Manly United produced another stirring comeback on Saturday, scoring twice in the space of three minutes to defeat Sutherland Sharks 2-1 and extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
Facing a Sharks side sitting fifth on the ladder, the hosts were considered underdogs despite their recent resurgence and looked to have a mountain to climb after conceding the opening goal.
But the Manly boys never backed down.
With just minutes remaining, midfielder Darcy Burgess marked his 51st First Grade appearance for the club in perfect fashion, finding the equaliser to spark belief throughout Cromer Park. The goal was made even more special as Burgess celebrated the milestone alongside fellow 51-game Manly player Aaron O’Driscoll.
Then came a moment of magic. Only minutes after entering the contest, Ayumu Kimura latched onto a long pass from Doug John, brilliantly controlled the ball with the back of his heel, flicked it into space and surged towards goal. With three defenders desperately chasing, the winger kept his composure before calmly beating the goalkeeper to complete a stunning solo effort and send the home crowd into celebration.
The dramatic victory lifts Manly into ninth place on the NPL NSW ladder, creating valuable breathing room above the relegation battle while continuing one of the competition’s strongest recent runs of form. Five games unbeaten and full of confidence, Vladimir Knežević’s side is building momentum at exactly the right time as the race towards finals heats up.
Image credit: Football NSW
