Newcomers Hill Brumbies looked good for a result by half-time at Christie Park last night, but the second half brought a deluge of goals from Spirit FC as new coach John McLafferty rung in formation changes - with the end result a resounding 7-2 win for the home side.

With other fixtures off due to the rain the attention turned to Christie Park, which has excellent drainage and although wet had no rain during the game, so the surface was good.

The Brumbies started off very well, looking well organised and up for another game against the 'big guns'.

Hills captain Terry Pannowitz served notice on Spirit 'keeper Murray Nelson that he was in for a torrid half, with a snap shot in the 2nd minute that had Nelson down to it but spilling the greasy ball. New Spirit signing from St George Juan Chavez send a message too one minute later, but his shot went wide on right.

Brumbies pressure paid off in the 23rd minute when Dragan Savic picked up a loose ball at the edge of the area where Spirit's defence had not dealt with it cleanly and hit it cleanly across Nelson and into the left side of the goal. 0-1

Spirit responded within two minutes when Kwabena Appiah-Kobi at last beat his marker, Lord Darkoh, and and getting to the line he cut the ball sqaure where Tim Simpson was first to it, sidefooting it past Rizzo. 1-1

Brumbies continued to press. In the 30th minute Jovan Miladinovic drew Nelson into a full stretch dive to cover a 40m strike. Six minutes later Paul Down, faced with a mass of players obscuring the goal, sent a nicely weighted ball just over the crossbar.

However it was Spirit who got in front with Tim Lovell sending in a cross in the 38th minute that was picked out by Juan Chavez and hit home. 2-1

Within two minutes Hills had Nelson batting away a shot, but it fell to Bergamin who sent it back in from the right to score! 2-2

It was apparent from the resumption that Spirit had adjusted. Within thirteen minutes they were ahead, never to lose momentum. Sustained pressure, and good work by Appiah-Kubi led to susbtitute Ricki Woodward knocking the ball in, at the 58th minute mark. 3-2

One minute later Chavez extended the lead when unmarked he received the ball, he drew the keeper, and slotted it past him. 4-2

Tom Lovell took it out of reach when he ran wide down the right from half-way, and steered it past the Hills keeper. 5-2

In the 72nd minute Hills 'keeper Chris Rizzo saved more embrassment for a moment when he did enough to send a shot from Appiah-Kubi past his left upright, after the Spirit man did some smart work in intercepting a poor backpass.

Alas, the Brumbies were getting skitterish, and conceded again in the 82nd minute as Nick Trimble got onto a loose ball from a corner and bundled it in. 6-2

That was not the end of the Hills boys misery, for in the 88th minute Appiah-Kubi got reward for his performance with a goal as he evaded Justin Ciampa's tackle, and sent it into the net. 7-2 (a score that flattered Spirit a bit but was still emphatic).

Brumbies coach Mark Abbi-Arrage felt after the game that his team had remained well organised and focussed in the first half, but with the core of the team coming up from Divison 1 their youth and inexperience told once Spirit got their heads in front.

Spirit's new coach John McLafferty agreed that the Brumbies deserved to go into the break level, but he changed his formation for the secdond half to spread them wider, going from a 4-4-2 to 4-3-3, through on two susbtitiutes and switched live wire 19 year old former Granville Rage player Kwabena Appiah-Kobi from right to left to exploit his pace. It all worked a treat!

'Grade' 20: Spirit FC 0 - Hills Brumbies 1