By Chris Hearn (@_ChrisHearn)

Whittlesea Ranges recorded its fifth victory in a match-of-the-season contending 4-3 win over Richmond on Friday night.



Tomislav Trbuhovic was the hero at the death for the hosts, heading home a winner after his side had surrendered a 3-1 lead early in the second half when two successfully converted Tom Cahill penalties set up a grandstand finish.

The Ranges started the match in typical youthful fashion - direct, brave, but perhaps a touch naive - something that has affected them adversely throughout this campaign.



Before the home support knew it, Girolamo Constanza and Kliment Dimitrieski fired them 2-0 ahead within 14 minutes.

A diagonal ball landed at Costanza's feet, and his next two touches were sublime; the first to lay it into his path, the second to dispatch it easily past Edward Chadwick.

The goal looked to unsettle the visitors, and a turnover in defence left the right wing exposed.

Costanza clipped a simple ball through to Dimitrieski, who jinked inside and struck with the outside of his boot to make it 2-0.

Cahill's form this season has been fantastic, although he wasted a great chance 10 minutes before the interval for Richmond.

Hamlet Armenian broke into space and was fed by the striker, only to receive the ball back after some great hold-up play.

Cahill fired into the body of Ranges goalkeeper Dianoush Rasouladzeh-Syenan, who came off his line quickly.

Richmond received reward for the enterprising play that was previously lacking, as Ryan Oppermann fired emphatically through a sea of bodies and into the roof of the net to give his side a lifeline.

After the interval it was Whittlesea which seized the initiative, only to hand it straight back as it incomprehensibly conceded three penalties in quick succession.

Ranges defender Daniel Sotiropoulos put the hosts 3-1 ahead with a brilliantly placed header, before Cahill answered back after Dimitrieski made a striker's tackle in his own area.

John Reale repeated the error as his foul led to a second penalty, and goal, to Richmond and Cahill.

The Ranges would concede a third penalty in quick succession two minutes later, this time in truly needless fashion.

Rasoulzaden-Syesan looked to make a needless bump running harmlessly out of play.

The shot-stopper was true to his name on this occasion and subsequently atoned for his error as Cahill went right yet again, to keep the scores locked at 3-3.

With three minutes to play, Trbuhovic became the hero when he headed home from six yards out.

He leapt highest from a Costanza cross to head emphatically past Chadwick.

Richmond coach Rick Mensink was disappointed with his side's profligacy in front of goal.

"We had enough chances to win two football matches," Mensink said.

"We lacked the level of concentration required at this level of football to maintain a pattern of play to sustain a result.

"I can't believe what I've witnessed, we played good football and scored three goals away from home and we go home empty handed."

Ranges coach Vinko Buljubasic praised his side's attacking intent.

"I thought out four goals were class. Ball movement, player movement was excellent to watch," Buljubasic said.

"We just want to finish off as high up the table as possible and we go from there."

Match Details

Whittlesea Ranges 4 (Costanza 8, Dimitrieski 14', Sotiropoulos 47', Trbuhovic 87') def. Richmond 3 (Opperman 40', Cahill 50' pen. 53' pen.) at Whittlesea Stadium [HT 2-1]

Whittlesea Ranges: 2. Dianoush RASOULZADEN-SYESAN (GK), 6 Andrew TAYLOR, 23. Daniel SOTIROPOULOS (C), 15 John REALE, 12. Tomislav TRBUHOVIC, 9 Kliment DIMITRIESKI (19. Damien SILJKANOVSKI 90'), 24 Rami MUSTAFOSKI, 25. Daniel GIOGHA (13. Adem MUSTADANAGIC 78'), 17. Girolamo COSTANZA, 16. Mile RISTOV

Unused subs: 3. Burkan YURDAKUL, 27. Jarrod HILL, 20. Christopher STOJCEVSKI

Yellow cards: 17. Girolamo Costanza 17', 25. Daniel Giogha 45+2', 2. Dianoush Rasoulzaden-Syesan 60'



Red cards: None

Richmond SC: 1. Edward CHADWICK (GK), 5. Rylan SADLER, 4. Mitchell BISSINGER, 6. Vincent BONTEMPS, 11. Liam FLYNN, 7. Hamlet ARMENIAN, 8. Joshua KNIGHT (17. Alex TABOR 78'), 16. Gideon SWEET (10. Tim PURCELL 78'), 15. Sam SHEPHERD, 12. Ryan OPPERMANN, 9. Tom CAHILL

Unused subs: 2. Andrew GOFF, 14. Daniel MILBORROW, 20. Christian ROSSI

Yellow cards: 5. Rylan Sadler 44', 9. Tom Cahill 53'



Red cards: None

Image credit: Graeme Furlong