Green Gully SC will be looking to get back to winning ways this weekend, when they take on newly promoted Manningham United Blues in their Round 3 NPL Victoria clash on Friday night at 8 PM at Green Gully Reserve.
Gully suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday night, when they fell to a 2-0 away defeat to Hume City. The visitors started the game strongly but were unable to make the most of their chances before Mark Ochieng opened the scoring for the home side in the first-half.
Gully continued to push for an equaliser, but as they chased the game, it left them vulnerable in defence, leading to an incredible Lloyd Isgrove goal in second-half stoppage time to wrap up the win for Hume.
Despite the loss, Stephen Downes’ side can take plenty from the defeat heading into the clash against Manningham and believes being more clinical in the final third will be the key for Gully going forward.
They will welcome back star midfielder Josh Hope from suspension after he missed the clash with Hume due to suffering a red card against Moreland City in Round 1.
However, Adolph Koudakpo will miss this week’s match after he was sent off in the final moments of last Saturday’s match.
Their opponents this week, Manningham, come into the contest with plenty of momentum after a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Dandenong Thunder on Saturday afternoon; the first win in their club’s history in Victoria’s top flight.
New signing Christos Theodorakopolous was the hero, scoring twice with two deflected efforts to overturn Thunder’s early advantage.
U23 CLASH: LOOKING TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM
The U23’s will be in action the following day, with the action getting underway at 3 PM at Green Gully Reserve. Gully battled back to come away with a 3-2 win over Hume City last week, courtesy of goals from Brayden Portelli, Solomon Tebeje and Phillip Pannunzio, with the latter scoring the winner late in the contest. They now sit top of the ladder with two wins from two games to start the season. Meanwhile, Manningham thrashed Dandenong Thunder 4-0 last Saturday afternoon at Petty’s Reserve to claim their first win of the campaign.
