Zaimsational South Bury Bergers
Monday, 15 August 2011 10:42 AM
South Melbourne FC has advanced through to a Minor Semi Final date with
Oakleigh after defeating Heidelberg United 1-0 in the Elimination Final
at SS Anderson Reserve on Sunday afternoon. A Jesse Krncevic penalty
shortly after the hour mark was the difference in what was a tight derby
match that ended dramatically with Sebastian Petrovic being sent off
before Zaim Zeneli made a double save from a Heidelberg penalty late in
the match.
South had the first chance of the match fifteen minutes
in when Steven Weir found the side netting from a difficult angle
following a ball from Tom Matthews. A minute later, former South player
Hamlet Armenian was lucky not to be sent off after a late challenge on
Zeneli as the goalkeeper gathered possession of the ball. Steve Martin
then produced the Bergers' first chance of the afternoon when he let fly
with a stinging shot that flew just wide of Zeneli's goal. There was a
bit of drama just before the halftime break, when defender Steven
Topalovic went off with a suspected broken leg and then Heidelberg had
an appeal for a penalty turned down after Yared Hailemelekot went down
in the area.
The game lifted in the second half and it was the
Bergers who almost went ahead when Evan Christodoulou's header hit the
crossbar. Five minutes later, Heidelberg almost conceded an own goal
when Les Doumbalis flicked Daniel Vasilevski's cross past goalkeeper
Rhyss Keane and onto the back post. South was creeping closer and
eventually went one better ten minutes later when Weir was pulled down
in the box, with Heidelberg's defenders claiming the South forward was
fouled just outside the area. However the referee had already pointed to
the penalty spot, where Jesse Krncevic stepped up and sent Keane the
wrong way to open the scoring for the home side.
South pressed forward for a second goal to kill the
game off, but a combination of poor decision making and desperate
defending kept the scoreline at 1-0. Time was running out for the
Bergers, who again went close when Saso Alexovski fired a left-footed
strike over Zeneli's bar. With five minutes left, Sebastian Petrovic was
given his marching orders by the referee after a strong tackle
on Hailemelekot, resulting in his second yellow card of the afternoon.
The resultant free kick was played into the box where the referee
awarded a penalty to the Bergers for a foul on Osagie Ederaro, which was
surprisingly taken by Armenian instead of Ederaro or Alexovski. Zeneli
made up for his error by making a double save from Armenian's spot kick
to deny the Bergers and keep South's 1-0 lead intact until the final
whistle.
Heidelberg are now out of the finals series, while
South lives to fight another day as they now face the Oakleigh Cannons
in the Minor Semi Final at Jack Edwards Reserve next Sunday 21 August at 18:00.
FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-0 HEIDELBERG UNITED (HT: 0-0)
Goal Scorer
1-0: Jesse Krncevic (66' pk)
South Melbourne FC:
2. Tom MATTHEWS, 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 4. Steven O'DOR, 5. Daniel
VASILEVSKI, 6. Steven TOPALOVIC (16. Trent WATERSON 44'), 8. Carl
RECCHIA, 11. Jesse KRNCEVIC, 17. Steven WEIR (25. Kyle JORYEFF 90+1'),
20. Daniel DRAGICEVIC (33. Yanni GALANOS 74'), 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 23.
Sebastian PETROVIC (sent off 84')
Heidelberg United:
1. Rhyss KEANE (GK), 2. Yarod
HAILEMELKOT, 3. Les DOUMBALIS, 7. Hamlet ARMENIAN, 9. Shaun MCILROY (8.
Andrew NABBOUT 72'), 11. Evan CHRISTODOLOU, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Craig
ELVIN, 16. Steve MARTIN, 18. Osagie EDERADO, 20. Saso ALEKSOVSKI
SMFC Man of the Match: Steven Weir
Venue: SS Anderson Reserve
Date: Sunday 14 August 2011