By Peter Kambounias

Sydney Olympic's Siraj Al Tall converted a last minute penalty to give the Blues a very heartening and fully deserved 2-1 win against the Wollongong Wolves at John Crehan Park, Cringila.

For the fourth time this season Sydney Olympic showed very impressive character by winning despite the handicap of playing with a man sent off.  Chris Triantis scored Olympic's equaliser but was sent off the same fashion as his dismissal against APIA only three weeks ago.

Olympic were in full control of the entire match and ate the bulk of the breadloaf, leaving the Wolves to feed off the crumbs.

Fans who took the enjoyable drive down south early were treated to a 6-2 win by Sydney Olympic's Under 20's side which featured four goals by James Kovas.  Other first grade faces in the side were Marino Musumeci and Roger Galayini.  The Wolves had actually scored the first goal of that game.

Missing from the Sydney Olympic squad were Michael Cindric and Anthony Doumanis - both out due to injury.  Carlo Musumeci came into the starting line up as Emmanuel Zunino partnered Mirko Jurilj in the middle of the defence, while the enigmatic Matthew Mayora got his first start in quite a while.

First grade also started exceptionally well for the home side.  In the 3rd minute a long punt upfield by the Wolves was being shadowed by Carlo Musumeci on approach to his own penalty area, where Michael Herbet was waiting.  A lack of communication meant that the ball became vunerable and Osagie Ederaro nipped in to poke the ball towards the empty net behind Herbet.  Zunino made a desperate bid to clear the ball but the ball beat him to the line.

Olympic then took control of the game and started their normal game in low gear.  In the 5th minute a poor clearance by the home side was chested down by Paul Wither who spun and laid up for Iain Ramsay who shot rashly and wide.

Every aerial attack by the Wolves became chicken feed for Herbet after the early mishap, but he did have a scare in the 19th when Musumeci failed to properly intercept a loose Wolves pass towards the right wing, and Herbet saw the subsequent Wolves attempt scoot past his left upright.

Triantis unleashed a venomous shot in anger that stayed low but was just wide of the left post in the 22nd minute - the ball thudding against the advertising board to counter the loud blasts emanating from the Port Kembla steelworks - bellowing huge plumes of smoke and tall flames.  

Three minutes later Olympic were on level terms with a goal that stunned everyone at the ground.  Triantis hit a looping shot with the outside of his right boot.  He had seen Wolves keeper Justin Pasfield well off his line.  The ball looped and appeared to be heading out but it bounced off the ground inside the goal and hit the roof of the net near the rear left corner.  The players gathered to celebrate as referee Srebre Delovski signalled the goal and it was then when the Olympic fans realised that an equalising goal had been scored.

Wither was one of the best on field for Olympic.  His burly figure caused endless headaches for the Wolves personnel with his bustling runs and uncompromising challenges for any loose balls, as well as being a perfect go-to man for upfield clearances.  In the 40th minute Wither went on one of his now familiar never-say-die attempts to get the ball and he outran his Wolves counterpart to allow for a cut back from the right flank to Matthew Mayora lurking in the box.  Mayora only had the keeper to beat but his shot was low but straight at Pasfield who parried away for a corner.  It was the last chance of the first half.

The second half saw Olympic assume even more control of events in a determination to complete a double over the Wolves.

Pasfield's work earned another statistic when he parried an Anthony Hartshorn left foot shot and Hartshorn again had another great chance to score in the 56th following brilliant work by Ramsay who crossed low from the left for Wither who dummied it and Hartshorn shot low but straight at Pasfield who again parried away.

Olympic should have made it 2-1 in the 62nd when Triantis went on a mazing run through the middle to the left of the park past leaving Wolves opponents in his wake.  Triantis sent a square pass for the oncoming Wither but he botched the chance with a shot to the right of the goal in what was a poor finish considering the opportunity presented.

Triantis had received a yellow card just moments after scoring the equaliser in the first half and copped his second in the 63rd for a challenge from behind.  It was the second time Triantis had scored in a game and then been sent for an early shower. 

Even though Olympic were a man down the team did not shift from it's plan to attack and try to win the game.  Milan Blagojevic injected Peter Zorbas (back from injury) to shore up the midfield and counter the possibility of Olympic's legs running out of pace.  Zorby hit a scorching free kick in the 78th that seered past the left upright.

And Zorby was heavily involved in the incident that resulted in a match winning penalty for Olympic.  In the 89th minute and with the game all set to end in a draw, Zunino powered upfield and passed to Wither.  Wither cut the ball to the oncoming Zorbas who darted into the penalty area only to be upended in spectacular fashion and Delovski immediately blew his whistle and pointed to the spot.

Fearing a repeat of John Terry's Champions League Final penalty shootout miss for Chelsea against Manchester United, the Olympic fans held their breath as Siraj Al Tall stepped up and calmly slotted his penalty to Pasfield's left and Olympic were 2-1 up.

A very important victory sent Olympic into third spot on the ladder with a game in hand, and now just 6 points off leaders Sutherland Sharks who will travel to second placed Manly United next week.  The win also made it the fifth win on the trot (including the cup game) and there is a definite belief that the side can fight it out and get results no matter what obstacles confront it.

Olympic host the improving Marconi Stallions at Belmore Sports Ground in Round 14.

WOLLONGONG WOLVES 1 (Ederaro 3') defeated by SYDNEY OLYMPIC 2 (Triantis 25', Al Tall (pen) 89')at John Crehan Park, Cringila.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC: Michael Herbet, Emmanuel Zunino, Nathan Sherlock, Carlo Musumeci, Mirko Jurilj, Milorad Simonovic, Chris Triantis, Anthony Hartshorn (83' Marino Musumeci), Matthew Mayora (72' Peter Zorbas), Iain Ramsay (61' Siraj Al Tall), Paul Wither

Match Statistics:  Shots on Target: 2 (half time 2), Shots off Target 11 (ht 4), Corners: Olympic - 3 (1 ht) Wollongong - 4 (3 ht), Free kicks awarded to Olympic: 13 (7 ht), Free kicks conceded by Olympic: 14 (4 ht), Offsides: Olympic - 3 (3 ht) Wollongong - 5 (3 ht). Yellow cards: 2 (Triantis x 2). Red Cards: 1 (Triantis)