Following Northcote City’s 5-0 thumping of South Melbourne on Sunday, coach Goran Lozanovski was ecstatic and looking forward to facing Bentleigh in the Grand Final at AAMI Park.
It was a result that no one could have predicted before the game but Lozanovski felt that once the early goal went in, it was just a matter of how well the team could finish their chances.
“Look you don’t predict a high scoring game, especially in finals football but it can open up and if you get a couple of goals in front then the other team’s chasing the game,” Lozanovski said.
“And obviously get your third, and depending on how good your finishing is you can probably finish it off the way we did and we did today which was pleasing.
“After the last couple of weeks, I was talking about trying to get an early goal and keep on working on that, and we did today.”
There was a huge moment of controversy in the first half, when Milos Lujic bumped South Melbourne keeper Peter Gavalas over the line, only for referee Shaun Evans to deem it a legitimate goal.
While it enraged everyone on South Melbourne’s side, Lozanovski and his players were more than happy to take the decision.
“Second goal, [you could] probably call it fortunate but at the end of the day we’ve scored five goals so it was very rewarding,” he said.
“Nine times out of ten the referee blows for a free kick to the keeper. In that scenario, it looked like he didn’t really challenge him too physically but it’s the ref’s call and he called it a goal and I’ll take it any day.”
Northcote now find themselves up against Bentleigh Greens who defeated them just a week prior in the Major Semi Final, but Lozanovski doesn’t feel the loss was too much of a setback.
“I’m pretty sure Bentleigh would’ve been out here today watching but in saying that, I’d rather lose to Bentleigh last week and then play them this week and have a good performance. If our players have the hunger in their eyes like they did today I daresay we’ll come out on top,” he said.
In that previous clash between the two sides, it was flashes of individual brilliance that won Bentleigh the game, and Lozanovski feels that is that strength that they must work hard to overcome.
“I did say it last week, Bentleigh’s strength is individual. They’re very good individual players especially in the attacking fourth so, if we nullify them, give ourselves any chance to win the game,” he said.
“But in saying that we need to make sure we’re ruthless in front of goals too. If we do well defensively we need to make sure our opportunities that we create, we need to score.”
It has already been a great season for the club with plenty to shout about, and Lozanovski acknowledged what has already been achieved while still setting his sights on taking the title come the Grand Final.
“It means a lot for every club, it means a lot for every coach. To work hard all year long and be undefeated for so long and obviously have a bit of a slump which most teams do, and get yourself back on top and finish as minor premiers, we’re ecstatic with that,” he said.
“In the end you say to yourself logically you deserve to make the final. And we did make the final, doesn’t matter what way we did it today, and for a club like Northcote City to make a grand final is a massive achievement we’ll make sure we give it a crack on the weekend.”
The Grand Final takes place at AAMI Park on Saturday with kickoff at 1pm. The match will be followed by the A-League clash between Melbourne Heart and Central Coast Mariners at 5:30pm.