By Bill Molloy (@Bill_Molloy94)

A Jake Nakic hat-trick has powered Pascoe Vale to a 3-2 win away to Green Gully in the final round of the NPL 2014 season.

Nakic scored his first goal within two minutes, effortlessly breaking through the Green Gully defence before burying the ball into the back of Kieran Gonzalez’s net.

He had a chance to double the visitors’ lead - and his own tally - after 10 minutes, but his shot in the box was fired well over the bar.

Green Gully was able to equalise through a magnificent strike from midfielder Jeffrey Fleming, who fired the ball from well outside the box and just inside the near post.

A minute later the hosts had found the lead through Osagie Ederaro, continuing his fine form up to the last week of the season. The cross came from the right side as Ederaro coolly placed the ball in the bottom corner with his volley.

Green Gully’s quickfire double meant it went into the break with the advantage, but the second half started in near identical fashion to the first as Nakic found his second goal in the second minute of the half.

Nakic netted his third and ultimately decisive goal 10 minutes later as he avoided the offside trap to find space behind the Cavaliers’ defence, before lobbing over the onrushing Gonzalez.

Green Gully coach Slobode Stojcevski was disappointed with the complacency from his side, particularly in the second half.

“To give away cheap goals just cost us in the end. Pretty disappointing in key moments of the game,” Stojcevski said.

Green Gully had already avoided relegation prior to this fixture, but Stojcevski said the team still had something to play for.

“There’s something riding on every single game, be it personal pride or this club’s pride...there’s always something that’s on the table,” he said.

Pascoe Vale coach Vitale Ferrante was pleased to see the season end on a high note, particularly in the attacking third.

“It was good to get three goals, we haven’t done that for a while. I just liked how we played, the boys were a bit more carefree and we played football,” Ferrante said.

Before half-time, Eli Luttmer was forced off with an injury. Ferrante feared that the midfielder may have broken his wrist.

“He’s pretty confident that he’s broken his wrist...it’s tragic for him, he’s got himself back in the team and to go out breaking his arm is sad for him because he’s had to do it the hard way,” he said.

MATCH DETAILS

GREEN GULLY 2 (Fleming, 31’, Ederaro 32’) lost to PASCOE VALE 3 (Nakic, 2’ 47’ 57’)

Green Gully: 1. Kieran Gonzalez 4. Matthew Reid 5. Rodrigo Vargas 6. Stephen Downes 7. Jeffrey Fleming 9. Brent Fisher (8. Jason Hayne 66’) 10. Ratip Cileli (22. Habib Fleifel 88’) 12. Mathew Sanders 16. Thomas Deng 19. Peter Deng 20. Osagie Ederaro

Unused subs: 23. Christopher Ailakis 11. Jem Berkant 21. Adam Petko

Yellow cards: Fleming (49’), Reid (91’), Ederaro (91’)

Red cards: None

Pascoe Vale: 1. Stefaan Sardelic 2. Adrian Talarico 3. Nathen Megic 4. Tomislav Milardovic 8. Joseph Youssef 9. Jake Nakic 12. Eli Luttmer (20. Ali Eyigun 45’) 13. Matthew Lazarides (18. Daniel Hutchison 86’) 15. Mark Pistininzi (6. Lindsay Henderson 75’) 21. Michael Ferrante 22. Carl Recchia

Unused subs: 27. Yaren Sozer

Yellow cards: Milardovic (91’), Youssef (91’)

Red cards: None