Story & photo Dogwhistle
The Northern Hotel Byron Bay Rams had another successful inland excursion on Saturday, taking on fourth-place aspirants Lismore Thistles on their home turf.
Traditionally fiery exchanges, this round’s battle provided more fast, fluid football from the Rams.
The Reserves set the pace, with Ben Ahern and Tomas delivering a solid 2–1 win.
The Prems started on the wrong foot. Thistles struck early, bagging an opener in the opening minutes. The Rams pressed forward strongly in response, with the lethal combination of Tyson Kaye and Aaron Walker carving up the Lismore defence. Nine minutes in, the equaliser came when a power-drive from Kaye was deflected by the keeper and the loose ball was finished off by a hard-charging Walker.
Byron took the lead at the seventeenth minute when a solo run from Kaye broke the Thistles’ backline and Tyson slotted away a second goal.
The Rams dominated for much of the match, despite some dangerous counterattacks from the determined Thistles.
Ten minutes into the second half, Herick Schuenemann finished a great flanking run with a superb cross to the head of Aaron Walker. The header was deflected by the keeper and in the ensuing goal-mouth melee, Walker bustled the ball over the line.
This third Rams goal prompted a rush of blood in the Thistles’ squad who responded with a sustained, 20-minute attack. The onslaught put serious pressure on the Rams’ defenders, but a solid backline and a composed performance from young Rams keeper, Griffin Bambach, held back the Lismore assault.
The wins preserve Byron’s ranking on the competition ladders, with the Reserves on top and the Prems sharing second spot with Rovers, a point behind Goonellabah.
This week, the Rams host Lismore Workers at the Rec Grounds, with the Reserves kicking off at 12.30pm and the Prems at 2.30.
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