Scoring early against Eastern Suburbs is not something Metro will want to do too frequently in future, as after doing so in the clubs’ Northern Premier League clash at Albie Turner Field on May 17, the home team ended up on the wrong end of a 5-1 hiding in what was a fast-paced encounter.
The tempo of the match was established inside the first two minutes, during which time both teams could have scored. Metro’s Willie Osborne headed straight at Nick Lange after just 105 seconds, following a right-wing raid by Daniel Mulrooney.
Lange, upon grabbing the ball, unleashed a raking clearance which saw Stu Bola get the better of Peter Hendriks before firing just past the post as Jordan Dupuis, Metro’s goalkeeper, hurtled off his line in response to the threat posed by Eastern Suburbs’ leading goal scorer.
Back came Metro, with Krish Singh showing some old-fashioned wing wizardry in the sixth minute, as he weaved his way through four challenges before whipping in a low cross to Leaveil Titus, who fired narrowly wide of the unsighted Lange’s left-hand post.
Two minutes later, the home team opened the scoring, and a well-conceived and executed goal it was, too. Titus was the prime architect, surging down the inside left channel before utilising Shane Campbell’s supporting run to good effect. The speedster’s angled cross went behind the defence, and perfectly into the path of Osborne, who swept home the opener in fine style.
Suburbs sought a quick riposte, but found Dupuis quick off the mark to deny the unmarked Bola, after Andrew Webber and the jet-heeled Matthew Lear (sorry, pun intended!) had teamed up to good effect on the right.
After Osborne had sent a shot whizzing across the face of Lange’s goal on receipt of a fine through ball from Singh, Suburbs enjoyed a good spell in which they came desperately close to equalising. Dupuis pawed out Dene McKay’s in-swinging corner from under his crossbar in the twentieth minute, before Lear, with a header, and Richard Wilson, with a fierce drive, only just failed to hit the target, the latter finding the side netting.
Back came Metro, with Campbell and Singh both going close before the half-hour mark as the game swung to and fro. Then it was Osborne’s turn to go close, his near post header beating Lange but flying just wide of the post, after a great piece of skill and speed by Campbell saw the youngster turn sharply and career past three opponents before crossing.
If Metro’s goal was well-conceived, Suburbs’ equaliser, eight minutes before the interval, was even better - the speed with which they launched and executed this counter-attack was stunning!!
Campbell’s cross, intended for Singh, was plucked from the sky by Lange, who immediately threw the ball out to Mark Webber. He surged up field, before picking out brother Andrew with a raking fifty yard cross-field pass which seemed to be laser-guided, such was its accuracy.
Webber took the ball on in his stride, swept past an opponent, then lashed home a screamer from twenty yards which careered hard and low past the diving Dupuis and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net - 1-1, and how!
It certainly stunned Metro, for they failed to respond to it before half-time. They never got the chance to do so after the break, for three Suburbs goals in the first twelve minutes of the second spell ensured the visitors of victory, and fourth place on the table at the initial conclusion of this truncated seventh round.
Suburbs’ second goal was one which Dupuis will be having nightmares about for weeks to come. Lear sparked the 48th minute strike with a splendid run down the right, only to pull his cross back behind everybody. Fortunately for Suburbs, Wilson had delayed his run, and was perfectly place to let fly from twenty yards. Dupuis had it covered - it was shot straight at him, but the ‘keeper inexplicably let the ball through his hands and legs, much to Wilson’s glee.
Four minutes later, 2-1 became 3-1, as Mark Webber’s left-wing raid culminated in a cross which Wesley Knapp headed across the face of his own goal. It landed perfectly for Bola, who duly punished some schoolboy defending in suitable fashion.
After Lange had thwarted Campbell, Bola hit the top of the Northern Premier League Golden Boot charts with a splendid individual strike, his ninth goal of the season. A solo effort, he set off down the left from just inside Metro’s half.
After evading a couple of challenges, he sliced infield and let fly with a beautifully struck curling effort which arced exquisitely round the diving Dupuis and flew into the net off the far post - 4-1.
Metro were never really in the hunt again after this, and but for the defensive efforts of Hendriks - flying locks and all, the final score line may well have been greater. Both Webber brothers were denied by the home team’s best performer in the penalty area, while his leap was enough to deny Bola a hat-trick chance in the 69th minute, as the striker sent his header of McKay’s free-kick flashing over the crossbar.
Andrew Webber then presented Bola with a great chance a minute later, only for the ball to creep between the legs of the hat-trick hunter, who had no-one in a yellow shirt following in behind him.
While Bola’s been banging the goals in of late, another of Suburbs’ contingent hadn’t scored a Northern Premier League goal for five seasons.  Until tonight, that is.
With nine minutes left, Metro cleared a corner out to substitute Taurean McKenzie, who chipped the ball back into the danger zone. Andrew Webber timed his run to perfection to beat the offside trap, and found himself one-on-one with Dupuis.
The goalkeeper stood his ground and blocked the effort well, only to look on in despair as Heath Dickenson trundled into view and crashed the ball home off the underside of the crossbar, thus ending one of the longer individual scoring droughts in recent NPL history in emphatic fashion!
Two minutes from time, Suburbs squandered a sixth goal, Wilson having worked a one-two with Phil Goodin on the right. The midfielder motored away down the right, before drilling in a low cross to the far post for McKenzie.  With the goal at his mercy, the substitute completely miscued his shot, the ball arriving at the feet of a somewhat surprised Andrew Webber, whose snapshot was blocked by the legs of Dupuis.
Referee Peter Budgen’s final whistle sounded soon afterwards, concluding Metro’s misery while sending the Suburbs’ faithful home in fine fettle following their team’s emphatic come-from-behind 5-1 victory.

Details

Metro: Dupuis; Mulrooney, Hendriks, Thomas, Knapp; Singh (Martin, 58), Dundas, Nasiri (Ellis, 65), Titus; Osborne, Campbell

Suburbs: Lange; McKay (booked, 14) (Lockton, 79), Day, Dickenson, Smeeton; Lear (Goodin, 81), Ellis, Wilson, M. Webber; A. Webber, Bola (booked, 41) (McKenzie, 76)

Referee: Peter Budgen

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