Orana Spurs scores thrilling win over Panorama FC

The Western Premier League clash between Panorama FC and Orana Spurs at Bathurst on Saturday wasn't short of drama but in the end it was the Dubbo side that claimed a 4-3 win.

The Goats began the better at home and took a 2-0 lead into the half-time break, only for the the second stanza to be dominated by Spurs.

The visitors were seemingly cruising to victory when leading 4-2 with just two minutes remaining.

But those final minutes were action-packed as Panorama first won a free kick just outside the box, which Jaiden Culbert slotted home beautifully to score his second goal of the match to make it 4-3.

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And in the second minute of stoppage time, Culbert, who's back was to goal in the box and no chance of getting a shot away, was taken out from behind by Spurs goalkeeper Bailey Delaney in what could only be described as a brain snap.

Culbert stepped up for the penalty, hoping to score his hat-trick and level the scores at 4-all with the last kick of the game, but he blazed it high, sending the ball into the car park and gifting Spurs the three points.

"We let them back into the game at the end and we were lucky old mate crumbled under pressure and missed the penalty, so thank God for that," Spurs captain Jarred Corby said.

"I think the trip away played a part at the start. Even in the warm-up we were flat and then the first half we weren't playing the way we wanted to.

"We just said at the break we needed to come out and attack and we got the first one, then they started slowing down and we come over them, which was good."

Panorama coach Brent Osborne admitted he felt it was never going to be his team's day.

"We were up at half-time but I just felt like it wasn't going to be our day, even in the warm up," he said.

"It would've been nice to get some points out of it, but Orana were all over us for most of it."

After a round one bye Spurs have now recorded back-to-back victories, having claimed a 1-0 win over Barnstoneworth United a week prior.

Orana's form this year is in stark contrast to 2020, when the club managed just two wins from 12 matches.

"We know we had a pretty rough year last year. We didn't have much depth," Corby said.

"Ben Manson and I have taken over the club, Ben taking the role of coach as well as me, and I think we've added some more depth. We had a few injuries, some coming back but we're looking pretty strong.

"We set our goal at the start of the year to win the first three games, so we're on track for that. If we can win the first three, that's a big step to making finals and then we'll see how we go from there."

The result has Orana Spurs now sitting in third spot on the WPL ladder but they remain level on six points with their Dubbo rivals, Dubbo FC and Macquarie United.

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