Thursday, 7 April 2011 8:51 AM
South Melbourne FC hosts the Richmond Eagles at John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon in a match that could see the home side maintain their position on top of the Victorian Premier League. South currently sits in first place on the Victorian Premier League ladder and could stretch its lead to four points depending on other results.
South goes into Sunday’s match in excellent form, having gone five games unbeaten in League competition including winning the last three matches in succession. The most recent victory was a 0-2 triumph over St Albans at Churchill Reserve last Sunday afternoon, thanks to goals from Fernando De Moraes and Kyle Joryeff. De Moraes’ goal marked the midfielder’s 50th League goal for South, making him only the eighth player in the Club’s history to reach that milestone. Joryeff’s goal was his fourth goal in seven League appearances in 2011, an excellent return for a player who has come off the bench in three of those matches. The victory over St Albans was also South’s first clean sheet in the Victorian Premier League in 2011, largely thanks to the magnificent performances by acting captain Carl Recchia and Ljubo Milicevic, who were both outstanding in the centre of defence. In further good news, it is expected that captain Steven O’Dor, Steven Topalovic and Jesse Krncevic will all be available for Sunday’s match, after the three missed the win at St Albans.
Richmond will no doubt provide difficult opponents on Sunday, with the Eagles enjoying two victories in succession thanks to a 1-0 win over the VTC last Wednesday night before a 3-1 victory over Bentleigh last Sunday afternoon. This has moved Richmond from out of the relegation zone to being level on points with fifth-placed Northcote City. One key player that has played a huge role Richmond’s turnaround in form has been Michael Ferrante, who scored twice against Bentleigh and will be a real danger for South this Sunday. South’s players will no doubt be aware of Ferrante’s abilities, as in the corresponding fixture last season at John Cain Memorial Park he led Richmond to an inspired comeback to draw 2-2 with a devastated South side that had been cruising with a 2-0 lead.
Sunday’s match kicks off at 3:00pm at John Cain Memorial Park.