Werribee City found that out the hard way on Saturday as Sean Grant’s late winner sealed a 2-1 victory for Goulburn Valley Suns in the Victorian Premier League Two, taking all of the sting out of the game against the hosting Bees.
In a chance-heavy contest that favoured the Suns, it took a bit of magic from super-sub Grant to push the Suns to three points and into fourth spot with one round remaining.
The Scotsman latched onto Callum Schorah’s clever cross in the 82nd minute, flinging a toe at the ball and looping it into the back of the net to rapturous celebration.
Snatching points late has been a facet of the Suns’ game this season, and coach Craig Carley said his firepower off the bench has been a large part of that.
“I think we’ve got boys that can turn a game on its head at the flip of a coin,” he said.
“To have those game-changing players is a brilliant attribute for us, but also the never-say-die attitude from the group and the camaraderie and culture within drives a lot of that too.
“That’s a testament to the boys and their attitude, and I can’t fault any one of them throughout the whole season.”
The game was a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.
Carley’s side was in high spirits one minute in when a penalty was awarded their way, but the mood instantly hurtled back down to earth when Laywi Niyonkuru’s strike blazed over the bar.
His effort left plenty to be desired.
But what came a quarter of an hour later was cold, rolled, gold.
Suns’ midfielder Matt Lelliott split Werribee’s defence with a single pass, picking the lock with a centimetre-perfect through ball that Brandon Giaccherini dispatched with a first-time finish.
In the 10 minutes succeeding the break, Werribee had a goal disallowed while the Suns hit the crossbar, then with 17 to play, the hosts equalised when a cross into the box wasn’t dealt with.
There was one benefit that came with such a scourging blow: time remained.
And sure enough, Grant’s late act proved to be the winner - and though the final stages weren’t without their nerves, the Suns now have a hand clasped on a play off spot ahead of the final round fixture with Whittlesea United.
“I was really pleased with the boys and the performance; we created plenty of chances and probably should’ve been home and dry by half time,” Carley said.
“We had four or five really good opportunities in the first 20 minutes to put ourselves in a commanding position, but I’m delighted to come away with the points.
“The way the boys are playing; it was a very good attacking game for us in terms of creating — I think we had 18 chances — and the fluidity and movement between the front five players was phenomenal on the day.
“Against another team, we take them to the cleaners there.”
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