Boomers 3 Wangaratta 0: The mystery of the missing shin pads at Glen Park

Two goals from Noah Sredojevic helped the Glen Park outfit to a 3-0 win over Wangaratta despite the absence of Andrew Grove, Jordan Crawford, Du Phan and several other key players.

Having lost three of their previous four games, conceding 17 goals in the process, three points and a clean sheet were music to the ears of Boomers coach Decha Saisanid.

"I thought the boys were brilliant," Saisanid said.

"We had seven out who would normally be in consideration so it was good to take it up to a pretty good team.

"Against the more fancied teams, we've conceded too many goals in the last few weeks so our focus has been on tightening it up at the back.

"The defence was great today but it starts from the top.

"The boys up front really led the way with their defensive effort and it filtered down from there."

Mitch Bartlett came in and did a fine job at right-back, while Matt Moffat impressed on his Boomers debut.

The home side were awarded a fifth-minute penalty when Pieter Noordewier got the wrong side of Alex Pitt and was tripped.

Sredojevic sent Jaxon Osmotherly the wrong way from 12 yards.

Wangaratta posed a real threat from set-pieces, Dan Kelly going close three times, but they rarely troubled 39-year-old Marcel White in the Boomers goal.

And the visitors fell further behind to a goal of real quality, 10 minutes before half-time, Kye Halloway and Noordewier carving the Devils wide open with Adam Griffith running clear to finish off the flowing move.

Oscar O'Keeffe missed a good chance for Wangaratta at the start of the second half, dragging his shot wide, before Kelly forced a good low save from the sprawling White.

But the game then paused for a bizarre incident following a City substitution.

James Pursell ran onto the field with his socks rolled down around his ankles, prompting referee Brad Coates to ask if he was wearing shin pads.

Pursell claimed he was but Coates came over to check, discovered he wasn't and promptly sent Pursell back off the field to kit himself out properly.

That came after Stoycho Ivanov had been cautioned for feigning injury and Wangaratta's frustrating afternoon was compounded when Sredojevic soared to make it 3-0 with a crashing header in off the far post six minutes from time.

Albury City and Albury Hotspurs drew 3-3 at Jelbart Park, where both sides scored in the last three minutes, while Ben Barlow's dramatic strike in the fifth minute of added time earned Wodonga Diamonds a 2-1 win at home to Melrose.

Myrtleford beat cellar-dwellers St Pats 4-1 in the day's other Division 1 clash.

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