The First Team started their quest for promotion with a workmanlike performance away from home against the Division 1 new boys Bay United. The sweltering conditions made possession of the football the most precious commodity and it was the Dragons who made best use of the ball over the 90 minutes. The away side started the game brightly carving out a number of decent opportunities in the opening 20 minutes and with a little more compusure should have found themselves at least a goal to the good. Whilst the Dragons pushed for that elusive opening goal they were always suspetible on the counter attack and despite going in front on two occasions on 25 and 30 minutes they were pegged back through their inability to keep possession shortly after taking the lead. The first goal for the Dragons came via Tom Madden who curled a delicious right foot shot from the edge of the box into the keeper’s top left hand corner. The second was a towering header from the centre half Jon Dixon from a free kick 30 yards out. The final goal of the half came on 40 minutes and was scored by debutant Raphael Matthews who latched on to a through ball and calmly beat the advancing keeper from 12 yards.
A half time talk asking the players to improve their shape and retention of the ball saw the Dragons maintain the ascendancy for much of the second half and it was they who added two further goals without reply. The first of these arrived on the hour mark via a goalmouth scrambe with the ball eventually turned home by captain Luke O’Donoghue. The home sided huffed and puffed but could not breakdown the by now well organised Dragons team and it was no surprise when a fifth goal was scored on 75 minutes. A sweeping 4 man move started by O’Donoghue and finished by Madden, after excellent work from youth team graduate Miles Spooner, was the pick of the goals.
There were no further goals in the remaining 15 minutes although the Dragons did carve out 2 good chances which were spurned by Steve Cahill and Emmanuel Light, but all was happy in the Dragons camp and their season was well and truly underway with a very welcome 3 points.