Towners hold back Margaret River

Wednesday, 13 May 2009 10:54

Margaret River 0, Dunsborough 1

The Dunsborough Towners gained three valuable premiership points when they battled out a 1-0 win to complete a clean sweep of all three matches over Margaret River at Gloucester Park on Sunday.

The Towners couldn’t have asked for a better start in the third minute when a long throw by Jake Thompson created havoc in the River defence to find Sebastian Kovacs rushing in on the far post to ram home from close range.

A second goal went begging in the 17th minute when a perfect cross from Kovacs found an unmarked Richard Olsen with the goal at his mercy only for his header to sail over the bar.

Striker Adam Shaw went close on two occasions with stand-in goalkeeper Stuart McKay making crucial saves.

River had two excellent chances in the first-half with Simon Corke rattling the bar from 30 metres in the 33rd minute and a mad moment from a corner in the 44th min when the Towners somehow cleared three shots off the line in a crowded goalmouth.

It was as much River players that got in the way as the Towners denying what looked like a certain equaliser.

Generally, however, it was Dunsborough’s half and they should have made their domination count.

The it was River’s turn to rued the missed chances in the second-half as they pummelled the Towners with strikers Lee Gaynor and Scott Bailey constant threats as they waltzed through defenders only to miss the target on a number of occasions.

If anyone stood tall for Towners in their hour of need it was 15 year old goalkeeper Cohen Sadlier making a series of spectacular, if not miraculous saves, allied to his judgement in narrowing his angles that forced many of the misses.

It was a full team effort to man the pumps and repel boarders with tireless midfielder Stuart Gidley earning the Beano's Café player of the match award.

It was with relief as well as elation that the Towners greeted the final whistle with the feeling that they had weathered their toughest half of the season and that they had got out of jail.

But it also demonstrated that Dunsborough can do it tough without conceding last minute goals.

The week before against Bunbury Dynamo they proved to themselves they can fight back from an impossible situation to share the points and almost win a match that appeared lost for most of it.

Beanos Café from Dunsborough’s industrial estate will provide a player of the match award for all three teams this year.

It was young Aiden Greig who won the award in the Reserves game breaking the deadlock in the 42nd minute with a thunderous 25 metre drive that dipped just under the bar and the scoring from a penalty in the 63rd minute.

Greig also provided the cross that allowed Kaden Heathcote to score his first goal for the club in the 70th minute with Kenny Anderson back heading a home long throw from Keiron McCabe in the 81st minute.

The Towners women scored their first win of the season with a gutsy effort against a River side that has performed well in their first season at the top level.

Anna McBride, the Beano's Café player of the match, scored a spectacular goal for the Towners in the 18th minute only for River to equalise midway through the second half before Kate French found the winner in the closing stages.

Dunsborough Lineup:

Cohen Sadlier, Cid Richards, Josh McBride, Brent Hillyard, Joe Pechy, Stuart Gidley, Mark Ferguson, Richard Olsen, Sebastian Kovacs, Adam Shaw, Jake Thompson
Substitutes: Clint Thompson, Jake Smith, Aiden Greig.

Goalscorer: Sebastian Kovacs.

Beano's Café Player of the Match:  Stuart Gidley.

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