All they needed to do was equal the result of Walter Crasder’s side. This left them level on points with Spartangrad going into the final game, but ahead on goal difference by four goals. Bastable had scored again and Bowman had curled home a ridiculous third to beat the champions 3-1. In Hornchurch, Directus had been dealt a huge blow. By full time it was three after Lucan Palmisano netted from the bench, and they’d kept yet another clean sheet to boot. At the Olympic Stadium Spartangrad had come back into the game and left Bastion rueing their missed chances as Ciro Oljer and Lui Wceil made it 2-0. Then came the wobble the neutrals were hoping for Damion Bowman and Kurtis Bastable linked up to put the latter on the scoresheet, their latest combination in an utterly rampant season. As things stood Dragan Kryznjak’s side would retain the title with a game to spare. Meanwhile Directus were in dreamland, having taken a 1-0 lead into the break at Hornchurch, Estrella Hawke breaking the deadlock yet again. Wonderkid Amakli Inuro’o put Jack Avelione through on goal in the 33rd minute only for the young Schottian to fire agonisingly wide, wasting their best chance of the half. Spartangrad needed a win to take Directus to the final day, while Bastion’s inferior goal difference meant they realistically needed both opponents to fail to win either of their remaining games.Īt the Olympic Stadium, the visitors threw themselves relentlessly at the home side, passionately urged on by their Mytanar manager Robin Hjik. Clearly the Spartangrad-Bastion tie was the game to watch a draw would leave Directus needing only one win to seal the title. Spartangrad then had to travel to the already relegated AFC Mayville on the final day, while Bastion returned home to face Holdenberg City. Behind them on 76 points were Spartangrad and Bastion, who played each other on the penultimate matchday at the Spartan’s classic Olympic Stadium home, one of the few “open bowl” type stadiums in Eura. They had a challenging away visit to Hornchurch to contend with, before finishing with a relatively easy home tie against Carsby. Three remained going into the final two matches, with Revolutionaries and Ulsa battling over the last Champions League spot.ĭirectus were the favourites, sitting pretty on 79 points after another season of “The Three Sisters” – Strongbow, Hawke, Martel-Burns – cutting defences to ribbons. Next came Revolutionaries, for whom Earl van den Brink was the unlikely source of tears as his final shot at another Gold League title was sunk by his fellow defenders mistakes against Bastion. They were the first to fall away, an embarrassing 0-3 home defeat to Old Boys Club leaving their title hopes in tatters. The historic Big Five showdown was back, albeit with Ulsa lagging behind slightly. It was a far cry from the Directus dominance of the season before, the underdog shocks of Falourr and Holdenberg or even Spartangrad’s cruise to the title before that. Spartangrad, Directus, Bastion and Revolutionaries all entered the final quarter of Season 40 on the same points tally, setting up one of the most thrilling title races in recent memory. The Euran Football Association’s Euraleague
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