The Kennel was sunny and breezy for Derby Day as Barkers (sixth) hosted Knox City (third) in front of a healthy crowd. In recent weeks, Barkers had stumbled and found themselves 10 points off the pace, so this was an important game to win. Barkers named an unchanged side, having lost 0-2 at Peninsula last week.
The game began tamely for a local stoush, then exploded into life on the quarter hour. A Barkers free-kick found Christian Porcaro on the left, who played inside to Ross Clark. He deftly backheeled the ball into the path of Danny Aye, who beat his man and squeezed the ball inside Matthew Krstina’s near post to give Barkers a 1-0 lead.
Barkers then got sloppy, conceding free-kicks in dangerous areas, but Knox’s McLeod kept driving them into the Barkers wall. Then Knox floated a free-kick into the penalty area. The ball found Navin Vellupillay, who beat two men and shot, but Vladi Velikin beat the ball away. Next McLeod crossed low from the right to Yianni Kourelis, who shot narrowly wide. Both sides had chances before the break, but the half-time score remained Barkers 1-0 Knox.
Five minutes into the second half, Ray Markley brought the ball out of defence and hit a lovely ball out to Aye on the left. Barkers went forward in numbers, but instead of one of them taking charge and just shooting, they tried to pass the ball into the net and the chance was gone. Then, Clark curled a shot beyond the far post before Tristan Walker sent Porcaro on the overlap. A dangerous cross to the far post was headed wide by Watson.
After these wasted chances, Knox sliced through the home defence before a McLeod shot forced a good low save from Velikin. Maybe this was the wake-up call Barkers needed, as they did, indeed, wake up.
Just before the hour, Aye had a shot parried away by Krstina. Then Clark squared the ball to Aye, who made space for himself before drilling a beauty into the bottom corner of the net for his second and 2-0 Barkers. Alas, Barkers then took another nanna nap. Clark played the ball back towards his own defence, who allowed McLeod to rob the ball and hit a crisp first-time shot beyond Velikin to make it 2-1 Barkers.
Barkers lived dangerously for a short period as Knox poured forward with intent. However, Barkers exploited this by hitting a long ball from midfield up to Watson. He was forced wide on the right, so played back to Walker. He spotted Clark steaming in at the far post. A well-weighted cross found Clark unmarked, and he had the simple task of placing the ball beyond the keeper for 3-1 Barkers.
As the game wound down to its conclusion, Knox put Barkers under siege, but the final act of the game was too little, too late for Knox. Deep into stoppage time, Chris Potter jumped into Jorge Dunster – penalty to Knox. McLeod sent Velikin the wrong way for a consolation goal, but Barkers had the points. Full-time: Barkers 3-2 Knox.
This was a rip-roaring derby for which both teams can take credit. With another two home games to come, this was just the tonic Barkers needed.
