Hume prevails over Warriors in seven goal thriller
By Tonci Prusac (@tonciprusac)
Hume City has run out winners over North Geelong Warriors with the last kick of the game in a seven goal thriller at ABD Stadium on Saturday night.
Petar Franjic’s 95th minute effort from a mad goalmouth scramble sent the home crowd into a wild frenzy, after North captain Matt Townley had seemingly earnt his newly promoted team a deserved draw, equalising via a penalty just 60 seconds earlier.
Diminutive attacker Rob Zadworny gave the visitors an unlikely lead in the 19th minute, before Shane Rexhepi equalised in the 42nd, to send both teams into the sheds locked at 1-1.
It was the second half, however, that managed to provide the reasonably large crowd an unforgetable feast of Saturday night live entertainment.
Within minutes of the restart, the home side was 2-1 up after a brilliant protruding run by the tireless Calvin Mbarga before Jai Ingham finished.
The large band of travelling Warriors supporters have to didn’t wait long for the equaliser as Zadworny scored his second for the night, and his fifth this season, with a perfectly placed header in the 56th minute.
With just 12 minutes of regulation time left, man of the match Ingham once again etched his name on the scoresheet, following another brilliant run and through pass by Mbarga, putting the home side 3-2 up.
As the contest entered stoppage time, a large section of fans started leaving in droves, in an attempt to beat the traffic. Many will surely regret they did, for what was to happen could only be described as sensational.
In the 94th minute, Townley’s long ball from defence caught the Hume defenders napping and Zadworny found himself in a one-on-one with Hume ‘keeper Oldfield.
As a result of the clash that followed, the Hume custodian brought down the North livewire, conceded a penalty and earnt himself a yellow card in the process.
Townley stepped up and duly converted the spot kick to send the travelling support into a delirious state.
With the game seemingly headed for a draw, the home side had other ideas.
Right from the kick-off, Hume’s attackers surged forward and in a mad goal mouth scramble that ensued, Petar Franjic managed to send the ball through the crowded penalty area into the back of the net, silencing the travelling support and sending the home support into a wild and frenzied victory celebration.
MATCH RESULTS:
Hume City 4 (Rexhepi 42’, Ingham 48’, 78’, P. Franjic 90+5’) defeated North Geelong 3 (Zadworny19’, 56’, Townley 90+4’) at ABD Stadium
Hume City: 1 Chris OLDFIELD, 17 Marcus SHROEN (19 Sam BENINATO 90’), 10 Joe FRANJIC, 7 Jai INGHAM, 39 Nick HEGARTY, 4 Isyan ERDOGAN, 11 Ivan PAVLAK, 2 Dean TOMESKI (16 Matty HENNESSY 79’), 8 Calvin MBARGA (14 Aaron TURNER 90+1’), 5 Petar FRANJIC, 13 Shane REXHEPI
Subs Not Used: 9 Deang AGUEK, 20 Tom BANFIELD
Yellow Card: Erdogan 11’, P Franjic 29’, Oldfield 90’.
Red Card: None
North Geelong: 1 Daniel ZILIC, 2 Darren LEWIS, 3 Matt TOWNLEY, 99 Nathan LONG (9 Tomo TRBUHOVIC 84’), 6 Josh PUGH (17 Nicholas JURCIC), 8 Vito CICHELLO, 16 Michael GRGIC, 7 Reardo LUKA (4 Nikola JURKOVIC 80’), 23 Michael ANDERSON, 10 Rob ZADWORNY, 11 Juso JULARDZIJA
Subs Not Used: 21 Matija DRAGOVIC, 31 Antonio BARESIC
Yellow Cards: Pugh 45’, M. Anderson 42’
Red Cards: None
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