Gully win over Avondale ends six-game losing streak
By MARISSA LORDANIC (@maridanic_)
Photo MARK AVELLINO
A dream debut for Liam Boland has seen Green Gully snap a six-game losing streak, defeating local rivals Avondale FC 4-1 at Avondale Heights Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
A hat trick to Boland - in his first game for Gully - as well as an Alon Blumgart goal secured the three points for the visitors, with Zoran Pajic’s 74th minute goal for Avondale nothing more than a consolation.
Gully entered the match off of six consecutive losses and got off to the best start possible by scoring 41 seconds into the match.
Boland received the ball from a set piece, just after kick off, and his strike from outside the box left Avondale’s Frazer Siddall with no chance.
An open and free flowing contest ensued with both sides having plenty of opportunities; Gully looked the more urgent of the two teams.
Boland was in everything for Gully and had two opportunities to score a second – his first shot being saved by the Avondale keeper and his second floating over the crossbar.
The home side almost equalised just before the break. The corner from Burakhan Koca found Michele Crazia with his glancing header just hitting the cross bar.
Green Gully began the second half much like it did the first with a goal in the opening three minutes.
A goal mouth scramble saw multiple players from both sides fighting to get to the ball. In the end Liam Boland was able to toe poke past Siddal for his second of the afternoon.
The visitors looked likely to add to their tally, and they did through Boland. He secured his hat trick in the 53rd minute after Siddall was caught off his line.
Jem Berkant’s initial shot was cleared by an Avondale defender but the hosts were unable to stop Boland’s follow up strike.
With just over 15 minutes remaining, Avondale pegged one back through Zoran Pajic. He was unmarked in the box and able to tap in the square ball across the face of goal.
But any hopes of a comeback were quashed with Alon Blumgart’s strike in the 88th minute. After finding space on the left hand side, the ball was cut back centrally. Blumgart then unleashed his shot from well outside the box, past Siddall.
MATCH DETAILS
Avondale FC 1 (Pajic 74’) defeated by Green Gully 4 (Boland 1’, 48’, 53’, Blumgart 88’) at Avondale Heights Reserve, Avondale Heights
Avondale: 20. Frazer Siddall, 4. Chris Irwin (23. Daniel Slovacek 65’), 5. Jeffrey Fleming, 9. Alex Khrapko, 10. Burakhan Koca (8. Simon Tolli 65’), 13. Michele Crazia, 15. Zoran Pajic, 16. Jungho Kim (6. Anthony Strano 46’), 18. Jonathan Munoz, 19. Jason Principato, 31. Omar Ammache,
Unused Sub(s): 1. Mark Spiteri, 24. Adam Hodor
Yellow Card(s): Munoz 67’
Red Card(s): None
Green Gully: 23. Rani Dowisha, 4. Daniel Jones, 5. Rodrigo Vargas, 6. Jem Berkant, 7. Liam Scott (8. Tomas Murphy 24’, 11. Matthew Breeze, 13. Omar Abdigafar (3. Aaron Cohen 77’), 14. Amadu Koroma, 17. Alon Blumgart 20. Hakeem Aloraibi, 38. Liam Boland (10. Rinor Muriqi 54’)
Unused Subs: 1. Sebastian Mattei, 2. Matthew Reid
Yellow Cards: Jones 36’, Murphy 57’
Red Cards: None
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