Bunbury a force in defeat

Lady Luck handed the BunburyForum Force a lemon at Payne Park in their State Premier League match against ladder leading Stirling Lions on Saturday afternoon.

After a tough, even first half, often the hero Ryan Risdon turned villain, giving away a penalty at the 75 minute mark for Lions substitute Dan Macevski to slam into the roof of the net to give his team a 1-0 win and the Premier League championship for the first time in 17 years.

Risdon was crestfallen with his error not exactly a foul although referee David Costello had no choice but to point to the dreaded spot after the force defender lifted a boot a little too high in a bid to stop Nathan Herold from a dangerous breakaway raid.

Only the staunchest Force supporters dared hope for an upset win over the Premier League leaders gunning for their first flag with 16 successive victories although there was incentive for the home team as well.

The devastating news that the Force had become the only Premier League team to be dumpedfrom the new National Professional League is surely a big motivator for Bunbury.

Victory over the top team would have iced the Force cake as a reply to the controversial Football West ruling.

After a dismal, disrupted first half of the season the Force’s second half charge was a monumental success under the tutelage of Trent Hathaway who brought stability and belief to his club and a rise up to seventh of 12 teams on the Premier League points table.

The first half of Saturday’s match at Payne Park was a tough, end-to-end slog with both goalkeepers called on to make saves.

Bunbury went on the charge after the interval, but could not find a goal.

The Lions attacked from the restart but were repelled by Liam Hutchinson, Oliver McGee, youngster Ryan Stewart and Risdon and soon the visitors goals were under siege with a desperate save by Naved Arvez conceding a corner which curled agonisingly past the post.

Runs from Bunbury’s Bright Ababio and Jon Brooks were to no avail.