Eagles ease relegation fears with win over Lions

Kingborough Lions United 2-5 New Town Eagles

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This win was a vital one for New Town Eagles as it moved them up a place to third-last on goal-difference from second-last Clarence United.

Eagles and Clarence are now 7 points clear of bottom-side University.

Both sides missed some good chances, but Eagles made the most of their counter-attacks and deserved the win.

Kingborough had the first real chance when, after 19 minutes, a move involving Trent Pearce and Marcus Bremner resulted in a fruitless corner.

A minute later, Eagles went ahead after a counter-attack down the right was finished by Adam McKeown, but the Lions defence had a lot to answer for.

In the 25^th minute, Marcello Marchioli equalised after Chris Wass had wiped out Tom McDonald and conceded a free-kick outside the box on the left.

The free-kick was charged down, but when Marc Iseli laid the ball back for Marchioli, he hit the back of the net with a blistering shot from 25 metres.

Charles White was guilty of a glaring miss in the 28^th minute after a good cross from the right by Trent Pearce.

Cormac Collins restored Eagles’ lead on the half-hour when he volleyed home from the left after a free-kick for Eagles from wide on the right.

David Leamey did well in the 36^th minute to deny a fine shot by Shane Kent and concede a corner.

Kingborough might have led at the break but were foiled twice close to half-time.

In the 44^th minute, a goal-bound shot from the dangerous Marchioli, who was playing his best game of the season, was cleared off the line by Andrew Clark with Michael Soszynski beaten.

And then, in stoppage time, a cross from the right by McDonald was touched onto the bar and then caught by a nonchalant Soszynski.

Eagles should have extended their lead in the 55^th minute, but Kent missed an open goal when he mis-timed his shot and the ball flew gently into Leamey’s arms from two metres out after Alex Leszczynski’s cross from the right.

Three minutes later, the advancing Nick Ferrall shot just wide as Eagles sought to kill off the match, while in the 59^th minute, McKeown missed the target from Mark Page’s right-wing cross.

Kingborough were lucky on the hour when Brett Andrews lost possession in midfield and Eagles went on the attack, but Leszczynski fired wide.

In the 68^th minute, Kent atoned for his earlier miss when he finished off an attack involving McKeown and Leszczynski to make it 3-1.

With 13 minutes remaining, Marchioli pulled a goal back with a powerful shot that took a slight deflection and sailed past Soszynski’s right hand.

The Lions had smelled blood now and Marchioli struck the woodwork in the 81^st minute, the ball rebounding across the face of goal before being cleared by a desperate Eagles defence.

Eagles went straight into the attack and, within seconds, had scored their fourth as Jacob Malakoff crossed from the right and Leszczynski squeezed his shot under Leamey.

With two minutes remaining, Eagles launched yet another incisive attack, the final pass from McKeown to Malakoff forcing Kerr to concede an own-goal as he desperately lunged for the ball and toe-poked it past Leamey.

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· Kingborough Lions United coach, Geoff Freeman, said:

“I was really disappointed with our defending tonight. It was really ordinary.

“They scored four goals in transition and they probably could have scored more goals in transition.

“I think when we had it, we kept it reasonably well and created some good opportunities.

“We just weren’t good enough. We didn’t put them under enough pressure when they had the ball.

“We gave them too much time and space and we showed Cormac Collins on to his left foot.

“Yeah, in the end, we just weren’t good enough.

“Marcello Marchioli had a magnificent match.”

· New Town Eagles coach, George Krambousanos, said:

“It was a game we had to win and I was a little bit confident in a way because the first game we played we lost 6-3, but we lost our goalkeeper, and the second game we beat them 4-1.

“Today it was 5-2.

“Look, they played better possession football in the first half.

“We spoke about it, and in the second half our counter-attacks were great.

“I thought Kingborough defended a bit poorly, but they did play some good possession football.”

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Kingborough Lions United: Leamey - Palmer, Iseli, Kerr, D Pearce - T Pearce (Bevan 55), Marchioli, Andrews, McDonald - Bremner, White (Greg Freeman 59) (Substitutes not used: Hinkley, Voss)

Booked: Andrews 48

Goals: Marchioli 25, 77

New Town Eagles: Soszynski - Ferrall, Anderson, Wass, Page - Malakoff, Kent (Pope 90), Clark, Leszczynski - McKeown, Collins (Whitehall 75) (Substitutes not used: Fennell, Minty)

Goals: McKeown 20, Collins 30, Kent 68, Leszczynski 81, Kerr og 88

Att: 60

Ref: K Barker