The Wagga City Wanderers’ pre-season match at Gissing Oval on Sunday was a trial by name, trial by nature for the state league team.
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The Wanderers went down 4-2 to Albury City, a team that finished fifth in the Albury-Wodonga football comp last season.
It wasn’t all bad news for the local team, in its first chance to test out a new squad of players.
Scottish import Antonio Vastano proved a worthy inclusion, working around opposition players in the midfield, and creating brilliant opportunities for Wagga’s strikers.
However, many chances were squandered, as Wagga’s offensive was limited to the wings and tentative in the strike zone.
The Wanderers’ attack will be strengthened when Scottish import Scott Dunn arrives in Wagga.
Albury City forged a 3-0 lead and in the second third they lost two players due to red cards.
The diminished team sustained the lead, but struggled to sustain possession in the final third, and Wagga’s young gun Logan Flanigan emerged from the bench to curve a rocket into the back of the net.
Wagga’s midfield were unlucky not to score a series of goals in the final third, with Albury’s goalkeeper Campbell Taylor saving a number of on-target shots.
Albury City scored a breakaway goal, bringing the score to 4-2.