Image: Smile for Peter
Having got the job done against Melbourne City, Dandenong City have Nunawading to thank after the second-bottom side defeated the second-placed Dandenong Thunder to allow Hajduk to extend their lead at the top. Other action on the weekend saw Murray United ease past Eastern Lions, Springvale add another dagger blow to Richmond, while Box Hill and Goulburn Valley Suns split the points.
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It wasn’t too long ago when Dandenong Thunder defeated Nunawading City, but in a sign of the times, the new-look City took it to their opponents and came out with a 1-0 win that could have serious implications at both ends of the ladder.
Nuna were showcasing two high-profile arrivals, Patrick Gerhardt and Jagajeet Shrestha, and both played their part in the fixture.
At one end Gerhardt helped shore up the defence which had leaked goals in recent times to keep a clean sheet, while at the other end it was Shrestha’s fortuitous involvement in the goal that made the impact.
Josh Bragg’s dismissal didn’t help the Thunder who were looking for the win to keep up with leaders Dandenong City, but they were caught out at the death.
A pass from the wing found James Brown, whose shot from distance took a deflection off Shrestha who had slipped in the build-up, beating Fraser Maclaren in goals.
Cue the hosts’ pandemonium.
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It was first vs third as Dandenong City took on Melbourne City, and the encounter proved a tight one as neither side was able to wrestle full control over proceedings.
However Dandenong did manage to find the winning goal, and it was none other than this season’s breakout striker that did the job – Shaun Filipovic.
Charging at the City defence, Mate Dugandzic ran down the right wing before squaring up Filipovic for the finish.
The visitors were able to hold off the hosts and keep a clean sheet in the 1-0 win, jumping to a five point lead at the top of the table, and Hajduk hierarchy may just be starting to dream.
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Springvale White Eagles hadn’t been in the best form of late but not even Richmond could take points off them as the cellar-dwellers stare at the face of a double relegation.
Jerry Karpeh netted his first goal for the club to give Springvale an early 1-0 lead which the carried into the break.
It got more bleak for Richmond as missed chances to the likes of Andrew Viola and Ryan Lambert were punished by Damir Stoilovic just after the hour mark.
Valli Cesnik gave a lifeline in the 93rd minute but it proved to be just consolation as the White Eagles snapped a recent run of negative results with a 2-1 win, while Richmond remain rooted to the bottom with previous 9th placed team Nunawading making more of a gap between them.
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Murray United put on a strong showing and made sure they hadn’t given up leads like in previous weeks with a solid 2-0 away performance to Eastern Lions.
Captain Ashley Dunn made a return from suspension in emphatic style with a goal after 10 minutes to put his side in front, finishing off Gonzalo Freddi’s neat backheel.
Freddi then turned scorer, minutes later netting his third goal in three games since joining the club by springing the offside trap from Chad Bugeja’s ball forward before rounding the keeper.
Murray consolidate a fourth placed position and edge closer to third-placed Melbourne City, while Eastern Lions teeter dangerously close to Richmond, just two points above the cellar-dwellers in ninth spot, now leapfrogged by Nunawading.
In transfer news, youngster Lionel Masudi joined South Melbourne’s U20s squad in a big move for the youngster.
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A goalless encounter at Wembley Park saw Box Hill United and Goulburn Valley Suns split the point which preserves their mid-table statuses.
One of the biggest talking points involved Craig Carley, who, having recently contributed goals for the club since his mid-season return, was this time send off for a headbutt, meaning the Suns had to battle it out with 10 men from the 56th minute.
However, Muntadhar Al Gazaly had a strong game in goals to keep a clean sheet and preserve the deadlock.