Taroona stay 3 points adrift of Metro with late win

Photos (Top to Bottom): Natsuki Futumura (left) pressures Taroona's Llewyn Tubb; Rowan Sakul of Nelson tackles Taroona's Jack Elliottt

Second-placed Taroona stayed three points behind Division One leader Metro after beating fourth-placed Nelson Eastern Suburbs 3-1 away at North Warrane today.

Taroona left it late to win, despite dominating the opening half.

The visitors could not find a way past the excellent Nelson keeper, Nic De Carpentier, in the opening half and needed two penalties near the end to gain victory.

Taroona’s best chance of the first half fell to Toby Dove, but he headed wide from Jack Elliott’s cross.

Nelson rarely ventured into Taroona’s half in the opening 45 minutes, but Tom Gordon, Luke Wallace and Nick Roberts showed some neat touches as they tried to get into their own attacking third of the field.

Nelson took a shock lead 8 minutes into the second-half when Gordon hit his first league goal for the club, firing home a Jayden Andrews corner from inside the box.

With only 7 minutes remaining, Taroona pushed centre-back Cian Carey forward and he equalised with a superb drive from 25 metres.

Three minutes from the end, Taroona won a penalty when Natsuki Futumura handled the ball and Marcus Atkinson put the visitors ahead with the spot-kick.

A second penalty, awarded in the final minute for Thomas Roach’s foul on Duncan Carey, sealed the win, Carey tucking away the spot-kick himself at the second attempt after De Carpentier had saved his initial effort.

Four of the Carey brothers - Cian, Duncan, Darragh and Ruaidhri - played for Taroona in this match.

In the reserves, Taroona beat Nelson 2-0, while the under-19s’ meeting between the clubs ended in a goalless draw.