ConnectOS Men’s Match Report: Royals Denied at JH Allan Farewell

Essendon Royals were left to rue missed chances and early misfortune in a 1-0 defeat to Brunswick Juventus in their final senior men’s fixture at JH Allan Reserve for the season.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Royals, who conceded inside the first minute from the penalty spot. The early setback gave Brunswick an edge they managed to cling to for the remainder of the game, despite sustained pressure from the home side.

The first half became a tense tactical battle, with neither side able to break free in the final third. Graham Kelly looked to inspire the Royals into action with some driving runs through midfield, and a late first-half chance saw a slick move involving Mahmut Ali Eyigun, Takumi Niwa, and Dean Clarke almost come off—only to be denied by an incredible last-ditch tackle inside the box.

Clarke came off second-best from the challenge, and whilst he would return for the second half, he soon had to make way for Marcus Kotronis.

The Royals further reshuffled their pack in search of an equaliser. The introductions of Julian Guzzardi and Diarmaid Harrington injected fresh legs into the team.

It nearly paid off. In the 66th minute, Kotronis cut inside and forced a solid save before moments later producing a brilliant run and cross that saw the Royals strike the post twice in the same sequence. The ball somehow stayed out, summing up Essendon’s luck on the day.

As the clock ticked on, Guzzardi and Kelly continued to ask questions, the latter narrowly missing a header after a great ball in from Guzzardi. Adeyemi also linked well in the final third, but the Royals just couldn’t find the cutting edge they needed.

Despite a spirited late push and four minutes of added time, the Royals couldn’t find a breakthrough and were forced to settle for a disappointing result against a fellow promotion hopeful.

The loss saw Essendon surrender second place to their opponents, but there were plenty of positives in the performance, particularly the energy and impact of the substitutes.

The Royals travel to Geelong next weekend to take on Geelong SC, before finally returning home to Cross Keys for a double-header clash in which the Senior Women and Senior Men will be playing at Cross Keys on the same day.

FULL-TIME: Essendon Royals 0-1 Brunswick Juventus