RAA NPLSA Goals Wrap | Round Thirteen
Despite Para Hills Knights snapping a 12-match winless run with a commanding 3-1 victory over fellow strugglers Modbury Jets, it wasn’t enough to stave off relegation from the NPL with two rounds left to play.
The Knights’ fate was sealed the before they had kicked a ball as Adelaide United recorded an upset 1-0 win over Croydon Kings on Friday night to push tenth spot beyond their reach.
Despite their heartbreak, it was the home side who opened the scoring just after half time as Luka Chikwuba squared the ball for Jaweed Muradi to tap in from close range in the 49th minute.
Their lead lasted just two minutes, however, as a handled ball in the box allowed Modbury’s Donovan Pollock to restore parity from the spot with a thumping penalty kick into the bottom corner.
Muradi was on the scoresheet again on the hour mark, trapping a pinballing football in the 18-yard box and firing a low shot into the bottom corner to hand the Knights a 2-1 lead.
With neither side able to break through over the next half-hour, it was Logan Marley-McFall who netted from another Chikwuba assist to ice the contest in injury time and break the Knights’ months-long drought.
MetroStars and Campbelltown City registered crucial wins over Cumberland United and Raiders respectively to leapfrog the beaten Kings and keep pressure on Adelaide Comets, who defeated Adelaide Olympic 2-0 to hold their place at the top of the league table.
Adelaide City’s 1-0 triumph over Blue Eagles saw them regain their place in the top six, capitalising on the losses by Raiders and Cumberland.