Callum Schorah scored a brace — including a 30-yard rocket — as GV Suns defeated Nunawading City on Saturday night.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Buckets of goals served up from afar were on the menu at McEwen Reserve on Saturday night.
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Goulburn Valley Suns rallied from 1-0 down against Nunawading City to keep their perfect home record intact in the Victorian Premier League Two, rolling off the park 3-1 victors.
And, while the result was savoury, the goals had the home fans salivating.
Cailyn Trask’s 35-yard bomb to level the match was capped by a delightful double from Callum Schorah, both taken with the kind of aplomb expected from the reigning VPL2 Player of the Season.
Coach Craig Carley was glad to emerge with three points, but admitted the first half left a bit to be desired against bottom side Nunawading.
GV Suns' Israel Monga tangos with Nunawading City's Denis Daluri.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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GV Suns' Mangara Munguakonkha eyes up some real estate to run into.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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GV Suns' Cailyn Trask spins around Nunawading City's Luca Slavica.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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GV Suns' Liam Kielty marshals the side forward out of the back line.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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GV Suns' Laywi Niyonkuru whips a ball in off the left peg.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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GV Suns' Danny Edwards contests with Nunawading City's Nicholas Apostolopoulos.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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GV Suns’ Ashton Bonsall dives to stop a chance for Nunawading City's Alexander Dimitriou.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“The football wasn’t bad; Nuna are a better side than what the league table represents and have always played a brilliant brand of football,” he said.
“I think we failed to adapt to that a little bit, maybe we were taking them for granted — I don’t know.
“We had plenty of chances in the first half and probably weren’t clinical enough and they made us pay right before half-time.”
Chances came and went for both sides throughout the opening half hour, including a Mangara Munguakonkha strike which bobbled off the post, followed by Nunawading squandering a close range volley that flew over the bar.
But as the half-time whistle beckoned, City pounced.
In a carbon copy opportunity to the earlier scuppered chance, Luca Slavica drilled home a rebound to lead his side into the sheds a goal to the good.
“We weren’t playing bad, but we weren’t being ruthless or clinical enough and that intensity and desire to have the ball wasn’t quite there,” Carley said about the half-time address.
“We addressed that at half-time and we told the boys if things don’t change we’ll make the subs within five minutes, which is what we did.
“The course of the game swung, we started playing on the front foot and scored the three goals, so (I’m) really happy with that.”
A rare quadruple substitution shortly after the restart swung the tide in the Suns’ favour, but it took until later on for the impact to be felt on the scoresheet.
Right back Trask picked up the ball in the centre of the park, well out from goal, and unleashed a swerving arrow that slung into the net, wrong-footing Nunawading’s goalkeeper.
And when the clock ticked closer to full-time, one man decided to chime in: Schorah by name, scorer by nature.
The dynamic number 10 belted a low drive from 30 yards into the bottom-right corner, following it up in added time with a well-taken effort on the swivel after being fed inside the box by Munguakonkha.
Most of the substitutes were involved in the Suns’ sealer, warranting Carley’s decision to double down and go for the win.
“We want to make the home ground a fortress and we’ve done that so far with three wins out of three, but I felt we were really brave as a coaching staff as well to change things up, change formation and go for the three points,” he said.
“Ultimately, the boys who came on changed the game and we came away with the three points from three brilliant goals.
“I’m obviously really happy with where we’re at; we know we should probably have a few more points on the board, but that’s football and it probably evens itself out over the course of the season.”
The Suns’ next league fixture shapes as an away day against Pascoe Vale, but before then the Orangemen suit up for cup action.
On Tuesday night, Carley’s outfit treks to Waratah Reserve to meet Boroondara Eagles (12th in VPL2) in the third preliminary round of the Australia Cup.
