ABERCROMBIE FC Navy didn't make the most of every chance that came their way in Sunday's opening round of the Bathurst District Football men's premier league but they capitalised on enough of them to see off Panoama FC Black 4-2.
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A brace from team newcomer Jack Goodsell and goals from teammates Mitchell Curran and Tyson Newton were enough to get the blue and golds home, while Mitch Jacbos' pair of second half goals for Panorama led to an exciting finish.
Abercrombie ability to create endless counter attacking chances started to put the Goats under pressure from around the 20 minute mark, and AFC never truly surrendered that momentum until late in the game.
"It was a good win. We let them back into it a couple of times. We fought back though and never really gave up, which is the main thing," Abercrombie captain Angus Daymond said.
"Our two young fellas who have started with us this year, Jack Goodsell and Tyson Newton, both had cracking games.
"It's good to see that a few things we've worked on at training have come off but our fitness isn't quite there. That'll hopefully come over the weeks to come. That's where we lacked a little bit towards the end of the game."
Panorama had two early chances off an early corner and free kick while a Goodsell header bumped off the crossbar in the eighth minute.
The back and forth start to the game went over the opening quarter of the match before Abercrombie started to find extra space through the midfield.
That allowed the Navy men to create a string of attacking opportunities, with Goodsell forcing a nice save in the top left corner from Panorama goalkeeper Andrew Macdougall in the 26th minute.
Goosell wasn't going to be denied at the half hour mark as he rose above the crowd from a corner to head his side into a 1-0 lead.
A deadly through ball from Newton just four minutes later led to a clinical finish in the lower right corner from Curran.
Curran came close to extending the lead twice before half-time, sandwiched off the ball inside the penalty area and forcing another quality stop from Macdougall inside the last minute of play.
Panorama enjoyed the early possession in the second half and put it to good use in the 59th minute as Jacobs rose to the occasion off a corner to head home his side's opening goal.
Newton had a free kick from outside the penalty area in the 75th minute, looking to restore the two goal advantage by finding one of his teammates.
Except the ball sailed over everyone's head, including Macdougall's, and into the top left corner of the Panorama net.
The joy for Abercrombie lasted less than 30 seconds from the kick-off.
A chip over to the left wing found Jackson Teal, who then crossed the ball to Jacbos standing open at the top of the box.
Jacobs' precision strike restored hopes of a comeback among the Panorama camp with a little under 15 minutes still to play.
The best chance to do that came in the 80th minute when Peter Vincze was put into space down the left wing but a heavy touch on the ball led to an off-target strike.
Goodsell then put the result beyond doubt when he went on clean up duty with three minutes in hand.
Abercrombie failed to put the ball away during a messy scrap in front of the Panorama net but when the ball found its way to Goodsell at the top of the box he slotted it home into the bottom left corner, putting the result beyond doubt.