GV Suns' Brandon Giaccherini and Whittlesea's Dinesh Rajbanshi collide in mid-air.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
If there was ever a way to fail a task successfully, Goulburn Valley Suns have done it.
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The Orangemen entered the Victorian Premier League Two final round in fourth, with a win ensuring their spot, a draw solidifying a top-six play off position, and a loss potentially placing that dream in major jeopardy.
Facing 10th placed Whittlesea United at McEwen Reserve, the Suns lost 2-1.
But in a twist of fate that only sport can provide, shock results elsewhere decided the Suns’ fate for them and granted Craig Carley’s side sixth place by the skin of their teeth.
“It’s a bit of a weird one really; obviously we wanted to lock in that finals position, so objective one completed,” Carley said.
“But in terms of the game, I thought we were a little bit lethargic if I’m being brutally honest.
“We came up against a Whittlesea United team that were fighting for their lives and certainly outworked and out-battled us.
“I don’t particularly think their quality was any better than us, I just thought we were a little bit off on the day.
“It’s probably a good reality check for the boys going into finals now - if we lack off on that work rate, effort and desire, we’ll get found out by any team.”
The first moment of the match perhaps showed foresight for what was to come.
Suns’ winger Mangara Munguakonkha spooned a one-on-one opportunity inside the first minute, and Whittlesea went on to make the hosts pay as Marcus Day dispatched his side’s first from a cross.
Brandon Giachherini restored parity for the Suns just before the half hour, completing a counter-attack by latching onto Sean Grant’s pass and smashing it into the roof of the net.
Whittlesea, however, clearly had a strategy.
The visitors scored their second goal from the same method as the first, whipping a cross into the box that Attila Ofli nodded home in the 68th minute.
“We spoke about the importance of them from set pieces and dead balls and they’ve punished us twice from that, making the first contact in the box,” Carley said.
“It’s something that’s sort of been our Achilles heel all season, and we know if we’re going on and get promoted, we need to sharpen up in those areas.”
The Suns will have two weeks to hone their defensive acumen before a showdown with Brunswick Juventus, away at CB Smith Reserve on September 6.
Juventus bested the Suns 2-1 earlier in the season, but Carley’s side fired back at home, thrashing the Zebras 3-0 in a match that the Orangemen will draw confidence from.
“I thought in the game against them a couple of weeks at home, we absolutely annihilated them if I’m being brutally honest,” Carley said.
“Obviously it’s an away fixture, but we know who their threats are and if we can nullify them early, it gives us a really good chance to make the grand final and have a good crack at promotion play off.”
The equation is simpler this time around.
Lose, and the season’s over.
Win, and the Suns have one foot in the door to promotion glory.
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