Author: SMFC Media

Ahead of the World Cup, South Melbourne FC would like to give five lucky fans the opportunity to win a World Cup package.

By simply filling out your name and email below you will automatically go in the draw to win a win a copy of the STARS IN BRAZIL DVD which was released nationwide on June 4th.

Stars in Brazil celebrates ten of the world’s most talented players on the road to Rio. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s breathtaking skills to the brilliance of Wayne Rooney, Stars in Brazil offers detailed player profiles, fantastic footage and exclusive interviews with football experts.

You will also go in the draw to receive a double pass to the big South Melbourne FC vs Heidelberg United derby match next Sunday June 22nd at Lakeside Stadium.

Competition winners will be announced on Wednesday June 18th. GOOD LUCK!

Fill in details below to Enter Competition

* Please note you will also be subscribed to the SMFC email list. Each email will contain a link for you to remove yourself at any time.

By John Kyrou (photo by Cindy Nitsos)

The Oakleigh Cannons ended South Melbourne FC’s record-breaking start to the season with a resounding 3-0 victory at Jack Edwards Reserve on Friday night. The result ended South’s 11 match winning run in the National Premier League and 14 match winning run across all competitions (League and Dockerty Cup) in 2014.

South went into the match without Captain Michael Eagar after he got injured at training during the week. James Musa, who scored against Dandenong Thunder after coming off the substitutes’ bench last weekend, started in Eagar’s place and partnered Andrew Mullett at centre-half. Other than that change, the starting XI remained the same as the one that defeated Dandenong Thunder 5-0 last Sunday 1 June.

The first half of Friday night’s match was a rather dull affair, though both sides could have gone into the break with the lead. Andreas Govas hit a vicious free kick that beat Jason Saldaris but not his right post and the ball was eventually cleared by the South defence. South then had the ball in the back of the net when Milos Lujic tapped home Jamie Reed’s low cross, however the goal was disallowed for offside though it appeared that Lujic was onside. Oakleigh had another chance to open the scoring when a mistake in the South defence put Goran Zoric one-on-one with Saldaris but the big South custodian managed to tip Zoric’s goal-bound shot over for a corner.

Miron Bleiberg’s side stamped their authority on the match in the second half with two goals in the opening 15 minutes that effectively sealed the three points for the home side. Evan Christodoulou opened the scoring on 51 minutes when his left-footed strike from distance took a deflection and looped over a stranded Saldaris and into the back of the net. The Cannons had wrestled control in the midfield and they quickly made it 2-0 on the hour mark when Zoric released Nate Foster through on goal and he finished neatly into the bottom corner to double the home side’s advantage. Zoric had been outstanding all evening and it was the former South man himself that completed the scoring ten minutes later by finishing clinically into the bottom corner after being played through by another former South player in Dusan Bosnjak.

Several yellow cards were issued against South in the closing stages of the game, with stand-in Captain Brad Norton receiving a second yellow and subsequently being sent off in the fifth minute of injury time, making the evening one to forget for the away side. Post-match, Taylor noted that “it was going to happen eventually [losing]…perhaps we needed the loss to re-group and re-focus.” Right-back Tim Mala was disappointed that his side couldn’t win in front of a large travelling support base, adding that “I’m gutted because we had such a good turn-out…it’s such a good game to play in and we just couldn’t capitalise. Having said that, I think we will be fine [returning to winning ways] next week.”

It was further bad news in the NPL 20s, as Oakleigh defeated South Melbourne 4-0.

Despite the loss, South remain six points clear of second-placed Oakleigh on top of the NPL Victoria ladder. South’s Dockerty Cup Quarter Final against the Melbourne Knights has been moved from Tuesday 10 June to Wednesday 25 June, meaning that South’s next match is a League meeting against Goulburn Valley at Lakeside Stadium next Sunday 15 June at 5PM.

FINAL SCORE: OAKLEIGH CANNONS 3-0 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Evan Christodoulou (51′)
2-0: Nate Foster (60′)
3-0: Goran Zoric (70′)

Oakleigh Cannons:
1. John HONOS (GK), 2. Thomas LAKIC, 5. Aron WILFORD, 7. Bonel OBRADOVIC (22. George KROMMIDAS 81′), 8. Dusan BOSNJAK, 11. Evan CHRISTODOULOU, 14. Nate FOSTER (17. Dean PIEMONTE 72′), 19. Goran ZORIC, 20. Jordan LOWDON, 21. Andreas GOVAS (16. Ariel RITZ 58′), 23. Dominic D’ANGELO.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 3. Andrew MULLETT, 7. Nick EPIFANO (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 62′), 8. Mathew THEODORE, 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. Tyson HOLMES (15. Kobbie BOAHENE 72′), 11. Brad NORTON (C) (sent off 90+5′), 12. Iqi JAWADI (20. Slaven VRANESEVIC 79′), 14. James MUSA, 17. Jamie REED.

SMFC Man of the Match: James Musa
Venue: Jack Edwards Reserve
Date: Friday 6 June 2014

By John Kyrou

The top two sides in the National Premier League Victoria competition meet on Friday night when the Oakleigh Cannons host South Melbourne FC at Jack Edwards Reserve. With South currently leading the Cannons by nine points on the League ladder, victory for the Cannons will reduce that lead to six points whilst another win for Chris Taylor’s side will see them extend their lead at the top to at least 11 points (assuming that Heidelberg defeats Werribee City on Sunday). With the season approaching the halfway mark, such a massive lead at the top of the ladder will allow South Melbourne to be well placed for the challenges that lie ahead for the second half of the season.

Oakleigh got back into winning form against Werribee City with a 2-0 victory at Jack Edwards Reserve last Saturday night. The three points were vital as Miron Bleiberg’s side had dropped crucial points in their previous few League matches against Northcote City (1-1 home draw on 18 May) and Pascoe Vale (2-0 away loss on 23 May). Friday night’s match is of huge importance to the home side as it cannot afford to slip 12 points behind South on the NPL Victoria ladder, and will no doubt be going for the three points it needs to stay in touch with the League leaders. With players such as Dean Piemonte, Andreas Govas, Nate Foster and former South men Goran Zoric and Dusan Bosnjak at his disposal, Bleiberg will be confident his side can be the first ones to take points off South this season.

Chris Taylor’s men head into Friday’s match confident and knowing that even a draw at Jack Edwards Reserve will be no disaster as it will still maintain at least a nine point lead at the top of the ladder (assuming Heidelberg win). Nevertheless, it is expected that South will go for the three points to try and extend its winning run to 12/12 in the League and 15/15 across all competitions. All of Taylor’s players will want to perform well in the Oakleigh match to stake their claim for selection in the big Dockerty Cup Quarter Final match against the Melbourne Knights. The biggest selection headache for Taylor will be which two of three players he selects to play at centre-half. Andrew Mullett stepped in to replace injured Captain Michael Eagar (against Pascoe Vale and Werribee City) and then replaced New Zealand international James Musa (against Dandenong in both Cup and League matches) and was one of the reasons why South kept clean sheets in all of those games. As Club Captain, Eagar would be expected to play in every match barring injury or suspension so the other spot at centre-half appears to be a choice between Mullett and Musa. The Kiwi international did himself no harm for selection when he played well for New Zealand against South Africa last Friday night before coming off the bench to score for South against Dandenong two days later.

Friday night’s match against Oakleigh Cannons kicks off at 8:30PM at Jack Edwards Reserve. Those unable to make the game can follow it with live updates on the South Melbourne FC Facebook page and on the Club’s official Twitter @smfc with the hashtags #NPLVIC and #OCvSM.

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC defeated Dandenong Thunder 5-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening to record eleven straight wins in the National Premier League and fourteen straight wins across all competitions in 2014. Chris Taylor’s side set up the win with two quick goals before the halftime break and finished the game off in the second half to maintain their nine point lead over the Oakleigh Cannons at the top of the NPL Victoria ladder.

The two sides met for the second time in a week following the thrilling Sixth Round Dockerty Cup tie last Wednesday night (28 May) that South won 0-1 in extra time. Mathew Theodore replaced Slaven Vranesevic in the starting eleven and James Musa sat on the substitutes’ bench after representing New Zealand against South Africa on Friday night. Dean Hennessey’s Dandenong had been the best side South had faced so far in 2014 and they began the match well, with chances falling to Alan Kearney and Kieran Dover that they were unable to capitalise on. South had their chances too, with Milos Lujic blasting a shot over the goal before Jamie Reed hit the crossbar with an excellent free kick. The home side blew the game open with two well-taken goals in the 41st and 44th minutes. Theodore set Lujic up with an excellent through-ball for the centre-forward to pick his spot before blasting past Zaim Zeneli before the midfielder helped himself to a goal, pouncing to score after Zeneli did well to initially save Nick Epifano’s shot at the near post.

South stepped up the intensity in the second half and sealed the three points in the 70th minute when Zeneli could only parry Reed’s free kick into the path of a thankful Tyson Holmes who made no mistake in scoring his first goal of the season. With the result sealed, Musa came on for Captain Michael Eagar and ended up scoring South’s fourth goal when he slid in to score following Leigh Minopoulos’ low cross in the 88th minute for his first South goal. The scoring was completed a minute later when Reed was bundled over in the penalty area and stepped up to score the resulting penalty by blasting the ball straight up the middle of the goal as Zeneli dived to his right.

Post-match, Eagar was proud of his side’s effort in what was a very tough week, noting that “tonight was very pleasing following on from that tough game on Wednesday night.” Right-back Tim Mala was proud of South’s fourth straight clean sheet across all competitions (with nine in fourteen matches this season), adding that “it doesn’t matter who is back there (at centre-half) during a game (Musa, Eagar or Andrew Mullett), they are all capable of coming in and doing the job. We had to be a bit more vocal when our leader went off (Eagar) and I think we did that well.”

It was further good news in the NPL 20s as South Melbourne defeated Dandenong Thunder 2-1, with Josh Markovski and Angel Taravillo scoring South’s goals.

South’s next game is against the second-placed Oakleigh Cannons at Jack Edwards Reserve this Friday night.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 5-0 DANDENONG THUNDER (HT: 2-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Milos Lujic (41′)
2-0: Mathew Theodore (44′)
3-0: Tyson Holmes (70′)
4-0: James Musa (88′)
5-0: Jamie Reed (89’p)

Key Stats (Provided by Steven Orchard):
Shots: SMFC (19) – DTFC (15)
Turnovers: SMFC (66) – DTFC (70)
Balls into final third: SMFC (28) – DTFC (27)
Clearances: SMFC (10) – DTFC (5)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 3. Andrew MULLETT, 4. Michael EAGAR (C) (14. James MUSA 74′), 7. Nick EPIFANO, 8. Mathew THEODORE (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 84′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI (15. Kobbie BOAHENE 87′), 17. Jamie REED.

Dandenong Thunder:
21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 4. Rama TAVSANCIOGLU, 6. Alan MULCAHY, 7. Kieran DOVER, 8. Matt MILLAR, 11. Kris KIOUSSIS, 12. Brendan ELMAZOVSKI, 14. David KING (23. Feston AZIZI 67’), 16. Alan KEARNEY, 17. Marcus SCHROEN, 23. Jake NAKIC.

SMFC Man of the Match: Iqi Jawadi
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 1 June 2014

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC and Dandenong Thunder face each other for the second time this week when the two sides meet in a National Premier League fixture at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Sunday’s meeting follows on from Wednesday night’s Sixth Round Dockerty Cup tie between the two sides that South won 0-1 in extra time at George Andrews Reserve.

South goes into Sunday’s meeting with a perfect ten wins from ten League fixtures in 2014, with its most recent win being the 0-1 victory against Werribee City at Galvin Park last Sunday 25 May. This perfect record sees South on top of the NPL Victoria ladder with 30 points and with a nine point lead over the second-placed Oakleigh Cannons. Dean Hennessey’s Dandenong side has enjoyed a solid start to the 2014 season, with five wins and two draws from their opening ten League fixtures, with its most recent result being a 3-1 win against Ballarat Red Devils at George Andrews Reserve last Saturday 24 May. This sees the Thunder sitting comfortably in fourth spot on the NPL Victoria ladder, four points behind third-placed Heidelberg and three points ahead of fifth-placed Bentleigh.

Chris Taylor will welcome Mathew Theodore back into his South side on Sunday after the midfielder was rested midweek for the Cup match. Taylor may also use Sunday’s League match to rotate his squad after several of his regular starting eleven played the full 120 minutes during Wednesday night’s Cup tie. This may present an opportunity for new signing Dion Kirk to make his first South appearance after he was an unused substitute on the bench on Wednesday night. Dandenong was by far the toughest challenge presented to South across all competitions so far this season, with Rama Tavsancioglu and Alan Kearney in particular having excellent matches against their former club, as a result Taylor will be aware of the need to pick a team capable of overcoming another tough challenge on Sunday evening.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5PM at Lakeside Stadium. Those unable to make the game can follow it with live updates on the South Melbourne FC Facebook page and on the Club’s official Twitter @smfc with the hashtags #NPLVIC and #SMvDT.

Photo: South Melbourne FC General Manager Peter Kokotis with Neil Kerley, Barrie Robran and Russell Ebert

Recently, South Melbourne’s General Manager Peter Kokotis represented the Club at the Living Without Limits Foundation’s Footy Legend’s Lunch event in Adelaide.

With just under 300 people in attendance, and close to a whopping $40,000 raised on the day, it was an absolute success, and put the Foundation one step closer to realising their dream of establishing a much-needed House of Respite, for families of children affected by autism or cerebral palsy.

The Living Without Limits Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2012 by four very passionate and enthusiastic friends, all committed to simply doing something positive to help children impaired in some capacity.

The Foundation works extremely hard to raise funds for very ‘specific’ purposes – to fund critical research, support various children’s organisations, assist in developmental practices and purchase important equipment – as determined by the Foundation’s Board, which is very ‘hands on’.

Living Without Limits seeks to help all children to overcome challenges, be participatory, set and achieve their goals and maximise their potential. It works to break down barriers and restrictions and provide opportunities.

SMFC General Manager Peter Kokotis, speaking to smfc.com.au said “having the opportunity to support the Living Without Limits Foundation chaired by my good friends Steve Maras and Philip Di Pinto on behalf of South Melbourne FC was truly an honour. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to meet three South Australian Greats in Barrie Robran, Russel Ebert and Neil Kerley, and being part of a community club ourselves that is passionate about charity, we know how important these initiatives are for people in need”.

South Melbourne FC was proud to participate in this fantastic fundraising initiative.

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC progressed to the Quarter Finals of the Dockerty Cup with a classic ‘smash and grab’ 0-1 victory in extra time against Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve last night. The win continued South’s incredible run of thirteen straight victories across both National Premier League and Dockerty Cup competitions this year. It also means that South is now one win away from also qualifying for the 2014 FFA Cup, as the four Dockerty Cup Semi Finalists qualify for that tournament to be played later on this year.

Dandenong crushed South 3-0 in the League meeting between the two sides at George Andrews Reserve in 2013 and from the opening minute last night it looked like history would repeat itself. Throughout the course of the 120 minutes played, Dandenong were dominant in midfield and on the wings, however the home side let themselves down constantly when in front of goal. South managed to keep the clean sheet largely thanks to the outstanding matches played by centre-halves Michael Eagar and Andrew Mullett, as well as goalkeeper Jason Saldaris making some crucial saves to keep his eighth clean sheet in the twelve games he has played this season.

Had the match last night been a regular League match, Chris Taylor’s side would have taken the 0-0 draw and seen it as a point gained than two points dropped. As it turned out, there had to be a winner and South got the break it needed in extra time when substitute Kobbie Boahene smashed a left-footed shot past the unfortunate Zaim Zeneli following a scramble in the six-yard box from Brad Norton’s corner kick. The youngster had only come on the field twelve minutes earlier and his winner was his second goal in his South career, following his goal against Berwick City in the previous round of the Cup on Wednesday 7 May. Of the winning goal, the youngster said post-match that “I can’t really remember it at all, I just saw the ball and hit it and luckily it went in.” Another youngster who featured last night was Slaven Vranesevic, who played 81 minutes before being replaced by Boahene. He noted that “I was really happy to be given the chance to play tonight…the boys really dug in to get the win and now we are one game away from qualifying [for the Dockerty Cup Semi Finals and the FFA Cup].”

Both South Melbourne FC and Dandenong Thunder will need to re-group quickly to be ready for their League meeting against each other on Sunday evening at Lakeside Stadium, with the match kicking off at 5PM.

FINAL SCORE: DANDENONG THUNDER 0-1 SOUTH MELBOURNE
After Extra Time (HT: 0-0, FT: 0-0)

Goal Scorer:
0-1: Kobbie Boahene (93′)

Key Stats (Provided by Steven Orchard):
Shots: DTFC (16) – SMFC (13)
Corners: DTFC (6) – SMFC (12)
Free kicks: DTFC (23) – SMFC (16)
Turnovers: DTFC (99) – SMFC (99)
Balls into final third: DTFC (52) – SMFC (46)
Clearances: DTFC (24) – SMFC (2o)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 3. Andrew MULLETT, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 7. Nick EPIFANO (6. Dimi TSIARAS 100′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 17. Jamie REED (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 72′), 20. Slaven VRANESEVIC (15. Kobbie BOAHENE 81′).

SMFC Man of the Match: Andrew Mullett
Venue: George Andrews Reserve
Date: Wednesday 28 May 2014

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC travels to George Andrews Reserve tonight to play the Dandenong Thunder in the Sixth Round of the Dockerty Cup. The winning team will go on to play in the Quarter Finals in early June, whilst the losing team will be eliminated from the competition this year. In the Fifth Round of the Dockerty Cup played on Wednesday 7 May, both sides enjoyed victories against State League Two opposition. South travelled to Berwick City and comfortably won 1-4, whilst the Dandenong Thunder enjoyed a 3-1 home win against Doveton.

South head into the game confident, having won every match in the League and Cup this season. In their way will be a tough Dandenong Thunder side keen on being the first team to defeat South this season. The match has added spice considering the amount of players that could be facing their former sides. Current Dandenong players Alan Kearney, Anthony Giannopoulos, Marcus Schroen, Rama Tavsancioglu and Zaim Zeneli all used to play for South, whilst Tim Mala, Andrew Mullett, Nick Epifano, Mathew Theodore, Iqi Jawadi, Jamie Reed and coach Chris Taylor all represented Dandenong previously.

Tonight’s match is the first time that South has played at George Andrews Reserve since Taylor and all his former Thunder players departed for Lakeside Stadium during or after the 2013 mid-season transfer window. Historically South enjoys a solid record at the venue, with two wins and two draws from five League fixtures. South’s only loss at the ground was last year when it suffered a 3-0 defeat, ironically against Taylor’s Dandenong side on Saturday 27 April 2013.

Tonight’s match kicks off at 7:30PM at George Andrews Reserve. If the match is drawn, there will be extra time and then penalties if need be. Those unable to make the game can follow it with live updates on the South Melbourne FC Facebook page and on the Club’s official Twitter @smfc with the hashtag #DockertyCup

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