Hope Strikes Late as 10-Man Gully Downs Saints in Local Derby
A moment of brilliance from Joshua Hope sealed a thrilling 2-1 win for 10-man Green Gully against St Albans Saints on Sunday afternoon, as the Cavaliers claimed local bragging rights in NPL Victoria’s shortest road trip.
Played at the newly redeveloped Pitch 1 at Churchill Reserve, the match had everything — penalties, red cards, moments of tension, and ultimately, a highlight-reel winner that lit up the west.
The match burst into life early. St Albans were awarded a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes after Lucas Byrns went down under a challenge from Kasper Hallam. But Liam Driscoll stood tall, diving low to his right to deny Joshua Gulevski and keep the scores level.
Just minutes later, the Cavaliers struck. At the other end, Aamir Abdallah was fouled inside the area and stepped up to calmly convert the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way to give Gully a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.
Gully nearly doubled their lead shortly after, with Abdallah again going close, forcing a smart save from Jacson Riley. But despite both teams carving out chances, the score remained 1-0 at the break.
The second half was a more chaotic affair. Byrns drew St Albans level with a composed finish in the 59th minute, cutting inside before firing past Driscoll.
Then, just five minutes later, the match tipped in St Albans’ favour as Matthew Crooks was shown a straight red card for a late challenge in midfield, leaving Gully down to 10 men for the final half hour.
But this Green Gully side is made of stern stuff. With their backs against the wall, they absorbed pressure and then struck with devastating effect. In the 82nd minute, Hope picked up the ball, surged forward, cut inside and unleashed a rocket into the top corner from distance – an outrageous strike that proved the match-winner.
Tempers flared late, with several players booked following a series of flashpoints, but Gully held firm through the chaos to secure a massive three points.
The win lifts Gully further up the table and marks another step forward for a team showing growing resilience, belief, and a flair for the dramatic. With big performances from Driscoll, Abdallah and man-of-the-moment Hope, the Cavaliers are finding their groove at a crucial point in the season.
