East Gippsland United Football Club started strongly in its Football Latrobe Valley senior men’s round eight fixture against Moe United last weekend, despite ultimately falling to a clinical second-half display by the hosts.
Playing away in Moe, the Eagles were first on the board when Lachlan Feather found the back of the net just two minutes into the match.
The early goal caught Moe off guard, forcing the home side into panicked play while the Eagles controlled possession and pinned the ball in their forward half.
Gradually, Moe increased its physicality to force turnovers and work its way back into the contest. Feather threatened to double the lead after a great individual run, but a last-minute interception by the Moe defence thwarted the shot.
Moe capitalised on its growing possession at the 28-minute mark, catching Eagles goalkeeper Brendan Dunstan off his line to level the scores at 1-1.
The Eagles had a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead before the break when Feather combined with Adam Cheesley to deliver a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but Josh Calle’s header went wide.
Moe returned from the half time interval looking composed and firmly in control, while the Eagles struggled for rhythm, rushing passes and mistiming tackles.
The home side took the lead five minutes into the second half following a goalmouth scramble. The Eagles defence blocked three consecutive attempts on the line before Moe finally bundled the ball home.
A heavy ground and wet ball began to take a toll on the players after a fast-paced opening stanza. Feather and Calle continued to combine well to create opportunities for East Gippsland, but the visitors were unable to convert.
With all the momentum, a dominant Moe United added three more goals to its tally — including a successfully converted penalty — to run away with an impressive 5-1 victory.
In the reserves fixture, the Eagles enjoyed an equally explosive start when standard goalkeeper Brendan Dunstan — playing up front for the match — scored a header just one minute after kick-off.
Spurred by the early advantage, East Gippsland mounted several dangerous attacking raids, but the Moe keeper stood tall. Moe eventually levelled the score 22 minutes in, chipping the ball over Eagles shot-stopper Adam Reidy.
The equaliser sparked Moe into action, but it was the Eagles who struck next. A fumble by the Moe keeper from a Dunstan shot allowed Feather to pounce and convert, giving East Gippsland a 2-1 lead at half time.
The second half was a tightly contested affair as both sides traded attacking opportunities. Moe drew level once again after catching Reidy off his line, and momentum quickly swung to the home side, who scored just minutes later to hit the lead for the first time.
The Eagles refused to concede, and in the 86th hour, Andrew Chapman made a brilliant dash down the wing into the box. Met by defenders, he crossed to Alex Davidson, who threaded the ball past the keeper to equalise. East Gippsland pushed hard for a late winner, but time ran out, leaving the sides deadlocked at a 3-3 draw.
It was a tough weekend on the road for the club’s traveling junior sides. Both the under 13s and the under 15 Blue teams suffered defeats at the hands of Morwell Pegasus.
However, the under 15 Gold squad provided a bright spot for the club’s youth academy, securing an outstanding away victory over Churchill.
