At Green Gully Reserve, Green Gully SC went down 3-2 to Dandenong City in a must win match for their finals hopes. The game was a rollercoaster of emotions with both teams showing what was at stake for their season.
The game started with Green Gully playing the football that had seen them unbeaten in their last 5 games. But Dandenong City, off the back of a big win, showed some character and determination. The first half saw Dandy City awarded a penalty, which hit the post and rebounded back to George Lambadaridis who didn’t miss his second chance and gave his team a 1-0 lead at half time.
Green Gully came out for the second half with some fire and quickly equalised through Gianluca Iannucci who smashed a beauty that left the crowd and the opposition stunned. Iannucci’s goal was a moment of magic that swung the momentum back to the home side.
But Dandy City responded with deadly precision on the counter, adding two more to their tally. Jack Webster rose highest to meet a corner and headed it home while Danny Kim capitalised on another quick break to make it 3-1. These moments showed Dandenong’s strategy and how they could exploit Gully’s forward push for equalisers.
Jamie Latham scored for Green Gully with about 10 minutes to go and set up a nervous finish. His goal gave the Gully faithful some hope and the team pushed hard for an equaliser. Despite their efforts and several near misses Dandenong City held on for a 3-2 win.
Emmanuel Peters made his debut for Green Gully, starting on the right wing. He looked dangerous all game and showed glimpses of what could be a good addition to the team’s attacking options.
Green Gully SC will need to regroup and get maximum points from their remaining games. The resilience and determination shown in their last 5 games under Coach Ramon Falzon will be key to getting into the finals. They will be tested but the spirit shown in their comeback against Dandenong City suggests they’re not out of it yet.
