Author: SMFC Media

Friday, 24 August 2012 8:43 AM

By John Kyrou

It is do-or-die as South Melbourne FC travel to John Cain Memorial Park to face Northcote City on Sunday afternoon. South simply must defeat Northcote to stand any chance of making the 2012 Victorian Premier League finals.

South go into the game on the back of a heartbreaking 2-1 loss against League leaders Dandenong Thunder at Lakeside Stadium last Sunday evening. Shaun Kelly had given South an early lead but Dandenong scored two second-half goals, including a wonder goal in the 89th minute by Luke Sherbon, to condemn the Blues to its sixth League defeat at home this season. Northcote surprisingly slipped up last Sunday afternoon, coming from a goal down to draw 1-1 against bottom side Heidelberg United at Olympic Park. Those results meant that Northcote dropped to fifth spot on the VPL ladder and are now five points ahead of South with just three rounds to play. This means that South must defeat Northcote on Sunday and then defeat Bentleigh Greens (home) and Heidelberg United (away), as well as rely on slip-ups by Northcote, Hume City and Richmond in order to qualify for the finals series. Whilst the task is difficult, it is still mathematically possible provided three points are won on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s match will be made even harder due to the fact that South has not defeated Northcote in five League meetings since Northcote’s promotion to the VPL in 2010, with Northcote winning three games and with two 3-3 draws being played out. In the corresponding meeting between the two sides at John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday 8 May 2011, Northcote hammered Eddie Krncevic’s severely undermanned South side 5-0. Ironically in that game, 2012 South players Trent Rixon (3’, 65’, 73’), Jason Trifiro (60’) and Glen Trifiro (88’) were the goal scorers. Earlier on this year on Sunday 3 June 2012, an early second half goal by James Kalifatidis was the difference as Northcote triumphed 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 3:00PM at John Cain Memorial Park.

Last time we met

Monday, 20 August 2012 8:27 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC blew a fantastic opportunity when it lost 2-1 against Victorian Premier League leaders Dandenong Thunder at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon. An early second half goal from Matthew Theodore and a killer last minute goal from Luke Sherbon won the game for the Thunder as they came from behind to cancel out Shaun Kelly’s early first half goal. The result extends Dandenong’s lead at the top of the ladder to seven points and leaves South with a massive mountain to climb if it intends to play finals football in 2012.

South needed three points to get to within two points of fifth-placed Northcote City and the Blues made the best start possible by opening the scoring after only five minutes. Fernando De Moraes’ corner was met firmly by Kelly, who headed past Stuart Webster in the Thunder goal. The goal was Kelly’s second goal in consecutive weeks following his first goal for the Club against the Melbourne Knights last weekend. The home side were in complete control in the first half but were unable to capitalise on the scoreboard any further following Kelly’s goal. Having kept only two clean sheets all season, South knew that it probably had to score again in the second half to give itself an even better chance of securing the three points.

The Thunder turned the tables in the second half and came out firing. Peter Gavalas made an excellent fingertip save and Rhodri Payne twice had to head the ball off the goal line as the away side crept closer to scoring. They were finally rewarded in the 55th minute when Theodore was allowed far too much space and time down the right hand side and he slotted the ball under the advancing Gavalas. South battled hard to weather a storm from the Thunder in the opening 20 minutes of the second half but eventually got back into the game as it pressed for a much-needed winning goal. Steve Burton wasted a fantastic chance to score when he failed to properly connect when the ball bounced in his path with only Webster to beat. The home side were made to pay the ultimate price with only a minute of normal time remaining when Sherbon won the ball on the left before cutting in and hitting a wonder shot across Gavalas and into the far corner of the goal.

The 2-1 loss leaves South needing to win their final three League games of the season and at the same time hope that other sides slip up in order to play finals football in 2012.

It was a more positive result in the Under-21s as South defeated Dandenong 3-2.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-2 DANDENONG THUNDER (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Shaun Kelly (5′)
1-1: Matthew Theodore (55′)
1-2: Luke Sherbon (89′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tom MATTHEWS, 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 6. Dimi TSIARAS (20. Andrew CARTANOS 90’), 7. Joe KEENAN (5. Phil PETRESKI 85’), 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS (10. Glen TRIFIRO 67’), 15. Fernando DE MORAES, 19. Shaun KELLY

Dandenong Thunder:
Stuart WEBSTER, Andrew MULLET, Bryan BRAN, Shpetim MALA, Shane REXHEPI, Craig ELVIN, Liam KEARNEY, Matthew THEODORE, Iqbal JAWADI, Luke SHERBON, Sean MCILROY. Subs: Zaim ZENELI, Enes SIVIC, Feston AZIZI, Nate FOSTER, Ross THOMPSON

SMFC Man of the Match: Dimi Tsiaras
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 19 August 2012

Thursday, 16 August 2012 2:51 PM

By John Kyrou

In one of the games of the round, South Melbourne FC hosts Victorian Premier League leaders Dandenong Thunder on Sunday afternoon. South cannot afford to lose as it continues to build momentum to reach the top five with under a month to go before the finals series begins.

South go into the game on the back of an entertaining 2-2 draw in the derby against the Melbourne Knights at Somers Street last Sunday. South opened the scoring after only 90 seconds but then allowed Jake Nakic to level before putting the Knights ahead with a wonder goal; however the Blues managed to leave with a point thanks to Shaun Kelly’s 76th minute volley. The result extended South’s unbeaten run to three games and keeps the Club a game behind fifth-placed Bentleigh Greens with only four rounds remaining in the regular season. Dandenong come into Sunday’s game four points clear at the top of the VPL ladder, having disposed of bottom team Heidelberg United 5-0 at George Andrews Reserve last Saturday night. The Thunder has not lost in the League since a 1-0 loss away to the Knights on Sunday 15 July and in their 18 League games this season have scored 41 goals and conceded only 12. This is in contrast to South both scoring and conceding 26 goals in their 18 league matches.

Despite the enormity of the task ahead, South will be boosted with the return of Tom Matthews after the Englishman served his four-game ban following a red card against Green Gully on Sunday 15 July. Youngsters Andrew Cartanos and Phil Petreski will also be available after being in Townsville last weekend for the Victorian Under-19s side. Coach Peter Tsolakis will also return to coach after serving his two-game touchline ban following his send-off against Richmond on Friday 20 July. Unfortunately for the home side, Marinos Gasparis and captain Steven O’Dor will both be missing due to unforeseen circumstances. South can take great heart in the fact that in the last meeting between the two sides (Saturday 26 May) a hugely undermanned Blues side held the Thunder to a 1-1 draw at George Andrews Reserve to become the first team to take points off the Thunder in 2012.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5:00PM at Lakeside Stadium.

Last time we met

Sunday, 12 August 2012 10:54 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC battled to a 2-2 draw against old rivals Melbourne Knights at Knights Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The result was one that suited neither side, with the Knights needing the three points keep alive their slim finals hopes and with South still sitting a game behind fifth-placed Bentleigh Greens at the conclusion of the round.

South went into the game on the back of a two match winning streak that had lifted it from a potential relegation dogfight into challenging for a spot in the top five. The Melbourne Knights went into the game on the back of a surprise 2-1 loss away against Heidelberg United last Sunday, a result that left the Knights two wins out of the top five. With both sides usually getting a result in their League matches in 2012 (the Knights hadn’t drawn a game all season and South had only drawn three of their 18 games), Sunday’s game was always going to be an attacking game with both sides intent on getting the three points for derby honours as well as putting pressure on the top five standings.

The away side got off to a flying start by opening the scoring after only 90 seconds. Brad Norton won the ball on the halfway line and made a dashing run down the right wing before cutting the ball back for Joe Keenan, who took one touch to set himself up before firing across Aaron Romein and into the far left corner of the goal. South nearly went two goals up when captain Fernando De Moraes was put through on goal but his shot at Romein’s near post was saved comfortably by the Knights goalkeeper. At the other end, Jake Nakic had been causing headaches for the South defence throughout the half and it was he who was on hand to level for the home side, tapping Kayne Vincent’s right-sided cross past Peter Gavalas.

The away side began the second half on a mission to regain the lead but squandered two fantastic chances to do so. The first came when Steve Burton found space down the left wing and used the outside of his right foot to square the ball perfectly for a lurking De Moraes on the penalty spot, however the captain blasted his volley wide of Romein’s goal. Minutes later, Glen Trifiro broke free and streamed forward with Keenan and Andy Vlahos in support. Trifiro fed Keenan through but Keenan was closed down magnificently by the Knights defence as the away side wasted the opportunity. As has been the case all season, the two missed chances came back to haunt South immediately as Rhodri Payne’s scuffed clearance fell perfectly for Nakic to let fly with a vicious shot from near the edge of the box that gave Gavalas no chance.

After working so hard to take the lead, the Knights were dealt with a massive blow only minutes later when a red card was issued to Marijan Cvitkovic for throwing the ball into Payne after a dispute over a throw-in. The decision was extremely harsh for the Knights but a lifeline for South as they chased an equalising goal. South had more luck when man of the match Nakic limped off with about 20 minutes to go with what looked to be a minor knock. With the home side already down to 10 men and with their main man Nakic off injured, the tiring Knights sat back and tried to hit South on the counter-attack, with former South man Yusuf Yusuf using his pace to take on the South defence. South kept the pressure on and eventually won a corner that Kelly smashed home on the volley, after the Knights defence failed to clear De Moraes’ cross. Under-21s player and debutant Baggio Yousif had a wonderful chance to score the winner for South in the third minute of injury time but he blasted well over Romein’s crossbar.

In the end, a draw was a fair result but was one that benefited neither side as the VPL season reaches its concluding month. With four games left, South remain a game from the finals and the Knights remain two games from the top five.

It was another stalemate in the Under-21s as the Melbourne Knights and South drew 1-1.

FINAL SCORE: MELBOURNE KNIGHTS 2-2 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 1-1)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Joe Keenan (2′)
1-1: Jake Nakic (33′)
2-1: Jake Nakic (55′)
2-2: Shaun Kelly (76′)

Melbourne Knights:
1. Aaron ROMEIN (GK), 2. Adam NAKIC, 4. Adam ZILIC, 6. Tomislav USKOK, 8. Craig SWEENEY (3. Ryan FILIPOVIC 79′), 10. Kayne VINCENT, 11. Anthony COLOSIMO, 12. Shayan ALINEJAD (19. Yusuf YUSUF 65′), 16. Marijan CVITKOVIC (sent off 56′), 23. Jake NAKIC (22. Chris TALAJIC 71′), 24. Ben SUREY

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 7. Joe KEENAN, 10. Glen TRIFIRO (18. Marinos GASPARIS 80′), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS, 15. Fernando DE MORAES (16. Baggio YOUSIF 88′), 19. Shaun KELLY

SMFC Man of the Match: Shaun Kelly
Venue: Knights Stadium
Date: Sunday 12 August 2012

Thursday, 9 August 2012 1:02 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC travels to Somers Street on Sunday afternoon to face the Melbourne Knights in the second derby match between the two sides in 2012.

South goes into the game on the back of a two-game winning streak, having defeated Southern Stars and Hume City in the past fortnight. The Melbourne Knights head into the derby on the back of a surprise 2-1 defeat away against cellar dwellers Heidelberg United at Olympic Park last Sunday. The Knights have been the only side to have lost to Heidelberg in the Victorian Premier League this season and have lost both meetings. Despite this upset, the Knights will be confident of defeating South on Sunday as they defeated the Blues earlier this season (Sunday 20 May) at Lakeside Stadium 2-1. Adam Zilic (40’) and Jacob Colosimo (70’) were on hand to score both goals for the Knights as South could only manage a single goal courtesy of a header from Bradley Norton (58’).

South will be missing youngsters Phil Petreski and Andrew Cartanos as both boys have been selected as part of the Victorian Schoolboys Under-19s side to play in Canberra. Also missing will be Nick Jacobs, the young hero against Southern Stars, having tragically broken his ankle playing football for his high school Brighton Grammar last weekend. It is expected that South will field a similar line-up to the one that defeated Hume City at Lakeside last Sunday evening but the coaching staff may choose to include Glen Trifiro or Joe Keenan in the starting eleven.

Sunday’s derby kicks off at 3:00PM at Knights Stadium. A win for South could see the Club finish the round level on points with fifth-placed Bentleigh Greens.

Last time we met

Wednesday, 8 August 2012 9:42 AM

South Melbourne FC have been rocked by the news that youngster Nick Jacobs has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2012 season with a broken ankle.

The 17 year old forced his way into the senior line-up in the match against Southern Stars on Saturday 28 July and became a hero when he headed home Phil Petreski’s cross in the 94th minute to win the game for South 3-2.

It is expected he will be out of action for up to six months but with a bit of luck he will hopefully be available for the opening round of the 2013 Victorian Premier League season.

We wish Nick all the best in recovering from such a horrific injury and hope to see him in a South shirt early next year.

Monday, 6 August 2012 1:54 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC has moved to within a game of the top five following a 2-1 victory against Hume City at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Goals from Steve Burton and Andy Vlahos early in the second half were enough to earn all three points for the home side, who had to survive a late charge by Hume City following Nick Hegarty’s goal for the away side later in the half.

South came into the game on the back of the amazing come-from-behind 3-2 victory against Southern Stars at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex the previous weekend. With Dimi Tsiaras and Shaun Kelly returning to the starting line-up after serving their one-match suspensions against the Stars, the home side were always confident of getting a positive result. This would have to be done without coach Peter Tsolakis, who was serving the first of his two game touchline ban following his send-off from the sidelines in the game against Richmond on Friday 20 July. Assistant coach Joe Montemurro took the reigns in his place and now currently enjoys a 100% winning record for South Melbourne FC.

Hume City went into the game unbeaten in three matches (including two wins) with the most recent result being the 3-1 home win against Heidelberg United at Epping Stadium the previous Friday night. That win lifted Hume into sixth position on the VPL ladder on 24 points (three points ahead of South), making the game all the more interesting for the neutral observer. Hume was also very keen on inflicting revenge on South after it conceded an 87th minute goal against the Blues at Epping Stadium earlier on this year on Friday 11 May to lose 0-1. On that occasion, captain Steven O’Dor was on hand to flick Glen Trifiro’s cross from the left into the goal for all three points. Unfortunately for South’s captain, his hamstring injury forced him to miss out against Hume this time around.

The first half was a dour struggle as both sides battled in the wet and windy conditions. South came close twice through Bradley Norton and Fernando De Moraes, but on both occasions their headers were easy pickings for Hume goalkeeper Chris Oldfield. Hume themselves came close to scoring right on the halftime break when a stinging shot from outside the area zipped just over Peter Gavalas’ crossbar. A halftime downpour from the heavens above suggested an even bigger struggle for ball control in the second half and that perhaps only a single goal would decide this contest, however this was to be proven wrong immediately.

For the second week in a row, South started the second half with all guns blazing and opened the scoring after only 40 seconds. Rhodri Payne managed to break free past a couple of Hume markers down the left side and cut the ball back for Burton to flick past Oldfield for the opening goal. Hume had had barely enough time to wake up when De Moraes won the ball in midfield and flicked over the top for Vlahos to run onto. With Hume’s defenders backing off, Vlahos was allowed time and space to run all the way into the penalty area before curling a shot around his marker and into the bottom right hand corner of Oldfield’s goal. It was Vlahos’ first goal for South in the Victorian Premier League and his 16th career goal at the Club, having scored fifteen times for South in the old National Soccer League.

The home side had a comfortable lead but was unable to find another way through the tough Hume defence led by former South man Steven Pace. The old saying that a two goal lead was the most dangerous in football looked to be applicable to South when Hegarty won the ball on the left and beat three South players before hitting a fierce low shot into Gavalas’ bottom left corner, with the South custodian rooted to the spot. With just under 20 minutes of play to go and with their lead halved, South suddenly were shocked while Hume came out of their shelves in search of an equalising goal. The away side had a couple of half-chances before Gavalas won the match for South with an outstanding one-handed save from Pace’s chested flick of the ball towards goal from a Hume set piece. Three nervous minutes of injury time were played without any more damage on the scoreboard and the final whistle marked South’s second victory in a row and its march up the League table.

South now go into next Sunday’s derby game against the Melbourne Knights in good form and knowing that a victory at Somers Street could put it level on points with fifth-placed Bentleigh Greens should other results go the Club’s way. A win against the Knights will also make it mathematically impossible for South to be relegated as it will leave the Blues a minimum of 13 points clear of Moreland Zebras (currently second-last) with only four matches remaining after that.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 2-1 HUME CITY (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Steve Burton (46′)
2-0: Andy Vlahos (49′)
2-1: Nick Hegarty (71′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 5. Phillip PETRESKI, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS (7. Joe KEENAN 77’), 15. Fernando DE MORAES (10. Glen TRIFIRO 82’), 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 19. Shaun KELLY

Hume City:
Chris OLDFIELD (GK), Jarryd BARNES (Ben HARRISON), Isiyan ERDOGAN, Steven PACE, Serdar PIR, Jose GUERRERO (Richard CARDOZO), Nick HEGARTY, Zoran PETREVSKI, Phillip RICCOBENE, Howard FONDYKE (Ryan BALDACHINO), Mark LEECH

SMFC Man of the Match: Steve Burton
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 5 August 2012

Friday, 3 August 2012 9:22 AM

South Melbourne FC hosts Hume City at Lakeside Stadium this Sunday evening in what is simply a must-win game for the home side in its quest to make the Victorian Premier League finals in 2012. With six rounds of the regular season remaining, South are currently in eighth spot on the VPL ladder with 21 points, four points behind fifth-placed Northcote City. A victory against Hume could see South end the round only a point from finals contention.

South goes into the game on the back of a thrilling 3-2 victory against Southern Stars at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex last Saturday night. South were 1-0 down at halftime and 2-1 down in second-half injury time before a 91st minute leveling goal by Steve Burton was followed by a 94th minute Nick Jacobs header that won the match for the Blues. Most pleasing for South was the combination of three youth players – Phil Petrevski, Andrew Cartanos and Jacobs – in setting up the winning goal. South was forced to use youth due the amount of injuries and suspensions that the Senior side was carrying but the move paid off dramatically.

Hume City go into Sunday’s game unbeaten in three matches (including two wins) with the most recent result being a 3-1 home win against Heidelberg United last Friday night. That win lifted Hume into sixth position on the VPL ladder on 24 points (three points ahead of South), making Sunday’s game all the more interesting. Hume will also be keen on revenge, having conceded an 87th minute goal against South at Epping Stadium earlier this year on Friday 11 May. Captain Steven O’Dor turned in Glen Trifiro’s cross to win the game for South 0-1.

Dimi Tsiaras and Shaun Kelly are both available for selection this week after both players served their automatic one game suspension against Southern Stars. O’Dor is likely to miss again with a hamstring injury. Trent Rixon had his 12 game suspension reduced to a 6 game suspension mid-week at the Tribunal and he will not be available until the last round against Heidelberg United. Coach Peter Tsolakis was handed a 2 game touchline ban and a fine for his send-off against Richmond on Friday 20 July and he will have to sit in the stands for Sunday’s match as well as next week’s game against Melbourne Knights at Somers Street. Finally, Tom Matthews will serve the third of his four game suspension against Hume. He will also miss the Knights game next Sunday before being eligible to play the following week against Dandenong Thunder.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5:00PM at Lakeside Stadium. South fans are encouraged to attend and support their team as it strives to hit the top five again.

Last time we met

Thursday, 2 August 2012 3:32 PM

South Melbourne FC would like to announce the departure of Jason Trifiro, who has signed for A-League franchise Western Sydney Wanderers.

Jason joined the Club in 2012 after crossing over from Northcote City during the summer. He was a key contributor to the SMFC midfield in his short spell with the Club and scored three League goals in the process.

We wish Jason all the best as he embarks on a professional playing career.

Thursday, 2 August 2012 9:09 AM

South Melbourne FC wishes to update its members and supporters in regards to the Tribunal hearings for Trent Rixon and coach Peter Tsolakis that occurred last night (Wednesday 1 August) in relation to their red cards received in the Richmond game at Lakeside Stadium on Friday 20 July.

Trent Rixon was originally given a 12 match suspension (Automatic game + 11), however after appearing at the Tribunal he has had his suspension reduced to 6 matches (Automatic game + 5). Having already missed the Southern Stars match last weekend, Rixon will miss South’s next five Victorian Premier League games and will be eligible to play again in the final round of the regular season against Heidelberg United on Sunday 16 September.

Coach Peter Tsolakis was given a two game touch-line ban as well as a fine following his send off against Richmond. He will be unable to be on the coaching bench for this Sunday’s match against Hume City as well as next weekend’s game against the Melbourne Knights at Somers Street. He will be eligible to return to the coaching bench for the game against Dandenong Thunder at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 19 August.

In further updates, Shaun Kelly and Dimi Tsiaras will both be available for selection for this weekend’s match, as both served their automatic one-game suspension in last week’s 3-2 victory against Southern Stars. Tsiaras was suspended for accumulating his fifth yellow card of the season against Richmond, whilst Kelly was suspended for being sent off (after receiving two yellow cards) in the same fixture. Finally, Tom Matthews will serve the third of his four game suspension against Hume this weekend and will be available for the Dandenong game on 19 August. Matthews was suspended for four matches following his send-off against Green Gully on Sunday 15 July.