Image: Dion Fountas
In the rollercoaster ride at the top of the table, Bentleigh Greens won their way back to the top with a 2-0 win over previous ladder leaders Avondale FC.
Neither Pascoe Vale nor Heidelberg could make up ground on those two having to settle for a 1-1 draw at CB Smith Reserve, while Oakleigh earned welcome reprieve at the other end of the table with a 6-0 thumping against Melbourne Knights, aided by playing with an extra man for 85 minutes, the Knights’ worst ever defeat at Somers Street.
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At Kingston Heath the highly anticipated contest between the Greens and Avondale was another test for the latter’s title credentials, and they were making a good case for it early.
While Tyson Holmes and Matt Thurtell had early chances, Ryan Scott also had to be on guard to deny Kaine Sheppard a couple of times at the other end.
There was no luck for Sheppard who also hit the woodwork in the second half, with Avondale’s advances not yielding their desired outcome.
Their efforts came undone as a turnover at the back allowed Andy Brennan to advance in on Chris Oldfield and slot past the custodian for a 1-0 lead to the hosts.
Brennan had another chance to add to the scoreboard soon after, while Thurtell was denied by Oldfield.
He would have the last laugh in the end as the two combined for the sealer, with the goalscorer turning provider for the latter, who put the icing on a hard-fought win with a cool finish to go back to equal second on the scoring charts alongside Damian Iaconis on seven.
It proved welcome relief for Bentleigh who bounced back from a 3-0 defeat against Port Melbourne, and are back on top on goal difference but Hume City will have the chance to go top if they can defeat South Melbourne.
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Fourth-placed Pascoe Vale and sixth-placed Heidelberg United both had a chance to rise to third with a win, but both have to settle for a draw – despite each side having good chances to win – which won’t suit either in their pursuit of the top.
Sean Ellis opened the scoring from a long free kick in the 19th minute, hitting his strike through the wall and the goalkeeper Alex Pavlidis into to the bottom corner. It was his sixth goal of the campaign despite finding the back of the net in only his second game, while Paco conceded a second direct free-kick in three weeks.
The hosts weren’t behind for too long as Matthew Lazarides squared the ledger with a low drive past Chris Theodoridis for his first goal of the campaign.
Luka Prelevic looked to find form and nearly got his side the lead when his long-distance effort hits the underside of the crossbar and bounced out.
Heidelberg re-took momentum before the break as Ellis and Harry Noon had shots blocked but both sides went into the sheds at 1-1, with the scoreline staying that way albeit not for a lack of trying.
Later chances fell to Andrew Cartanos and Kenny Athiu for the visitors, while Theodoridis was kept busy in denying Marino Gasparis and Davey van ‘t Schip, who had a couple of bites of the cherry.
It turned out to be the first time in seven matches that the Dutchman hasn’t found the back of the net, and Athiu couldn’t also
Pascoe Vale stay in fourth for the meantime, while Heidelberg’s point takes them above Green Gully for now, who take on North Geelong Warriors this round.
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There was some conjecture about whether the game between the Knights and Oakleigh would happen due to the condition of the pitch at Somers Street, but the match went ahead.
If it didn’t, Oakleigh would have had their second postponed game of the season, but they would have been feeling the decision to play was justified five minutes into the contest when Fraser Chalmers was sent off for a last-man challenge in the box, his second red of the season.
Luke Jurcic was sacrificed for backup keeper Gabriel Matti who was making his first senior appearance in the absence of the injured regular second-choice Harry Cakarun, but he couldn’t deny Dusan Bosnjak from the spot, netting his first goal since the opening round of the season.
For the next 20 or so minutes the Knights were playing as though they were a man up, creating plenty of chances albeit without the finishing touch, as John Honos was on hand to thwart both Elvis Kamsoba and Danny Dixon.
They were made to pay further when instead it was Oakleigh who added to their lead via Goran Zoric, whose goal effectively took the wind out of the hosts’ sails, and it was all Oakleigh in the second half as the man advantage on a heavy night ultimately took its toll.
Bosnjak added his second in the 52nd minute, before Dimi Hatzimouratis and Shayan Alinejad netted their first goals of the season – the latter against his former club.
It was Bosnjak in extra time who sealed his hat-trick, putting the Knights to the sword and making it 6-0 for the visitors.
Whether the result acts as a springboard for the Cannons’ misfiring season will yet to be seen considering the circumstances of this contest, while the similarly up-and-down Knights will have to put this one behind them and look to bounce back next week against Green Gully.