Koden Colman goal with two seconds on the clock gets Northcote Park home against Bundoora

A KODEN Colman goal with two seconds on the clock lifted Northcote Park to a famous win over Bundoora on Saturday and kept the club’s Northern Football League finals hopes alive.

Koden Colman was the matchwinner for Northcote Park on Saturday. Picture: Mark Wilson.

A KODEN Colman goal with two seconds on the clock lifted Northcote Park to a famous win over Bundoora on Saturday and kept the club’s Northern Football League finals hopes alive.

Colman marked, played on and goaled in the last act of a pulsating contest before the final siren blew to signal the Cougars had secured a 15.11 (101) to 14.11 (95) victory.

The match had looked destined for a draw before Northcote Park surged forward in the dying stages to give itself a chance of snatching the points.

Playing his first game since Round 7, Colman proved the hero as the Cougars stayed within one win of the Division 1 top five.

“We were obviously pretty pleased to get a win against a really strong outfit,” Cougars coach Harmit Singh said.

“We knew there wasn’t much time left at all.

“We had a couple of opportunities prior to (Colman’s goal) that we fluffed.

“On the scoreboard, they have a countdown minutes display and that was on one for a while so we knew there wasn’t long to go at all when he kicked it.

“Fortunately he was able to do it before the siren sounded.”

A stirring home victory was the perfect response from Northcote Park after it let itself down against West Preston-Lakeside last weekend.

But Singh knows his side must avoid the “yoyo” pattern its season has taken in recent weeks.

“We’re probably a little bit disappointed in the yoyo effect that we’ve had,” he said.

“We’re after some consistency.”

Great win by the boys @NorthcoteParkFC A goal 2 secs b4 the siren 2 get up over B'doora @northernfl @Singy_5 pic.twitter.com/oTgjtPJeHV

— Wayne Schultz (@WSchultz44) July 9, 2016

The Round 12 clash always looked set for a close finish, although the Cougars had the upper hand with a quarter to play when they led by 15 points.

Inspired by Gary Moorcroft’s six-goal haul, Bundoora willed itself back into the game in the final term.

But Colman ultimately had the final say in one of the finishes of the season.

Singh said the club would not focus on the importance of Saturday’s win to its finals chances, preferring to move immediately on to its next match against Lower Plenty.

The Bears will be hungry for their second win of the season, but the fixture shapes as the perfect opportunity for Northcote Park to end its rollercoaster run of performances.

In other Division 1 results, West Preston-Lakeside lost by 70 points against Heidelberg, Eltham beat Montmorency by 41, Greensborough accounted for Lower Plenty by 43 and Macleod trumped Whittlesea by 23.

In Division 2, Fitzroy Stars moved four games clear of Panton Hill and Thomastown in fourth after an 18.10 (118) to 10.17 (77) triumph over the Bears.

Joseph Kelly was prolific for Fitzroy in the win.

Diamond Creek and Panton Hill were also victorious on Saturday, the Creekers bringing Hurstbridge’s unbeaten run to an end.

Watsonia, Banyule, Mernda and Epping were victorious in Division 3, with the Pingers maintaining top spot on the table.

Incredibly, Epping has won six games by two goals or less this year after defeating St Mary’s 7.13 (55) to 7.11 (53) in Round 13.