Surprise substitute scores BNFC winner
It is always a feisty competition when Benoni Northerns Football Club’s (BNFC) first team collides with the Primrose-based Luso Africa.
The teams’ ELFA Super League clash, at Northerns, on Saturday, September 5, was another of these classic clashes with an almost storybook-like ending for young BNFC reserve goalkeeper Rowen Viljoen.
Coach Jannie van den Berg’s men opened the scoring through ever-present striker Brogan Shrimpton, who burst through the veteran Luso central defensive pairing to slot home his first goal of the day and his fourth in three matches since his return from a stint with the Muskegon Risers, in the USA.
Luso would, however, score two goals to go into the halftime break with the lead.
They would have considered themselves unlucky not to have stretched their advantage after striking the Northerns’ woodwork on two occasions.
Shrimpton would eventually complete his brace in the second stanza, to level the scores at two apiece.
He almost made it a hat trick, but had a shot strike the post.
With Northerns needing a winner and a player injured, van den Berg introduced his only option in reserve goalkeeper Rowen Viljoen to play in the outfield.
Viljoen exchanged his long-sleeved goalkeeper’s jersey for the red Northerns jersey and soon found himself in the thick of the action.
“My instruction to Rowen was to stick to Brogan and follow him around the pitch,” said the coach.
“I’d call it a technical change.”
In a late penalty box scramble the move paid off as the substitute got his boot to the ball and watched it bobble into the Luso net, to make the youngster the unlikely hero of the match.
BNFC would hold out to pick up all three points on offer with their 3-2 win.
They were scheduled, at the time of going to print, to play Sporting on Wednesday, September 9, in a game that was brought forward and initially penned in as the last match of the season.
They will then face arch-rivals Old Bens, at Currin Park, at 3.30pm on Saturday, September 12, in the “Benoni Derby”.
- Meanwhile, Bens ensured their Super League status for another season, with a vital 2-1 away win over Bedfordview Country Club (BCC). Bens also defeated Edenvale 3-1 at home on the night of Tuesday, September 15.
These victories will give them plenty of confidence heading into Saturday’s derby match.
