Image: Sonia Licciardi
Kingston City turned out to be the big winners on the weekend following their 4-0 win over Nunawading. While that win was pretty much a given for the second-placed team, it was Dandenong Thunder’s shock defeat that not only ended their 20-game winning streak but also gave Kingston a sniff of top, while third placed Dandenong City’s defeat to Brunswick City mean they sit 13 points behind a promotion spot.
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Thunder struck as 20-game unbeaten run comes to close
An 87th minute goal to substitute Abel Fesseha gave Box Hill United the most unlikely of wins, beating Dandenong Thunder 2-1 at George Andrews Reserve and ending the ladder-leader’s 20-game unbeaten run.
It was a richly deserved win for Box Hill who showed no fear in the face of their opponents, who hadn’t once faltered in the league in 2016.
Despite that fantastic record, Kingston City close to within three points after a win just an hour prior against Nunawading City.
The Thunder had the early running, as Brandon Barnes and Kristian Sarkies created a number of openings, the former forcing Box Hill keeper Keegan Coulter into a brilliant smothering save.
A Barnes cross then found its way to 16-year-old Godwill Benjamin who volleyed just wide of the left post.
Michael Kariuki made good use of his body to protect the ball, before he eventually unleashed a shot at the near post, which Fraser Maclaren was able to tip wide.
Box Hill took the lead on 28 minutes in somewhat fortuitous circumstances, as Maclaren argued that his save off a Benjamin Osei-Safo cross was made in front of the line.
The referees argued otherwise and paid a goal in favour of Box Hill, and it was almost two-nil after Kobbie Boahene’s shot rifled agonisingly wide of the upright from 20-yards.
More controversy struck as the Thunder were sent to the spot from an infringement from Kariuki, Barnes made no mistake by finishing into the left side of goal on 39 minutes.
Osei-Safo thought he had a second of the game after he did well to tap in a brilliantly weighted Adrian Del Monaco cross, but the linesman ruled the attacker offside.
Coulter was forced into another desperate save to tip wide a deflected Barnes effort, while at the other end Kariuki posted his contender for the worst set-piece of the year, comically scooping his effort behind goals, as the ball rolled down the far side of George Andrews Reserve.
A chance fell either way in the final 10 minutes of the contest, but the coin fell the way of Box Hill, with Fesseha popping up to header home with three minutes remaining.
It could’ve been so different for the Thunder, who saw a chance brilliantly denied by Tom Lakic, who put in a last ditch block to deny Brandon Barnes’ on his favoured left foot.
Kingston close in on automatic promotion
Kingston City have made a welcome return to form, notching up a second straight league win, beating Nunawading City 4-0, as they prepare for a late challenge at the NPL2 East title.
After a two straight losses in the league, Kingston returned to winning ways last week against Springvale White Eagles, and were able to avoid a slip on this week’s banana peel fixture against the bottom-placed outfit.
The win came courtesy of a Rowan McNamee hat-trick – taking his season tally to five, which included goals in just the four and seven minutes of the tie.
He was able to complete his hat-trick in the second half, with Jerry Karpeh grabbing a goal in-between as Kingston strolled home to victory.
On top of Thunder’s defeat to Box Hill, third-placed Dandenong City also fell to a defeat, which marked a perfect Saturday of results for the club.
City pay penalty for late goal
Dandenong City’s promotion chances took a massive blow as they fell to a 90th minute penalty to Brunsick City’s Adam Wright, giving them a 1-0 win at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
The keepers weren’t forced into too much action in the first half, as a number of chances for either side were sent high or wide.
Amir Osmancevic nearly snuck a cross in at the far post, but his curling ball struck the base of the left post before bouncing clear.
Matthew Augello then produced what was arguably the defensive effort of the season as he produced not only one goal mouth block, but two in the space of a few seconds to deny Ross Frame, then Osmancevic.
The keepers were made to work a little more in the second half as Damir Salchin first clawed away a Liam Newman piledriver, then a low volley from Adam Wright.
A clumsy tackle in the 90th minute sent Brunswick to the spot, with their Welsh top scorer making no mistake to bury home his 13th of the league campaign.
Regional sides share points in goalless display
Hosts Murray United and Goulburn Valley Suns were inseparable after 90 minutes, after the two sides shared the spoils in a 0-0 result.
The ‘local derby’ as it were produced a relatively tame affair, save for a second half red card to Goulburn Valley’s Nikolaos Kalafatis.
Murray produced a great chance to win the game at the death, but a shot from Jayson Ferguson was pushed off the line, with Munyaradzi Ruparanganda’s follow up shot sent over the bar.
The draw was Murray’s second in three weeks, and their seventh point of the season as they put more distance between them and Nunawading at the bottom of the ladder.
Williams sparks Lions comeback
After a cagey start, Springvale took the lead when John Pykett scored from the spot following a foul in the area on Vojo Milojevic.
It took until the 69th minute for Eastern to equalise when captain Andrew Williams’ stinging effort from 25 metres evaded everyone and ended up in back of the net.
Then it took just another five minutes when Williams scored from the spot after a foul in the area by sub Dimitar Mitkov.
Williams was denied a hat-trick when his free-kick rattled the crossbar, keeping Springvale in the game.
They nearly struck when Pykett launched a powerful shot from outside the box which is diverted over Chris Van Corler.
Nenad Nikolic was played through late, but his shot hit the crossbar and bounced on the line, with Dejan Erakovic’s goal-bounder header cleared off the line to preserve Eastern’s three points.