By JARROD POTTER
STRIKERS by name, Strikers by nature – Bunyip took claim of the Cardinia Shire’s best soccer club with a 6-2 win over local rival Pakenham in the inaugural Cardinia Shield showdown.
Squaring off for the first time at night – under lights at Bunyip Recreation Reserve on Friday – Bunyip kicked away to an early 1-0 lead as Ryan Fitzgerald made the most of a corner to slot the opener in the second minute.
Pakenham’s midfield dynamo, Wellington Teles, brought it back to level pegging – getting on the end of a through ball in the 21st minute to resume the deadlock.
Bunyip streamed ahead as their midfield found their legs – Patrick Lokujong practically cartwheeled over Pakenham goalkeeper David Vidic to register the second with a little chip-kick as Vidic got a glove to the ball and Lokujong, by accident, in the process.
Both sides squandered opportunity approaching half time – with Keegan Bloomfield missing back-to-back shots at the goalmouth while Bunyip wasted 11 on-target shots at goal.
The next Pakenham response was another Teles’ effort – as the Brazilian threaded a precision pass to Todd Burt, kicking cross-goals to level the scores at 2-2. Much of the final score line can be credited to the sparring goalkeepers as Vidic and Bunyip’s Riley Kop – a recent convert to the keeping discipline – stopped a plethora of attempts on the last line of defence to prevent a total blowout.
Teles was denied a well-deserved double only by the fingertips of Kop in the 43rd minute – with the Strikers’ keeper pulling off a full-stretch leap to deflect a strike over the crossbar.
The second half opened in horrible fashion for Pakenham, with a thunderous free kick in the 53rd minute from Bloomfield disallowed on account of it being from an indirect free kick.
To make matters worse, Bunyip opened up a 3-2 lead via Anthony Lejui soon afterwards, before a triple-layer of icing on the cake was applied. Barry Daw headed in the fourth, via a centimetre-perfect corner by Mark Ancilleri, followed by David Edwards, converting a sly half-field dash into the fifth major, and finished off with Peter Cardus scoring – his first goal in his first match in 13 years.
Kop was named best on ground and awarded the President’s Medal for his stellar performance in goals.
Pakenham captain Cris Moreno said the Bunyip attack in the last third of the match proved lethal to the Cougars – his side had remained in the hunt until that point.
“There’s not much to say, they were the better team in the last 20-30 minutes,” Moreno said.
“It was an awesome match and the last 20-30 minutes they dominated and we couldn’t handle it.”
Moreno said the forwards – Teles, Burt and Seb Moreno – were in the Cougars’ best.
Bunyip captain Mark Ancilleri was proud of his teammates sticking out the tougher moments of the match before seizing their opportunity at the end.
“The fighting effort from all 16 players today (Friday) was great from all of them,” Ancilleri said.
“A hard fought game for the first three quarters and then we ran away with it at the end and the better team took it out on the night.”
Bunyip coach Craig Marks was succinct in victory – knowledge his side is the best in the shire mattering most.
“All I’ve got to say is this… simple… I said before we were the best team in Cardinia and we’ve proved we’re the best team in Cardinia and bring it on in three weeks when they come here again,” Marks said.
It proves the last warm up for the season proper for both Bunyip and Pakenham, squaring off in FFV Metropolitan League 5 with the Strikers facing Mooroolbark at home on Sunday at 3pm and Pakenham away to Beaumaris.
It will be the Bunyip and Pakenham Reserves resuming the rivalry this weekend – squaring off in their FFV Metropolitan Division 6 season-opener at Bunyip at 1pm.
CARDINIA SHIELD SCOREBOARD
GOALS – BUNYIP STRIKERS: Ryan Fitzgerald (2’), Patrick Lokujong (21’), Anthony Lejui (57’), Barry Daw (69’), David Edwards (75’), Peter Cardus (85’). PAKENHAM: Wellington Teles (17’), Todd Burt (35’). Note: brackets indicate the minute a goal was scored.
CARDS – None.
