Nicholas James Lawyers Men’s Match Preview: The Long Road to Tatura

A two-hour drive up the Hume, past Seymour, past Avenel, into the country. The bus pulls into John McEwen Reserve on Saturday afternoon, and the Royals face their biggest test of the season to date.

Three months and one weekend ago at Cross Keys, we hosted this same Goulburn Valley Suns side at Broadmeadows and walked off with a 3-2 loss. The second of three defeats in the first four rounds meant it was a long climb back to promotion contention. Now, Essendon look a team transformed.

Royals sit third in VPL2 on twenty-four points after Friday night’s 5-1 home win over Nunawading, with the form line reading W-W-L-W-W and goal difference now at +8. The club’s biggest win of the season so far – and in truth it could have been more.

GV Suns are five points clear of the Royals in 2nd, eight points behind runaway league leaders Malvern City. They are a settled outfit on a nine-match unbeaten run in the league, but their home win over Whittlesea United at the weekend didn’t come without its complications. Christian Ntambwe’s 27-minute red card left Craig Carley’s side in the lurch, and the opener didn’t arrive until the 70th minute through Danny Edwards, who netted his seventh of the season. Carley and his opposite number Ivan Franjic both received their marching orders in stoppage time as tempers boiled over.

The drive matters. Since returning to Cross Keys, the Royals haven’t lost at home. Saturday’s challenge is to translate that confidence onto the road, against a side who have lost only three matches all year.

A win would close the gap to automatic promotion to two points with eleven rounds to go – but it won’t come easily.

Forza Royals.

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