Super sub Brooker snatches three points for Goulburn Valley Suns

With the Suns locked in a stalemate against Nunawading City at McEwen Reserve, Brooker sent a bayonet through the sternum of the visitor in the 91st minute to claim a 2-1 victory and have the Orange army bouncing at the Brauman St end.

It was poetry in motion to watch and Suns coach Craig Carley had no shortage of points to rhapsodise about at full time.

“I was really proud of the boys to come back from a goal down,” Carley said.

“That second half, it was like we flipped a switch and came away with the three points which was massive for us.

“I spoke to the boys before the game about the magnitude of it, and fair play to them, they delivered on the day.”

If Carley spoke about magnitude before the game, then Brooker’s stoppage time winner brought about a roar which blew the Richter scale off its hinges.

However, the Suns’ first half was silent in comparison.

Skipper Jamie England tweaked his hamstring 10 minutes into the game which brought Taku Hishida onto the pitch and forced a midfield reshuffle, allowing Nunawading to creep into a position of control.

A sleek move down the right hand flank had Nunawading winger Alex Dimitriou get the better of Greg Nash, slipping to the byline and whipping the ball into the far corner past Jake Angelovski in the 36th minute.

The strike dimmed the Suns’ motivation, but when the main break came, up flipped the switch.

Nash came ever so close to redeeming himself early in the second stanza with a fizzing long range attempt, but his effort was tipped over the bar by Nunawading keeper Stephen Hatzikourtis.

The Suns would equalise with 20 minutes to play as striker Russell Currie earned a penalty through his own industry, smashing it down the middle to restore parity and notch his eighth of the season.

More chances came for the host, but each went begging – until Brooker decided he’d had enough.

As the clock ticked past 90 minutes, Hishida picked up the ball inside his half and unleashed the young substitute, who drove with pace and sent a swerving shot goal-bound from outside the box.

Hatzikourtis dove, arms flailing, but ultimately to no avail as Brooker’s strike had ‘’top corner’’ stamped as the sending address – and there was no return.

His goal proved the decisive one as Suns held on for a famous win and Carley had no trouble shining the spotlight on his super sub after rescuing three points for the Orangemen on yet another occasion.

“For us, with all of our young players it’s about managing them correctly and making sure we’re exposing them to first team football, but also not hindering their development in terms of game time,” Carley said.

“Elijah’s attitude and application at every single training session is spot on, he’s always working hard and it’s three times now he’s come off the bench and got the match winner for us – and what a strike it was too by the way.

“He's an amazing young man to work with as a football player and as a human being as well.

“We’ve been able to sign his brother (Isaac) from Ballarat City, he’s been training with us and he’ll link up with us during the transfer window, so that’s another boost to the squad moving forward.”

• The Suns meet Whittlesea Ranges in round six of the Australia Cup tomorrow, hosting the State League One side at McEwen Reserve from 8pm.

With 19 other teams left in the Victorian pool, two more wins for Carley’s men would take the Suns through to the national stage of the competition.

“It’s a game we want to go into to win as we always do, but it’ll also be an opportunity to blood some other players into the senior squad like we have been doing throughout the cup,” Carley said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to get through to the next round and it’s a great draw at home, but we certainly won’t be taking them lightly.”