The Weston Bears' hopes of playing finals were ended by a clinical Edgeworth Eagles who ran out 3-0 winners at Rockwell Automation Park on Saturday night.
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After two straight postponed fixtures due to lockdown-induced player unavailability, the Weston Bears finally returned to action as they hosted last season's premiers and champions Edgeworth Eagles.
Having suffered a 2-0 away defeat in the sides' previous meeting, the Bears were keen to put a run of three consecutive defeats to their more fancied opposition behind them and return to the winners' circle, with their campaign finely poised.
The Eagles were looking to consolidate their spot among the top four and preferably to continue their ascent up the table after an uncharacteristically stop-start opening to the season that saw them drop three of their opening four fixtures.
Despite goal scoring opportunities proving few and far between in the game's opening exchanges, the Bears were impressing in terms of defensive solidity and assuredness on the ball, and showed no signs of lacking match rhythm.
The first chance of note came in the 13th minute, with a Cooper Buswell corner lofted almost perfectly for an unmarked Connor Heydon around the penalty spot, but the latter was unable to connect.
The same combination nearly proved lethal 90 seconds later, Buswell latching on to a delightful backheel from Tommy Duggan to deliver an inch perfect cross to Heydon at the back post.
His side footed volley from five yards was well caught by Eagles keeper Josh Low, who positioned himself well to cut down the angle.
The visitors' first attack came in the 16th minute. Will Bower cut back on the byline to tee up Jeremy Brockie, who latched on to the cross and connected with a tracer bullet low volley that Bears keeper Stuart Plant could do nothing about.
Showcasing the ever-so-clinical approach the Eagles have built a reputation on over the years, it was a hammer blow to the hosts who until that point had looked a tight unit overall.
The Bears refused to allow the setback to curtail their own progress though.
A slide rule Buswell through ball in the 21st minute played Duggan in just inside the box and he made no mistake, tucking the ball away tidily into the far corner to beat Low.
The linesman's flag was unfortunately raised, with the strike chalked off before any celebrations could commence.
The visitors looked threatening in attack once more in the 23rd minute, as some trickery from Jakob Cresnar saw him create space to whip in a dangerous cross that whistled mere inches past the heads of both Kristian Brymora and Brockie, who had slipped away from their respective markers.
Ten minutes later, Edgeworth butchered a gilt-edged opportunity as a ponderous Nathan Morris showed a rare lack of composure to cough up possession.
Brymora stole the ball inside the box and cut across for Bower, who slipped at the crucial moment.
A free kick 20 seconds later saw Josh Evans gallop towards the byline, but his cross trickled past the back post just out of Brymora's reach.
The Eagles found success once more in the 34th minute as a Cresnar cutback found Brockie for a simple tap in from five yards to double the advantage.
The hosts had been flirting with danger during the previous 10 minutes or so of play, and though it was hardly a display of sustained dominance from the Eagles, few could suggest the additional scoreboard damage was unexpected.
Weston threatened in the 36th minute as Aaron Niyonkuru slipped a delicate pass between the lines for Joey O'Connor, but the latter fluffed his lines one on one and directed his effort straight at Low.
An ambitious 25 yard attempt from Duggan a minute later was en route to the top corner until Low pulled off a fine fingertip save at full stretch.
Sneddon rose to meet the subsequent corner but glanced his free header just wide of the far post.
Four minute after the break, Duggan was brought down in the box in what looked to be a very reasonable penalty shout, but the man in the middle showed no interest whatsoever and waved play on.
Amid the delicate and soothing sounds of a lone vuvuzela, Weston's Zac Sneddon pulled up lame in the 53rd minute with what appeared to be a hamstring complaint.
Playing temporarily with a three-man backline while understaffed, the Bears looked anything but vulnerable as they dealt comfortably with any attacking forays that came their way.
Bears coach Leo Bertos introduced Jarryd Sutherland for Heydon in the 64th minute, no doubt living in hope that the attacking livewire would provide some much needed spark to drag his side back into the contest.
A 69th minute speculator from 30 yards off the boot of Niyonkuru looked promising, but ultimately failed to trouble Low.
A 73rd minute double sub for the hosts saw Buswell and Duggan withdrawn for Nathan Lozada and Jackson Eckford, while visiting coach Michael Bridges replaced Dylan Holz with Jordan Bower.
Neither side had created a great deal so far in the half, locked in something of a stalemate as the Eagles were content enough to sit on the two goal lead and resolute enough at the back not to allow the chasing Bears much room to manoeuvre.
Marcus Duncan committed what many would deem a "tactical foul" in the 82nd minute to curtail the advancement of Damon Green, who may otherwise have found himself through on goal.
The resultant free kick was chipped delicately over the defensive line by Brockie but the offside flag meant there would be no further progress for the Eagles.
Brockie drew a smart save from Plant a few moments later, but would have backed himself to have made more of the chance that fell his way and indeed to complete a hat trick on the evening.
An 85th minute challenge by the recently introduced Lozada on Edgeworth's Pat Wheeler appeared to involve a bit of undue contact after the fact, to which Wheeler took understandable umbrage.
After consulting with his linesman nearby, the referee produced a red card and reduced the Bears to10 men for the remainder of the contest, additionally issuing Wheeler with a caution for his part in the fracas.
Play had resumed for just under two minutes when Morris found himself unable to deal with a Green cross, directing the ball into the path of Jordan Bower who made no mistake with a tap in from a couple of yards.
Three nearly became four another minute later, as Brockie played in Will Bower in prime real estate. The latter unleashed a decent attempt on goal but could only find the outside of the woodwork.
The referee mercifully drew an end to proceedings after 93 and a half minutes of play with the score a convincing 3-0 to the Eagles.
With a finals appearance now off the cards in all but a mathematical sense, the Bears must now pick themselves back up off the canvas as they host Maitland in next Saturday evening's El Clasicoal, looking to do the regular season double over their local rivals, who currently sit in third place.