By Marcus Uhe
Dandenong Thunder goalkeeper Pierce Clark was central to one of the most remarkable finishes to a National Premier League (NPL) Victoria matches the competition has ever seen by scoring a crucial equaliser in the Thunder’s home clash with Green Gully on Saturday night.
Anyone who has played any form of a soccer video game has at some stage attempted to score with the most unlikely of sources, and on Saturday night the dream became reality for the Thunder shot-stopper in a crazy finish to a 1-1 draw.
Trailing 1-0 four minutes into added time, a foul on Jordan Smylie provided Thunder with a free kick just inside the attacking half on the Qamil Rexhepi Grandstand side of the pitch.
As Birkan Kirdar moved to take the kick, Clark snuck down on the opposite wing and nestled his way into the heart of the Thunder penalty box.
Clark was the intended target of Kirdar’s cross at the back post, but lost his footing in a tangle of arms and legs as bodies and limbs collapsed in a pile near the bouncing ball.
Puddles of rain splashed and soaked players in the scramble, with Green Gully managing an initial clearance, only for it to be deflected to the feet of Aidan Edwards.
Edwards drifted the ball to the left post, where another cross to the teeth of goal found the head of Josh Karantz.
Karantz’ header was off target, but found an unmarked Clark, in the right spot at the perfect time.
Wearing the only blue guernsey on the pitch made him look even more like a fish out of water than what the circumstances dictated he already was, but his delicate first touch and positioning was that of a true striker.
With the ball under his control, he fired his right-footed strike at the left post while falling to the ground, and watched from a horizontal position on the cold, sodden turf of George Andrews Reserve as the ball hit the post and rebounded into the net on the opposite side.
Delirium ensued as Clark charged toward the Thunder members’ area, soaking himself in the pools of water nestled on the pitch’s surface as teammates and fans mobbed their new hero.
The same puddles had prompted a pitch inspection at the beginning of the second half, following a heavy downpour at the break, but Clark and his Thunder teammates turned the conditions into an impromptu pool party.
Pressure had been mounting from the home side as the clock ticked away in the second half and the circumstances became more and more desperate, while the visitors were content to sit back in defence and force Thunder to break their stranglehold on the lead.
Green Gully dominated possession for the remaining minute of added time, but failed to find a winner as the game finished 1-1.
It’s Clark’s first goal in Thunder colours, and one that could play a critical role in Thunder avoiding relegation in 2024.
Heavy rainfall made for a wet and scoreless opening half, both sides failing to put pressure on the opposition defense with legitimate chances.
Green Gully took the lead in the 67th minute, with Thunder buckling under pressure from repeat visitors’ corners.
The visitors caught Thunder napping by playing a short corner and putting a cross deep into the penalty box, where Adolph Koudakpo made the ball his own, and headed home from close range.
It’s a third consecutive week where Thunder has collected points, the second longest streak of the Thunder’s season to date, maintaining their gap on 12th place on the table, and keeping the threat of relegation on the back burner.
A tough challenge awaits next week, when Thunder heads to Lakeside Stadium to tackle the ladder-leading South Melbourne.
