By Billy Green

Sunshine George Cross did not hit top gear but still downed Nunawading City 5-3 in PS4 NPL1 action at Mahoney's Reserve on Sunday.

With Sunshine coming off a four-game winning streak, any spectator would have thought them to be the favourites against bottom-of-the-table Nunawading City.

Despite this, they were missing five key senior players and seemed to be lacking any intent from the onset.

On 11 minutes, Ayodeji Omoboye found his way past a few defenders and flicked it back to Jacob Attard, but his casual strike was easily saved by Nuna ‘keeper Keegan Coulter.

Omoboye was the only pressing forward in the opening half for Sunshine, with another strike on 20 minutes pushed marginally wide off the fingers of Coulter.

The hosts were given the freedom to stroll out of their defence each time, with Amara Kromah amongst other forwards for the opposition to not place any pressure on them bringing it out.

At the 30-minute mark, Nuna were rewarded for their efforts.

Emile Damey sent the ball out wide, Stefan Papageorgiou receiving a tap-on and finishing brilliantly from the edge of the area to give them the lead.

The Sunshine supporters would have been expected to see some sort of response from the visitors or increase in intensity, but it never came, and their dispirited efforts continued.

On 42 minutes, Kromah broke through the defence and flicked it onto Anthony Cassar, but again his strike failed to trouble Coulter.

Moments later, Omoboye broke wide and turned in, striking the ball wide and finding the back of the nets to bring the scores level.

The spirits of the team were evident even after this, with only two other players celebrating the goal alongside Omoboye.

Sunshine secured a second goal in the opening minutes of the second half, when a slip-up between the Nuna defenders left Daniel Hutchison out by himself to slot an easy goal.

On 52 minutes a pass back to the Sunshine ‘keeper ended up missing its mark and only marginally drifting wide to avoid an own goal equaliser.

Some impressive play from Felix Dimitrakis at the 58-minute mark resulted in a long-range strike from outside the area, but it floated over the crossbar.

On 60 minutes, Jacob Attard whipped a mid-air strike from long-range, finding the top-right corner of goals and giving them a two-goal buffer.

Late in the match, Damien Rastocic put it beyond doubt with a further goal, followed soon after by Omoboye to take it to a 5-1 lead.

A late surge by Nuna gave them two goals through Spencer Egan-Tanner and Daniel Patterson, but it was not enough with the game finishing 5-3.

Next week, Sunshine George Cross face in-form Moreland Zebras.

MATCH DETAILS

 

Nunawading City 3 (Papageorgiou 30’, Egan-Tanner 86’, Patterson 88’) defeated by Sunshine George Cross 5 (Omoboye 43’ 82’, Hutchinson 49’, Attard 59’, Rastocic 80’) at Mahoney’s Reserve

 

 

 

Nunawading City: 1. Keegan COULTER, 21. Felix DIMITRAKIS, 5. Peter EVANGELAKOS, 31. Dylan FACCI, 11. Daniel PATTERSON, 41. Emile DAMEY, 8. Mincen CUI, 4. Ben-Harvey ROBINSON, 9. David ANTEQUERRA (17. David MOROVIC, 65’), 20. Stefan PAPAGEORGIOU (10. Ivan SKORICH 68’), 33. Jordan SIAMOA (16. Spencer EGAN-TANNER 80’)

 

Unused Sub(s): 22. James LOTERZO

 

Yellow Card(s): Skorich 92’

 

Red Card(s): Nil

 

 

 

Sunshine George Cross: 1. Robert SANTILLI, 2. Eddie CETKIN, 5. Christopher DIB, 17. Jacob ATTARD, 6. Damien RASTOCIC, 8. Daniel HUTCHISON (7. Ryan DRAGOVIC 73’), 11. Anthony CASSAR, 13. Liam O’CONNELL, 15. Amara KROMAH (16. Nathan LIBERTO 67’), 18. Denis DASOUL, 19. Ayodeji OMOBOYE

 

Unused Sub(s): 21. James KAPURANOVSKI, 3. Samuel McCALL, 14. Oner KUCUK

 

Yellow Card(s): Santilli 54’, Cassar 92’

 

Red Card(s): Nil