Friday, 30 July 2010 11:12 AM
By John Kyrou
South Melbourne FC hosts its final home match of the season when the side welcomes League leaders Richmond to John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon. South has to once again chase three points to keep hopes of a finals appearance alive, with a draw most likely not being good enough. For the away side, a draw for Richmond will ensure they stay top of the table for another week, with a win potentially extending their lead to six points over Hume City.
South will head into this difficult match confident of a positive result following four points from the previous two matches, including a late equalising goal against second-placed Hume City last Sunday. Whilst disappointed not to get the three points against Hume, South should feel confident that it can perform well against the top teams, especially on the surface at John Cain Memorial Park. On the other hand, Richmond has a psychological advantage over South, having inflicted South’s first loss of the season in the 3-0 win at Kevin Bartlett Reserve on 30 April.
Former South player Jesse Krncevic is one player that the South defenders need to watch out for, with the forward scoring last time against South. Another player to watch out for is Daniel Visevic, who scored the winning goal against Oakleigh last Friday night and who is currently equal fifth in the VPL Golden Boot tally. If these players can be contained then South will give itself the best possible chance of getting the desired result. Goalkeeper Peter Zois will also be determined to keep a clean sheet against his former side.
Steven O’Dor will make his 100th League appearance for South Melbourne FC on Sunday afternoon and he joins captain Rama Tavsancioglu, Fernando De Moraes and Gianni De Nittis as the only players in the current playing list to be part of that exclusive club.
The match kicks off at 3pm on Sunday afternoon and all South Melbourne FC fans are encouraged to attend the final home game of 2010 to lend support to the players as the club pushes for a finals berth.