Gallery ǀ Undermanned Suns handed eighth straight defeat

By James Kleeman

May 16, 2022

Give me an option: Willie Sauiluma looks for a teammate from a throw in. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

The weather was as miserable as the scoreline on Saturday afternoon for the Goulburn Valley Suns, who were dealt a demoralising 6-1 defeat in round nine of the NPL2 season.

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A horror start for the home side more or less set the tone for the remainder of the match at a gloomy McEwen Reserve; Langwarrin left back Jeremy Min Fa carving through the Suns’ defence in just the third minute of play to open the scoring.

A clinical strike from Langy forward Tom Young doubled the visitors’ advantage in the 24th minute, placing his side firmly in the box seat.

The visitors were perhaps fortunate to enter the half with 11 men, after a horror challenge on Suns forward Brandon Giaccherini had the referee showing just a yellow to Langwarrin’s Marcus Holmes.

Shaky starts became a theme for the Suns after a Sean Pye brain-fade minutes into the second half had Langwarrin’s Kieran Dover tap home into an empty net to put his side 3-0 up.

Despite striving for a way back into the game, it went from bad to worse for the men in orange, Langwarrin’s Ryan Paczkowski and Kieran Dover piling on the misery with two quick goals in the 56th and 58th minute.

Youngster Alex Caldow opened his NPL2 account with a 74th minute consolation, his second goal in as many games after netting in the Suns’ Australia Cup defeat midweek.

Stand-in skipper Adam Gatcum, who had a colossal day in defence, was sent for an early shower in the 77th minute after a second yellow-card-able offence.

Shayan Alinejad took advantage of the extra man and made it six of the best for his side in the 86th minute, rounding out the scoring on a tough day at the office for the home side.