Thursday, 14 July 2011 11:59 PM
South Melbourne FC goes into this weekend’s match against Victorian Premier League leaders Hume City knowing that it simply must win to keep alive its quest for a finals appearance in 2011.
In better news for the Club, Jesse Krncevic returns to the squad having served his five match suspension following his send-off against Heidelberg United on Sunday 5th June. Krncevic will almost certainly link up with Steven Weir and Kyle Joryeff up front, with South having badly missed having a big target forward in recent weeks. Zaim Zeneli bore the full brunt of an accidental collision with Steven Topalovic in the Richmond match, however the custodian should be available for Sunday’s match. Captain Steven O’Dor missed the Richmond match due to hospitalisation mid-week last week but should hopefully be back in the line-up on Sunday afternoon.
Hume surprisingly come into the match in losing form despite leading the Victorian Premier League by two games outright. Hume had been undefeated since a 4-1 loss against Bentleigh on Friday 8 April and ironically it was the Greens who broke that winning streak last Saturday with a 2-1 away win at Broadmeadows Valley Park. Despite this minor setback, Hume City will be confident of beating South on Sunday and will almost certainly confirm a top two position should that occur. Richie Cardozo has been in outstanding form for Hume City in 2011 and has scored many wonderful goals including against South.
In the corresponding fixture between the two sides last season on Sunday 25 July, a late goal by Carl Recchia salvaged a valuable draw for South five minutes from time after Cardozo scored a double (43′, 70′) following Joe Keenan opening the scoring after 31 minutes. Earlier this season on Sunday 17 April, Krncevic and Ljubo Milicevic were sent off in the first half as a nine-man South crumbled 5-0 to Hume, with that loss knocking South from the top of the Victorian Premier League ladder in what seems a lifetime ago.
Sunday’s match kicks off at 15:00 at John Cain Memorial Park.