Despite a spirited showing on Friday night, Green Gully left Nasiol Stadium with the bitter taste of defeat, going down 3-2 to Hume City in an NPL Victoria thriller.
After netting a stoppage-time equaliser against Dandenong Thunder last week, in-form Englishman Rob Harker once again proved the difference-maker for Hume. His first was a simple tap-in, but his second – which proved to be the winner – was all class. Harker timed his run off the shoulder of the last defender to meet an eye-of-the-needle Josh O’Kane through ball, before firing across a back-pedalling Liam Driscoll and into the far corner, as appeals for offside from the Gully bench were waved away.
The Cavaliers trailed to a powerful Harry Ascroft header in the 17th minute, but continued to create promising opportunities, as Gianluca Iannucci forced a fingertip save from Damon Camilleri on the half-hour mark, before dragging another attempt wide from the edge of the penalty area.
The visitors finally capitalised on their momentum in the 37th minute as Maurice Nugent fed the ball down the line for Aamir Abdallah, whose pinpoint cross from left found the darting front-post run of Adisu Bayew. Bayew’s initial header was repelled by Camilleri, but the 23-year-old remained alert to bury the rebound. The strike was Bayew’s first league goal for the club in six years, following a spell in the A-League with Western United, and a torrid run of injuries upon his return.
However, a goal against the run of play would see the home side retake the lead. Fullback Joseph Forde played a sharp one-two down the inside right channel, and launched a low, diagonal ball across the Gully penalty area. The unfortunate Judd MacDougall was unable to intercept, and the pass fell straight to Harker lurking at the back post, who finished coolly from close range.
Gully showed plenty of grit to level again in first-half stoppage time, as Jalil Regague’s superb header from an Abdallah corner was saved onto the post by Camilleri. The rebound ricocheted straight to Elioan Kifle inside the six-yard box, who was left with an empty net from point-blank range.
Soon after the break, Driscoll came up with an acrobatic save to repel a Mark Ochieng thunderbolt from range, but there was no denying Harker in the 55th minute. Gully continued to push for a third equaliser, coming closest in the 77th minute as substitute Paul Hodges dragged a left-footed effort agonisingly wide of the far post, but the Ajax resistance eventually ran out of steam.
The result means Green Gully remain in eighth spot on the NPL Victoria table, now six points adrift of a spot in the finals. The next month of fixtures, featuring matches against four sides below Gully on the ladder, and a match-up with seventh-placed Dandenong City, will no doubt prove decisive in the chase for the top six.
