Echuca-Moama Border Raiders men brushed aside Deniliquin with ease in their second game of the season. Photos: Jordan Townrow.
Echuca-Moama Border Raiders had a very successful round last weekend, with the club’s men’s and women’s sides earning wins in the Football Victoria Bendigo League 2.
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After an opening round draw to Castlemaine Gold, the Border Raiders men played their first home game of the season against a Deniliquin side coming off a round one bye.
Patrick Barry and Dipesh Kandel in a duel.
The travelling Wanderers, the only side that finished below Echuca-Moama last season by winning just one game, shocked the hosts when Mark Rourke found the net after two minutes.
Adrian Richardson’s team responded immediately with an equaliser from Patrick Barry, before recruit Clayton Scott opened his account for the club with a long-range strike to flip the scoreline on its head after 15 minutes.
Mitch Gramlick launches a long pass.
From there, it was all one-way traffic, as the Border Raiders found the back of the net a further five times by the 40th minute, Barry completing a first-half hat-trick and Millard Matoro, Samuel Wanesiofa and Jean-Claude Herman also getting on the score sheet.
Lungani Nyembe scored just before the interval with a low strike into the bottom-left corner to offer some respite for Deniliquin, which trailed 7-2 heading into the second period.
Samuel Wanesiofa pressures the pass by Babis Basnet.
Nyembe had his brace in the 65th minute, but any hope of a miraculous comeback was immediately thwarted when Herman and Wanesiofa completed braces of their own for the Border Raiders shortly afterwards.
Echuca-Moama led 9-3 heading into the final 20 minutes, with the three points effectively secured, though Deniliquin kept coming, first with a Dipesh Kandel penalty before Nyembe completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute to conclude the scoring.
The 9-5 win for the Border Raiders means they are currently top of men’s league two, being undefeated through two games, with Swan Hill being the only other side to match that feat.
Emiliano Donascimento drives forward with the ball.
Echuca-Moama has the bye this weekend.
Women
The Border Raiders women travelled to Stanley Avenue Reserve last Sunday to take on Spring Gully United in their season opener, looking at 2026 as a rebuilding year back in league two.
Neither side could find the net in a cagey first half.
Samuel Wanesiofa focused with his head over the ball.
Perhaps it was a stirring half-time team talk led by co-coaches Paige Pinson and Amelia Richardson, but the Border Raiders came flying out of the traps after the break.
Player-coach Pinson opened the scoring in the 57th minute, before Jessica Pemberton got in on the action in the 63rd and 73rd minutes to effectively secure the three points.
Samuel Wanesiofa and Mark Rourke tussle for possession.
Clearly not satisfied at 3-0, Echuca-Moama found the net another two times before the 80th minute, Pinson registering a brace and Pemberton completing her hat-trick to crown a perfect opening day win for the away side.
The 5-0 victory placed the Border Raiders second on the ladder, Echuca-Moama already holding the best goal difference in the competition, despite three other sides having played twice.
Clayton Scott goes to close down Babis Basnet.
On Sunday, the Border Raiders face Castlemaine Goldfields in their first home game of the season, the action beginning at 11am.
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