A Fernhill side with 10 men for most of the match edged out Berkeley 1-0 on Good Friday in a fierce battle at Berkeley Sports Centre.
There were plenty of heated moments throughout the game as challenges flew in from both teams.
Dejan Djukic saw red within the first 20 minutes for the Foxes before captain Jordan Hughes scored the decisive goal ahead of halftime.
Fernhill had a great chance to open the scoring within four minutes. Josh Crapis sprinted through midfield and slipped in Daniel Djukic to his left, who drew a strong stop from Mitchell O’Neill in the Berkeley goal.
The Foxes had most of the ball in the early exchanges, but Berkeley’s pressing also caused a few nervy moments at the back.
After the 15-minute mark, the Goats started to gain some more control as Mondo Kagami provided an outlet on the right.
In the 19th minute, the tone of the match turned as Fernhill were reduced to 10 players with defender Dejan Djukic sent off.
The home side took the ascendancy with the man advantage as they held the ball more comfortably in Fernhill’s half.
Berkeley’s positive play resulted in an excellent opportunity 26 minutes in. Brendan Wyatt found space down the right and picked out Chris Hollingshead with a pinpoint cross, but the striker volleyed over from point-blank range.
Moments later, Angus Rentoul tried his luck from outside the box, his effort sailing narrowly over the bar.
However, in the 37th minute, Fernhill grabbed the lead. Daniel Djukic battled for the ball in the right of the box, and it eventually came through to Hughes on the edge of the box, who picked out the top right corner.
An action-packed first half concluded with the visitors holding onto a slender lead despite having a player less.
The second half started more tentatively, with the Foxes remaining rigid and restricting Berkeley’s attacking efforts.
In the 57th minute, Hughes picked off a Berkeley pass out of the back and drove at goal, but O’Neill held his low shot.
A couple of minutes later, Hughes had another chance from a similar area, yet O’Neill denied the skipper again.
Hughes came close again in the 63rd minute. Some persistent pressing from Daniel Djukic earned the forward the ball on the edge of the area, finding Hughes, who forced O’Neill into another save.
In the 70th minute, Berkeley almost equalised. Hollingshead latched onto a ball into the box, lofting it over Fernhill goalkeeper Haruhiko Takimoto, but Lachlan Calder cleared it from danger on the cover.
Not long after, Hollingshead showed some more quality, firing a low effort towards Takimoto, who got down and made a sharp reaction save.
Time was running out for Berkeley to find a route back into the game, and they pushed more numbers forward.
The Foxes managed the game well in the latter stages and did not let the hosts get a clear sight of goal, securing a gutsy, narrow victory.
Fernhill take on Picton next Sunday, while Berkeley face Oak Flats Falcons in the Bert Bampton Cup on Monday.
Report by Tim Gibson
Photos courtesy of JK Media
