Sport
19 August, 2024
Gripping do-or-die win keeps Bulls in the ring
ONE down and one to go. The Mareeba Bulls pulled off a must-win game on Saturday night against last year’s premiers Marlin Coast Rangers.
In a gripping 2-1 finish, captain Adrien Madrid said the team had “prepped well and were pumped up”.
“Everyone knew it was a do-or-die game,” he said.
The match at Pennell Field-Trinity Beach was a tight non-scoring first half, but the Rangers’ Darcy Fitzroy snuck a ball through on a defensive error early in the second half taking them to a 1-0 lead.
The Bulls kept up the attack, with the more experienced players pushing the game forward, Adrien said.
The Rangers were feeling the pressure with three yellow cards delivered, two in the second half.
With 20 minutes to go, a determined Wayne Srhoj scored with a free kick taking the score to 1-1. In an electrifying last minute of the match, Victor Madrid put a decisive header into the back post, bringing the game to a celebratory finish for the Bulls.
“Yeah, it was pretty good,” Adrien said in understatement of the post-match atmosphere.
But now it was back to the business of getting into the top four of the FQPL Far North league next week, when the Bulls play a catch-up match against the Stratford Dolphins at 7pm on Saturday 24 August at Nick Brko Field, Stratford.
“We’re looking forward to the next game,” Adrien said. “We have won the last two games, but they are one of those teams that can pull a rabbit out of the hat.
“But we have momentum, and we are playing good football.”
The Bulls need the win to get into the league semi-finals which will begin on August 31.
