South Melbourne FC clash with Green Gully on Saturday afternoon in a match that pits two teams side by side on the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria table against each other.
The clash will be the sixth consecutive match South have played away from Lakeside Stadium, with the stretch netting two League wins, two League draws and an FFA Cup victory over Whittlesea United.
Those draws have come in the previous two matches, with last week’s 1-1 derby draw preceding the pulsating match 2-2 fixture against the Bentleigh Greens a fortnight ago. Whilst not picking up maximum points in either of these fixtures, South’s ability to remain undefeated and come away with a draw against arguably two NPL Victoria Championship contenders in 2015 could be vital come the end of the season.
Chris Taylor’s men are currently four points off the pace in fourth position, however a win this weekend could see that margin trimmed to one point following Melbourne Knights’ loss to Bentleigh on Thursday night.
South have won the past three encounters against Green Gully. Last season’s corresponding fixture produced one of the games of the season, with South winning 3-5 in a match Gully finished with nine men on the park. Milos Lujic scored a hat-trick and South fans will be hoping for a similar performance in this week’s crucial clash. The powerful marksman has found the back of the net in each of the past two games and looks to be getting close to top form.
Another man who has been extremely impressive so far this season is Nikola Roganovic. After two years out of the game, the shot-stopper has made a number of important saves at crucial times for South, playing a pivotal role in South’s unbeaten start to the season. Roganovic is no stranger at Green Gully Reserve either, having been between the sticks during Gully’s VPL Championship winning seasons of 2010 and 2011.
The squad continues to be impacted by injuries following last weekend’s taxing derby. Cody Martindale will miss after limping off in the opening few minutes with a knee injury. Tim Mala also came off with a knock but is expected to be fit to take his place in the side against Green Gully.
The clash kicks off at 3pm at Green Guly Reserve, Keilor Downs. Those unable to make the game can follow it with live updates on the South Melbourne FC Facebook page and on the Club’s official Twitter @smfc with the hashtags #PS4NPL and #SMFC.