Oakleigh Cannons co-coach Con Tangalakis was thrilled with his side’s electrifying 3-2 win over defending NPL Victoria champions Bentleigh Greens.
The Cannons troubled Bentleigh’s defence throughout the contest before firing the final blow through Dusan Bosnjak in the 85th minute to give Oakleigh a 3-2 victory.
Tangalakis said Bentleigh came out strong in the second half in what was a very evenly matched contest but it was ultimately Oakleigh’s spirit and “a lot of heart” that got the Cannons over the line.
The Cannons’ hard-fought victory over league favourites Bentleigh comes off the heels of a 1-0 win over Hume City and coach Tangalakis expects Oakleigh’s impressive form to continue heading into midseason.
“The spirit amongst the club is very high,” he said.
“We’re a newly formed club, a lot of new players but the boys are doing as we ask – expectations are not great for the club, we’ll take it as it comes, week by week.
“We haven’t put pressure on the boys – every win for us is a bonus and the way that they’re gelling and the way they’re performing, we’re expecting this run to maybe keep going for a bit.”
Oakleigh are enduring a number of dilemmas on the injury front early in the season, with important players like Goran Zoric, Aron Wilford, and John Black out of action but Tangalakis is pleased with the way Oakleigh’s young players are holding their own against the NPL’s top teams.
Although delighted with the performances of his side in the early rounds, Tangalakis admits there is a lot of work to be done both mentally and physically, with the Oakleigh coaching staff focusing on preparing their players for the intensity of FFA Cup football in addition to the rigours of the NPL season.
“The young boys have lifted on the occasion when we need them to lift and they’re doing their job,” he said.
They’re not intimidated, they’re not scared – they’re doing their job and we can get last minute wins which is great.
“We haven’t got the depth of the Hume’s, the Bentleigh’s and the Heidelberg’s but we just keep trotting along, we’ll keep nurturing the boys.
“Hopefully injuries and cards don’t affect us midway through the season but so far so good. The boys that have come off the bench have done their job which is very important in any side.”
With two consecutive wins against top NPL sides, the Cannons will be heading into Friday night’s clash with Avondale FC full of confidence aiming to notch up their third win of the season.
Although Avondale is in last position, Tangalakis admits they’re capable of causing an upset.
He re-affirms Oakleigh will head into the clash the same way they did against both Hume and Bentleigh – focused on coming back with three points.
“It’s just a matter of time before [Avondale] find their feet,” said the Oakleigh coach.
“I’ve watched them play on a couple of occasions and I’m a bit baffled as to why they’re in the position they’re in but we don’t want them to turn it on against us next week.
“We’re not going to play defensive, we’re not going to sit on the back foot – we’ll just take it as it comes.”
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