ConnectOS Men’s Match Report: Essendon Royals 2 – 1 Whittlesea United
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Sometimes football writes its own stories – narratives full of tension, twists, and a hero stepping out from the shadows into the limelight. At Cross Keys Reserve on Friday night, Maze Ali was that hero, guiding the Essendon Royals to a hard-earned 2-1 victory over old foes Whittlesea United on his starting debut for the club.
On a crisp autumn evening, under the Cross Keys floodlights, Essendon flew out of the traps. With just 15 minutes played, Ali timed his run to perfection, latching onto a superbly-weighted through ball. Cool-headed and composed, he danced around the advancing keeper Eren Arslan before slotting home with a neat finish.
Royals 1, Whittlesea nil.
The home side continued to probe, looking to build on their advantage. Julian Guzzardi nearly doubled the lead, seizing on a loose ball to go clear through on goal, only to be denied by a crucial save from Arslan.
Whittlesea weren’t about to fold quietly. The visitors, coached by former Socceroo Andrew Marth, reminded everyone why they’ve climbed steadily up the ladder in recent weeks, creating a couple of scares before the break, notably through Shinnosuke Inei, whose effort lacked venom and was comfortably smothered by Andre Russo.
After the break, the Royals got an early wake-up call. Just ten minutes in, Whittlesea’s Taylan Eraslan found himself unmarked, powering home a header past Russo to level the scores. The celebration had barely subsided, however, when Essendon punched right back. Takumi Niwa and Jordan Adeyemi orchestrated a slick attacking move down the right, Adeyemi cutting the ball back smartly for Ali, who gleefully stroked home his second, restoring Essendon’s lead almost immediately.
Ali nearly claimed a deserved hat-trick, only to be thwarted by a desperate goal-line clearance, as Whittlesea defenders threw their bodies on the line. At the other end, Royals keeper Russo stood firm under pressure, denying the lively Inei and substitute Kemal Cekic to keep Essendon’s noses in front.
As the clock ticked down, Whittlesea threw caution to the wind, but the Royals’ defence—led by the solid presence of Ben Smith, Diarmaid Harrington, Brad Norton and James Tieri—held resolute. Marcus Day turned sharply late on, but couldn’t find the target, dragging his shot wide.
At the final whistle, Cross Keys erupted. The Royals’ faithful had witnessed their side’s character and grit, matched by a clinical performance from Ali. Four wins on the trot for Essendon, and another memorable chapter penned against an old rival.
The Royals U23s claimed a 1-0 win on Saturday, with the U19s picking up a credible 0-0 draw.
Essendon commences a two-week stint on the road next weekend, taking on Boroondara-Carey Eagles in the final game of the first half of the season.