Late Cavalier Surge Stuns Thunder at Green Gully Reserve
There are nights in football when it seems the script is already written. Then there are nights like Friday at Green Gully Reserve – wild, unpredictable, and leaving you short of breath.
The Cavaliers produced an inspired late comeback, turning defeat into triumph as they overcame Dandenong Thunder 3-1 in a pulsating NPL Victoria encounter.
The first half was cagey, a tense affair with flashes of attacking brilliance from both sides.
Thunder’s Yuki Ushida threatened early, forcing Liam Driscoll into action with some crucial saves. At the other end, Kasper Hallam found himself face-to-face with the imperious Jamie Young, whose veteran reflexes kept Gully at bay.
At halftime, the match remained scoreless, a contest simmering on a knife edge.
But just twelve minutes after the restart, the visitors struck. Hassan Jalloh scrambled home from a corner, silencing the home fans and handing Dandenong Thunder a crucial advantage.
It felt, momentarily, like another frustrating night for Gully.
When Aamir Abdallah was brought down in the Thunder box around the 67th minute, it seemed redemption beckoned.
Abdallah took responsibility from the spot but was brilliantly denied by Young, whose acrobatics epitomised his standout performance.
As the clock wound down, tension filled every corner of the Reserve. Gully needed inspiration, and it arrived in the unlikely figure of Deklan Wynne. With eleven minutes remaining, Wynne’s shot from outside the area nestled into the net, reigniting the home crowd and breathing fresh belief into the Cavaliers.
With momentum now shifting firmly in their favour, Gully poured forward. In the 85th minute, Matthew Crooks powered home a dramatic diving header from Gianluca Iannucci’s pinpoint cross, setting off scenes of wild celebration.
Crooks saw yellow for the shirtless celebration – an act more of passion than defiance.
With Thunder pushing desperately forward, Gully delivered the knockout blow deep into stoppage time.
A swift counterattack culminated in Adisu Bayew’s clever flick releasing Elioan Kifle, who coolly slotted past Young to seal an emotional, hard-fought 3-1 victory.
The final whistle brought jubilation and relief in equal measure.
This was a night that Green Gully fans will remember fondly as a testament to resilience, spirit, and the pure, unpredictable joy of football.
