Men’s Geelong Holiday Inn & Suites Match Preview: Royals Face Tough Shepparton Road Trip
After surging back from two goals down to claim a point against Werribee in Round 10, the Essendon Royals will hit the road on Anzac Day weekend to face the Goulburn Valley Suns.
In a madcap finish, Graham Kelly bagged the equaliser in the 92nd minute, after a remarkable triple save from Werribee backup keeper Josh McCall. McCall was then given a straight red card for handling outside his box when the Royals were through on goal, and outfielder Jordan Pisak was forced to don the gloves to face a 98th-minute free kick. Pisak came up with a save from Ali Eyigun’s drive, and Essendon’s final push came up just short.
The draw leaves the Royals fourth on the VPL2 table, trailing Springvale White Eagles in third on goal difference. Kelly has again taken the lead in the Golden Boot race, with an outstanding seven goals from 10 appearances so far.
The fixture is Essendon’s first since at John McEwen Reserve since Round 1 last season, when Callum Schorah opened the scoring with a superb effort from range, but Jordan Adeyemi rose highest before halftime to secure a share of the spoils.
It seemed like deja vu in the reverse fixture at Cross Keys, when Schorah again broke the deadlock early from outside the box. But Adeyemi was once again the hero, netting a well-taken brace either side of a Graham Kelly stunner to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 win.
The road trip to Shepparton is always a significant one for Royals veteran Vince Lia, who grew up in nearby Tatura. The midfielder went on to make over 250 appearances in the A-League, and is among the most successful sportspeople to hail from the region.
GV Suns are sixth in VPL2, three points behind the Royals. The Suns have traditionally struggled on the road, and have managed just a single point away from home this season.
Their home form, meanwhile, is a mirror image: an astonishing four wins and a draw from five games. Goulburn Valley has gone nine games unbeaten at John McEwen Reserve, stretching back to Round 17 last season. Can the Royals break that streak?
Left-sided striker Schorah once again looks like the Suns’ foremost attacking threat, with five goals to his name in 2025.
Let’s get behind our senior men as they face one of their biggest tests of the year. Go Royals!
🆚 Goulburn Valley Suns FC vs Essendon Royals SC
📍 John McEwen Reserve
📅 Saturday, 26 April
⏰ Senior Men at 6:00PM, U23s at 3:30PM