GV Suns punch ticket to Australia Cup’s last 32 following enthralling win over Hume City

In a game which was tagged the ‘‘biggest in club history’’, the Suns eclipsed a pre-conceived gulf in class with consummate ease and blew away the travelling powerhouse by a margin which could have ruptured out to a four or five-goal rout.

Among the scorers was captain Jamie England, who was wrapped up in the moment at full time.

“We knew it was the biggest game in the club’s history; the club’s only a young club in terms of the likes of Hume and other NPL teams with 50-60 year history,” he said.

“We knew we had one 90-minute game today to put everything on the line and the boys were great.

“They put in a shift from the first minute to the 95th minute, I’m proud of every single one of them ― they all put in a great shift and I think we got our just reward in the end.”

Early on, the Suns almost found themselves in the throes of capitulation at the back as Greg Nash’s pass to goalkeeper Jake Angelovski was miscontrolled, bouncing off the post and rolling a pen’s length from going across the line.

Hume kept teasing the thought of going ahead through sustained periods of pressure and possession, but Angelovski’s gloves were left unstung for most of the following half hour.

Instead, England produced the moment which stopped time.

Forward Russell Currie cut through traffic and ran towards the box from out left, the ball skidding off a couple of limbs mid-challenge before sitting perfectly for the skipper who swiveled and sent a swerving ball spiralling into the side netting on the half volley.

Chaos ensued from the waves of home fans, a mix of disbelief and ecstasy sweeping the alcove.

England’s 43rd minute heroics had the Suns march into the dressing rooms a goal up, where the instruction from coach Craig Carley remained unwavering.

“Craig said it was same business as usual in the second half, if we put in the same shift as we did in the first we’d come out with the win and we were happy to do so,” England said.

“I think we knew that if we matched them, not only physically, but also in quality as well, that it will shine through.

“We got a goal against the run of play in the first half, they probably had more possession of the ball, but it didn’t look like they created anything.”

As predicted, Hume bolted out of the blocks in the second half with a double substitution as it looked to place the host under the cosh.

However, the Suns’ backline refused to bend or snap despite deep territory held by the visitors.

Carley’s defence was fluid in the middle and rigid out wide, with the speed and youth of centre backs Joe Adoo-Peters and Tutu Taya perfectly balanced by senior fullbacks Adam Gatcum and Nash, and if England’s opener caused chaos, Adoo-Peters’ own sparked scenes beyond bedlam.

The towering defender rose highest from a Brandon Giaccherini corner and headed down with force, evoking an eruption from McEwen Reserve’s stands for a second time.

From the restart it was Angelovski’s turn to play hero as Hume broke away down the right and found striker Josh Bingham free at the back post, his header destined for the net until the Suns custodian threw a desperate left palm at it to deflect it wide.

The save was enormous in the games’ context, fuelling Hume’s frustration as the trope of ‘it’s not our day’ rung among the subconscious.

But while many could have forgiven the Suns for setting up shop down back, the spur of the crowd drew the opposite of Carley’s men as they flew forward like the Red Arrows, foaming for another shot at the jugular – and it almost came late on.

Substitute James Lelliott glided down the line with real estate ahead of him and unleashed a shot on goal which cannoned off the crossbar and away from goal.

Though it wasn’t the coup de grace the Suns’ faithful longed for, the trill of referee Aleksander Libel’s whistle in the following minutes spelt a monumental mark on the club’s brief timeline.

Hume players dropped to their knees as the Suns rose to embrace each other, all while cheers reverberated like a rolling clap of thunder among the hundreds of Goulburn Valley faithful braving the cold to witness their team pull off the unimaginable.

One who fully appreciated what the win meant for the region was England, who thanked all involved for staying with the Suns off the back of a rough period.

“It’s just a great sense of achievement for the club ― the club’s had a tough 12 months through COVID times and obviously last year wasn’t ideal,” England said.

“This year has just been a breath of fresh air.

“It’s just rewards for not only the players, but also the backroom staff, Jacqui Stojanovski, Rob Stojanovski and Craig (Carley) who put in that much time and effort, not only on the pitch and training nights but also throughout the week.

“It’s nice that we’ve got that great sense of community and I’m delighted that we’ve done it, not only for the players but the whole Shepparton community because it puts Shepparton on the map too.”