Wolves struggle to score
NSW PREMIER LEAGUE BY JOEL RITCHIE

Only a superior goal difference is keeping the South Coast Wolves outside the drop zone after their scoreless draw with West Sydney yesterday.

The Wolves and Berries (both nine points) remained in 10th and 11th place respectively after the round 10 stalemate at Sydney Olympic Park.

However, Bankstown (eight points) dropped to last place after a loss to former cellar dwellers - and South Coast's round 11 opponents - APIA (10) earlier in the day.

The Wolves are only above the Berries because they have scored five more goals, but are part of a crush that has seventh and last separated by just two competition points.

Coach Trevor Morgan declared there was still time for his side to make good on a preseason pact to reach the top five.

"There's going to come a point where things aren't going to be achievable, but we still have enough time to get the points we need," he said.

"My goal is for us to be competitive in every game and we've done that."

The Wollongong-based side could have gone to seventh place if they capitalised on some late chances - Andreas Gomez was denied by a fine stoppage-time save after Adrian Karakolevski squeezed a shot wide of the posts in the 85th minute.

However, Wolves players and fans were left ruing a rejected penalty appeal early in the second period.

Mark Piccolini's goal-bound volley looked to have been handled by a West Sydney defender, but the referee waved play on.

Morgan refused to blame the gaffe for the result.

"Maybe the referee was unsighted, but everyone else at the ground could see it was a penalty," Morgan said.

"If it was given and we scored it, maybe we would have won or lost or drawn, but it would have opened up the game and it would have been more of a spectacle."

Morgan admitted both teams were tense during the showdown, ruining the match as a spectacle.

"We didn't play out from the back much, to be fair they were the same way," he said.

"We battled and scrapped but it won't go down as one of our best performances."

However, Morgan was pleased his side kept only its second clean sheet of 2010 and started better than their last-start loss to Sydney Olympic.

"Brody Crane had a great game in goals and we scrapped and scrambled," Morgan said.

"We didn't concede and our opening 20 minutes was far better than last week.

"We got a point on the road and they're trying to do what I want them to."http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/sport/football-soccer/wolves-struggle-to-score/1818498.aspx