In a box office comeback against Box Hill United a sizzling Goulburn Valley Suns enacted a 4-1 win to creep into third on the National Premier League (NPL) Three ladder on Saturday.
Seemingly out for the count in the second half, individual brilliance from Russell Currie and Adam Gatcum had the pair link up for four goals in 15 minutes to cap a colossal fightback.
Coach Craig Carley said the swing of the tides came as a product of a hard think during the break.
“I think we got the reaction we were looking for at half-time,” Carley said.
“I don’t think we necessarily started the game poorly, after we conceded the goal we gave Box Hill a little bit too much respect.
“We kept the rhythm going, we were knocking on the door and created plenty of chances, so it was good to get a good return in terms of goals.
“It was a really positive response from the boys and a good home victory.”
Missing a myriad of players through injury and suspension, the Suns were placed under the cosh early, but soon enjoyed a healthy 20-minute period of dominance where chances came thick and fast.
Currie should have rustled the net once or twice in the first half hour and it would come back to hurt the Orangemen in the 34th minute as a neat, threaded ball parted the Suns’ defence and allowed winger Michael Romas to ghost through and poke home for one-nil.
It granted Box Hill ascendancy heading down the tunnel, but it was the Suns who emerged a new side ready to go to war.
Gatcum found himself in a rare pocket of space in the 68th minute, firing off a deflected shot which bobbled into the path of the most dangerous player on the park ― Currie.
Safe to say, the striker did not spare Box Hill this time.
With the Scotsman burying his chance from six yards, the Suns would convert another four minutes later thanks to a vintage free kick from Gatcum.
The right back wound back the clock with a delicious dead ball effort which busted through the cobwebs in the top left corner, and from then on it turned into a game of ‘’whatever you can do, I can do better’’ between Currie and Gatcum.
Currie earned a penalty directly from the restart, blasting it down the middle to go atop the league golden boot charts with his 13th goal of the season.
However, Gatcum was not to be outdone.
Picking up the ball inside his own half, he kicked out of neutral and drove forward to complete a one-two with Brandon Giaccherini, shaping onto his left foot and caressing past Box Hill’s keeper into the left corner ― Gatcum’s corner.
The following celebration was just as starry as the finish, the defender uprooting the corner flag and feigning a ‘’sniper’’ motion as he comically shot down his own teammates.
Carley heaped praise on the two goal-scorers for reviving the Suns in a high-priority fixture.
“Ads is a professional senior player who has been at the club for a long time,” he said.
“He’s a leader for the club, he’s well respected by his peers and certainly the coaching group.
“He’s been absolutely fantastic for us this year and it’s great to see him coming into some form and scoring two cracking goals.
“With Russ, what can you say ― he continues to score game after game and he’s just a handful for absolutely any defender, even if he’s not scoring.
“We’re truly lucky to have him and he’s doing really well, so kudos to him.”
· The Suns host NPL outfit Heidelberg United in the Dockerty Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.
“Heidelberg are a quality cup side and a quality club with a lot of history,” Carley said.
“We’re really looking forward to testing ourselves against one of the powerhouses in NPL football.”
Kick-off at McEwen Reserve is at 7.30pm.