By ADEM SARICAOGLU
A COSTLY first half saw a nine-man Green Gully sink to its second consecutive National Premier Leagues loss against South Melbourne on Saturday.
In a crazy eight-goal thriller, South Melbourne shot out to a four-goal buffer in the first half as the Cavaliers had no answer for Milos Lujic – who had already completed his hat-trick within the first half-hour.
Jamie Reed then made it 4-0 in the 31st minute to completely silence the home Green Gully supporters.
“I think in the first half we certainly weren’t there at all,” Green Gully football manager Raymond Mamo told Star afterward.
“It just felt like we didn’t even turn up for the game in the first half, so I don’t know what was going on but it was very disappointing.”
Come the change of ends after the interval and the Cavaliers’ fortunes took a turn for the better.
Dangerous attacker Mathew Sanders found the back of the net twice within the first five minutes of the restart to bring Green Gully back into the contest.
But still down two goals, Green Gully’s plight remained an uphill battle.
Goalkeeper Kieran Gonzalez was given his marching orders shortly after the hour-mark after bringing down South Melbourne’s Lujic.
Twenty minutes later Stephen Downes joined Gonzalez for an early exit – seeing red for dissent close to injury time.
Still, life was breathed into the contest when Rodrigo Vargas – already on a yellow card himself – slotted Green Gully’s third in the 91st minute.
However, South Melbourne quickly had an answer through substitute Leigh Minopoulos, whose goal sealed the 5-3 win.
“It was a great comeback,” Mamo said.
“I think we need to put this one behind us but the only thing you can really take away from the game is that the guys can come back.
“We have got a good team and we showed it in the second half, so I think that’s the only little thing we can take away from the game. But it’s certainly one you need to put behind you and move on.”
Green Gully will try to redeem its early season troubles away to Oakleigh on Friday night.
