Gully Undone by Oakleigh's Late Brilliance at Jack Edwards Reserve
On nights like these, the line between joy and despair can be as thin as the woodwork, as narrow as a fingertip save, or as unexpected as a flash of brilliance. For Green Gully, their Friday night clash at Jack Edwards Reserve against Oakleigh Cannons had all three, but ultimately ended in a tough-to-swallow 3-1 defeat.
The first half set the tone for an end-to-end spectacle. Oakleigh began brightly, with Asad Kasumovic firing just wide early on. He wouldn’t need a second invitation, though.
On 20 minutes, though, former Gully forward Alex Salmon’s clever dummy left the ball for Kasumovic, who slotted calmly past Liam Driscoll for 1-0.
Gully rallied immediately and nearly levelled minutes later through Joshua Hope, but Oakleigh’s Jordan Hall produced a heroic clearance off the line. Before the break, both Gianluca Iannucci and Aamir Abdallah came agonisingly close, striking woodwork and forcing fine saves from Cannons keeper Nicholas Feely.
Into the second half, Gully’s persistence finally paid dividends. With just under twenty minutes to play, Deklan Wynne whipped in a precise free-kick, and Hope rose highest, powering home a header to pull the scores level.
At 1-1, it felt like momentum was shifting Gully’s way.
But Oakleigh, known for their resilience, responded almost immediately through a moment of sheer inspiration. Joe Guest, seizing the initiative, produced an audacious chipped effort from outside the box that floated delicately into the net – arguably a goal-of-the-season contender that left Driscoll helpless.
Still pushing forward, Gully saw Jalil Regague embark on a barnstorming run, forcing Feely into another sharp save. But Oakleigh sealed the contest four minutes after Cameron Mcgilp unleashed a stunning long-range strike into the top corner, ending Gully’s resistance once and for all.
Despite a spirited performance, the Cavaliers left empty-handed – another reminder of football’s ruthless edge. With Oakleigh clinical and Gully unfortunate, this was a night when fine margins made all the difference.
