LIONS – Shooters game Summary from Shooters captain Zippy:

Indeed it was a case where Shooters luck with the referee ran out as the game began controversially with Dani Isaacs opener after 10mins.

The whole Shooter backline stopped for a blatant Aussie rules armball pass from a Lions midfielder for Isaac to run on 1v1 and tuck neatly past the keeper. Shooter protests were dismissed by Kevin the ref who claimed the handball had not been intentional.

Rocked by the early goal the Shooters laid seige to the Lions goal and after missing some half chances finally were rewarded for a push in the box from a corner in which Kevin Wiessler dispatched with authority into the top corner. 1-1 and in spite of having the better momentum in the first half the Shooters were down 2-1 with 3 mins left in the half after their defense failed to clear a cross and Alan Mendell reacted first and his shot deflected off a defender to wrong foot the Shooter keeper and find it’s way into the corner.

However, the 2nd half was a different story as with the wind at their backs the Lions strike force took charge of the game from 55th-65th minute when they added 3 quick fire goals. Super Sub Johnny Oshea back from the successful launch of the Hobbit in Wellington scored on his first touch after a mistake at the back, and then capitalized on a goalkeeping howler to make it 4-1 before Azzedine Takaloufa playing against his old club went clear through in the box and drew a penalty as he was brought down rounding the onrushing keeper. Unfortunately for the Shooters his heavy touch would probably have not enabled him to shoot but contact was made and Azz stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and set the Lions up for a potentially humiliating whitewash defeat of the Shooters.

The 2nd half of the second half saw a complete reversal in fortunes as the Shooters launched a mammuth comeback.Wiessler scored off a deflected freekick on the 70th minute and then tucked away his hattrick 5 minutes later. The Shooters missed a hatful of chances before Quentin Dereims climbed bravely to head in from 3 yards out with 81minutes left to set up a nervous finish for the Lions. Both sides missed chances in the final 5 minutes but he Lions held on to record a gutsy 5-4 win.

MOM for the Lions went to Johnny Oshea for his contribution and for the Shooters to Kevin Wiessler.