LV Express
SOCCER

GSL

MONASH withstood a barrage of attacking raids from Falcons to claim a 2-1 win at home in round 13 of Gippsland soccer.

The hosts took the lead early when Falcons keeper Adam Brooker punched the ball straight to Brendan Ruddell, who lobbed it into the unguarded goal.

The lead did not last long, ex-Monash man Sam Amaira beat Wolves keeper Ross Johnson to the ball and headed home.

Manny Tombra then managed to miss the unmissable, rounding the Falcons keeper only to thunder the ball off the upright, with the footage shot by Football Chaos going viral online.

Minutes before the interval a hopeful long ball saw Monash striker Braden Paulet out-jump Brooker and get his head to the ball only for a scrambling Stefan Baccega to clear off the line.

Falcons came out firing in the second half with the woodwork and Johnson denying them again as they dictated terms.

Against the run of play Monash re-took the lead when Ethan Lawrence fired across the keeper into the bottom corner after a sharp turn on the edge of the box.

Falcons threw caution to the wind late on but was unable to breach a stubborn Monash defence.

Moe v Traralgon City

IN need of a win to keep top four aspirations in check, Moe came out firing against Traralgon City.

Despite controlling the bulk of attacking play in the first half the Red Devils were unable to find the net as some great goalkeeping by Liam Anderson kept the Roosters in the game.

The best chance of the half came from Samuel Gaptan's long range attempt, which hit the woodwork.

The breakthrough came quickly after half-time when a free kick ricocheted off Anderson's chest back into the path of Luke Bathgate who clinically finished.

Moe continued to dominate the run of play in the second half but could not capitalise further, which led to a nervous last 10 minutes as City pushed to equalise.

The league champion held on to seal a 1-0 victory.

Pegasus v Olympians

DESPERATE for three points to keep its finals hopes alive, Morwell Pegasus fought to the death but was unable to overcome a defiant Traralgon Olympians at Ronald Reserve.

Two dire first half mistakes cost an otherwise dangerous Pegasus dearly, and Olympians went to the break 2-1 up.

Pegasus dropped its intensity in the second half, and Olympians looked to put the game beyond doubt with a third goal of the afternoon.

However, Heydan Cook struck the post in search of his brace for Brandon Scott to finish, giving the home team a sniff with minutes remaining.

It was not to be for the Flying Horsemen, who went down 3-2 and now sit eight points adrift of the six.

Tyers v Sale

DOUBLES to Dean Nichols and Nathi Khamchom helped Sale to a handsome 6-1 win over Tyers Lightning.

Slade Whitfield and defensive lynchpin Robbie Stephen were also on the scoresheet in a one-sided affair at Tyers Recreation Reserve.

The result keeps the Swans in third on the competition ladder.

After an eight-game scoring streak, golden boot leader Tommy Nguyen has endured a three-game drought.

NYU v Churchill

LADDER leader Churchill United needed a deflected goal in the dying minutes to see off a dogged Newborough Yallourn United at Burrage Reserve on Sunday.

In a game devoid of quality chances, the opening half was a bruising tussle with the visiting Rams holding the balance of possession.

Their control did not equate to goals however, with the home side's defence holding firm to ensure the score was locked at the break 0-0.

The second half was a more even affair but with NYU skipper Jayden Mathison keeping Rams striker Luke Cheney in check the game was mostly played between the penalty areas.

With 10 minutes remaining the Combine fashioned their best chance of the match when a blocked shot led to a scramble 10 yards out, however the Rams defenders managed to clear off the goal line and keep the game tied.

Moments later the roles were reversed when Churchill won a corner which the home side could only partially clear.

Churchill's Matt Maselli struck a speculative shot back at the NYU goal from 18 yards, but a wicked deflection left goal keeper Damien Gilbert stranded and the visitor hit the front 1-0.

The closing stages were a tense affair but the Rams held on for the win to maintain their gap at the top of the GSL table.

Churchill maintains a perfect 12-0 win loss ledger with an eight-point buffer at the top of the league.