A brace from Curtis Hughes proved the difference as the GV Suns returned to winning ways in consummate style with victory over Nunawading City.
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Spectators gathered at John McEwen reserve were treated to an assured display from the home side, as they avenged two straight defeats in the best possible way with what proved to be a statement performance.
Following recent losses against Keilor Park and the Eastern Lions - which saw the Suns’ backline leak seven goals in total - the emphasis was clearly placed on ensuring defensive stability against Nunawading.
Coming into the clash, the Suns’ opponents had gone four games without defeat, meaning the Melburnians arrived in Shepparton sat one place above their rivals in the VPL Men 2 standings.
With a point to prove after a recent downturn in fortunes, the Suns’ charges appeared resolute in their desire to arrest the potential slide down the table.
Continuing his purple patch in front of goal, attacker Hughes demonstrated his keen eye for an opportunity, arriving in the box to convert from close range in the 18th minute.
A piece of trickery from Danny Edwards down the left-wing created the opening, as his pace and ingenuity with the ball at his feet left the opposition defenders stupefied before Hughes finished off the move in what proved to be a seminal moment in proceedings.
From there, the Suns gained a stranglehold in the top-of-the-table battle and it wasn’t long before they were able to test the resolve of the visitors from Forest Hill again.
Not content with having fired his side into an early lead, Hughes was on hand once more to seal a brace in the 31st minute.
This time, he sat down an opposition defender before slotting his second strike of the day past the flailing Nunawading goalkeeper to fire his side into what proved to be an unassailable lead before the first-half was out.
When his team returned to the locker room at the interval, Suns head coach Craig Carley was eager to ensure that they remained focused on maintaining their two-goal advantage against what he had previously described as the ‘best footballing side in the league’.
The tactician’s game management ultimately paid dividends as they Suns were able to resist any fightback from the visitors.
The GV boss reflected on the hard-fought victory, making sure to extend praise to both the players who started the game and those who contributed from the bench during the second half.
“I thought the performance was fantastic,” he said.
“Not only the boys who started the game but also those who came off the bench.”
Turning to substitutes Elijah Brooker, Callum Horsman, Zachary Balaburov, Laywi Niyonkuru and Mohammed Al-Gazaly to see out the result, Carley was not left disappointed as they helped to ensure a clean sheet.
“We asked the boys to play with intensity and controlled aggression as well, as we knew that Nunawading are probably the best footballing side in the league and they were always going to stick to their philosophy,” he said.
“I think we proved that we can beat a team as good as them by playing their brand of football.
“That was the most pleasing thing for me, this game has raised the bar again - every milestone we set for the players they’re reaching that potential.“
“For us it’s always about maintaining those top couple of positions and getting that consistency within our games.“
Singling out goalscorer Hughes for praise, Carley waxed lyrical about the forward’s energetic display.
“He’s one of the best finishers I’ve seen at this level, the work rate he gives us off the ball is very underrated,” he said.
“Obviously there was the brilliance from Danny down the line but 20 seconds before that Curtis had pressed the defender and run 40 or 50 yards to close down the defender.”
Following on from this latest league victory, the Suns will now turn their attentions to the Australia Cup with a trip to face Green Gully in the offing next weekend.