NJL Match Report: Essendon Royals strike first against Caroline Springs George Cross to seal Australia Cup progression
Essendon Royals have progressed to the fourth round of Victorian qualifiers in the Australian Cup, courtesy of a 2-1 win over State League 1 North-West rivals, Caroline Springs George Cross.
The Royals – under the guidance of Mick Ferrante with Vitale Ferrante absent – proved too resilient for the home side, as early goals from James Brown and Graham Kelly and a penalty save from Michael Stark proved enough for the visiting team to deliver the win to the delight of the travelling support.
Brown was one of four players making their competitive debuts for the Royals.
Teenage defensive duo John Warrick and Jake Montagnese were stand-outs in a well-drilled back-line, with Anthony Ramzy playing a crucial role in the middle third.
Warrick in particular was outstanding, playing a game far beyond his years as he slotted in perfectly alongside his more experienced central defensive partner, Kristian Konstantinidis.
Aside from his goal that counted, Brown had the ball in the back of the net another two times, both ruled out for offside, as well as a header that was cleared off the line, summing up a menacing display from the forward that bodes well for the league campaign ahead.
Fittingly it was the former A-Leagues star that made an instant impact on his debut for the Royals, scoring after just four minutes against the side he had been training with before eventually moving to Cross Keys.
Kelly – an ever-present on the scoresheet – didn’t take long to join his new teammate on the scorer’s list, notching his first competitive goal for 2022 with a well-taken finish to cap off a perfectly executed counterattack, slotting home calmly after being released by Brown.
The shell-shocked Georgies soon recovered from their early lapses in concentration and began to take a greater authority over proceedings, but the persistent threat of a Royals counter-attack seemed to weigh heavily on their minds.
Still, as the George Cross side developed some concerning momentum, the back-four of Mario Piraino, Konstantinidis, Warrick and Montagnese held firm.
Stark was on hand behind them to sweep up anything that came through.
They couldn’t stop the home side from pulling one back, when Jason Hart scored a well-taken finish in the 22nd minute to reduce the deficit to one.
The goal got George Cross going, and the Royals were forced to withstand some heavy pressing from the home side, not helped in their cause by a decent wind blowing against them which helped in keeping the ball locked in their half.
The midfield trio of Kelly, Matteo Ballan and Ramzy did just about enough to protect their back four, while Brown, Luca Santilli and Davey Van’t Schip ahead of them were able to relieve the pressure in crucial moments.
At the end of the half, the trio had another great opportunity when combining with Kelly to create an opening for another goal but the final pass proved lacking.
George Cross also struck the post with a long-range effort.
With a slender lead to take into the half, there were no illusions as to the size of the task in the second half, but the Royals were up to the challenge.
Leigh Minopoulos replaced Van’t Schip upfront and provided the Royals with a focal point going forward, whilst Brown grew into his role out wide on the left, proving a real thorn in the side for the visitors.
The Royals had the best chances of the half from open play.
Brown shot just wide on the hour-mark, with Minopoulos hitting the post in the 63rd minute.
Brown scored the first of his offside goals in the 71st minute, when he was rightly called offside.
The drama reached another level when Konstantinidis was adjudged to have handled the ball by the linesman whilst on the ground, with the referee backing his assistant to award a penalty in the 74th minute.
Stark was equal to the challenge, however, and produced a stunning save low to his right to prevent the equaliser.
Brown had the ball in the back of the net yet again just minutes later but was again called offside – this one proving a much more contentious call with the forward-looking to be well onside when the cross was made.
The game ended with a flurry of George Cross corners, one of which required a fine Stark save from a long-range effort on the second ball to ensure the Royals took the win.
The final whistle was met with adulation by the away players and supporters, providing a small silver lining to what has been a difficult week for many at the club.
With the win secured, the Royals now look forward to the Round Four draw and the resumption of league duties.
The Royals next official game is away to Banyule City in Round 1 of the Football Victoria State League 1 Men’s North-West division.