Reserves go down swinging

Wednesday, 15 April 2009 07:05

Bunbury United 3, Dunsborough Towners 0 View Photos From This Game

The Dunsborough Towners Premier League Reserves put up a gritty performance against the odds on the opening day of the 2009 South West Football season when they succumbed to a 3-0 loss to Bunbury United at the Soccerdrome in Bunbury last Sunday.

The loss of 11 senior players for various reasons forced the Towners to field a side made up mostly of veterans and juniors.

It was clear from the start that it would be a back to the walls confrontation with Bunbury able to call on a full roster of players with rotating substitutions.

The Towners substitution bench consisted of first team players who were required for the Premier League encounter in the following match.

On a hot day substitutions of such nature was unwise though late in the second-half the younger players were used sparingly.

It was puzzling that the referee missed a blatant Bunbury eighth minute handball on the edge of the Towners penalty area with the loose ball powered home with a shot that gave goalkeeper Paul Andrews little chance to save.

From then on it was a gritty struggle to stay in the game as Bunbury moved the ball round with some fine team work.

If it had not been for Wayne Perna, Tony Plumb, Doug Horsfeld the scoreline would have bigger.

The Towners, relying on juniors in attack, provided little in the way of danger to the opposition, though there where one of two moments where it seemed Dunsborough must score.

It was a bit of good fortune that aided Bunbury in the second goal in the 52nd minute with a mistimed shot rolling just inside the left-hand post while an exhausted defence was caught square in the 84th minute for Voin Garic to stroll unchecked into the penalty area and calmly slot the ball home.

It was the first day of competition, but the Towners will hope that once they have a full squad back on deck that they will be a force in the reserve competition.