Sport
22 May, 2026
Bucknall’s hat-trick keeps Maryborough unbeaten
An electric hat-trick from Luke Bucknall has guided the Maryborough Soccer Club to their fifth consecutive victory, overcoming a valiant Buninyong 5-1.
With the two teams locked together at 1-1 at half time, it was the Bucknalls who provided the magic.
After Jake Bucknall restored Maryborough’s lead, Luke Bucknall added his second and third goals in quick succession to reinforce the blue and whites’ stranglehold on top spot of the Ballarat and District Soccer Association’s third division.
Filled with a jolt of confidence after earning their first win of the season against Forest Rangers the week prior, Buninyong started well on their home turf, routinely denying their opponents early advances.
Luke Bucknall provided a needed release for the blue and whites, as last season’s club best and fairest put Maryborough 1-0 after 26 minutes.
Now boasting a valuable lead, the blue and whites looked to assert their control to end the first half.
Just as they looked poised to take a 1-0 scoreline into the break, an old habit reared its ugly head for Maryborough, committing the cardinal sin of allowing Sandesh Shrestha to equalise just before half time.
It was a sour end to an otherwise solid first half for the blue and whites, now needing someone to stand up and rebuild their advantage.
That someone was Jake Bucknall, who struck Maryborough back in front two minutes into the second half with his third goal of the season.
After a tense twenty minutes of back-and-forth action, Luke Bucknall gave the visitors a two-goal cushion with a well-taken finish before completing his trifecta four minutes later.
Johno Melton delivered a fantastic fifth with 14 minutes remaining to complete a clinical Maryborough performance that preserved the team’s unblemished record.
The blue and whites look to keep their winning ways flowing when they face off against bottom-of-the-table Forest Rangers this Sunday.
Julian Callea was a goal machine in Maryborough’s season opener against Forest Rangers, ending the match with an eye-popping seven goals in a sensational 11-1 victory.