Author: SMFC Media

Thursday, 14 June 2012 10:05 AM

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce that the Major Sponsor of SMFC TV for the 2012 Victorian Premier League season will be Baxter Institute.

Baxter Institute is a college of international standing with an enviable reputation amongst its local and international students. It is located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. Its students and staff come from diverse backgrounds. Its teaching approaches are embedded in problem and work-based learning and seek to enthuse its students to get the most from their study by using real-life settings for its courses.

The mission of Baxter Institute is to provide a sustainable, dynamic, rigorous and caring learning environment in which its students can develop their skills, engage with their communities, embrace innovation and fulfil their hopes and dreams in the organisations they work for, the enterprises they found and the societies in which they live.

Baxter Institute offers a number of courses and training opportunities across a wide range of industries and areas, including:

Automotive
Dental Technology
Engineering – Fabrication Trade
Bakery
Beauty
Hairdressing
English
Business
Accounting
Information Technology

Speaking to smfc.com.au, SMFC President Leo Athanasakis said “we are very excited to further expand the current sponsorship arrangement in place as official caterer to the President’s Room to include SMFC TV as well. This commitment from the Baxter Institute allows us to continue investing in SMFC TV, which has been a tremendous success”. Viet Nguyen from Baxter Institute told smfc.com.au “a single journey can change a course of a lifetime so we welcome you to join us in embracing excellence”.

South Melbourne FC encourages all its fans and members who may be interested in undertaking any further study or training to contact the Baxter Institute who will be able to offer a training opportunity to which meet your requirements.

Baxter Institute
Level 2, 228-236 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
9650 0367 – 9654 5888
www.baxter.vic.edu.au

Tuesday, 12 June 2012 9:45 AM

By John Kyrou

It was deja vu once more as State League One side Port Melbourne defeated South Melbourne FC 2-1 in the Fifth Round of the FFV State Knockout Cup on Friday night at Lakeside Stadium. The loss eliminated South from the 2012 Cup competition, exactly one year after Port knocked them out of the same stage of the competition in 2011. The loss was South’s fourth home defeat in a row in 2012, with the side now losing four of its five home matches this year.

South began the game intent on getting on the scoreboard early after failing to score at home against Northcote City in the League the previous weekend. Gianni De Nittis and Fernando De Moraes, who had both returned to the starting eleven, had spectacular long range shots parried out for corners by Port goalkeeper Adam Hrehoresin. In fact the Port custodian was kept very busy in the first half as he also blocked a shot from young Philip Petreski, who was given his senior debut by South coach Peter Tsolakis following strong performances in the Under-21s. However Hrehoresin was powerless to stop South from opening the scoring shortly before the halftime break when his punch from Glen Trifiro’s cross bounced off his defender Felix Rosman and rolled into the back of the net.

South started the second half strongly and should have wrapped the game up when Bradley Norton’s wonderful cross from the left was blasted over the bar by De Nittis. Glen Trifiro then fed De Nittis through on the right and he cut the ball back to Fernando but the Futsalroo blasted his shot against the crossbar with the whole goal gaping. De Nittis got involved again, flicking the ball to set up Petreski on the left but the youngster’s final ball was a mixture of a cross and a shot as the ball evaded three South players waiting at the back post. The chances were being wasted like in previous home matches and it only seemed a matter of time before the away side punished South.

Port had only one notable chance in the first half, when a great ball from the right was headed over Peter Gavalas’ crossbar by Alex Khrapko. Despite being bombarded by South in the second half, Port had managed to keep the scoreline to only 1-0 and therefore gave themselves a chance of salvaging a result. They levelled on the hour when Shane Gill was fouled by Gavalas in the area, resulting in a spot kick. Gavalas initially appeared to win the ball but on SMFC TV’s replay it seemed like the decision was the right one. Nick Kalambokis took the spot kick and buried past Gavalas’ left, however he was ordered to re-take the penalty due to players running in the area before the kick was taken. Kalambokis stepped up again and buried the ball in the same spot. Port then won the game in the final minute of regular time when Kalambokis’ corner was met at the back post by substitute Melvin Beckett, who put the ball over the line despite Gavalas’ scramble to keep the ball behind the goal line. Exactly one year on, Port had achieved another come-from-behind 2-1 victory and knocked out its Premier League opponents.

South needs to find form and quickly as it resumes League action next Friday night away against the Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. Kick-off is at 8:15PM.

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

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Felix Rosman OG (42′)
1-1: Nick Kalambokis PK (60′)
1-2: Melvin Beckett (90′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tom MATTHEWS, 4. Steven O’DOR, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 10. Glen TRIFIRO (25. Kyle JORYEFF 86’), 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Philip PETRESKI, 15. Fernando DE MORAES (8. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS 86’), 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 20. Gianni DE NITTIS, 23. Jason TRIFIRO

SMFC Man of the Match: Philip Petreski
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 8 June 2012

Friday, 8 June 2012 9:56 AM

South Melbourne FC resumes its FFV State Knockout Cup campaign on Friday night when it hosts State League One side Port Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium in what will no doubt be an intriguing Fifth Round match-up. Despite the clubs having never met before in League competition, the match could be classified as a derby due to the close proximity of Port Melbourne’s Anderson Reserve to South’s Lakeside Stadium. The Clubs have met in various Cup competitions in the past such as the Dockerty Cup and last year’s Mirabella Cup. In fact it will be exactly one year ago to the day (8th June 2011) since Port embarrassed South 2-1, coming from 0-1 down to level before winning the tie in extra time and knocking South out of the competition.

South had to battle hard to get through the previous round, eventually prevailing 2-1 against a resilient Malvern City (State League Two) on 29th April. On the other hand, Port thrashed Yarraville Glory 6-0 on 27th April to set up the date against South. Port also goes into the game in winning form having dispatched Springvale White Eagles 3-0 in State League One last Friday night, whereas South will limp into the contest having been embarrassed 0-1 at home against Northcote City in the Premier League last Sunday.

Friday night’s match kicks off at 8:00PM at Lakeside Stadium. South supporters are reminded that Club membership is only valid for Victorian Premier League matches and does not apply for entry for the FFV State Knockout Cup matches.

Last time we met

Monday, 4 June 2012 4:10 PM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Anita Milas)

South Melbourne FC suffered another disappointing home defeat after Northcote City triumphed 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. James Kalifatidis was the difference between the two sides, scoring just after the halftime break to make it three home defeats in a row for South, with the Club having only won once in four home matches in 2012.

South went into the game on the back of a solid hard-working 1-1 draw away against League leaders Dandenong Thunder last Saturday. The result was a positive reaction following a 2-1 home loss against the Melbourne Knights the previous weekend, but South needed another positive result against Northcote in order to begin a series of consistent results. The home side were still missing centre-half Luke Byles (broken thumb) and midfield maestro Fernando De Moraes (recently returned from the UAE having represented the Futsalroos in the AFC Championships) but welcomed back captain Steven O’Dor from injury. Northcote came into the match on the back of a 2-0 home victory against Heidelberg United last Sunday afternoon, a result that lifted them to fifth on the League table.

South enjoyed extended periods of possession in the first half and dominated the match everywhere except the scoreboard. The home side created a few good openings and Dimi Hatzimouratis enjoyed the best two chances of the half. His first opportunity arrived after 17 minutes when the ball fell to him in front of goal but his final shot was deflected off Northcote’s desperate defence for a corner. Hatzimouratis’ second chance was a golden opportunity shortly before halftime, when Dimi Tsiaras headed Glen Trifiro’s corner across goal but the young forward couldn’t keep his back-post header under the crossbar. In a massive blow for South, Joe Keenan had to be substituted shortly before the break with what looked to be a recurrence of the injury that caused him to miss many matches at the beginning of the season.

South’s biggest lapses in concentration in home games has been the period around the halftime break and Northcote took full advantage of this at the beginning of the second half to score the winning goal. The ball was played forward and was flicked on to Kalifatidis, who slotted past the advancing Peter Gavalas to give the away side the lead. The home fans were calling for red when Jonathan Voulgaris lunged in for a loose challenge on Swede Filip Jonsson but the Northcote player breathed a sigh of relief when he only received a caution for the tackle. Jonsson was substituted shortly after and was replaced by Tom Matthews who was back for his first game since injuring himself against Richmond on 20 April.

The closest South got to equalising was substitute Gianni De Nittis’ injury time header at the back post that sailed over the crossbar. In the end, Northcote did hold on for a memorable victory and condemned South to more misery at Lakeside Stadium. Northcote continues their dominance over South in League fixtures, having won three of five matches with the other two games ending in 3-3 draws.

It was more positive news for South in the Under-21s, as South defeated Northcote 5-0.

League football stops for a week as South hosts State League One side Port Melbourne in the State Knockout Cup sixth round on Friday 8 June at Lakeside Stadium. Kick-off is at 8:00PM. South fans are reminded that season memberships do not include entry to Cup matches.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 0-1 NORTHCOTE CITY

Goal Scorer:
0-1: James Kalifatidis (47′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 4. Steven O’DOR, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 7. Joe KEENAN (11. Bradley NORTON 44’), 8. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS (20. Gianni DE NITTIS 72’), 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Glen TRIFIRO, 14. Filip JONSSON (2. Tom MATTHEWS 63’), 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 23. Jason TRIFIRO

Northcote City:
2. Adriano CHIAPPETTA, 3. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS, 5. Brad TRELOAR, 7. Dean PIEMONTE, 8. James KALIFATIDIS, 10. Alex ROJAS, 11 Jonathan VOULGARIS (Ricardo GONZALEZ 80′), 12. Hayden D’AGOSTINO, 16. Paul SAVIO, 20. Parys OKAI (Matthew DEMO 90+1′), 22. Chris PETROPOULOS (GK)

SMFC Man of the Match: Dimi Tsiaras
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 3 June 2012

Friday, 1 June 2012 11:38 AM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC hosts Northcote City at Lakeside Stadium for the first time on Sunday afternoon in what will no doubt be an exciting match. A win for South will see it keep in touch with the top five whilst three points for Northcote will see it further consolidate its position in the top five.

South goes into Sunday’s match with injury clouds still surrounding centre-halves Luke Byles and captain Steven O’Dor. Byles is recovering from a broken thumb and O’Dor is still nursing a calf injury sustained against Hume City on 11 May. Also most likely to miss again will be Fernando De Moraes, who returns to Melbourne today having represented Australia in the AFC Futsal Championships in the UAE, with the Australians making the semi finals and qualifying for the World Championships in Thailand in November. Despite missing all three players last week, South gallantly fought out a 1-1 draw against League leaders Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve and will be confident in backing that up with a good performance against Northcote this Sunday.

The visitors will not be an easy side to defeat, as they showed last season by smashing South 5-0 at John Cain Memorial Park before both sides played out a highly entertaining 3-3 at Anderson Reserve in the final round of the season, a game in which South qualified for the finals series at Northcote’s expense. The match also has added spice considering the defections of coach Peter Tsolakis, Trent Rixon, Gianni De Nittis and the Trifiro brothers to Lakeside over the summer as well as Bradley Norton’s status as a former Northcote player as well.

Representing Northcote on Sunday will be former South boys James Stefanou and Brad Treloar. Northcote have done an exceptional job since joining the VPL in 2010, qualifying for the finals series that season before winning the Mirabella Cup in 2011. Currently they are fifth on the table thanks to a 2-0 home win against Heidelberg United last Sunday. Without a doubt one of the players to watch out for on Sunday will be James Kalifatidis, who has scored four goals in 7 League games for Northcote this season. Northcote will take great confidence into the game as they have not lost against South in four League meetings.

The match kicks off at 5:00PM at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon. South fans are encouraged to attend and support their side as they seek to defeat Northcote for the first time in the VPL.

Last time we met

Monday, 28 May 2012 10:44 AM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Anita Milas)

South Melbourne FC fought out a spirited 1-1 draw against League leaders Dandenong Thunder on Saturday afternoon at George Andrews Reserve. The result broke Dandenong’s 100% winning start to the 2012 VPL season and at the same time gave South a valuable point leading into a very important month for the Club, with League games against Northcote City (home), Bentleigh Greens (away) and Heidelberg United (home) to come in the coming weeks.

South went into the game in very inconsistent form, with a hard-fought 1-0 away win at Hume City two weekends ago followed by a disappointing 2-1 home loss against derby rival Melbourne Knights last weekend. That left the Club on 10 points from a possible 21 and with the daunting task of travelling to face a team that had won all seven of their opening fixtures in the Premier League. To make matters worse, South’s centre-half pairing of Steven O’Dor (calf) and Luke Byles (broken thumb) were both ruled out, meaning coach Peter Tsolakis was forced to make a makeshift centre-half pairing of Dimi Tsiaras and Swedish player Filip Jonsson, with Rhodri Payne and Bradley Norton as fullbacks. Despite all the problems, South went into the match confident due to the fact that it had not lost a fixture at George Andrews Reserve in three previous visits to the venue.

The first half was a dour struggle, with South restricted to very few chances whilst having to defend strongly as Nate Foster and Shane Rexhepi both went close for the home side. Foster had the best chance of the first half when he beat the offside trap but blasted his shot over Peter Gavalas’ crossbar in what was a golden opportunity. Kyle Joryeff came closest for South, hitting the crossbar from a mis-hit cross that Thunder goalkeeper Stuart Webster was happy to see stay out.

The match sprang to life in the second half as the rain started coming down, making the playing conditions even tougher. South almost opened the scoring on 55 minutes from a Glen Trifiro free kick, however Webster make a fantastic diving save to his left to keep the ball out. Thunder came even closer to opening the scoring just over five minutes later when Luke Sherbon was through one-on-one with Gavalas, however the South goalkeeper showed his quality when he forced Sherbon wide of the goal then made a great save from the eventual shot before Jonsson cleared the ball off the line. South had been under pressure, but the makeshift defence had stood strong and with the score still 0-0, there was always a chance of the away side nicking a priceless goal at the other end.

Joe Keenan replaced Joryeff in the 72nd minute and he made an immediate impact as he was involved in the opening goal less than a minute later. Keenan found Hatzimouratis, who laid the ball wide on the right for Marinos Gasparis to fire in a great cross for a Trent Rixon header that Webster did well to block. Unfortunately for the Dandenong custodian, the ball fell to Hatzimouratis at the edge of the area and the young forward did very well to pick his spot and bury the ball past two Thunder defenders on the goal line and into the bottom left corner. South had stolen an unlikely lead but still had just over a quarter of an hour to hold onto its advantage.

The home side lifted their intensity immediately after conceding and almost equalised straight away but Gavalas made another outstanding save from a Foster shot from point-blank range. Foster may had been wondering whether it would be his day, however he had the last laugh as he got on the end of a long floating free kick to head past an unlucky Gavalas for the equalising goal. Former South man Hamlet Armenian caused South some headaches in the final few moments with some dangerous crosses from the right and he could have won the game for the Thunder but his tame injury-time header was easy pickings for Gavalas, who had produced a Man of the Match performance. In the end the full-time whistle was met with relief from the away side, who had done an excellent job to hold off the fast-finishing Thunder and earn a deserved point.

There was also a draw in the Under-21s game, with Dandenong and South playing out a 0-0 draw.

South hosts Northcote City at Lakeside Stadium next week in a match that South needs to earn maximum points to keep in touch with the top five.

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

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Dimi Hatzimouratis (73′)
1-1: Nate Foster (84′)

Dandenong Thunder:
Stuart WEBSTER (GK), Andrew MULLETT, Shane REXHEPI, Craig ELVIN, Bryan BRAN, Iqbal KAWADI, Liam KEARNEY, Matthew THEODORE (Hamlet ARMENIAN 84′) , Veton KONCARI (Ross Thompson 75′), Nate FOSTER, Luke SHERBON

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 8. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS, 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Glen TRIFIRO, 11. Bradley NORTON, 14. Filip JONSSON, 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 23. Jason TRIFIRO, 25. Kyle JORYEFF (7. Joe KEENAN 72’)

SMFC Man of the Match: Peter Gavalas
Venue: George Andrews Reserve
Date: Saturday 26 May 2012

Friday, 25 May 2012 9:48 AM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

In one of the games of the round, South Melbourne FC travels to George Andrews Reserve to face high-flying Dandenong Thunder on Saturday afternoon. South is in desperate need of a win, whilst Dandenong has enjoyed seven wins from their opening seven Victorian Premier League matches in 2012 and show no signs of slowing down.

Last Sunday afternoon, goals from Adam Zilic and Jacob Colosimo were enough for the Melbourne Knights to prevail 2-1 against South in the derby at Lakeside Stadium. The only consolation for South was Bradley Norton scoring his first goal for the Club. Later that evening, Dandenong travelled to Olympic Park and defeated lowly Heidelberg United 1-0 to maintain their 100% winning streak in the League this year.

South will be boosted by the fact that it has not lost at George Andrews Reserve in three visits there, with the first being a come-from-behind 2-2 draw in 2009 before a professional 0-2 win in 2010 was followed by an extremely hard-fought 0-1 victory in 2011. On that occasion, Jesse Krncevic’s first half bullet header was enough to see off Dandenong and give South’s prospects of finals football a real boost. Coach Peter Tsolakis will be hoping for a similar result this Saturday. South will also be boosted by the likely return of Captain Steven O’Dor to the starting eleven. Fernando De Moraes will miss this match due to still being overseas representing the Futsalroos, but he will be available for the Northcote fixture next week.

Saturday’s match kicks off at 3:00pm at George Andrews Reserve.

Last time we met

Monday, 21 May 2012 3:29 PM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

The Melbourne Knights claimed bragging rights in the first derby of 2012 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Melbourne FC at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Goals from Adam Zilic and Jacob Colosimo were enough to see off a South side whose only goal came from a Bradley Norton header.

South came into the match on the back of a professional 1-0 away victory over Hume City last Friday night, whilst the Knights came into the game having suffered a surprise 2-1 home defeat against cellar dwellers Heidelberg United. However form meant very little in derby matches as the away side proved against a disappointing South that perhaps missed their captain Steven O’Dor (injury) and Fernando De Moraes (on Futsalroo duties).

The first half was a tight affair, with South hitting too many stray passes despite periods of pressure on the Knights, who were happy to sit back and hit on the counter-attack. South’s best early chance fell to Dimi Hatzimouratis who skied a shot over the crossbar after a wonderful through-ball from Glen Trifiro. The last five minutes of the half provided wonderful entertainment, as the Knights opened the scoring before South almost responded twice. Zilic was the quickest to react to a dangerous free kick from Jake Nakic and he flicked the ball past Peter Gavalas for the Knights’ opening goal. Right from the resulting kick-off, South went down to the other end and Trent Rixon forced a brilliant save from Aaron Romein to prevent the home side levelling. Shortly after, a great turn and shot by Glen Trifiro was blocked perfectly by Zilic, who was an absolute rock for the Knights all evening.

As expected, South began the second half with more urgency as the Knights again sat back and tried to hit on the counter attack. South’s persistence finally paid off when a cross to the back post was missed by Romein and Norton was in the right spot to head the ball into the back of the net. South looked to finally be getting on top of its old foe however a combination of poor decision making in front of goal and solid Knights defending kept the scoreline at 1-1. Former South man Yusuf Yusuf came off the substitutes’ bench for the Knights and he made an immediate impact when he made an excellent run down the right before cutting back for Jacob Colosimo to score past Gavalas for what proved to be the winning goal. Substitute Kyle Joryeff came closest to levelling for the home side when he fired a shot narrowly wide of Romein’s goal, however it was not to be South’s night as the away side held on for a magnificent victory.

South has to quickly recover before travelling to George Andrews Reserve next Saturday to play the Premier League leaders Dandenong Thunder, who have won all seven of their matches this season.

South fared much better in the Under-21s match earlier in the day, as the home side defeated the Knights 2-0. South goalkeeper Jason Saldaris made a good save from a Knights penalty kick shortly before full time to keep a clean sheet.

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

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Adam Zilic (40′)
1-1: Bradley Norton (58′)
1-2: Jacob Colosimo (70′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 8. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS (25. Kyle JORYEFF 77′), 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Glen TRIFIRO (20. Gianni DE NITTIS 82’), 11. Brad NORTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 17. Matko BUDIMIR (7. Joe KEENAN 66’), 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 23. Jason TRIFIRO

Melbourne Knights:
1. Aaron ROMEIN (GK), 2. Hrvoje SIBENIK, 4. Adam ZILIC, 6. Tom USKOK, 9. Jacob COLOSIMO (18. Craig SWEENEY 84′), 10. Josip KOZIC, 11. Anthony COLOSIMO, 12. Shayan ALINEJAD (19. Yusuf YUSUF 56′), 15. Louis FENTON, 17. Joseph FRANJIC, 23. Jake NAKIC

SMFC Man of the Match: Rhodri Payne
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 20 May 2012

Friday, 18 May 2012 12:05 PM

Click here to see the Official Olympiacos video of the day

As Official Partner of the Olympiacos tour of Australia, South Melbourne FC hosted the Greek Champions at Lakeside Stadium, where it held its first training session on Australian soil.

The Olympiacos coaching staff ran the players through their paces and provided the opportunity for the playing squad to acclimatise to the local conditions. Bathed in bright sunshine, Lakeside Stadium provided the ideal training facility for the Greek Champions as they prepared for their exhibition match on Saturday. Many fans were in attendance who were lucky enough to secure an autograph and photo with their favourite player.

At the conclusion of the scheduled training session, Olympiacos Head Coach Ernesto Valverde held a press conference with all local media.

SMFC TV was in attendance at Lakeside Stadium, and recorded all the action. Watch out for exclusive interviews with two Olympiacos stars on next week’s SMFC TV.

Click here to view a selection of photos from Thursday’s training session at Lakeside Stadium.

Friday, 18 May 2012 10:06 AM

South Melbourne FC hosts the Melbourne Knights on Sunday afternoon in what is the first derby between the two sides in 2012. The match has added significance as only two weeks have passed since the 21st anniversary of a game played between the two sides that defined their strong footballing rivalry.

Last Friday night, South enjoyed a win at Epping Stadium, triumphing 0-1 against Hume City thanks to captain Steven O’Dor’s winning goal after 87 minutes. The win consolidated South’s position in the top five and has given the Club a platform in which to kick-start its season. Last Sunday afternoon, the Melbourne Knights suffered a surprise 1-2 loss at home against cellar dwellers Heidelberg United. The victory lifted the Bergers out of the relegation zone at the Knights’ expense.

Sunday’s derby will be played only two weeks after the 21 year anniversary of the famous 1990/91 National Soccer League Grand Final, played on 5 May 1991 at Olympic Park in Melbourne. A crowd of 23,318 saw Andrew Marth’s opening goal for Minor Premiers Melbourne Croatia cancelled out by Joe Palatsides’ 88th minute equalising goal. South nearly won the match in extra time with a Kimon Taliadoros header but the game was decided by penalties. Misses by Paul Trimboli, Mike Petersen and Palatsides gave Melbourne Croatia opportunities to win the match; however Alan Davidson and Mark Silic sensationally hit the post with their penalties. Both sides kept converting their penalties after that until Ivan Kelic skied his shot over the bar for Melbourne Croatia to amazingly hand South its second National League Championship. One of the great moments in South’s proud and distinguised history is the footage of world footballing legend (and South coach) Ferenc Puskas holding aloft the National Soccer League Championship with captain Ange Postecoglou.

Of concern for South in this weekend’s derby is the fact that O’Dor will most likely miss the game due to an hamstring injury sustained in the Hume match. In addition, the popular Fernando De Moraes will be missing after being selected to play for the Futsalroos in the 2012 Asian Futsal Championships in the United Arab Emirates. At this stage it is only likely that Fernando will miss two League matches (the Knights and Dandenong), however should the Futsalroos progress further he may miss another game (Northcote). 

In more promising news, it is likely that the influential Joe Keenan will at least make the substitutes’ bench after he suffered an injury in the State Knockout Cup fourth round tie against Malvern City on 29 April. With South coach Peter Tsolakis featuring (and scoring many goals) against the Melbourne Knights in his playing days at the Club, he will no doubt be reminding his team about the historical importance of the derby fixture and of how vital it is that South gets the three points.

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

Last time we met