The Macarthur FC 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar last night looks easy on paper, but it was anything but a walkover.
After six rounds without tasting victory – and bagging three premiership points that come with it – the Bulls finally brought home the bacon.
You won’t be surprised to hear that their captain, Ulises Davila, not only scored their first goal, he played a big role in the other two as well.
The Mexican wizard is in rare form right now and he deserves the plaudits he’s receiving from one and all.
His goal came during the sixteenth minute of the game, and it was the result of some very good football from Macarthur.
Play veered down the right side and Jed Drew, a rising star of Australian football – beat several defenders before passing the ball to Davila, who calmly slotted it into the net.
The first half finished with Bulls well on top on the field and on the scoreboard.
It didn’t take them long to extend their lead: just seven minutes into the second half young winger Raphael received a great pass from Valere Germain – who also had another great game – and tapped it in for 2-0.
A tad over six minutes later young Jed Drew, pictured above, scored his first goal of the season and at 3-0 everyone was wondering how big the margin would be.
But as happens in these situations, the team that looks like it’s down and out makes a miraculous recovery, and that’s exactly what Roar did, scoring just two and a bit minutes after Drew’s goal to make it 3-1 – and game on.
But the Bulls regrouped, helped with an injection or three from the bench, head coach Mile Sterjovski staying ahead of the curve.
And that’s where the scoreline stayed, at 3-1, when the ref blew the final whistle.
Davila was interviewed after the match, his 100th in the A-League, and was asked how he felt.
The Bulls skipper hasn’t quite mastered the English language just yet, so he kept it short and sweet: “Very happy,’’ he told the TV interviewer.
The Bulls return home for their next game to host the Perth Glory in a round 14 fixture at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday, January 28, kick off 5pm.
A week later they will host Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday, February 4, kick off also at 5pm.
