After the weekend’s 2-1 loss to Kingston City “all good things must come to an end” is a phrase which will be ringing in the Goulburn Valley Suns’ heads.
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A Cooper Legrand brace sunk the Suns at home, ending a honeymoon start to the National Premier League Two competition where Craig Carley's side pinched nine points from a possible nine.
Carley couldn’t fault his side's effort throughout the 90 minutes, but couldn't help but feel gutted after the defeat
“It's obviously disappointing to come away with nothing from the game, but I can't fault the boys’ work rate,” Carley said.
“Unfortunately our application and quality wasn't quite there on the night, but there are plenty of positives and learning opportunities to take from the game.”
Kingston gained rights to possession early on, setting up camp in the Suns’ half.
Triantafilos Skapetis came close to firing the travellers ahead with a wild shot on goal inside 20 minutes, though to no avail.
In the following passages, Suns winger Willie Sauiluma skewed a volley attempt just over the bar as the scores remained level.
Then, upon the half-hour mark, Shane Dunne entered the conversation.
Picking up the ball from range, the Suns’ skipper rifled a 30-yard rocket past Rani Dowisha to set McEwen Reserve’s stands alight.
Unfortunately for the home crowd, the sensation was fleeting at best.
Kingston broke down the other end seconds after the restart off the back of a gilt-edged Suns chance, with Legrand finishing off a slick counterattack to level the pegging.
The visitors emerged from the sheds hungry and didn’t waste time digging out chances.
What they found was an eventual winner, coming via Legrand in the 56th minute.
Dante Conte’s dangerous cross was met by the Kingston striker, who flicked it around the corner and past Zac McLeod for 2-1.
Though the Suns pushed relentlessly in the last half-hour, Kingston's defence remained stringent to grind out the win.
“I think a few lapses in concentration cost us on both goals. From almost going to 2-0 up and three passes later the ball was in the back of our own net — that's where we need to learn to manage games a little better,” Carley said.
“I thought we were certainly off in the front third and didn't make the most of our chances when they presented, so again, plenty of work to do.”
● In the earlier fixtures, the Suns’ under-19s rallied from behind to enjoy their second win of the season.
Zac Ferlauto and Josh Dimit grabbed goals in the 2-1 victory.
Lastly, the under-21s are glued to the bottom of the ladder after going down 2-0 against Kingston.
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