Douglas Villa have leapfrogged to fourth on the Capital Football second division points table with a thrilling 3-2 win over previously unbeaten Western Suburbs in a catch-up game played at their Memorial Drive grounds in Masterton on Sunday.
It was a hugely impressive result for the home team as Western Suburbs went into the game having already established an unassailable lead at the top of the points table while Douglas Villa, by contrast, had recorded five wins, two draws and six losses. And judging by their previous meeting it should have been a rather one-sided contest, Western Suburbs having won that game 6-1.
The latter sentiment looked set to hold true when Western Suburbs went to the halftime break with a 2-0 advantage but whatever Douglas Villa coach Dennis Burling said to his troops during the break they came out a much improved side in the second spell. Their defence was tight, the midfield equally so and both Troy Burling and Tim Woodcock were full of running up front.
Western Suburbs, for their part, continued to test Douglas Villa down their right and left flanks but with Fred De Lara Bell and Sam O'Reilly leading the way, supported by Josh Logan and Daniel De Lara Bell, Douglas Villa continually thwarted their attacks.
It was Troy Burling who opened Douglas Villa's account when he lobbed the ball over an advancing Western Suburbs 'keeper for a well-taken goal and then with 15 minutes of play remaining skipper Michael Kempson won possession after a keen chase and put in a pinpoint cross for Tim Woodcock to score the equaliser.
