SEASON APPROACHES CRUCIAL JUNCTURE AS GULLY WELCOMES OAKLEIGH CANNONS
A new coach, and another weekend of ‘what-ifs’ for the boys in green and white.
With club legend Andy Vargas taking over in the technical area, Green Gully looked impressive for half an hour against Preston Lions, generating a great chance on the counter through Kur Kur and having a strong shout for a penalty turned down.
Then Tom Woerndl received his marching orders for bringing down Lleyton Brooks in the area, and the game flipped in Preston’s favour. Four goals later without reply, the Gully boys must dust themselves off, swallow their disappointment, and brace themselves for another tough test at home.
Second-placed Oakleigh Cannons travel to Keilor Downs on Friday night in fine form, winning four of their last five games, and netting 13 goals in the process. While a win over an almost unrecognisable South Melbourne B team failed to garner Chris Taylor’s men much credit, their last outing against Bentleigh was a walkover at Jack Edwards Reserve.
Reigning Gold Medallist Joe Guest’s inswinging corners from the right undid a Bentleigh backline that had conceded just seven times in the first nine rounds, as defenders Brodie Boyce and Jordon Hall both converted to put the Cannons 2-0 up inside 13 minutes. Lebib Lebib added another before halftime, after in-form winger Liston Diaz somehow squirmed his way past two defenders on the byline, and Adem Duratovic – deputising for the injured Alex Salmon – converted a neat finish on the turn to complete the rout just after the break.
Oakleigh is likely to miss Salmon again this week, after the star striker came off injured against South Melbourne at Lakeside. However, livewire winger Joe Knowles returned from a year-long absence from an ACL tear against Sydenham Park in the Dockerty Cup on Tuesday night, and his presence bolsters an already impressive Cannons frontline.
Oakleigh will have miles on the legs after their midweek efforts, as they trailed 1-0 to the State League One side, before a late Diaz equaliser sent the game into extra time. Oakleigh’s quality eventually told in the extra half hour, as goals from Jacob Tratt, Duratovic and Guest turned a nailbiter into a convincing victory.
Gully will have to make the most of any Oakleigh fatigue off the three-day turnaround, and keep the pace high. Woerndl’s suspension leaves a hole at left back, with Jalil Regague the most capable of filling in. Andy Vargas shifted to a 5-man backline after the red card on Friday night, with Judd MacDougall coming on for Bilal Habib, and Kur Kur moving to wingback. How he sets up his defence with 11 men could prove decisive.
Despite a tough first 10 rounds, Gully are still only seven points adrift of safety. If they can extend the energy and toughness they showed in the first 30 min of Vargas’ debut in the dugout to a full 90, they’ll give themselves every chance of survival.
We need the Gully family behind us now. Get down on Friday night for a 7:30pm kickoff, and cheer the boys on!
