Lions FC 2 (H. Hore 23′; M. Hore 57′)
Gold Coast Knights 1 (Smith 88′)
HT 1-0
A goal each to Henry Hore and Mitch Hore earned Lions FC a crucial three points against a strong Gold Coast Knights side at Lions Stadium on Saturday night.
A tense opening period saw Knights dominate possession early in proceedings with Lions not allowed to settle into their usual rhythm.
A couple of chances fell to both sides during the early exchanges. Shaun Carlos with a shot that drifted wide whilst Knights forced a save from Luke Borean.
The deadlock was broken midway through the half however, when Mitch Hore and Carlos linked up superbly before finding Henry Hore on the edge of the box. His powerful effort rifling into the bottom corner of Knights keeper Josh Langdon’s goal.
Mitch Hore almost doubled the lead a short time later. Picking up Josh Brindell-South’s pass, he powered his way at the Knight’s defence before cutting back in and powering a shot at goal which Langdon did well to repel.
Jheison Macuace had a golden opportunity to put the hosts further ahead on 37 minutes when he was gifted a loose pass. He made his way into the box un-pressured but could only hit a tame shot at Langdon.
Lions came out for the second half determined to go on with the job in hand and on 57 minutes Henry Hore’s effort at goal, from Carlos’s neat ball through to him, flashed just wide of the post.
Just two minutes later though, the other Hore, Mitch, pounced onto a poor back pass from the Knight’s defender, getting his foot to the ball just before Langdon could get to him and flicking the ball over the Knight’s gloveman. The ball looping high before heading towards goal with Mitch Hore and Joe Duckworth following it in before it bounced over the line off the post.
Lions went on to dominate the rest of the half and they could have put the game to bed with quarter of an hour remaining. A free kick from the right side by Andy Thompson missed everyone in the box before finding substitute Marek Madle at the far side of the box. His effort on target had Langdon scramble and somehow stop his effort under his legs.
The visitors did reduce the deficit late on when Knights pushed forward to find a way back into the game. Some scrappy play seeing the ball fall kindly to Sam Smith who was able to slot the ball under Borean with a couple of minutes remaining.
Lions resumed control through and kept the ball in Knights half to see out the game and claim all three points to keep pressure on the league leaders Peninsula Power.
Moony’s Remarks:
“I thought we played really well. It was a game between the two best sides in the competition at present. Both games between us have been highly technical, a great standard of football and not much between the two teams.”
“Moments of quality have determined the game tonight and we found those moments, especially the first goal which was one of the best team goals we’ve scored all season. They got one back late and made it a nervous last few moments but it was a hard fought three points in the end.”
Team Line ups:
Lions FC
Borean (gk), Jarrard, Simic, M. Hore, H. Hore, Duckworth, Macuace, Brindell-South, Thompson, Kim, Carlos.
Subs: Riley (rgk), Shepherd, Hatfield, Reardon, Madle.
Gold Coast Knights
Langdon (gk), Walker, Dillon, Holmann, Smith, Brown, Prasad, Kyle, Nichols, Schmidt, Austin.
Subs: Allen (rgk), Marsh, Endean, Brady, Panetta.
Referee: Tony Sarai