Oakleigh Cannons v SMFC – Jack Edwards Reserve – Friday 9 March 2018 at 8:30pm
South Melbourne FC go into Friday night’s clash with Oakleigh brimming with confidence following the massive 9-0 win at Dandenong Thunder last Saturday night. Coach Sasa Kolman and his team come up against a wounded Oakleigh side that lost their opening two NPL Victoria fixtures in 2018. Peter Tsolakis’ side opened their season with a 3-2 loss at the Melbourne Knights before conceding a late goal for a 0-1 home loss against the Bentleigh Greens last Friday night.
Whilst some might feel that it’s a good time to play against Oakleigh, it needs to be remembered that South has not beaten Oakleigh at Jack Edwards Reserve since 2013. In fact, the results in games between the two clubs over the last few seasons indicate that the home side wins. Discipline has also been a problem for South in its last four visits to Oakleigh, with red cards issued to Brad Norton (2014), Michael Eagar (2015), Kristian Konstantinidis (2016) and Luke Pavlou (2017).
Last Five League Meetings – click individual game for highlights
2017 (R19): SMFC 1-0 Oakleigh Cannons (Lakeside Stadium)
2017 (R06): Oakleigh Cannons 1-0 SMFC (Jack Edwards Reserve)
2016 (GF): SMFC 3-2 Oakleigh Cannons (Lakeside Stadium)
2016 (R21): Oakleigh Cannons 4-3 SMFC (Jack Edwards Reserve)
2016 (R08): SMFC 4-1 Oakleigh Cannons (Lakeside Stadium)
Overall Head to Head (League):
Played: 28
SMFC Wins: 14
Oakleigh Wins: 10
Draws: 4