Shelf Panthers 2 Vision 0
Captain Scott led another successful expedition as Shelf recorded their second victory on the bounce.
The Panthers skipper – whose big-money summer signing for the Wagga Wagga Wallabies now looks like a done deal – turned in a Man of the Match display with some perfectly-timed tackling and interceptions.
Scott and fellow defenders Jonny, William and Tom were all kept busy in the first half as Vision, playing downhill, belied their lowly league position and mounted a series of attacks.
Vision were only denied the lead by three fine saves from Cameron in the space of four minutes. The Shelf keeper showed great reflexes to tip a goalbound header onto the post, then dived to palm a shot wide and seconds later got down well to stop another low effort.
Despite spending most of the first half under the cosh, the Panthers could have been ahead at the break. Dylan had a shot headed off the line after 27 minutes, and on the stroke of half-time Robert showed electrifying speed to outpace the defence and fire a low shot which whistled past the post.
After the break, Shelf spent long periods camped in the opposition half. Even defensive stalwart William Baker got in on the act with a rare shot that sailed just wide.
The breakthrough finally came in the 44th minute. Toby – who’d nearly scored two minutes earlier – turned smartly on the edge of the area and sent in a shot which squirmed out of the keeper’s grasp into the net.
A minute later, the Panthers were 2-0 up as Robert took advantage of some defensive uncertainty and blasted the ball into an empty net.
That was the cue for Nat to launch a one-man quest to score the world’s most spectacular goal as he twice volleyed the ball from about three miles out somewhere in the approximate direction of the Vision net.
Then in the dying minutes Toby lashed a shot against the post and a spirited Vision side had a goal disallowed for offside.
The only blot on an otherwise encouraging display was the Shelf coaches’ poor showing in the touchline shouting contest, where they were comprehensively outperformed by 138 decibels to 42.
After the match, Coach Tony Williams croaked: “We kept a clean sheet, and that’s important. That’s why I wash all my bedding in…”
Unfortunately, at this point he lost his voice.
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