Basement Battle Goes Falcons Way

Logan Village 2 (Hitchins 40' pen; Sedman 45+2') The Lakes 1 (Kennedy-Smith 31') HT 2-1 Played at Big River Country Park

Antony Sedman's late first half strike proved to be the difference in this Capital League 4 bottom of the table clash as both Logan Village and The Lakes were looking to get the points that would help them avoid this season's wooden spoon. Village started the better of the two sides but were guilty of turning over cheap possession to Lakes and they were made to pay midway through the half when gifting the visitors possession after a promising attack, only to see Lakes counter, with the ball fed through to Dylan Kennedy-Smith who slipped the ball past a static Jack Hulme in the Falcons goal from just inside the box. From that point on the hosts dominated and it looked as though they'd level proceedings just minutes later when striker Chris Hitchins raced onto a long through ball before rounding Lakes keeper Robert McVinish. But he was unable to direct his effort on target with pressure from Jarrad Manuel, with the ball striking the side netting. As the half was ebbing away, Hitchins again raced onto a neat ball between the Lakes defenders. Nifty footwork saw him again skip around McVinish and just as he was about to guide the ball into an empty net, Manuel unceremoniously hauled the Falcons front man down on the edge of the six yard box. Referee Cameron Fawcett had no hesitation in pointing to the spot but Manuel will no doubt invest in a lottery ticket tomorrow when extremely fortunate to only see yellow flashed before him as it looked inevitable he'd be heading for an early shower. Hitchins dusted himself down and the Falcons leading goal scorer dispatched his spot kick confidently beyond McVinish to justly level the score. The home side had another shout for a penalty soon after when Travis Parkes' effort appeared to come off a Lakes arm before being cleared, but Referee Fawcett waved away appeals. A long range Sedman effort almost caught out McVinish in first half added time, with the ball bouncing awkwardly in front of him before going over the bar, but Sedman would find the back of the net on the stroke of half time following good work from Hitchins to win a corner. The ball floated in towards the back of the six yard box where Sedman ghosted in, slamming the ball into the back of the net to send Village into the break ahead. The second half saw the Falcons take full control of the game as they went in search of goals to aid their goal difference and lift them off the foot of the Capital League 4 ladder and with Lakes fading after the hour mark, the home side saw a flurry of chances come and go. Parkes had a couple of efforts go narrowly wide before Cameron Jones wasted a golden opportunity with 15 minutes remaining. A solid run from Sedman saw him square the ball across to the Falcons winger who blasted wildly over when well placed. Village went close again as they pressed forward in the last 10 minutes. Parkes delivering a free kick towards the back post where Sedman was well placed but he completely missed the ball and shortly after defender Kaden Grayfoner saw his shot from a corner cleared off the line before another Hitchins effort flashed agonisingly wide following a good cross from Jones. The hosts nearly paid the price for their failure in front of goal when a rare Lakes foray into the Falcons half saw Adrien Watt unmarked at the back of the box, but he miscued his effort, looping it high and off the top of the crossbar with Hulme anxiously under it to see it out. Village should have extended their lead in added time when Bayley Lowe squandered two more great chances. His first saw him fire wide when in a prime position to find the target and right at the end of the game, when winning the ball and finding himself through on goal with just McVinish to beat. But the speedy midfielder had the ball saved well at his feet by the the Lakes stopper when he should have shot earlier. It was a deserved victory for the league's bottom side but they'll rue the chances missed that had they finished, would have surely seen them move above their opponents on goal difference. With Mooroondu's loss at Logan Metro yesterday, the Falcons will move off the foot of the table on goals scored. For all three sides at the bottom of Capital League 4 who are level on points, it now comes down to the last few games to pick up points against the higher tougher sides, or more likely, who can concede the fewest goals and avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.

Coaches Remarks:

Kyle Leech - Logan Village: "We made it very hard for ourselves. We had a couple of players back from injury so we had a fairly full strength squad. But we made it way too hard for ourselves. We had about four or five good chances in the last ten minutes plus chances in the first half. We conceded first again… what can you say. That needs to change." David Wood - The Lakes: "Unfortunately we've lost six senior players since the last time we played them and they were vital players in the middle of the field. I felt we were unlucky not to take away some points in all honesty. It was a great game but we just couldn't get the ball forward enough and in to our attackers. It was just lucky they couldn't finish on target either, but it was a good game."

FB Media Player of the Match: Antony Sedman (Logan Village) (pictured above).

The midfielder grabbed what proved to be the winner as well as an impressive second half showing where he gave little quarter and won a number of duals in the centre of the park.

Team Line-ups

Logan Village: Hulme (gk), Bernhagen, Clark, Coombes (Armstrong 72'), Goold, Grayfoner, Hitchins, Jones, Lowe, Parkes, Sedman.

Subs: Bernstein-Cunningham (rgk), Armstrong, Karadzic.

The Lakes: McVinish (gk), Gribble, Hawkins, Kennedy-Smith, Manuel (Fergusson 51'), Trigg, Reeslev, Rogers, Steele, Fergusson, Wood (Watt 82').

Subs: Jackson, Tryhorn, Struthers, Watt. Referee: Cameron Fawcett

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