BY ANDREW BISHARA

 

A Lucas Johns hat-trick saw Box Hill United take a 3-2 win over Nunawading City on Saturday at Wembley Park.

The winger's three goals was enough to cancel out tough City side, who came back from two goals down thanks to strikes from Emile Damey and David Moronic.

United had the first chance of the game when Sebastian Barrero took a close-ranged shot that City goalkeeper Keegan Coulter punched away.

But the ball luckily bounced to Alex Schroen, but with an open goal skied the ball over. 

Nunawading pressed high up the pitch and were punished by a swift United counter attack.

A long ball from deep caught Schroen on the wing, who bolted down the line and pinpointed a low cross for Johns to bury in the goal.

City's best chance came when Emile Damey scoop up a poor back pass, rounded United goalkeeper Christian Pavlidis, but struck his shot into the side netting.

Johns then doubled United's lead when he found himself alone in the box and calmly rolled the ball into the net.

Nunawading put itself back in the contention on the stroke of half time when Stefan Papageorgiou whipped in a ball to Damey who tucked the goal away.

The second half started with United pushing to extend its lead and were unlucky not to, when Caleb Ludlum saw his rolling shot bounce off the post.

City then stunned the United crowd when it drew level in controversial circumstances.

A low ball from Damey saw Daniel Patterson blast a shot that cracked off the crossbar, before Moronic headed the rebound and saw it hit the crossbar again, and bounce off the line. 

The linesman adjudged it to have gone over, so the goal counted.

The game then became locked in midfield as both teams struggled to play some clean possession.

The defying moment came with 10 minutes to go when Johns was adjudged to have been brought down in the box.

He stepped up and duly converted the penalty, completing his hat trick.

 

It proved the final bit of action as United took the points.

MATCH DETAILS

Box Hill United 3 (Lucas Johns 21, 40, 81’Pen) defeated Nunawading City 2 (Emile Damey 45’, David Moronic 69’)

Box Hill United: 35. Christian PAVLIDIS (GK) (1. Alex CONNELL 46’), 25. Michael GODFREY, 18. Joey CALDERONE, 16. Jack GOW, 17. Aaron PORCARO, 15. Chris PAGE (9. Chris GFILS 65’), 5. Alex SCHROEN (7. Patrick THIAKANE 65’), 8. Caleb LUDLOW, 11. Sebastian BARRERO, 14. Lucas JOHNS, 24. Shaun PETERSON

Unused Subs: 6. Luca PRESUTTI, 19. Michael KARIUKI

Nunawading City: 1. Keegan COULTER (GK), 21. Felix DIMITRAKIS, 41. Emile DAMEY, 31. Dylan FACCI, 11. Daniel PATTERSON, 31. Dylan FACCI (27. Adrian MANCINI 87’), 17. David MORONIC (44. Samuel ANTONIADIS 74’), 4. Ben-Harvey ROBINSON(5. Peter EVANGELAKOS 66’), 9. David ANTEQUERRA, 33. Jordan SIAMOA, 20. Stefan PAPAGEORGIOU, 16. Spencer EGAN-TANNER

Unused Subs: 22. James LOTERZO