Goulburn Valley Suns are proving to be quite the handful this season.

On Saturday night, the Orangemen delivered a five goal, five-star display at McEwen Reserve in the Victorian Premier League Two that left opposition Altona City smarting all the way back up the Hume Hwy.

The 5-1 result elevated the Suns to third on the ladder and is the most convincing win any side has strung together in the first three rounds of VPL2 football.

That considering, coach Craig Carley believes it outstrips most, if not all, of his side’s performances this decade.

“I thought it was very clinical in all aspects both in and out of possession and in that transition moment,” he said.

“The boys played an excellent brand of football on the night, and to be honest, this was probably our most complete performance of the last three, four, five years.

“It’s a positive sign, but it is only one game and we can’t get too carried away.”

Glancing at a 5-1 scoreline alludes to total domination.

But for the first phase, that was far from the case.

Altona opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Breckan Baker’s header from a corner, though the goal only stirred an almighty response from the Suns.

Immediately after conceding, Callum Schorah drove towards the byline and thrashed the ball into the roof of the net following a well worked move down the left wing.

Ten minutes later, a Schorah long ball over the top had Curtis Hughes showing his pace to beat the defensive line and touch around the keeper into an empty net.

The Suns were 3-1 up before the half hour mark as Bryan Nyetam-Mawo tapped the ball home at the back post off a long throw, and that confidence of a two-goal lead carried the home side through the second half.

Sean Grant added the Suns’ fourth two minutes after coming on, cutting inside from a Schorah dime and firing a deflected shot over the keeper and in.

Not long later, Schorah completed his hat-trick of assists by feeding the ball out left to Danny Edwards, who sold his man a dream and blasted into the bottom corner from outside of the box.

With another gem performance beneath his belt, Carley waxed lyrical about Schorah being “one of the best in the competition”.

“He’s consistent every single game; you rarely go a game where Cal isn’t a solid seven or eight out of 10 each week,” he said.

“He certainly brings that quality, that class, and is a player who can play a lot higher in my opinion.”

After banking a 5-1 victory and witnessing the full extent of the Suns’ attacking ethos, now Carley is demanding consistency.

The next chance to demonstrate that comes on Saturday with an away trip to take on Eastern Lions, a side relegated from the division above last season.

“It’s good to lock horns again with Eastern Lions ... there’s a couple of clubs you form bonds and friendships with and they’re one we always got along with,” Carley said,

“They’re a good side; they play a good brand of football, young team, but play football the right way.

“Sean Douglas is their coach, I’m a big fan of his in terms of his coaching ability.”

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Thursday, 6th July 2028

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