Image: Port Melbourne
The signs weren’t exactly there that a 4-0 drubbing was on the cards for Port against South.
Certainly many would have expected South to respond to their 2-2 draw with Bulleen but not in the way that transpired on Friday night.
And Port didn’t offer anything that resembled four potential goals the week prior against Heidelberg on the road.
But South’s struggles away were compounded by the Sharks on Friday night. The hosts’ domination at JL Murphy on the scoreboard was achieved through some clinical transition play and flawless finishes.
For South, Matt Millar, Kristian Konstantinidis and Carl Pergianni all got starts in the side in place of Michael Eager, Tim Mala and Brad Norton.
The new-look backline was powerless to resist some of Port’s efforts as the first goal came through Oleksiy Khrapko, and that’s the way the scoreline stayed until half time, with keeper Brandan White doing well to deny Milos Lujic with one of South’s best chances in the half.
But the floodgates opened in the second when former Oakleigh, Heidelberg and Bulleen man Andreas Govas had former Lions manager Dom Barba feeling justified for his decision to bring over the talented midfielder with him, scoring a rocket of a goal to make it 2-0.
Gavin De Niese came on for South but it was former A-League man Chris Cristaldo now opening his account for Port to make it 3-0, and by the 64th minute it was game well and truly over at 4-0 with Khrapko netting his second – the Ukranian is already halfway to equalling his tally of four goals at Avondale last season.
If you’ve struggled to keep track of Port’s signings, another is Nick Apostolopoulos, former Bentleigh Greens man from last season who also once featured in Adelaide United’s youth team and Real Vallidolid’s youth setup.
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Elsewhere, both Bulleen Lions and Pascoe Vale ended their respective matches with 10 men but also points on board against Oakleigh Cannons and Melbourne Knights respectively.
At Jack Edwards Reserve, Oakleigh had to settle for a second consecutive 2-2 draw which involved giving up 2-0 leads both times.
The were a sense of deja vu early when Dean Piemonte netted his second long-range stunner in as many weeks.
His corner then led to Kostas Stratomitros’ headed goal to make it 2-0 just before the break, with Bulleen striker Oliver White sent off for an alleged altercation with Tom Matthews as the players ran back to their positions – an innocuous action that on replays doesn’t appear worthy of a red.
2-0 and a man down seemed like an uphill battle too difficult to climb, but the visitors had other ideas.
With less than 15 minutes left Dylan Bresolin was fouled by Shayan Alinejad in the box, with Luke Gallo stepping up to convert the penalty.
Then, in the last few moments of the match, Bardhi Hysolli’s free kick waas headed by Eli Luttmer headed across the goal in the path of Andrew Mullett, who stroked home the equaliser to send the visitors into raptures.
The Cannons will be ruing giving up another lead, and spurning chances to put the game beyond reach, to have to settle for another draw.
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At Knights stadium, the hosts’ numerical advantage in the end didn’t help as Pascoe Vale ran out 2-1 winners.
Marino Gasparis hit the crossbar from a free kick to send the first warning to the hosts.
And so it was that in the 39th minute a cross from Davey Van ‘t Schip found Joseph Youssef for a well-placed header into the net.
A disallowed goal to the Knights frustrated many, but the equaliser eventually did come in the 78th minute when Elvis Kamsoba netted his second in two weeks to continue his great start to life at Somers Street.
A second yellow to Gonzalo Munoz didn’t help his side’s cause, yet they found an equaliser from a set-piece when Michael Ferrante’s initial free kick was blocked back to him, his follow-up somehow finding going in off the post.
Robbie Zadworny had one last chance to equalise again but missed, and that was the last action as Paco took home the three points.
Another great night, good crowd in at Knights Stadium for @MelbKnights v @pvfc_official #MKvPV #PS4NPLVIC pic.twitter.com/EetuSdOAm8
— Nicholas Tsiaras (@nicholastsiaras) February 17, 2017