League Play-Off

Duri Park
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Gilgering's Boyd Smalley started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. In the 3rd minute of the match, Nelson Durbridge got a very nice opportunity to score, but Neale Belford was well-placed and pushed the ball away from the goal at the left post. 5 minutes into the match, Duri's goal looked a bit too open when Boyd Smalley came free, but Conner Sperling reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Thanks to some nice moves Nelson Durbridge could shoot a difficult shot in the 8th minute, which Neale Belford however easily saved by the left post. If Duke Stevens had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 9th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Conner Sperling came out of the goal in the 14th minute to try and stop a shot by Gilgering's Boyd Smalley. But to his dismay, Boyd Smalley quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 0-1. Neale Belford was a little too slow when Duke Stevens got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 23rd minute. The score was now 1-1. Neale Belford didn't succeed in stopping the ball in the 28th minute, which inside left pole to 2-1. In the 33rd minute, Nelson Durbridge fired away a shot on goal. He put a little to much spin on the ball and sent it just wide of the right post. If Duke Stevens had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 35th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. An unexpected shot in the 38th minute by Nelson Durbridge got the crowd on their feet, but to their dismay it went out on the left side. When Duri's Duke Stevens in the 38th minute got a chance for a shot 38th didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye Gilgering's goalie prevented a goal. Nelson Durbridge could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 40th minute of the match, but Neale Belford made a huge save. 43 minutes into the game, Barnes Knaack was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Gilgering's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Duri the free kick. In the 43rd match minute, Gilgering was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Barnes Knaack to maneuver through the defense. The audience was convinced that Duke Stevens's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Neale Belford was relentless in the 46th minute of the game. Af the end of the first half the score was 2-1. The first half had gone as expected for the home team.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Duke Stevens made a kick off. In the 54th minute Nelson Durbridge shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Neale Belford saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Neale Belford didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Duke Stevens went, in the 59th minute, to the upper right corner, 3-1 was the resulting score. Neale Belford showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Nelson Durbridge in the 63rd minute of the match. In the 65th minute, Duke Stevens left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Duri fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 4-1. The audience thought a goal was coming when Bern Sparrow got free with Conner Sperling in the 68th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Duke Stevens received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 73rd minute. Neale Belford tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 74thth minute of the game Duke Stevens who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but Gilgering's Neale Belford was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. Boyd Smalley sent away a hard shot on goal in the 78th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The supporters of Duri booed when Gilgering was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 83 match minutes in a wonderful position. Lauder Couzens didn't get a good kick on the ball. Everitt Tenser was probably a little too eager to shoot when he, in the 84th played minute, shot the ball from way out. The shot was hard, but the ball flew wide of the goal. 87 minutes into the match, Gilgering's goal looked a bit too open when Duke Stevens came free, but Neale Belford reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After a defensive mix-up in Gilgering's zone, Duke Stevens stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Neale Belford came out of the goal and Duke Stevens tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. There were very few away supporters still in the ground by the end of the match. Most of them had left early, disgusted by the way their team had been torn apart. Duri fully deserved thier win.