Leeton United has done what no Pascoe Cup team has been able to do for a year, beaten title-holders Lake Albert Sharks.
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And they’ve done it in style.
Leeton banged away four goals in the first half, held Sharks to one goal scored off a penalty, and kept a clean sheet in the second half to win 4-1 at Rawlings Park on Saturday.
Leeton players were confident near the goalmouth – four men scored against Lake Albert including strikers Munyah Kawara and Anthony Trifogli, left back Scott Munro and mid Julian Mandaglio.
The well-drilled squad followed coach Doolin’s orders at half time to bring it home.
“All I said to do was to play a little bit deeper,” he said.
“You have a three-goal cushion, you don’t need to score any goals.”
Sharks resorted to long-range shots, but were unsuccessful.
For Leeton it was a full team effort, and Doolin struggled to pick a man of the match.
"In the dressing sheds after the game I told them there were 11 man of the matches,” he said.
Doolin believes match fitness made all the difference.
“I did say at the start (of the season) I thought we were three to four weeks off being ready for it, we weren’t where we needed to be fitness-wise,” he said.
“That was my biggest worry, I had heard they’d (Sharks) been playing in the FFA Cup, but at the end of the game we were still there with them.”
Meanwhile in the Pascoe Cup, Tolland have bounced back after a loss to Leeton in round two, defeating Wagga United 3-2 at Kessler Park on Sunday.
Tumut Eagles have jumped above Junee and Wagga United on the ladder, scoring their first win.
Tumut defeated Young 2-1 at home on Sunday and Cootamundra Strikers toiled for a 2-1 win over South Wagga at home.