A double strike from prolific striker Milos Lujic launched South Melbourne into touching distance of the inaugural Victorian NPL championship title on Sunday night against Northcote City at Lakeside Stadium.
South coach Chris Taylor was concise but confident in articulating his conviction in where his side’s destiny lay in a fortnight.
“Feels like we’ve just got a bit more to do to get where we want to be. I’m just happy with the three points. That’s all I care about”, Taylor said.
“We’re confident in what we do and for me we’ve been the best side all year. We just need to continue doing it.”
Although rarely one to single out players for comment, Taylor had high praise for Lujic’s exploits in front of goal.
The towering marksman netted his twentieth goal for South on Sunday against his former club Northcote. This sealed both a decisive victory for his side but also put the forward into a strong position to claim Golden Boot honours come seasons end.
“[Lujic] was signed to score goals and he’s scoring goals. He’s doing his job, so we are delighted. Twenty goals in twenty-four games. So yeah, I’m very happy with that,” the head coach said.
The good news has continued to roll in for South Melbourne both on and off the pitch, particularly with the recent announcement that the club has secured Lakeside Stadium as its home for the next four decades.
The deal not only provides the club with long-term stability, but also lays the basis for the development and construction of a social club, which has long been a stormy issue among South supporters.
“It’s obviously good for the club in the long term. It’s great for the supporters. Good to see the support coming again,” Taylor said.
“It’s only going to enhance that [support]. Positives all round for the club at the moment. Everything is going in the right direction.”
Taylor has been steadfastly firm all season in advocating a match-by-match philosophy. Being on the brink of clinching the first ever Victorian NPL trophy has not changed his fundamental approach.
“[I’ll tell them] have a weekend off. Just train the same as usual. Take every game as you see it,” he insisted.
South are well and truly in pole position to hold aloft the title in a fortnight, with a seven-point lead over Oakleigh Cannons, who they will face in the penultimate round of the season on Sunday 7th September at Lakeside Stadium.
Taylor will surely have his eyes on securing the championship that evening to vindicate his words earlier in the season claiming “our destiny is in our own hands”.
Follow Steven Chang on Twitter at @Gixibyte