Story & photo Dogwhistle
The Great Northern Byron Bay Rams stepped up the challenge of two night games inside four days in fine style last week, with four masterful displays of quick, decisive football.
The Reserves started the week’s goal-fest slowly on Tuesday night, closing the first half against Alstonville with only a goal from midfield maestro Lachlan Dewar on the board. The goals began to flow freely in the second half, however, with another seven added to the tally.
The Prems also started cautiously against Alstonville, getting the measure of their opponents for the first half-hour before a through ball from Thiago Priori found speedster Tyson Kaye on the run to open the account 34 minutes in.
Five minutes later, Kaye was brought down in the box and his clinical penalty strike made it 2–0. Aaron Walker was next, wrestling his way through an increasingly desperate villa defence to take Byron’s third.
Two minutes further in and Thiago Priori dummied and chipped the defence to find Aaron Walker who buried his second.
Tyson Kaye drove home his hat-trick to take the final tally to a convincing 5–0.
The week’s second episode, Friday night’s much-anticipate derby against neighbouring Bangalow, provided more of the same – with perhaps a little more intensity.
The Reserves jumped straight into it, with Will Ennis bursting through and charging the ball down to the Bluedogs post before cutting back to George Martin for an unstoppable finish.
Twenty minutes later, a deflected shot from Ennis was pounced on by Thomas for Byron’s second. Another twenty and sub Dan Musgrave’s well placed through ball gave Will Ennis his first for the day.
A surprise goal from Bangalow put Byron back on their toes for the second half and the Rams responded with two more goals from Ennis, another from Thomas, and two from Dan Musgrave, taking the final score to 8–1.
The Premier Division Rams took to the pitch with equal vigour, opening their contest with the ’Dogs in the opening two minutes when Thiago Priori beat the Bangalow defence and cooly chipped the keeper.
Two minutes later, Tyson Kaye burned up the flank, crossed to Sam Owens, who parried back to a charging Aaron Walker for a perfect finish. The Rams found themselves two goals up in the opening five minutes.
A goal-mouth skirmish saw the Bangalow keeper step back into the goals to give Byron their third. Bangalow had no answer for the power partnership Tyson Kaye and Aaron Walker, the two carving up the Bangalow defence.
A pass from Kaye to Walker delivered the Rams’ fourth for the night and a header from Herick Schuenemann made it five.
Bangalow scored a late face-saver before Herick Schuenemann bagged his second taking the final score to 6–1.
The Rams have another night game at home this Friday against Lennox, with the Ressies kicking off at 6pm and the Prems at 8pm.
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