Image: Mark Avellino
Northcote City will have some re-assessing to do after a wake-up call from Brunswick City, who stunned the runaway leaders with five goals, driven largely by an enthusiastic, youthful outfit. Both Moreland clubs reduced the deficit at the top with wins over Ballarat and Melbourne Victory respectively. There were also victories to Werribee over Whittlesea, and Sunshine over Bendigo, to wrap up Round 20 action.
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Brunswick defeated Northcote 5-3 to shock the league leaders with only their second defeat of the season (and first from the West) but there were plenty of subplots to this contest as well. Adam Wright scored against his old club in a bittersweet return to Dunstan Street, Matt Conversano netted his first goals of the season, while 16-year-old Stefan Ristic netted a maiden senior goal for Brunswick having signed mid-season from Northcote’s 20s.
The game exploded in the second half with all eight goals. And Brunswick were four to the good as Juan Portillo and Conversano bagged braces each, before Wright pegged one back and Baggio Youssif halved the deficit with a clever free-kick. It looked like Northcote’s chances improved further when Liam Newman received a second yellow but Ristic killed the contest off at 5-2 on the counter, with Alec Goodwin’s late penalty mere consolation for Northcote who up to this point of the season had only conceded 13 times all season. Brunswick move to fourth as a result of that win, a game in which coach Goerge Karkaletisis also praised the efforts of Englishman Tom Owens and teenager Tilmann Stewart in midfield.
Moreland Zebras remain second on the ladder but reduce the gap at the top to seven points after a convincing 4-1 win over Ballarat City. Nejc Kolman crossed in for Regsan Watkins to glance in the opener. Nic Niagioran pounced on an underhit header back from a defender towards Josh Dorron, sticking out a boot and lobbing the keeper. Amir Osmancevic then guided in the third. It could have been four unanswered after Josh Mcmonagle-Ihasz won a penalty, but Kolman shot at the keeper. In an eventful first half Ballarat then hit back via a slick passing move, with Courtney Austin netting his first for the club since arriving from England mid-season. The visitors almost had another when Josh Romein hit the post from a free-kick move. Dhour Chol hit the sealer with a few minutes remaining after Shaun Romein’s earlier red card reduced City to 10 men.
Werribee City’s decent second half of the season continued with a 2-0 win over Whittlesea Ranges. The first half went by without many chances as neither side could mount a clear-cut opportunity. The deadlock was broken in the 58th minute when Djorde Aleksic benefited from a keeper error. Jacob Colosimo was looking lively in the second half an almost equalised but for the work of Tommy Dunn in goals. The sealer came in the 75th minute when Domenico Marafioti buried a penalty despite Whittlesea’s protests of offside in the build-up. The Bees are now on equal points with Melbourne Victory and three behind the Ranges.
Melbourne Victory’s mid-season slump endures as Moreland City came back from 2-0 down at home to claim a 3-2 win. Tyler James almost got a goal of the season contender for Moreland, striking the crossbar from distance with a rocket of a shot. But Victory took advantage of some lax defending when Nuh Sehavdic latched onto a long ball to apply a neat finish. Nicholas Sette then doubled the advantage after rifling in a left-footed strike. But the hosts hit back when Trent Rixon nodded in Fraser Hills’ cross, before Matt Reid also headed in Sean Sacco’s free kick. Jay Kelly completed the comeback by turning in Lisandro Paz’s cross for the victory that keeps City a point behind the Zebras in third.
Sunshine completed the season double over Bendigo, winning 3-0 in similar fashion to when they earlier met this season. Bendigo started the stronger of the two, but Sunshine would score first through Sergio Azagane when Liam O’Connel’s cross from the left found him on the back post, making a tough finish look easy. David Younan scored against his former side, set up by a ball from Teddy Yabio to rifle his shot across the outstretched Donte Thomas. Substitute Daniel Aganopostopolous sealed the win for Sunshine with an easy tap in after some great combinations around the box. Should results not go City’s way next week they’ll be the first confirmed relegated side in 2017.