By Justin Schwarze
Dandenong Thunder’s momentum was stopped in its tracks in round 14 of the NPL season as Green Gully claimed a 3-1 win at home.
Thunder started very slowly with the team not recording a single shot on target for the entire first half while the hosts managed three.
However, both teams headed for the dressing room with the score still deadlocked at 0-0.
In the second half, Dandenong struck early from a set piece.
The ball was fired into the box from a corner, where Thunder’s danger man Hassan Jalloh pounced on the opportunity and headed it past the keeper.
His eighth goal for the season gave the visitors a 1-0 lead just before the hour mark.
Just over 10 minutes later, Green Gully was pressing forward through two well-placed through balls, leading to Aamir Abdallah streaking into the box.
He was met and challenged by Thijs Van Amerongen, but the referee judged the tackle illegal and signalled for a penalty kick after Abdallah went down.
Despite being bemused by the decision, Van Amerongen picked up a yellow card for his challenge.
Abdallah shook it off to take the penalty and placed his shot to the bottom right, but was met by an exceptional save from Jamie Young diving and stretching to his left.
Unfortunately for Dandenong, Young couldn’t keep out Deklan Wynne’s rocket of a shot a few minutes later that equalised for Green Gully.
In the 85th minute, a lovely cross came into the box for the hosts, finding Matthew Crooks at the back post who volleyed it into the roof of the net.
Gully weren’t done there as it put the game to bed when Elioan Kifle found space and slotted a third for hosts and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
The game marked a very poor attacking day for Thunder, with Jalloh’s successful header being the only shot on target for the side in the match.
With Oakleigh Cannons also dropping points by losing 3-0 to Avondale, Dandenong remained in third on the table.
In round 15, Thunder heads home to host sixth-placed Hume City.
