Warriors win top of the table thriller

Sydney Benfica 3     Dural Warriors  4

Dural Warriors scored in the dying minutes of the game to win a pulsating match 4-3 against top of the table rivals Sydney Benfica at Marrickville on Sunday evening. The game highlighted all the pace, skill and competitiveness that Super League Futsal has to offer. 
Dural got off to the best possible start early on when Tobias Seeto caught Benfica unawares by choosing to strike a shot from the half way line that whistled into the bottom right corner.
The game was being played at a fast tempo right from the opening whistle with both sides sharing about equal possession in the first half. Benfica were the more desparate to score and tested Dural keeper Ian Pemberton on more occasions. One effort saw a long throw from Benfica keeper Da Palma to Simao who headed goalward only to see Pemberton pull off a fingertip save onto the post and away to safety.
Dural almost doubled their lead when Benfica keeper Da Palma injected himself into the play and lost possession over half way Ben Lawson seized control of the ball and from deep in his own court his long range effort went inches wide.
Nearing the end of the first half amazingly Da Palma injected himself into the play again but this time with a different result. The Benfica keeper ran down court passed to Simao who found Candelari who then cut inside defenders and buried the ball low into the right side of the net much to the relief and joy of the Benfica side. The sides going to break at 1-1
The second half began almost same as the first with Dural scoring in the opening minutes when Engelo Rumora struck his shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
Benfica were caught napping when Rhys Giovenali found Ben Lawson who turned his marker out on the left touchline and thumped his shot inside the near post to double
Durals advantage to 3-1
A period followed where both keepers were forced into making desperate saves to keep their sides in the game as the play swept from end to end.
Benfica finally got the goal they needed when Dural lost possession deep in their own half. The ball was passed to Akil who volleyed an unstoppable shot into the net.
Soon after Benfica were on level terms when Ongaratto smashed the ball home from a freekick to make it 3-3. Only a few minutes earlier Benfica were looking like the game was getting away from them now they were level.
Dural halted Benficas march and the game again swept from end to end with players putting the bodies in the way of stinging shots to prevent a goal.  Durals Ben Stapylton crashed a shot against the bar and Benfica?s Candelari heading just over from close range.
In the dying minutes Dural scored the decisive goal when Tobias Seeto seized on a loose ball and toe poked the ball into the net to give Dural the win and maintain top spot.
Benfica will console themselves that they won most of the games on the day and may leapfrog Dural in the race for the club championship.
This was a fantastic display by both sets of players where neither side deserved to lose and a ringing endorsement of Futsal in general.