By Andrew Bishara (@AndrewBishara_)

Two second half goals have earned Goulburn Valley Suns a 2-0 win over Eastern Lions at Gardiners Creek Reserve on Saturday.

Strikes from Naum Sekulovski and Sean Ellis were enough to see the visitors take back-to-back wins, while condemning the Lions to their first loss in four games.

The game kicked off in a frantic pace as both sides wanted to grab the early goal.

Lions' winger Ziggy Razuki had the first chance by breaking into the box and shooting wide two minutes in.

It was then the visitors’ turn when Craig Carley found space outside the box, but scuffed his shot wide.

A one-two between Razuki and Phillip Ajao saw the latter roll the ball across the goal, before Carley saw a free-kick break through the wall but swirled just wide past the post.

The first half then descended into a physical battle as both sides struggled to direct their final balls.

The second half opened with much the same tempo as the first when Ajao put through a lovely ball to the running Mitch Beamish who found himself one-on-one with Suns goalkeeper Phillip Petrovski. But the custodian pulled off a fantastic save with a diving leg.

The breakthrough finally came when Sekulovski picked up the ball in centre and blitzed through the field before taking a wild shot at goal.

The ball took a slight deflection off a Lions defender and bundled past goalkeeper Andrew Lightfoot.

The Lions were rattled by the goal, and almost conceded another when a defensive mix-up saw the ball come to Suns winger Shaun Kane, who just whistled the shot over the bar.

The hosts regain their composure and pushed forward in a bid to equalise, and in turn left it open to the counter.

But it was a set piece that saw the Suns get their second when Ellis whipped in a lovely bouncing 30-yard free kick to catch Lightfoot off his line.

Ajao had the final chance for the Lions when he saw his half volley smash off the crossbar, but it was too late as the Suns took the points.

 

Match details

Eastern Lions FC 0 lost to Goulburn Valley Suns 2 (Naum Sekalovski 56', Sean Ellis 76')

Eastern Lions FC: 1. Andrew LIGHTFOOT, 2. William ELLIS, 3. Matthew PARRY, 4. Chris PAGE, 5 Thomas FALCONER, 6. Andrew WILLIAMS, 7. Ziggy RAZUKI (12. David McKESSY 82’), 8. Mitch BEAMISH (9. Louis RAZUKI 45’), 10. Phil AJAO, 11. Munyaradzi NYADZAYO, 16. Shaun KENNY

Unused Subs: 21. Rob HAVERCROFT, 14. Jordan HORN

Yellow Cards: KENNY 88’

 

Goulburn Valley Suns: 1. Philip PETROVSKI, 3. Greg NASH (18. Justin CIRILLO 53’), 5. Jordan MONTAGNER, 4. Naum SEKALOVSKI, 6. Nikolaos KALAFATIS, 8. Jaime ENGLAND, 19. Sean ELLIS, 11. Shaun KANE (16. Matthew LELLIOT 74’), 12. Firaol LIKASSA (14. Abel FESSEHA 53’), 20. Vani SHAMOON, 9. Craig CARLEY

Unused Subs: 22. Jake KEATING

Yellow Cards: LIKASSA 59’