Men’s Match Report: Royals Triumph in Seven-Goal Thriller Against Nunawading City
Essendon Royals secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over Nunawading City at Mahoneys Reserve on Saturday afternoon. The Royals, demonstrating resilience and attacking flair, managed to edge out their opponents in a match filled with twists and turns.
The game began with the Royals taking the initiative early. Graham Kelly opened the scoring in the 6th minute, racing through on goal and calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to give Essendon a 1-0 lead. The Royals doubled their advantage in the 25th minute when Dean Clarke capitalized on a poor clearance, pouncing on the loose ball and finishing clinically to make it 2-0.
Nunawading City, however, fought back and managed to pull one back just before halftime. A well-delivered corner found its way into the back of the net, reducing the Royals’ lead to 2-1 as the teams headed into the break.
The second half started much like the first, with the Royals on the front foot. Clarke netted his second goal of the match in the 50th minute, extending the Royals’ lead to 3-1. The Royals’ joy was short-lived as Nunawading responded quickly, scoring from another corner in the 61st minute to make it 3-2.
The game continued to be a back-and-forth affair, with Nunawading pushing hard for an equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 80th minute when they levelled the score at 3-3, courtesy of a stunning strike from range after a corner was initially cleared.
Just as the match seemed destined to end in a draw, the Royals found a moment of magic. In the 90th minute, Anthony Ramzy delivered a sensational goal directly from a corner, curling the ball into the net to give Essendon a dramatic 4-3 lead.
The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought victory for the Royals, who showed tremendous character and determination to secure all three points. The win propels Essendon further up the ladder and keeps their promotion hopes alive.
The Royals will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for their next fixture, aiming to continue climbing the VPL2 standings.