South Melbourne FC has the chance to win its first Dockerty Cup Championship in 20 years when it faces the Oakleigh Cannons in the 2015 final this Sunday afternoon.
Should South emerge victorious, it will be the second piece of silverware that the Club has claimed this season, following the FFV Community Shield triumph over the Melbourne Knights on Friday 13 February.
The match has become especially important in the wake of Wednesday night’s heartbreaking Westfield FFA Cup defeat to the Palm Beach Sharks in a penalty shootout.
An issue for Coach Chris Taylor will be managing the fitness of several key players following the Gold Coast loss. The likes of Michael Eagar, Nick Epifano and Milos Lujic all played 120 minutes at Cbus Stadium as well as 90 minutes in the tough 0-0 League draw at Pascoe Vale last Saturday.
Epifano has been a Cup specialist for South so far this season, rising to the occasion with late goals several times in the lead-up to the final. He has scored six goals in the FFA Cup and the Dockerty Cup in 2015. The speedster scored a late brace to inspire South to a memorable victory over the Melbourne Knights in early June and also scored a late brace in the Dockerty Cup semi final win over Heidelberg.
Arthur Papas’ Oakleigh side defeated Corio, Richmond, Bendigo City, South Springvale and Hume City en route to the final. Dusan Bosnjak is the key man in the opposition camp, with the playmaker usually serving as a barometer to Oakleigh’s performances.
The two teams have played each other twice this season and have each claimed a victory. South won the first encounter 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Thursday 19 February, before Oakleigh triumphed 2-0 at Jack Edwards Reserve on Friday 22 May.
The last time South won the Dockerty Cup final was on Sunday 1 October 1995. Paul Trimboli (36’) and Vaughan Coveny (60’) scored for South, with an own goal (67’) also contributing to the 3-1 win against the Melbourne Knights at Olympic Park in front of 7000 spectators.
Should Taylor’s men claim victory on Sunday, it will be the eighth time that South Melbourne have won the Dockerty Cup, following triumphs in 1974, 1975, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995. Oakleigh are yet to win the Dockerty Cup during 106 years of Dockerty Cup competition.
The Dockerty Cup final kicks off at 4:30pm at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday. If the match is drawn after normal time, extra time will follow, as will penalties if the two sides are still level after extra time.
Those unable to make the game can follow the Club’s official Facebook and Twitter pages, using the hashtags #SMFC and #Dockerty Cup for live updates.
South Melbourne FC – Road to the Dockerty Cup Final
FFA Cup Round 4 (Saturday 14 March): 5-0 v Whittlesea United (Thomas Street Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 5 (Wednesday 15 April): 8-0 v North Sunshine Eagles (Lakeside Stadium)
FFA Cup Round 6 (Friday 5 June): 3-1 v Melbourne Knights (Lakeside Stadium)
FFA Cup Round 7 (Wednesday 17 June): 6-1 v Frankston Pines (Lakeside Stadium)
Dockerty Cup Semi Final (Wednesday 15 July): 2-1 v Heidelberg United (Jack Edwards Reserve)
Oakleigh Cannons – Road to the Dockerty Cup Final
FFA Cup Round 4 (Saturday 14 March): 12-0 v Corio SC (Hume Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 5 (Wednesday 15 April): 0-0 (5-4p) v Richmond Eagles (Jack Edwards Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 6 (Sunday 6 June): 5-1 v Bendigo City (Jack Edwards Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 7 (Wednesday 17 June): 2-1 v South Springvale (Warner Reserve)
Dockerty Cup Semi Final (Thursday 16 July): 2-0 v Hume City (Olympic Village)