home from close range to level the scores 2-2

The Olympic defence looked shell-shocked, and were still at sixes and sevens when a minute later a wonderful move through the midfield found Mortimer in space 16 yards out giving the striker time to chest down the ball and rifle in a volley past the hapless Olympic keeper for 3-2. The brave hardy souls in The Quarry erupted into cheers as the ball bulged the back of the net for a memorable comeback.

Coach, Hernandez was ecstatic after the game; "That was the three points we needed to keep us in the hunt for a top four play-off. It can be hard playing against ten men, especially a talented team like Olympic which have many experienced players across the park. But the guys deserved their win and hopefully we can get back that winning mentality we had earlier in the season," he said.

The performance of the day however, belonged to the Kiama Youth Grade, which ran riot in a very well disciplined performance and controlled the game from start to finish in its 7-0 thumping of Olympic. Jason Forrester was a revelation in the No. 9 shirt bagging a hat-trick, while Wes Gedling continues to impress and chimed in with a brace. A Keegan Beringer thunderbolt and Jacob Cooper, the latter, with a well-taken close range effort to open the score, completed the score line.

The team belies its league position, having drawn five of its 12 games this season while winning three, but this result could well be the turning point for the side and on this form the team could well end up in the top four play-offs.

Meanwhile the Reserves continue to struggle to put the ball in the back of the net. Several glorious chances went begging as Olympic ran out 3-0 winners.

Klaus Wunsch, Joe Reminis and striker, Aaron Brown, all missed several chances which could have turned the game around. Brown missed a sitter from eight yards and on any other day it would have found its target. But ladyluck has yet to shine on the Kiama second-string, which have now gone 11 matches without a win. Scott Schofield once again had an outstanding game in the heart of Kiama's defence.