Men’s Match Report: Royals Fall Short in Dramatic Cross Keys Clash

Essendon Royals endured a frustrating Friday evening at Cross Keys Reserve, suffering a 3-2 defeat to a clinical Nunawading City side despite a spirited second-half comeback and some late drama.

From the outset, Nunawading showed they hadn’t made the trip across town just to make up the numbers. Early warning shots went unheeded, and on 37 minutes, the visitors capitalised through Luca Slavica, tapping home at the back post after a tidy team move.

Essendon responded swiftly after the break, levelling the scores just three minutes into the second half. A clever short corner routine ended with Takumi Niwa firing home from distance, breathing fresh life into the Royals’ hopes.

But Nunawading regrouped impressively. Two quick-fire goals from Stuart Edgar (62′) and Haris Hodzic (66′) restored their advantage, handing Essendon a daunting task to claw their way back into the contest.

To their credit, the Royals rallied. Substitute Maze Ali immediately impacted, creating chaos in the visitors’ defence. His initial shot led to Marcus Kotronis’ goal on 77 minutes, slamming home from close range to set up a tense finish.

In a gripping finale, Kotronis thought he had found a dramatic late equaliser, only for the assistant referee’s flag to deny Essendon a share of the points and break Royals hearts.

Nunawading held on doggedly, sealing a valuable three points. For Essendon, a night of missed opportunities and defensive lapses leaves them reflecting on what might have been, as they look to quickly bounce back in the tightly contested promotion race.

FULL TIME: Essendon Royals 2 – 3 Nunawading City
Goals: Niwa (48′), Kotronis (77′) | Slavica (37′), Edgar (62′), Hodzic (66′)