The Maitland Magpies staged a come-from-behind win to beat Weston Bears 2-1 in an emotion-charged local derby at Cooks Square Park on Saturday night.
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Matt Comerford delivered the killer blow when his corner kick beat a scramble of players on the line and gave Maitland what proved the winning lead with only minutes left to play.
The goal was awarded despite cries from Bears defenders and their fans that Maitland players had interfered unfairly with Bears goalkeeper Kane Runge.
Maitland assistant coach Darryl McAllister who stood in for the suspended head coach Mick Bolch praised his team’s belief and spirit to keep on pushing for victory.
McAllister said both teams became noticably tired in the second half and the injection of fresh players from the bench gave Magpies the impetus to secure victory.
The toll was even harder on the Bears who had played five, 60 minute games in three days at the Heritage Cup and had five players sidelined because of injury, including defender Brock Oakley who will miss the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his knee.
“Even when we went behind we always trusted that we could come back and get the win,” McAllister said.
“We knew it was going to be a tough contest. The Weston Bears are a very much improved team and the added experience of Nathan Morris and Josh Maguire in Saturday night’s encounter really showed.
Despite the Magpies dominating the first half and the beginning of the second, the Bears scored first through a stunning strike by Jackson Burtson.
It turned the game on its head and the Bears added some attacking flare to the resolute defence which had kept Maitland scoreless.
But playing in front of the Maitland Old Boys, this was not a game the Magpies were prepared to lose and they continued to press in attack.
The breakthrough finally came when Maitland played two players through the tiring Bears defence and Weston keeper Kane Runge was left helpless in a two-one-one contest.
Alex Read tapped in the goal and a draw may have been a fitting result but with only minutes to
The Magpies dominated the first half, but resolute defence by the Bears kept them at bay.
Maitland had numerous good chances but struggled to land a final pass to breach a wall of Bears defenders.
When they did get shots on target, Runge was up to the task pulling off one spectacular save tipping the ball over the cross bar.
Maitland’s Matt Thompson was in everything delivering pinpoint passes to Ryan Clarke and Chris Fayers to exploit with their pace.
But the Bears defence was able to deal with their crosses.
