By Marcus Uhe
A late rally from Dandenong Thunder wasn’t enough to see them secure the three points in its final contest of the 2023 NPL1 season, losing 3-4 to Hume City FC at home on Saturday afternoon.
After a scoreless first 45, a catastrophic 14 minutes in the second saw the Thunder concede three goals in rapid time, the third coming in the 70th minute to Hume City striker Brandon Lauton.
It kicked the home side into gear, however, with Emre Ozyurek finding the back of the net in the 78th minute, making an instant impact having just been substituted into the pitch in place of Ndue Mujeci.
Grad Damen made it 2-3 just two minutes later before Ozyurek leveled the scores in the 86th minute, setting the scene for a frantic close to the game.
It would take until stoppage time for the deadlock to be broken, Josh Bingham scoring his second for the visitors in the 92nd minute to break the hearts of Thunder players coaches and fans.
The loss sees the Thunder finish the season with 10 wins, three draws and 13 losses from its 26 matches for the season.
Thirteen goals to Damen made him one of the most prolific strikers in the competition, finishing equal second on the goal scorers table.
