It was another late fixture at Wakefield park for the Boomers who were looking to pick up back to back wins for the start of the season. This week's opponents were to be donning the green and gold of Victoria University and went by the unusual name of the Accies.
There were many changes to the starting line up and this revolving door policy looks like it will be repeated with game times being so inconsistent this year. Notable absentees were Jimmy Bascand and Michael Candy, which meant new boy Drew Delany slipped the gloves on in his first start of the season. Cam Holm also made his official debut as a Boomer at right back, with McSweeny, Halford and Sammy Clark finishing off the back four. Midfield included Ollie Carr on the left, Strafford on the right and Tadhg, Handley and Rothman in the middle. An undisciplined late arrival from Owen Gibson and Darryl Jones meant, despite the hairy man's hat-trick last week, Blaine Abraham started up front.
The Boomers started sloppily with possession, often being caught in their own half or with misguided passes. That was just how the first goal came about when the ball was given away in the midfield, and a through ball to one of Joseph Fritzl's offspring up front set up a one-on-one where Drew was beaten at the near post. The celebrations before hand were possibly the worst Capital Football have ever seen. McSweeny was languid at the back in the first half and the Boomers were lucky not to concede twice more after he failed to track his man. Drew was having a fine game in goal, acting as Boomers' informal sweeper, coming and cleaning up any thing that penetrated the back four. Both of the Accies strikers were lucky not to be put in hospital after some bone-crunching hits from the unorthodox goalkeeper. Ollie Carr was making his presence felt on the left, winning a lot of possession and also testing the keeper with a looping strike. The former University player looked like he had something to prove to the old guard.
A dubious long ball from Handley managed to pierce the Accies back four and Tadhg Delany latched onto it and finished in a one-on-one. The next goal came in a very similar manner, with Tadhg finishing after an awkward through ball from brother in goal, Drew. Drew made up for his brother's humble celebrations and was seen flailing and screaming in his box. Boomers led 2-1 and their heads were up now. Captain Jesse Strafford came excruciatingly close to bagging his first ever Boomers goal when he sent a bouncing header towards goal only for the man on the post to head the ball straight back into the path of Abraham who monstered in a header that could not be stopped. It was 3-1 and all of a sudden the Boomers were marching on.
Fritzl Jr. had already taken several tumbles and the subsequent screams for cards and free kicks were firing the Boomers up. Cam Holm and Jesse Halford both dished out carnivorous looks and exotic language towards the Austrian. The complaints rained down when the Austrian was awarded a dubious penalty after taking a very loud tumble when he was hustled by defender Halford in the box. The stand-in referee made the call, despite being 30 metres away from the action. Halford grappled with the Austrian to try and win the ball back and only when Drew came out to snaffle it, did the frontman fall and start shouting for the red card. He was ignored. However the penalty stood and despite Drew's best efforts in getting a hand to the ball, it was converted. It was an undeserved second goal conceded that fired the Boomers up.
Half time.
The Boomers came out in the second half with a desire to take control of the game and did so from the start.
Rothman and Handley began to control the middle of the park and the back four began to look more confident with chances for the Accies becoming rare. Darryl Jones and Owen Gibbo Gibson were brought on for Blaine Abraham and Jesse Strafford. The Boomers top scorer was quick to stamp his mark heading in from the edge of the box to maintain his clinical goal scoring record. Handley then pounced on a square ball in the box after great work from Tadhg to beat several defenders in the box and the man from Wanganui was able to double his season tally for the Boomers after his shot was tipped onto the inside of the post and in. The Darryl Jones School for Clinical Finishing is taking winter enrolments and the prices have boomed after he bagged his 5th goal in only 135 minutes of football to finish the scoring.
The game dragged on with the last ten feeling like an eternity. Halford was lucky not to be booked after a body check on Fritzl Jr that nobody on the field apart from the Austrian was upset about. The Boomers stayed fierce in defence with Cam Holm and Rothman both defending with a passion and desire that will see the side go far this season. Man of the match went to A Handley for a dominant and physical performance in the middle of the park with mentions to Holm and Drew in goal.
6-2 on the day and the Victoria University Accies will feel the scoreline does not reflect the match, but they were bullied in the key moments and a clinical Boomers team were hungry for goals. Another one bites the dust.
*Despite the great result, the Boomers dropped down to third on the table on goal difference, and face a mouthwatering encounter with second placed Stokes Valley this Friday night.
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