Victory defeated as GV Suns show city boys how it’s done in the country

The Suns managed to hold on to an early lead to knock off the league leader 2-1, becoming just the second side to pull off the feat and in doing so stay within a hair’s breadth of the other top two outfits.

If anyone had told coach Craig Carley he’d emerge with a 2-1 win before the game, he’d have likely half snapped their arm off – but two goals up halfway through the opening stanza? He may have ripped it out of the socket.

Suns defender Adam Gatcum thrust his side into an early advantage six minutes into the clash as he rifled home off a Brandon Giaccherini corner, stunning the academy side into silence while prompting the McEwen Reserve massive to break into raptures.

Those scenes of despair against exhilaration would repeat less than 15 minutes later.

Diminutive winger Taku Hishida smashed the ball into the roof of the net from six yards after some sumptuous wing play from Gatcum and Giaccherini, and the Suns looked set to carry the two-goal buffer into the break until Victory hit back on the stroke of half-time.

Victory’s ball players combined expertly to get to the byline and Tim Atherinos made no mistake on the cutback for a classy finish.

The Suns kept Victory from squaring the ledger throughout the second half and, despite Hishida being given his marching orders after two yellow cards as well as Tutu Taya missing a penalty late on, three points was all that Carley cared about when looking back at the result.

“The boys put in an absolutely brilliant shift on Saturday and I think we fully deserved the win,” he said.

“We knew that Victory were going to be a good side, but I think we defended very resiliently and our game plan worked perfectly against them.

“We probably had the better chances in the game, we went 2-0 up nice and early through two decent goals.

“It’s pleasing to get back on the winners’ list after last week’s disappointing (loss to Geelong), and it just proves to the group we can match it with absolutely any team in the division when we’re on our game.”

Before the match, Carley stressed the importance of not shying away from their usual game plan against a technical Victory opposition; playing through the thirds, pressing the midfield and getting attacks in from out wide.

It clearly worked and now the Suns sit fourth at the season’s halfway mark with a five-point gap to close to reach Victory at the ladder’s top ― which is where all the arm-twisting business comes into play.

“If you’d have asked me at the start of the season would I be happy where we’re at, of course I’d have snapped your arm off,” Carley said.

“As the season has progressed and seen the teams that we’ve played, I certainly feel as though we should have some more points on the board.

“That’s going to happen throughout the season ― we’re not going to be consistent and putting in 10 out of 10 performances in every single game.

“It’s sometimes about just hanging in there when times do get tough, and we’ve got three tough games on the road that we need to really take as many points from as we can.

“If we can do that, that will tell us ‘are we going to be competing for the top two spots?’ or that next pack that’s going to be chasing those other playoff positions.

“I feel with the quality of the boys, we should be aiming for those top two spots, but the performances need to be more consistent throughout the next 11 games.”

• The Suns’ next opponent in the Australia Cup has been revealed.

Carley’s charges will host NPL1 side Hume City on June 6 in round seven, with a win taking the Suns to the national stage of the competition.