Mad Dogs get wooden spoon

Kendal Davies (front) on the ball for Grafton City Bulls against Majos Mad Dogs.

THE final round of the North Coast Football competition for season 2010 was played on Saturday.

The clash of the third division cellar-dwellers saw the Grafton City Bulls go down to the Majos Mad Dogs 3-2 at Rushforth Park.

With nothing at stake both teams were playing to avoid the wooden spoon although City knew unless they lost by 16 or more goals, that honour would be heading to the Majos.

Just after the 20-minute mark, Majos were unlucky not to score after Jade Duroux made a break down the middle of the pitch only to have his shot tipped over the bar by the desperate City keeper, Ray Hanna.

Right on the half hour mark, Majos finally took the lead in the match when they were awarded a penalty after one of their players was brought down in the 18-yard box.

Nick Duroux stepped up to the plate and calmly slotted the ball to the right of the diving Hanna to give Majos the lead 1–0.

In the second half Majos took a stranglehold on the game when they doubled their lead.

Ben Aitken received a nice back pass from near the goal-line and hit his shot low and hard to the left of the goal giving Josh Bartrim, who had taken over the custodian duties at half time, no chance.

Now finding themselves down by two goals, Grafton City hit back just short of the 10-minute mark.

Jamie White received a good through ball from Kendal Davies and then dribbled around a couple of defenders for a fairly easy tap-in to get the Bulls back into the game.

However five minutes later, Majos recouped their two-goal lead when Jade Duroux scored. With time running out City finally scored a consolation goal courtesy of their first half goalie, Ray Hanna, who had been moved into the backline at half time.

After solid lead-up passing from Kendal Davies and Luke Sopchak, Ray hammered home his shot into the left hand corner of the goal to give City a glimmer of hope that something might yet be salvaged from the match.

Once again City found themselves a single goal down and once again they pressed forward looking to equalise.

However, despite finishing the stronger of the two sides when the full time whistle finally brought a halt to proceedings, their efforts came to nought as it was Majos Mad Dogs who ran out winners.