We returned to Melbourne with a well-earned point after a dramatic 3-3 draw against NWS Spirit, with a stoppage-time equaliser capping off a thrilling end-to-end contest.
Both sides created plenty of chances throughout the first half, but the breakthrough didn’t come until stoppage time when Bruno Fornaroli was brought down in the box by Grant Cornwell.
Despite Spirit goalkeeper Chris Marques diving the right way and getting a hand to it, Fornaroli’s powerful penalty gave the Avengers a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
The advantage was doubled immediately after halftime when Kristian Trajceski showed great composure to slot home a one-on-one with Marques, after Fornaroli’s clever dummy opened the door for him to race through unmarked.
Spirit hit back soon after through Michael Konestabo, who produced a stunning volley from outside the area to make it 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Nine minutes later, Aedon Kyra levelled the scores, reacting quickest to turn home a rebound after a strong save from Mayen Mayen.
Kyra struck again in the 82nd minute to put the home side in front, capitalising on another loose ball inside the box.
But the Avengers refused to go away. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Dillon Jakupi’s cross was parried by Marques straight into the path of Aamir Abdallah, who calmly tucked it away to rescue a vital point in the 97th minute.
It was the second consecutive week that Avondale found the net beyond the 90th minute — another example of the team’s relentless fight until the final whistle.
“[These late goals] give us a lot of confidence,” said Zachary Cianci, who scored last week’s 94th-minute sealer and once again made an impact off the bench.
“I’ve come on as a substitute in two games, and in the 60 minutes that the boys have played [before I came on], they’ve worked tirelessly, and I think me coming on gives them a bit of spark. It’s important for the substitutes to come on and close out those games in pivotal moments.”
The match was an emotional return for Cianci, who faced his former side for the first time since his standout 2024 season with Spirit.
“I had a tremendous year at Spirit in 2024. We went really far in the Australia Cup and did decent in the league,” he said. “To go back to Christie Park was quite nostalgic for me. I hadn’t been there in a year and to see all the boys was great; I’ve kept in contact with every single one of them since last year. I was just keen to come on and make a statement against my old team.”
Cianci also spoke about the challenges of adapting to the synthetic surface at Christie Park.
“The NPL teams in Melbourne are predominantly all on grass,” he explained. “In comparison to the Sydney NPL, most of the pitches are synthetic, so it’s quite a transition for us — a lot of the boys ended up with blisters. It’s a little bit slower too, because on grass the ball zips a bit more, whereas on synthetic it slows down the trajectory. It doesn’t suit us as well because we like to play fast, possession-based football.”
We now turn our attention to a massive Friday night clash with Preston Lions, with Cianci expecting a huge occasion.
“It’s going to be a massive game for us and obviously Preston as well, because they need to win the game,” he said. “[We’re expecting a] big atmosphere.”
Next Home Game:
Avondale FC vs NWS Spirit FC
Sunday, 9 November | 4:30 PM | Avenger Park
Skip the queue and grab your tickets now:
https://www.intix.com.au/event/avondale-fc-vs-nws-spirit
#lafamiglia
Credit: Original Article by Raymond Lawrence at Il Globo
Credit: Photos by Damian Briggs