Men’s Match Report: Royals Fall at Final Hurdle

Essendon Royals saw their finals hopes slip away most painfully, beaten 5-3 at home by already-relegated Boroondara-Carey Eagles in the final round of the VPL2 season.

All the Royals needed was a draw to secure a top-six berth. For a fleeting spell in the second half, it looked like they might get there, but Boroondara’s resilience and ruthlessness in front of goal told the final story.

The visitors struck first through Jacob Colosimo on 17 minutes, only for the Royals to respond via Vincent Nicoletti, who bundled home from a set-piece to make it 1-1 at the break.

Boroondara stunned the home crowd early in the second half, with Andrew Le Page scoring an absolutely belter and Colosimo’s second stretching the lead to 3-1.

A lifeline came on 68 minutes when Jordan Adeyemi produced a moment of brilliance, curling a free kick into the top corner to halve the deficit. Moments later, Marcus Kotronis slid home an equaliser and Cross Keys roared — 3-3, and enough for the Royals to sneak into the playoffs.

But the script turned cruel. Daniel Ferlaino restored Boroondara’s lead in the 83rd minute, before Joshua Stadnicki tapped home to record a 5-3 result and end Essendon’s campaign.

It was a gut-wrenching way to bow out after holding top spot at the halfway point of the season. Ultimately, injuries and dropped points against sides in the bottom half proved too costly, leaving the Royals to regroup and reflect on what might have been.

FULL TIME: Essendon Royals 3 – 5 Boroondara-Carey Eagles