The Strikers have slipped further adrift from the Pascoe Cup leaders after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Lake Albert at Rawlings Park on Sunday afternoon
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The two sides last met in the 2016 grand final, won 3-1 by Lake Albert, but the Strikers were bolstered by the return of player-coach Brent Farnsworth from suspension and took to the field a vastly improved side from the team who fell to Tolland at home last week.
It was an even contest for the majority of the game against the second-placed Sharks, however goals either side of halftime and key errors, along with a series of yellow cards, failed to do the Strikers justice on the scoresheet.
Farnsworth bemoaned a whistle-heavy game but was proud of his side’s efforts.
“Our boys are giving all their all, 150 per cent every week, but some of those yellow cards really hurt us today,”
“It felt like some of those 50-50 calls went against us.”
“On our day, we’d have got that penalty, I’d have had that chance late in the game and it could have easily been 2-2.
“We’ll keep working away at it, but really we need to just step up and put something into the back of the net.”
Farnsworth gave special mention to youngster Scott Endacott, who shrugged off any concerns about inexperience at Pascoe Cup level to put in his best performance to date.
Endacott made a number of attacking raids up the left flank and pulled off some impressive one-on-one manoeuvres.
“He’s a young bloke who’s really stepping up,” Farnsworth said.
“He’s taking on two, three players at a time now and his confidence is on the up.
“It’s taken him a few weeks to get into it but he had a great game today – we couldn’t ask for more from him.”
Keeper Matthew McKnight also enjoyed a good game and was unlucky not to keep a clean sheet while Mark Rogers was another to draw praise for his strong performance against the Sharks.
