Author: George Kouroumalis

Monday, 22 July 2013 2:07 PM

By George Kouroumalis

A late second half surge by Bentleigh Greens against a nine man South Melbourne side has seen them defeat the home side by 4 goals to 1 at Lakeside Stadium.

South went into the match with new signings Bryan Bran and Tim Mala in the heart of the defence, as well as Chris Taylor opting to play striker Trent Rixon up front once again.

It was that decision by Taylor that worked immediately after kick-off, with Rixon darting past the stagnant Bentleigh defence, before hitting a low drive across the area and into the path of Nick Epifano at the back post who smashed the ball into the back of the net.

Moments later the match was turned on it’s head up the other end, when South custodian Peter Gavalas collided with Bentleigh’s Ryan De Vries, after the strikers shot had already sailed well and truly over the bar. In what seemed to be an innocuous incident, referee Brenton Hawyward pointed to the penatly spot before sending Gavalas off with a straight red card being produced.

Immediately Taylor sacrificed goalscorer Epifano and brought on 17 year old Goalkeeper Lajos Hun to make his debut for the club at senior level.

In what was an amazing turn of events, Luke Sherbon stepped up and scored the penalty, only for the referee to call it back, making him take it again. From the resultant re-take, Hun produced a fine save, sending the stunned South crowd into raptures.

This galvanised the South players and they continued to dominate the half with ten men and despite not being able to capitalise, went into the rooms at half time with a well deserved one goal lead.

The second half continued in the same manner, South coming out of the blocks early and piling the pressure on a very timid Bentleigh defence, with Soolsma and Rixon once again looking dangerous.

It was against the run of play where Bentleigh grabbed an equaliser, with Dane Milovanovic hitting a wonderful strike from outside the area to get his team on level terms.

Any chance South had of clinching the three points vanished moments later, when Iqi Jawadi was given his second yellow card in a short period, with the referee deeming that he kicked the ball away after he blew the whistle.

With the sending off, South was left with very little hope and it was proven not long after when Ryan De Vries and Luke Sherbon capitalised on an exhausted South defence to put the match beyond doubt.

Former South defender Tom Matthews added the fourth with the match already sealed and the South side demoralised.

It was a more positive story in the Under-21s as South defeated Bentleigh 4-3. Baggio Yousif scored twice as Francis Solano and Aydin Sipahi scored the other two goals to secure the win.

South must re-group as it takes on Preston this Tuesday night in the State Knockout Cup, whilst hosting Dandenong Thunder on Sunday at 3pm. Both matches are at Lakeside Stadium, with the Cup game against Preston a members only affair.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-4 BENTLEIGH GREENS (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Nick Epifano (2′)
1-1: Dane Milovanovic (64′)
1-2: Ryan De Vries (72′)
1-3: Luke Sherbon (79′)
1-4: Tom Matthews (90+2′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK – sent off 12′), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Bryan BRAN, 5. Nick EPIFANO (21. Lajos HUN [GK] 12′), 9. Trent RIXON (15. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS 61′), 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON (C), 13. Iqi JAWADI, 16. Alan KEARNEY, 17. Nick SOOLSMA (12. Rhys MEREDITH 76′), 22. James KARVELIS

Bentleigh Greens:
Alistair BRAY (GK), Dominic D’ANGELO, Aron WILFORD, Jack WEBSTER, Thomas MATHEWS, Steve HATZIKOSTAS (Luke O’DEA 45’), Wayne WALLACE (Liam MCCORMICK 77’), Luke SHERBON, David STIRTON (Jamie DEARBY 61’), Ryan DE VRIES, Dane MILOVANOVIC

SMFC Man of the Match: Bryan Bran
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 21 July 2013

Friday, 9 May 2008 12:30 PM

By George Kouroumalis & John Kyrou

South Melbourne will be looking to win two matches in a row when it travels to Epping Stadium to take on the Whittlesea Zebras on Sunday.

In what promises to be an enthralling contest, South will head into the Mother’s Day clash full of confidence after a well-drilled and disciplined performance saw them account for the Richmond Eagles last Sunday at Bob Jane Stadium.

South coach Michael Michalakopoulos will be going back to familiar territory, as he coached and played an integral part in building the Zebras squad that made the Grand Final in 2007. His knowledge of the Whittlesea players will be an important factor throughout the game, with Michalakopoulos keen to get a victory against his old side.

In goals, South will head into the game with captain Dean Anastasiadis (pictured) in goals. At a venue where South has traditionally struggled in the past, the side will be relying on the veteran in goals not only as a shot stopper, but as a strong communicator to his defence and to lead by example out on the field.

South will once again opt for the same back four that performed superbly last weekend to shut out the Richmond forwards. Steven O’Dor and Shane Nunes will once again be given the central defensive positions. Adam Van Dommele will provide the side with a calm and experienced left back, with the former Adelaide United player instrumental in South’s excellent defensive performances of the last month. On the other side of defence, Sam Poutakidis will be asked to slot into the right back position. Both Poutakidis and Van Dommele will however push forward as much as possible in order to cause an extra problem to the Zebras defence as well as provide extra support for the midfielders and forwards alike.

In the middle of the park, South will be without two very important players in Bill Natsioulas and Fernando De Moraes. Natsioulas limped off midway through the opening half last weekend with a leg injury, whilst Fernando will be missing due to being selected in the Futsalroos squad for the AFC championships. Replacing the pair will be young duo Tony La Verde and Benji Vahid. Both youngsters will be keen to solidify their positions in the starting line-up, with La Verde impressing in the multiple appearances he has made in 2008.

The two teenagers will be joined by the experienced vice-captain Rama Tavsancioglu, who has had a superb month of football since being assigned the defensive midfield role. His attack on the ball, clean tackling and work rate has been a feature of his game whilst in the role and Michalakopoulos will be looking for ‘Rama’ to continue his efforts as well as assist his younger team mates. The other vital cog in the midfield area will be Goran Zoric, a player will use his guile and pace to try and exploit the Whittlesea defensive unit.

Up front, South will persist with the combination of Ricky Diaco and Gianni De Nittis. Both players provide the club with a creative and vibrant attacking duo that work well together. Their form last weekend against Richmond justifies an inclusion into this week’s starting line-up, as De Nittis scored the winning goal and Diaco threatened the opposition defence and keeper every time he had the ball.

Also vying for a starting position will be youngster Hamlet Armenian, who will relish the chance to take on his former club on the weekend. Despite not finding the net this season, Armenian has worked extremely hard every time he has made an appearance and has been very unfortunate not to open his scoring account. He will be a danger and will give the Whittlesea defence several headaches when he gets his chance.

South’s opponent will provide the Blues with a resilient opponent that should not be underestimated. The 2007 Grand Finalist boasts experienced campaigners that will make life tough for the South Melbourne side.

One of these players will be Ross Antoniadis in the centre of defence, a player who has made his mark at VPL level over a 10-year period with the Zebras and Altona East. Antoniadis is an old-fashioned centre-back, with the big man quite strong in the air but also exceptional at winning the contested ball on the ground with his aggressive tackling style. He will be a massive obstacle that the South attacking third will need to overcome in order to capture the points.

In the middle of the park, South will need to contend with former player Sebastian Petrovich, who spent time with the club in the old NSL and also part of the 2005 South squad. He is a creative midfielder who will always be looking to help out both his attacking players and defence when needed.

One of these attacking players is Jerry Karpeh who joined the Zebras in the summer from A-League club Perth Glory. In 2007 before joining the Glory, Karpeh was one of main reasons that Floreat Athena won the Western Australia Premier League crown. In a breakout year, not only did Karpeh win the elusive crown with Floreat but he also blitzed the competition to win the WAPL golden boot award, finding the net on 25 occasions in an amazing return. His pace and finishing ability will be something that South will need to monitor and negate.

As a result, Sunday’s game promises to be a cracking contest, with both sides sitting on 12 points and needing the three points on offer. A win for either side will see them push closer to a top six position. Kick-off at Epping is at 5pm.

South Melbourne FC vs Whittlesea Zebras

When: Sunday, May 11th
Where: Epping Stadium
Kick-off: 5.00pm (Under 21s at 3pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK/C), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Adam Van Dommele, Steven O’Dor, Shane Nunes, Goran Zoric, Tony La Verde, Gianni De Nittis, Benji Vahid, Ricky Diaco

Whittlesea Zebras
Robert Simeoni (GK), Ross Antoniadis, Steve Martin (C), Mark Vazzocchi, Adilson De Melo (Junior), Conner Molan, Gregory Lombardo, James Sherman, Jerry Karpeh, Ryan O’Hare, Sebastian Petrovic

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 1 (The Whittlesea Zebras were formed in 2007)
South Melbourne : 0
Whittlesea Zebras : 1
Draw : 0

Last Meeting

When: Monday, 27 May 2007
Where: Epping Stadium
Score: Whittlesea Zebras 3 defeated South Melbourne 2

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South Melbourne: Win, Loss, Win
Whittlesea Zebras: Win, Loss, Loss

Monday, 5 May 2008 12:30 PM

By George Kouroumalis & John Kyrou

A determined and disciplined home performance by South Melbourne has seen the Blues defeat the high-flying Richmond Eagles 1-0 in an entertaining game at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday.

With an expectant crowd on hand, both clubs were keen on gathering all three points for different reasons. A win for the Eagles was important for the away side to further cement their position in the upper regions of the table, whilst a win for South was vital in allowing for the Blues to exit the relegation area and propel themselves into 8th position on the table.

South started the game the stronger of the two sides and launched their first attack on goal via a stinging drive in the 7th minute.

A storming run down the left hand flank by Goran Zoric culminated in the sharp midfielder putting a speculative shot wide of the target.

With a vocal home contingent behind them, South continued to pour on the early pressure and came within inches of scoring in the 11th minute. A well worked move saw Ricky Diaco stream down the field before playing a diagonal ball into the path of Gianni De Nittis. The youngster hit a horizontal ball to Fernando, who hit his shot wide of the target.

The home side was now completely dominating play and continued to pepper the Richmond goal. In the 14th minute, a speculative long-range drive by Sam Poutakidis found the target but failed to get past the prying arms of Richmond goalkeeper Stuart Webster.

Richmond dodged yet another bullet in the 20th minute, after a well-worked move ended with the ball at Fernando’s feet just on the edge of the area. The Brazilian hit a superb low drive past the outstretched Webster but the ball struck the inside of the far post and stayed out.

Richmond responded and launched their first real attacking foray of the match. With the South back four giving the highly-regarded Richmond front men no space at all, it was left to former South player George Goutzioulis to launch a speculative long-range drive onto the target. With the ball headed for the top corner, South captain and goalkeeper Dean Anastasiadis made a strong and athletic save to thwart the effort. Richmond continued to try and unlock the disciplined South defence via further long-range efforts. Another swirling shot by Goutzioulis saw the ball fly well away from the target.

South arguably had the best chance to take the lead in the 29th minute, when a superb interception by Zoric in his own half saw the hard-working winger claim possession, dart past a host of Richmond defenders and find himself in the box. Instead of taking the shot himself, Zoric opted to lay the ball off to the open Fernando. With only Webster to beat, Fernando made the wrong decision in trying to chip the oncoming keeper, which ended up flying over the bar for a goal kick.

South had the final chance of the first half in the 43rd minute, when an inch-perfect long ball by Adam Van Dommele was superbly flicked on by De Nittis into the path of Diaco. With Diaco seemingly in space, an excellent tackle by Richmond captain Stuart McCluskey saved the day for his side once again.

South continued their attacking mood in the second half, pushing forward to try to claim the opening goal. The goal arrived in the 47th minute, when a sweeping move culminated in the ball finding the feet of the elusive De Nittis up front. Although he scuffed his initial shot, De Nittis recaptured possession and slotted the ball underneath the oncoming Webster to open the scoring for the home side.

The Blues had a chance to double their advantage only moments later, when yet another counter attacking move saw Van Dommele dash forward and push to the ball out to Zoric on the left hand flank. Zoric, who was having a superb game, played a swinging ball into the six yard box. With both Diaco and De Nittis ready to pounce, Webster commanded his six yard box well and captured possession in an impressive fashion.

The game threatened to turn ugly only minutes later, when a bad challenge on Rama Tavsancioglu resulted in a mid-pitch scuffle with most of the players on the field taking part. However calm was quickly restored and the offending Richmond player received a yellow card, much to the disappointment of the South fans, who believed that the card should have been another colour.

With the South defence completely shutting down the Richmond attacking third, the home side continued to push forward and had several chances to finish the game off. De Nittis had two chances to score his second for the night in the 64th and 68th minutes, but on both occasions fired inches over the bar. Tavsancioglu also had a fantastic chance to score, when he gained possession in midfield and went on a storming run that got him into the penalty area, however as he was about to shoot the Richmond defence caught up and managed to deflect the shot away to safety.

Richmond missed a great chance to equalise in the 82nd minute. An inch-perfect cross from the left hand flank was met in the air by Richard Cardozo, who hit his powerful header wide of the target and out for a goal kick, ensuring that the three points remained at lakeside.

South will look to build on this great result as it travels to Epping Stadium next Sunday to take on the Whittlesea Zebras in a much-anticipated Mothers Day encounter.

Sunday, 27 April 2008 7:29 PM

By George Kouroumalis and John Kyrou | Photo by Paul Touliatos

South Melbourne will be looking to build on its huge win last weekend when it travels to Altona on Monday night in a highly anticipated Round 10 clash.

This will be a very difficult assignment for South as the club has lost every match at Paisley Park since returning to the Premier League competition in 2005.

South coach Michael Michalakopoulos will be keen to keep the same starting line-up that destroyed Fawkner 6-2 at Bob Jane Stadium last Sunday.

Captain and inspirational leader Dean Anastasiadis will be called upon once again to start between the sticks. Anastasiadis will need to be fully focused against a potent and dangerous Altona attack in order for South to get anything from the game.

Anastasiadis’ defence will once again be lead by Steven O’Dor and Sam Poutakidis, with both players needing to play their part in thwarting any potential attacking forays forward. Joining these two in the back four will be Shane Nunes and Adam Van Dommele, who have both cemented their starting positions in recent weeks.

In the midfield, Rama Tavsancioglu will once again be assigned the defensive midfield role, a position that he has excelled in since being given the role a fortnight ago. He will provide South with experience in the central area as well as a player that will support his back four when needed. In the more attacking midfield roles, South will once again go into the game with Bill Natsioulas and Goran Zoric in the wider positions, whilst Fernando will be in the centre and providing the front two with constant support. The Brazilian was in sublime form against Fawkner, scoring once and acting as a provider on numerous occasions in a vintage display. He will be keen to continue this good form on Monday.

Up front, South will once again go into the game with Gianni De Nittis and Nathan Caldwell in the starting line-up. Both players earnt their starting positions after having superb games last weekend. De Nittis excelled in his new number 9 shirt and won the man of the match honours in a two-goal display, whilst Caldwell scored his second goal of the season against Fawkner and looked to be gaining more confidence.

Whilst South will be going into the match with some confidence, their Altona opponents will be no pushover. The Magic possesses one of the most talented squads in the Foxtel Cup, with the Vlado Tortevski-coached side having the services of the most consistent and dangerous striker in the state in Michael Curcija. The 30 year old is well known by South fans, having played six seasons for the blues in the NSL, amassing 143 games and scoring on 59 occasions. So far in 2008 he has scored 7 times and will no doubt be looking at adding more to his total against his old club. Curcija will be partnered up front with the elusive Henry Fa’Arodo, who is also a proven goal scorer at VPL level and will be one of the key players in the opposition line-up that South will need to shut down.

In the star-studded midfield area, Altona will go into the game with new recruits Pece Siveski and another ex-South player in Carl Recchia. Both players joined Altona in the summer and so far have combined together exceptionally well in the centre of the park.

Leading the defensive unit will be journeyman Con Anthopoulos, who also joined the Magic in the summer and is another former South player. Anthopoulos will provide the Magic with a calm and collected defender that is capable of playing a role in shutting down any attacking South foray. He will be joined by the very highly rated Doug Milardovic and another former South defender in Steven Laurie in a well-regarded back four.

With such an experienced, dangerous and highly rated opponent, South will need to be on their game to take anything from Paisley Park. A win by South will see them push up the table and be in sight of the sixth-placed Magic that currently sit 6 points above South. Kick-off is at 8.30pm.

Altona Magic vs South Melbourne FC

When: Monday, April 28th
Where: Paisley Park, Altona
Kick-off: 8.30pm (Under 21s at 6.30pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK/C), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Adam Van Dommele, Steven O’Dor, Shane Nunes, Goran Zoric, Bill Natsioulas, Gianni De Nittis, Fernando De Moraes, Nathan Caldwell

Altona Magic
Bojo Jevdjevic (GK), Stiven Mrkela (C), Con Anthopoulos, Steve Laurie, Doug Mladenovic, Henry Fa’Arodo, Carl Recchia, Michael Curcija, Pece Siveski, Agim Sherifovski, Pece Cergovski

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 8 (includes finals)
South Melbourne : 3
Altona Magic : 5
Draw : 0

Last Meeting

When: Saturday, 18 August 2007
Where: Paisley Park, Altona
Score: Altona Magic 1 defeated South Melbourne 0

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South Melbourne: Loss, Loss, Win
Altona Magic: Win, Loss, Win

Friday, 18 April 2008 1:52 PM

By George Kouroumalis & John Kyrou | Photo by Alex Louziotis

After two consecutive losses, South Melbourne must re-group against the Fawkner Blues at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday, in a game the club simply has to win.
After a change in coaching personnel, the first chance for a fresh start resulted in an improved but extremely wasteful South side losing 2-0 to the Melbourne Knights at Somers Street and dropping into the third-last position on the ladder.

However all is not lost. Even though the club is sitting deep in the relegation zone, a win on Sunday will propel the side up the table to have it knocking on the door of the top six.

South will play against a Fawkner side which is also desperate for points, with the northern suburbs-based club also languishing in the relegation zone. Just as with South, a win for Fawkner is imperative in their attempts to push themselves out of the relegation zone and further up a very congested ladder. In order to combat the Fawkner side, South coach Michael Michalakopoulos may make some structural changes to the line-up from the Knights game.

In goals, captain Dean Anastasiadis is expected to start against the side that he began his career at. ‘Deano’ played 44 games for the Blues in two seasons at the start of his career throughout the 1991 and 1992 seasons. His form for Fawkner was what stood out for South Melbourne when coach at the time Jim Pyrgolios recruited him for the 1992/93 NSL season.

Defensively, South are expected to play four across the back, with Sam Poutakidis and Adam Van Dommele expected to hold down the right and left back positions. Joining the two experienced players at the back will be Shane Nunes and Steven O’Dor, both of whom are expected to provide South with a formidable central defensive duo.

In the middle of the park, Michalakopoulos will be keen on persisting with Rama Tavsancioglu, with the vice-captain showing his potential against the Knights in that position. In a three-pronged midfield, Antonio La Verde and Bill Natsioulas will most likely be given starting roles, with the latter instructed to push forward and create as many chances as possible.

Up front, South will play with a three-man attacking combination, with the strong likelihood that Gianni De Nittis, Ricky Diaco and Fernando will be the players chosen to provide a solid, agile and smart front three that will hopefully cause the Fawkner defence many headaches. The others pushing for a starting selection will be Nathan Caldwell, Goran Zoric and Hamlet Armenian, all of whom on their day can make a difference and in most cases also warrant a starting position. It will be interesting to see how Michalakopoulos balances this area and how he will use each player on the park.

South’s opponents have also had a quite poor start to the season, with only one win from their first 9 outings in the Foxtel Cup. Despite languishing quite low in the table, Fawkner will provide the South side with a genuinely tough opponent and boasts some experienced VPL campaigners that could tilt the game their way.

One of these players is Pasi Schwalger, who South fans will remember from his days with Green Gully, Preston and Heidelberg. Schwalger is a capable keeper at VPL level and relishes the chance to play against South, highlighted by his form whilst in between the sticks at Green Gully. The South strikers will need to be effective and take their opportunities well if they are to get past him.

Other players to watch will be experienced duo Ralph Napoli and Zia Younan, with the latter formerly one of the key players in the VPL a few years back when captaining the Preston Lions. His experience and leadership will be crucial if the Fawkner side are to take anything away from Bob Jane Stadium.

South Melbourne urges all fans to make their way to Bob Jane Stadium and get behind the side and new coach Michael Michalakopoulos, as the club looks to get a much-needed win against Fawkner. Kick-off is at 4pm.

South Melbourne FC vs Fawkner Blues

When: Sunday, April 20th
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Kick-off: 4pm (Under 21s at 1.45pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK/C), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Adam Van Dommele, Steven O’Dor, Shane Nunes, Tony La Verde, Bill Natsioulas, Gianni De Nittis, Fernando De Moraes, Ricky Diaco

Fawkner Blues
Pasi Schwalger (GK), Adam Zilic, Zia Younan, Clifford Tuck (C), Boris Masic, Jason Principato, Joseph Youssef, Fikret Husanovic, Yanni Galanos, Ben Cogger, Ralph Napoli

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 6 (includes Fawkner-Whittlesea)
South Melbourne : 3
Fawkner Blues : 1
Draw : 2

Last Meeting

When: Friday, 10 August 2007
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Score: South Melbourne 0 drew with Fawkner Blues 0

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South Melbourne: Win, Loss, Loss
Fawkner Blues Draw, Win, Draw

Friday, 11 April 2008 12:10 AM

By John Kyrou and George Kouroumalis
Photo by Paul Touliatos

After a dismal home performance last weekend, a rejuvenated South Melbourne line-up will take on old NSL rivals Melbourne Knights at Somers Street on Sunday afternoon.

Leading the way for the blues will be Michael Michalakopoulos, who was appointed senior coach earlier in the week following the resignation of John Anastasiadis. Michalakopoulos is an established coach in Victorian football, having achieved impressive results with the Essendon Royals, Bulleen Zebras and most recently playing an instrumental role in the development of the Whittlesea squad that made the VPL Grand Final in 2007. His work with junior footballers, strong work ethic and ability to communicate exceptionally well excites many around the club, as well as the fact that he is yet another ex-South player that has returned to coach the club. Michalakopoulos played with South for three seasons, playing 41 games and scoring 10 goals. He was also part of the famous squad that defeated the Melbourne Knights on penalties in the classic 1990/91 Grand Final.

However the excitement surrounding the appointment of such a well-credentialed coach comes the realisation that if South are to produce a result against a strong Knights side, a massive improvement is needed after the disastrous 0-3 drubbing courtesy of Green Gully at Bob Jane Stadium last week.

In goals, Dean Anastasiadis will once again start for the club, with ‘Deano’ expected to lead on the field and try to assist his younger players through what promises to be a hostile environment at Somers Street. Ahead of him in defence, Michalakopoulos will most likely go with the most solid back four combination possible, with Steven O’Dor and Shane Nunes expected to fill the central defensive positions. Both players had indifferent games against Gully, struggling for the most part against a rampant Gully attacking third. If South are to win, both centre backs will need to step up a gear and make sure they are in the way of everything the Knights forwards throw at them. The right back position will be filled by Sam Poutakidis, a player who has had an exceptional return season to lakeside. At left back, vice captain Rama Tavsancioglu will be keen to get a victory against his former club.

In midfield, Michalakopoulos cannot look past Antonio La Verde in the central midfield position, with the youngster shining since being given the opportunity to play. Fernando de Moraes and Bill Natsioulas will once again be staking their claims to hold down two of the midfield spots, with Gianni De Nittis and Goran Zoric fighting it out to take the other position in the midfield quartet. Up front, Michalakopoulos may be inclined to try two of his former players in Hamlet Armenian and Ricky Diaco, with both players keen to impress their former coach immediately. Trying to push his way into starting contention will be Nathan Caldwell, who will be looking to build on his match-winning goal a fortnight ago against Preston and kick-start his season.

The Melbourne Knights will not be an easy task however and will be a formidable opponent. The Sunshine-based club remains undefeated so far in 2008 and are beginning to establish themselves as one of the teams to beat. One of the key players that South needs to shut down is the influential Anthony Pelikan, who is the danger man in the Knights midfield. Pelikan provides the Knights with a hard-working midfielder and a leader in the centre of the park. His ability to also go forward will need to be nullified in order for South to gain the upper hand.

In the attacking third, the Knights will provide South with many headaches. Leading the charge will be Andrew Barisic, a dangerous striker who will head into the game having scored a double against Coburg last week. Partnering Barisic up front will be Zoran Petrevski, another dangerous player that crossed to the Knights in the summer after a solid 2007 season with Preston. His ability to create chances out of nothing and get himself in dangerous scoring positions allows for the man known as ‘Ziggy’ to zig-zag his way through defences and find the net on regular occasions. Other players to watch will be former NSL stalwarts and former South players Alex Kiratzoglou and Steve Iosifidis, with the latter quite familiar to South fans after playing his part in South’s back-to-back championship teams in the late 1990s.

Overall it promises to be a cracking contest in front of a healthy crowd at Knights Stadium. Both teams have partaken in some thrilling derby matches, particularly through the 1990s period, and have shared a massive and healthy rivalry. Sunday’s match will no doubt be another classic between two of the biggest clubs in Victorian football’s illustrious history.

Melbourne Knights vs South Melbourne FC

When: Sunday, April 13th
Where: Knights Stadium
Kick-off: 3pm (Under 21s at 1pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK & C), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglu, Steven O’Dor, Shane Nunes, Tony La Verde, Bill Natsioulas, Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes, Hamlet Armenian, Ricky Diaco

Melbourne Knights
Savas Ozdemir (GK), Steve Iosifidis, Mathew Grbesa, Craig Elvin, Ivan Franjic, Dario Matkovic, Anthony Pelikan, James Timmons, Alex Kiratzoglou (C), Andrew Barisic, Zoran Petrevski

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 6
South Melbourne : 3
Melbourne Knights : 2
Draw : 1

Last Meeting

When: Sunday, 5 August 2007
Where: Knights Stadium
Score: Melbourne Knights 0 def by South Melbourne 2

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South Melbourne: Loss, Win, Loss
Melbourne Knights: Win, Draw, Win