Sport
29 August, 2025
Four early goals dooms Maryborough to 7-1 defeat
A blistering first half from Forest Rangers set the stage for a heavy defeat for the Maryborough Soccer Club at Jubilee Oval last Sunday, losing 7-1.
With the Ballarat and District Soccer Association division one competition having a weekend off, the blue and whites had extra time to prepare for their penultimate match of the season against second on the ladder.
After Maryborough challenged Forest Rangers in their last matchup back in round eight, when they only lost 1-0, the hosts were determined to produce a similar fight on the weekend.
The match didn’t get off to a great start for Maryborough, as Tyson Muscat opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute to give Forest Rangers an early 1-0 lead.
Keen to capitalise on their fast start, Muscat was at it again for Forest Rangers seven minutes later, doubling their advantage with a well-taken finish.
Despite Maryborough’s best efforts, Forest Rangers continued to control possession, creating several strong chances.
Ryan Rykers got in on the act for the visitors, scoring a brace himself with strikes in the 20th and 33rd minutes to give Forest Rangers a four-goal buffer.
Credit to the blue and whites, they managed to steady the ship to end the first half, limiting the damage to four goals at the break.
However, the half time interval didn’t stop the visitors’ momentum, as Liam O’Neil capped off his team’s powerful performance with an impressive second-half hat-trick.
O’Neil hit the back of the net in the 50th, 60th, and 75th minutes to provide the exclamation point.
In a bright spot for the blue and whites, the promising Kynan Carter scored his second goal of the season early in the second half, but that didn’t stop Forest Rangers from taking home a commanding three points as they prepare for finals.
The blue and whites will end their 2025 campaign with a tough away fixture at Russell Square against top-of-the-table Ballarat North United this Sunday.
After being two goals down in the first 12 minutes, Maryborough fought hard against one of the league’s powerhouses in a 4-0 defeat back in round nine.