Bittersweet draw for United

On a sunny Anzac Day, Gippsland United's senior men's team travelled away to face top-of-the-table Waverley Wanderers in their round five State League fixture on the weekend, coming home with a point after a nailbiting 3-3 draw.
Before the match, both teams lined up in the centre of the ground to honour our fallen servicemen and women in a minute's silence.
United burst from the blocks and scored early through Alex Pop after Bayden Heusmann broke free on the left. Heusmann's crossed ball deflected back into the path of an oncoming Pop, who smashed the ball past the keeper from the middle of the box in the 12th minute.
The league's top side were stunned and failed to recover as in the very next minute Oscar Sheehan was sent chasing a long ball down the right flank. Sheehan torched his opponent for pace and squared the ball across the face of goal from the byline.
Waverley's keeper made a hash of it and stretched out a glove only to parry the ball into the path of Charlie Cockell. Similar to the opportunity gifted to Pop, Cockell drove a clinical strike into the corner from close range.
At 2-0, Gippsland were flying and a shellshocked Waverley had no answers for the visiting team.
Their pain would only worsen when United won a corner kick.
Levi Colantuono curled in a delightful near post cross and Pop, who was a real handful on the day, rose to head home from the edge of the six-yard box to put Gippsland up by three in only the 23rd minute of the first half.
Waverley are a very good outfit and they would regroup quickly. Their pressure told late in the half, and they scored a scrappy goal through Chester Bruce just before halftime to keep them in touch.
With 45 minutes, and a full half of football ahead of them, Gippsland knew they would be in for a battle and that holding a two-goal advantage would be a huge test.
The football displayed by both teams for the duration of the contest was not pretty, yet the desperation and physicality from the two sides locking horns was a great spectacle.
Tackles were flying in and aerial challenges were aplenty. United skipper Nathan Lugton, Sheehan and Pop all received yellow cards for rash tackles as they fought desperately to stop their charging opponents, who now had the upper hand in the tie.
A rocket from Waverley's Mathew Trotter found the back of the net to pull another goal back for his team as United seemed to panic, and in the 66th minute Benjamin White headed home a close-range opportunity from a corner to shatter United hearts with scores now levelled.
Both teams fought out a tense and nerve-wracking final 25 minutes and had chances at either end to win it.
Liam Andersen was excellent again between the sticks for Gippsland and made some important saves. Sheehan could have pinched the win off his forehead, however his headed opportunity sailed over the bar with seconds remaining.
In stoppage time, Alex Pop received his marching orders for a second yellow card in controversial circumstances after the match official sent him off for questioning a linesman's call.
With 10 men, United hung on and the final whistle brought with it sighs of relief from a nervy crowd of support.
It was a bittersweet result for Gippsland who threw away a three goal lead, yet still matched it with the league's best in a spirited performance.
Gippsland's young reserves team got the day started on the right foot with a 2-1 victory. Their first win of the season was a quality display, highlighted by the debut of four of Gippsland's talented under 16 and 18 players.
Cooper Claridge, Archie Halkett-Dobson, Zac Holcombe and Patrick Frayne all starred for United with young Claridge scoring the winner.
Next week Gippsland host Brandon Park, who after the weekend's results sit top of the ladder.