Games to remember

6 April 2020

The 2019/20 season could not bring the return to the playoffs that we’ve all been looking forward to. But it did bring several memorable moments. From a five-star show in Kazakhstan to history-making wins against Avangard, Torpedo and Metallurg. Review of our favorite games from the season starts in Nur-Sultan.

Sep. 30. Barys 2 Kunlun Red Star 5 (0-1, 2-1, 0-3)

The first month of the season was mixed – but it ended with a bang. Arriving in Kazakhstan on the back of a 0-5 loss in Kazan, the Dragons bounced back to record an emphatic win over a Barys team that would finish the season as the Chernyshev Division champion.

And it was a thoroughly merited victory as Red Star ran rampant, outclassing the host in all areas and getting on the goal trail at last. After struggling for goals at times in the opening month of the season, this five-star show highlighted how good the team can be when everything clicks into place.

Notable moments? How about a first goal of the season from Olli Palola, ripping home a wrister from the edge of the circle to snap a 2-2 tie and set us on the road to victory? 

Or Trevor Murphy’s first goal for the club, flashing home a one-timer off an Andrew Miller feed? Spencer Foo, Luke Lockhart and Brandon Yip also found the net as we got our second win of the season over Barys.

As a footnote, there were two high-profile absentees from the line-up as summer signing Mathew Maione and experienced forward Wojtek Wolski both sat this game out. Both players would manage only a handful of further appearances before leaving the club in the fall.