From dizzying heights to the doldrums, Goulburn Valley Suns’ 2023 and 2024 Australia Cup campaigns could not be more disparate.
Last season, the Suns defied all odds and embarked on a mazy cup run that landed them on the national stage, stamping their mark as one of Australia’s 32 best teams.
This season, the Orangemen went out at the first time of asking.
Thursday night pitted Craig Carley’s side against State League Two outfit Westvale Olympic — a team two divisions below the Suns — and a 3-0 scoreline tells the twisted tale of what transpired.
McEwen Reserve’s home rooms were ablaze with anger at half-time and silent at the game’s end, the melancholy setting a perfect summation of what had just occurred in the 90 minutes prior.
Yet, it could’ve been so different.
Winger Cailyn Trask bungled two early chances to spear the Suns into a lead and that latency in front of goal cost the hosts dearly before the main break.
Olympic broke forward from their own box and spun the ball out right and a resulting ball bounced off a Suns hand, where a penalty was eventually awarded.
Up stepped Harry Theodorakopoulos, who tucked away his dinner into the bottom corner to have the Melbourne-based side chirping into the changing rooms.
Next door, Suns captain Adam Gatcum was delivering an almighty spray in an attempt to bring an immediate rise from his troops heading into the second half.
However, that was not the case for two reasons.
For one, the sprinklers came on for half an hour, delaying play and stifling whatever fire Gatcum had stirred during his half-time address.
When play finally resumed, Olympic carried on as they did in the first half and eventually doubled the lead through a calamitous Suns error.
The visitors sent a looping ball high into the box and, though keeper Niki Kitabatake came rushing out to claim, a slip through the hands gifted Olympic a tap-in from six yards.
While each goal conceded wasn’t pretty to watch, the final nail in the coffin had home fans shielding their eyes in horror.
Tutu Taya played what should have been a routine pass into Isaac Brooker’s feet, but the ball was under-hit, allowing an opposition player to ghost through, weave his way through traffic and slide it through for number three.
The sour nature of the contest became even more acidic as Suns fullback Marcus Thomas was given his marching orders just minutes from time, putting the seal on a game the home team won’t want to uncork any time soon.
Carley’s men will have the chance to redeem themselves this Saturday when the Suns host Boroondara-Carey Eagles in round four of the Victorian Premier League Two.