A brace to Andrew Hewat and a goal to one of Underground FC's newest signings gave them a deserved 3-2 win over 2013 Orcas on Saturday.
The clash, the first since last season's opening 4-2 Super League victory to Underground, was filled with typical drama and theatrics associated with a clash between the two sides.
It looked as if Orcas, who were also promoted in the off-season, would have been content with a 2-2 result after having twice come from behind.
But Hewat's second goal in the 82nd minute capped a remarkable effort for the defending champions, who are playing their first full season in the second division of the NZCFA Championships.
While Hewat was named man-of-the-match, the victory wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for a cool finish from Liam Winn, a late signing for the orange-and-blacks. His calm finish across the face of the Orcas goalkeeper set the tone for a frantic final quarter that allowed Underground to express themselves despite torrid conditions.
The loss consigned Orcas to the bottom of the table, while the six points gained from the victory lifted them to fifth in the seven-team competition.
As the rain poured and the wind swept umbrellas at their peril, it was Underground who made the better start at Riversdale Reserve in Avondale.
Changes to the starting lineup saw Hewat promoted to a lone striker position, while Long Tran was moved into the midfield.
The move paid off as early as the 10th minute, when Hewat scored the first goal with a neatly finished flick past the goalkeeper to give his side a 1-0 advantage.
Chances continued to fall to Underground throughout the half, with Liam Badger denied a spectacular finish from a Tran cross only by centimetres.
Despite doing most of the attacking in the opening half, the hosts went into the break 1-0 up.
Facing a third straight loss to start the season, Orcas upped the ante. Miscommunication at the heart of Underground's defence allowed the visitors to slot home the equaliser to the shock of the loyal, rugged-up supporters on the sidelines.
Despite this they regrouped, and Winn's goal once again gave them a one-goal lead. But any signs of relaxing were slammed shut as Orcas, as they had done earlier, persevered on attack and secured their second equaliser of the match.
With a draw helping neither side, Undeground pushed forward. Orcas were happy enough to play for a 2-2 stalemate, but Hewat had other ideas. After missing a couple of one-on-one chances with the opposition goalkeeper, the red-haired midfielder-come-striker slotted home the winner to send Underground into a frenzy.
They had learned from two previous leads not to get complacent, and they cooly secured their first win of the season.
With a relatively tight midfield - only seven points separate third and sixth - Underground will be looking to overtake their next opponents, the Other Guys, with a second win in two weeks on Saturday.
Underground FC: 3
Goals: Hewat 2, Winn
Orcas: 2
HT: 1-0.
No comments:
Post a Comment