The GV Suns’ Callum Schorah (left) and Danny Edwards (right) worked hard en route to a point at Altona.
Photo by
Lynne Weir
Goulburn Valley Suns maintained their long-running unbeaten streak in the Victorian Premier League 2 (VPL 2) despite a late equaliser away at Altona City, meaning they had to settle for a share of the points in round 16.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Coming into the clash at HC Kim Reserve, the Shepparton side was presented with the chance to close the gap on ladder leaders Malvern City after the title frontrunners slipped to a second successive defeat.
The pacesetter lost to Whittlesea United on the eve of the Suns’ 200km trip down to Melbourne to blow the title chase wide open with five points separating the top two at the start of play at Altona.
An uneventful first half ensued in a war of attrition against the Roos, as the visitors waited patiently for an opportunity to break the deadlock in the fight for the spoils.
With the clash goalless heading into half-time, Suns head coach Craig Carley provided some words of wisdom for his troops ahead of what promised to be a seminal 45 minutes in the all-conquering side’s campaign.
Eventually, persistence paid off as Curtis Hughes converted a sumptuous assist from dangerman winger Danny Edwards, with the English pair combining to fire the boys from the Goulburn Valley into a one-goal lead.
The GV Suns' Mangara Munguakonkhwa closes in on the Altona City goal in the stalemate.
Photo by
Lynne Weir
Having bobbed and weaved his way down the left-hand side of Altona’s backline, Edwards selflessly slipped in countryman Edwards, who deftly slotted the ball past Alyn Cristea with a typically smart finish.
From there, the Suns introduced Christian Ntambwe and Elijah Brooker from the bench as coach Carley looked to see out victory down in the state capital.
However, with the opposition having brought on four substitutes in the closing stages, the brinkmanship of Roos coach Christopher Greechan was rewarded in injury time.
With 93 minutes on the clock, Altona’s Breckan Baker brought the hosts level to produce yet another plot twist in the title race, ensuring that the Suns would have to settle for a point on the road.
Reflecting on the 1-1 draw, Suns coach Carley weighed up whether the result represented a point gained or two dropped on the night.
“To concede in the 93rd minute was obviously disappointing,” he said.
“I felt it was a game we were in control of without creating an overly high amount of chances, but you know we never looked threatened at all.
“The boys are disappointed to concede so late, and it probably felt like two points dropped, but you know that is a difficult place to go and a difficult pitch.
“But it adds another point to the board and another point to our overall season objective I guess, which is promotion now.”
Giving credit to the opposition, Carley expressed his respect for Altona’s efforts in the game as they earned a crucial point in their VPL 2 survival push.
“I think it's going to be a tough place to go [Altona], they’re battling out near the bottom of the table,” he said of the 12th-placed side.
“It’s a good club with a good history, and they obviously want to survive in VPL2.”
The stalemate meant the Shepparton outfit made up ground on Malvern at the league summit, leaving them four points adrift of the division’s leaders as the business end of the term approaches.
Next up, the GV Suns will face off against the Eastern Lions in round 17 of the VPL2 on home turf down at McEwen Reserve on June 13 from 5pm.
