Seniors
v Warragul
After a late winner by
Andrew Cowie last week, and a solid week on the track, the boys
were looking forward to the bus trip to Warragul. A healthy
number of supporters also joined the team on what would prove to
be a memorable day. Upon arrival, we found what has to be the
biggest ground that any of us had ever seen! We knew that 3
points were vital today, and that hard work was the only way we
were going to get them.
It took a while for the boys
to find their feet in the early stages of the game. Warragul
were playing their home ground well, but were not creating
meaningful chances with Paulie, Chrissy and Simon holding firm
at the back. The midfield was working hard, while Weasel and
Keegan were doing fantastic defensive roles out wide. Brechan
and Cowie were proving a constant threat with Daine supporting
them from deep. It was a real battle out there with only a
couple of half chances being created by both teams. Warragul
missed a golden chance from a free header following a corner,
while Daine and Brechan shot high and wide from snap shots just
inside the area. The surface was starting to chop up, and the
ball was becoming very heavy making it difficult to play
football, so both teams would have been happy to come off at nil
all at the half.
The second half started much
the same as the first. Warragul started pressing harder down the
flanks, and were putting a lot of pressure on Keegan, and the
excellent Weasel. About 10min in, a through ball was put through
to the dangerous Warragul striker, who was proving to be a
menace all day. Stubbsy called and went in for a 50/50 challenge
with his feet, that was deemed unfair by the referee who pointed
to the spot. A very fortunate call for Warragul as the challenge
didn't look too bad at all, but the officials were continuing
their poor form as the free kick count would have been close to
25-4 Warragul's way for the afternoon. Anyway, Warragul went one
up from the spot, and Monbulk needed to settle. Unfortunately
this was not the case. Warragul were gaining the ascendancy in
the middle of the park from Brettles and Johnny, and about 5min
after the opener, a ball was swung in from the left to the back
post. Weasel tried desperately to clear, only to head the ball
over Stubbsy, and into the back of the net. Very unfortunate,
but one of those things in football. What followed in the next
15 or so minutes was embarrassing for the club, and coaching
staff. While Weasel and Keegan continued to work hard to get
back in the game, some of the other lads started putting in poor
challenges, and were receiving cards left right and centre.
After Daine received his 5th booking of the year putting him out
of next week's top of the table clash with Brandon Park, Johnny
and Brechan both received yellow cards also. Worse was to come
as Brett put in an ordinary challenge to receive his second
yellow and he was off. About 20min to go saw Sammy introduced in
the middle for Keegan with Johnny going wide, and with 17min to
go, Noodles came on for Weasel, and Monbulk went man on man at
the back. The game began to change. Monbulk started knocking the
ball around better, and were finding their targets. The tireless
Andy Cowie and Brechan were starting to find a bit more space,
and momentum shifted. 10min left saw the introduction of Choc
for Daine, and the fireworks started. Playing with three up
front, and with fresh legs in the middle, Monbulk dominated the
last 10min of the game. 5min left and an excellent strike by
Brechan from just outside the area made the score 2-1, and
Warragul were in all sorts. Monbulk continued to press with the
coaching staff, Noodles and Choc creating havoc. When all seemed
lost, a loose ball just outside the area looked like it was
going to be cleared by the Warragul defence, only for Brechan
Adams to swoop in from nowhere, and thunder a shot into the top
corner of the net, the keeper rooted to his spot. It was 2 all
with the last kick of the match. No time for the restart, and
Monbulk had come back from the dead thanks to 2 brilliant
substitutions bringing Noodles and Choc into the game, and of
course two crackers from the leagues leading scorer in Brechan
Adams.
Boy, was the bus trip home going to be messy or what!!