Image: Drazen Jurina
Having begun the season as strong title favourites, it is fair to say that things did not go to plan for Dandenong City in the opening month of the season. Two defeats from their first four games of the campaign raised plenty of eyebrows, many beginning to question the effectiveness of the club’s heavy recruitment drive of the summer.
A lacklustre 4-1 defeat to Dandenong Thunder in Round 1 was compounded by a 2-1 home defeat to rivals Springvale White Eagles, with Hajduk already behind the eight ball early on. However, a two-point deduction to both of the top two sides has seen Stuart Munro’s men take full advantage, collecting nine points from nine in March, as well as securing their passage into the next round of the FFA Cup.
While the signings of Mate Dugandzic, Nick Kalmar, Ljubo Milicevic, David Stirton and Steven Topalovic amongst others captured much of the public’s imagination in the off-season, the additions of the high-profile players was not the most important project taking place over the summer at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
The club hierarchy had decided to upgrade their facilities via the erection of four new light towers, and Friday night’s clash against Nunawading City was their first under the floodlights.
Coach Munro had expressed his bitterness following the loss to Springvale in late February, having previously targeted three wins from their opening league three games. Since then Hajduk have travelled on the road three times, with former Socceroo Milicevic at the heart of the turnaround in form, having started as the holding midfielder in all of those games.
He continued to be a presence in the middle of the pitch on Friday night and opened the scoring in the 25th minute through a header in what was his first league goal in over a decade. The floodgates opened in the second term, with midfielder Shaun Filipovic netting a quick-fire brace to table his goal tally for the year having being played in a more advanced attacking position.
Scottish forward Paul Harvey netted a maiden league goal in City colours after scoring a double in last week’s FFA Cup clash before substitute Andy Jerez made it five on the stroke of the 90. The scoring wasn’t done with yet with there being enough time for Nunawading to grab a consolation from Firaol Likassa, who curled in a sublime finish from an angle after receiving a pass from Mitch Cooper to deny Dandenong a clean sheet on the night.
The league leaders will look to continue their impressive form next week when they travel to second-placed NPL2 West side Moreland Zebras, whose forward line is led by former City striker Amir Osmancevic.
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Hot on the trail of Hajduk is a resurgent Melbourne City Youth, who came from behind to defeat the Springvale White Eagles 3-1. Three goals in 10 minutes did all the damage.
Things began well enough for the hosts, who took the lead six minutes before the break through Delfin Mosibe, with the Equatorial Guinea-born forward scoring his second goal in four appearances for the club.
An Erdem Ozcagli own goal on the half-hour turned the tide before Gerrie Sylaidos gave City the lead eight minutes later, with the 17-year-old striking for the fifth time this term to move second in the goalscoring charts and boosting his chances of another senior team call up.
The scoring was settled two minutes later when 16-year-old striker Marko Delic put City ahead via his second goal in three, having only made his senior debut at the beginning of the month after featuring for the Heidelberg United 16s in 2016.
Former Springvale full-back Nenad Nikolic entered the field soon after and saw ex-teammate Damir Stoilovic receive his marching orders to compound the White Eagles woes on the day.
Of particular concern for Tortevski is the fact that the early pace-setters have now lost four games on the trot (three in the league and one in the cup), with all of their defeats coming at Perry Road as they slipped to sixth on the table ladder having ended February in first position.
Joe Palatsides’ men on the other hand have hit top form by scoring 16 times in their last four games, all of which have been away from their Bundoora home, with the in-form Sylaidos the destroyer in chief as City moved to within a point behind Hajduk in second place.
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Moving into third are the Eastern Lions, who played out a five-goal thriller against the Goulburn Valley Suns at Gardiners Creek Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
Goals to English forward Chris Duncan and midfielder Ryan Losty had the hosts up two goals by the half hour only to be pegged back by the Suns, who struck through Matthew Lelliott and Tom Leech right before the break.
The game’s deciding moment came in the 70th minute when a foul in the area presented Thomas Falconer with an opportunity to give Eastern the lead from the spot. The 29-year-old made no mistake from the 11-metre mark to convert his third successful spot-kick of the season.
The visitors ended the encounter a man down following Ramah Taya’s 85th minute dismissal. Jim Williams’ side have now recorded their second consecutive victory, while Shepparton-based Goulburn remain fifth in the standings.
Eastern Lions v GV Suns match highlights from Eastern Lions Soccer Club on Vimeo.
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Just ahead of them on the table are the Dandenong Thunder who dropped down to fourth following a 1-1 draw against an improving Murray United on the state border on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors lost both Veton Korcari and Brendan Elmazovski through injury in a goalless opening half, with the game being played in the late March heat.
Gianfranco Impellizzeri’s men opened the scoring in the 64th minute when Brandon Barnes cut the ball back for substitute Kristian Sarkies to tap the ball home.
However, the lead did not last long as 17-year-old teenage prodigy Lewis Greenwood equalised for United to ensure a share of the spoils as James Coutts’ side cling onto seventh place on the standings, while Thunder lags five points behind city rivals Hajduk in first.
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Arguably the week’s most important contest took place on Friday night at Kevin Bartlett Reserve when league strugglers Richmond and Box Hill United faced off. Both teams were desperate to secure their first win of the campaign.
Former Knox City goalkeeper Matt King deputised in goal for the hosts, with both sides looking to kick on after convincing FFA Cup wins last week over State League opposition.
The goalscoring was opened in the 34th minute when a fantastic run forward by right-back Declan Lambert was finished off by Argentine Gonzalo Freddi, who netted his fourth goal in six league games. The former Dandenong City marksman has been prolific in front of goals despite the side’s problems early on.
Teenage substitute Jordan Liaskos was introduced into the game early on in the second half and made an immediate impact by doubling Richmond’s lead with his first senior goal in the 62nd minute.
Pythagoras pulled a goal back with 15 minutes remaining as Todd Dekker opened his United account to ensure older brother Wade wasn’t the only family member to net this week.
However that strike proved to be mere consolation as the pressure intensifies on Greg Kassidas. Box Hill are now winless from their opening seven league games, thus replacing Richmond in last place as Paul Donnelly’s men leap ahead of ninth-placed Nunawading into eighth spot.
The news did not get much better for United as midfielder Caleb Ludlow returned to Tasmania by re-joining South Hobart after making 56 league appearances for the club since joining in 2015, which included two goals.
Meanwhile, Kingston City have pounced on Richmond goalscorer Liaskos. The 17-year-old wide forward departs Alemannia after featuring four times for the club since making his senior debut in June last year.
