Port Saints 2 drew with Macleay Valley Rangers 2
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TOP of the table Macleay Valley Rangers travelled to Port Macquarie on Saturday to take on the Port Saints. Both sides were undefeated, but that looked like changing with Saints up by two goals with ten minutes to play.
A side that has only conceded four goals all season, the Rangers were left scratching their heads but ended up pulling a rabbit from a hat.
Cruising with the lead, the Saints began to get complacent and before they knew it the scores were level.
Coach John Goodman was disappointed they let the lead slip with the finish line in arms reach.
“We had them all game. We lost the game ourselves in the last ten minutes,” he said.
“We scored a minute in and stayed at that 1-0 scoreline with 20 minutes to go, then we scored again.
“We picked up and then just got complacent. It was like being in the twilight zone.”
Goodman said the Rangers lifted while his men lost their shape for five minutes that ultimately cost them.
“At the end of the game when we were up 2-1 we got complacent and they snuck another in. I think we deserved all three points, absolutely," he said.
“We definitely had them but it was just so disappointing. I give the guys credit for playing so well, but we have to learn to shut a team out.
“Macleay are a good side, and they can find goals out of no where. They’re over the top rough, and you get into the tough stuff and it turns into a fight. We couldn’t win the fight.”
He said it was a quality match on a really bad pitch, but it was no excuse not to come away with the points.
“It is what it is. Our guys are good enough every day of the week, but that complacency needs to stop creeping in,” he said.
“ At 2-0 up we relaxed, and we stopped doing the one percenters, and unfortunately we let them back in when we shouldn’t have. In saying that, I was really proud of them.”
The Saints have lost one of their best players back to New Zealand in Sam von Hartitzsch, who will depart overseas this week.