Story and pic by dogwhistle
Sunday’s premier division match between two of the competition’s top teams, South Lismore and the Byron Bay Services Club Rams, proved to be an absolute cliffhanger.
Souths opened the scoring 15 minutes in with a blistering thirty metre strike that put the Rams into catch-up mode.
Diego Vazquez got the Rams back in the game when he tipped the ball over the keeper to equalise just before halftime.
With fifteen minutes to play, a defensive lapse from the Rams allowed Souths to gain their lead.
Byron continued their urgent pressing game and, with nine minutes to play, Lisandro Luaces made a break down the flank, cut in behind the South’s defence, and beat the keeper to level the score at 2–2.
Both sides cranked up the intensity in the dying minutes. A corner to the Rams saw Luaces drive a cross to Diego Vazquez into the crowded South’s goal mouth. Vazquez’s spectacular aerial back-heel volley into the net broke the hearts of an exhausted South Lismore squad and their vocal and dedicated fans.
The entire Byron team put in another exceptional performance, with standouts (again) Luaces, Vazquez, James Tomlinson, Jono Pierce, Ben Ahern, Rick Muir, and 16-year-old Albs Kay.
The 3–2 win puts the Rams back on top – one point ahead of Richmond Rovers, who have an extra game up their sleeve.
The rundown to the finals will be against Bangalow this Sunday at the Recreation Grounds from 12.30pm.
