Doggies Fightback Shoots Down Jets
Image supplied by Alan Minifie
A dramatic three-goal surge delivered Capalaba FC their first National Premier Leagues win since the COVID restart as they edged Moreton Bay United 3-2 on Saturday.
The Bulldogs conceded twice early at John Fredericks Park, but roared back in the second stanza as Stuart Edgar and Ryo Ono netted their first goals of 2020, before Scot Coulson delivered a dramatic 90th minute winner.
The result put paid to a two-match goalless run in the NPL for David Booth’s side to lift them to seventh on the NPL table ahead of the round’s conclusion on Sunday.
The Bulldogs found themselves on the back foot as the visiting Jets threatened early – Bulldogs keeper Liam Priaulx saving a point-blank attempt from Declan Smith inside the opening five minutes before effecting a diving save to deny Lachlan Strogusz’s free-kick shortly after.
Despite scrambling hard in defence, the pressure told just before the quarter hour as Smith delivered the Jets two goals in as many mintues – his deflected header from a corner opening accounts before latching on to a parried Priaulx save to double the lead.
However, the Bulldogs settled and soon fashioned chances of their own – Edgar denied the best first-half chance for the hosts when his close range volley was tipped over by Jets gloveman Bertrum Speirs
A scattering of half chances followed before Jets duo Nick Bernardi and Strogusz spurned a pair of near post headers shortly before half-time.
The visitors would further regret their wastefulness early in the second stanza as Strogusz missed an open goal from just metres out shortly before the hour.
That let-off proved the catalyst for the Bulldogs fightback as Edgar began to assert himself in the attacking third – heading wide from a sharp Coulson cross before seeing a penalty claim turned down.
However, just minutes later Edgar had the ball in the back of the net to halve the margin after rising strongly in the area to head home Coulson’s 66th minute cross.
Approaching the final quarter hour parity was restored as fan-favourite Ono netted his first goal of the 2020 campaign – controlling smartly in the box on 74 minutes to shake his marker before drilling a low finish past Speirs.
A draw loomed likely as defence held sway in the final exchanges and the Bulldogs were reduced to ten players in the 85th minute when Rhys Lambert was dismissed with his second booking in his return match.
However, the Bulldog spirit shone through on the back of a counter attack as injury time loomed – Ono releasing Coulson, who smartly touched inside his marker before threading a pin-point right-footed strike into the bottom corner.
With two assists to his credit in addition to the winning goal, Coulson said he was delighted with the character shown by the side to record their first competitive win since February.
“We made it a bit hard for ourselves initially, but we showed a lot of fight to get back into the game and the boys worked hard to keep them scoreless in the second half,” Coulson explained.
He added: “The biggest thing we can take from this is that we don’t want to be starting slow. We definitely have the goals in us as a team but now we need to start getting some clean sheets.”
The result marks the Bulldogs first ever competitive win over Moreton Bay United in the maiden league clash between the clubs.
Their next assignment will be another first ever meeting when they travel to fellow midtablers Gold Coast United next Sunday evening.