Image: Mark Avellino
Kingston City’s remarkable promotion-winning campaign has culminated in a thrilling come from behind 3-2 victory over the St Albans Saints to win the NPL2 Championship at Lakeside Stadium yesterday afternoon.
Nick Tolios’ side has exuberated a winning never-say-die mentality throughout the season and that served them well on the afternoon as they scored three times in 12 minutes to overturn a 2-0 deficit.
The NPL2 East Champions came into the contest without the services of four first team regulars in star playmaker Velibor Mitrovic, Czech midfielder Zdenek Koukal, Libyan winger Mouad Zwed and defender Simo Jovanovic with their starting eleven containing eight players under the age of 23.
In contrast, the Saints were almost at full strength with full-back Ben Shaper the only notable absentee from the starting line-up following last week’s 1-0 home win over the Whittlesea Ranges.
Kingston’s goalscoring promotion hero Damian Iaconis fired the first real shot in anger in the opening minutes of the contest as he looked to take his season goal tally to 12.
However it was Dinamo who edged in front in the 11th minute when mid-season signing Rodrigo Covarrubias pounced upon a defensive mistake before lobbing City goalkeeper Sermin Sadikovski as the ball sailed into the back of the net.
One became two on the half hour mark as Covarrubias beat his marker to poke the ball past Sadikovski for his second and his seventh overall since moving to Churchill Reserve at the beginning of June.
Defenders Nana Yaw and Hamish Millar exchanged opportunities before the break as Dinamo headed into the interval two goals ahead as City faced an uphill battle to get themselves back into the game.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with Iaconis unable to replicate his heading accuracy from last week as his effort went wide while Spaniard Vitaka Rodriguez and youngster Joey Monek went close to grabbing a third for Kruni Razov’s side.
Kingston reduced the deficit in the 68th minute when Rowan McNamee finished well to score his seventh of the season and give his side a lifeline heading into the final 20 minutes of the game.
Enter Slaven Vranesevic. The 21 year-old then turned the game on its head by channelling his inner-Sinisa Mihajlovic and equalising from the set-piece four minutes later to restore parity.
A foul by Saints captain Ryan McGuffie soon afterwards presented the former South Melbourne midfielder with another free-kick opportunity as the substitute proved that lightning does strike twice with his effort sailing into the back of the net past Dinamo goalkeeper Alex Baird.
McNamee went close to grabbing a second short afterwards while Baird prevented Vranesevic from scoring a dead ball hat-trick as St Albans attempted to counter the momentum their opponents had.
A goal line clearance in added time proved pivotal as Kingston held on for a 3-2 triumph as City players and coaching staff erupted in celebration following the final whistle to complete an extraordinary season for the Clayton South-based club.