South Melbourne FC progressed to the Westfield FFA Cup Fifth Round with a 10-0 victory over Keysborough at John Cain Reserve on Saturday afternoon. Milos Lujic and the returning Leigh Minopoulos both scored hat-tricks as South booked its spot in the next round.
Coach Chris Taylor made wholesale changes from the starting eleven that drew 2-2 with FC Bulleen Lions last Monday night. Only the centre-halves Michael Eagar, Luke Adams and centre-forward Milos Lujic started against Keysborough, with Taylor gave starting berths to other players in the squad.
In the first half, Stephen Hatzikostas opened the scoring (and scored his first SMFC goal in the process) with a left-footed finish. Lujic then scored twice, via a tap-in and a headed goal, to put South comfortably ahead 3-0 at the break. Lujic notched his hat-trick early in the second half and was immediately substituted in preparation for the league match against Richmond on Thursday night.
Chris Irwin, playing for the first time in 2016, made the score 5-0 before substitute Matthew Millar added South’s sixth goal and his first goal in South colours. Minopoulos, also playing for the first time this season, scored his hat-trick in the space of eight minutes before Millar got his second of the afternoon – and South’s tenth and final goal – shortly before the full-time whistle.
Keysborough are now out of the cup but the Zagame’s State League 4 side – five divisions underneath South – should be proud, having won three qualifying matches to reach the Fourth Round.
It is the fourth time in South’s history that the senior men’s team has scored 10 goals in a competitive fixture, with the other three occasions being the 10-1 league win against Moonee Ponds (April 1960), the 10-0 win against Konica FC in the Oceania Club Championship (September 1999) and the 14-0 Dockerty Cup win against Yarraville Glory (April 2011).
The focus returns back to the PS4 NPL Victoria campaign, with South’s next game being against the promoted Richmond Eagles at Kevin Bartlett Reserve this Thursday night. The match kicks off at 8:30pm.
FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 10-0 KEYSBOROUGH (HT: 3-0)
Goal Scorers:
1-0: Stephen Hatzikostas (23′)
2-0: Milos Lujic (28′)
3-0: Milos Lujic (35′)
4-0: Milos Lujic (47′)
5-0: Chris Irwin (50′)
6-0: Matthew Millar (67′)
7-0: Leigh Minopoulos (70′)
8-0: Leigh Minopoulos (76′)
9-0: Leigh Minopoulos (78′)
10-0: Matthew Millar (86′)
South Melbourne FC:
21. Zaim ZENELI (GK) / 12. Amadu KOROMA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS (18. Matthew MILLAR 52′), 13. Luke EYLES / 6. Filtzgerald MBAKA (17. Marcus SCHROEN 56′), 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS / 14. Chris IRWIN, 22. Andy KECOJEVIC, 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS / 9. Milos LUJIC (8. Mathew THEODORE 48′).
Unused Subs: 7. Nick EPIFANO, 33. Rory BRIAN (GK).
Keysborough SC:
1. Jean-Michel MACLOU (GK), 3. Joel WITHERDIN, 4. Fabien L’EVEILLE, 5. Euclides GONCALVES, 6. Obed BAHEERATHAN (11. Gladwyn ROBERTS 61′), 9. Heip TANG, 10. Victor PINTO (8. Mert SAKRANLIOGLU 74′), 12. Marcello PIZZIRUSSO, 13. Heip TRAN, 16. Ali HUSEN, 22. Marcus ROBERTS (18. Darren HANCOCK 52′).
Unused Subs: 15. Michael JURICIC, 21. Joshua TOSCANO (GK).
SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Leigh Minopoulos
Venue: John Cain Reserve
Date: Saturday 19 March 2016