Author: Tim McGlone

South Melbourne Captain Michael Eagar continued his incredible winning run when he lifted the Dockerty Cup on Sunday, following his team’s resounding 3-0 victory over the Oakleigh Cannons.

Since arriving at Lakeside Stadium in January 2014, Eagar has enjoyed remarkable success, with Sunday’s triumph joining the 2014 NPL Victoria Championship and the 2015 FFV Community Shield as trophies that the skipper has lifted for South Melbourne.

Prior to his time at SMFC, Eagar won the old Victorian Premier League title with Northcote City in 2013 and also tasted Championship success with Redlands United in the Brisbane Premier League in 2012.

Speaking to SMFC TV after Sunday’s Dockerty Cup final, the 26 year old said he was delighted to have been a part of another winning title and praised the depth and durability of the squad as integral to the win.

“I’m over the moon, personally and for the boys, for the fans, it’s a great feeling to win a trophy for this great club,” Eagar said. “We had many great performers tonight. It was our third game in nine days, we’ve had to recover well and prepare well. CT has had to rotate a lot.”

“We haven’t just got a good eleven, we’ve got a really good seventeen or eighteen and everyone’s contributed. Especially across this Cup campaign, we’ve all had to dig deep. We had some fatigued bodies out there, a lot of guys with knocks but they all showed what they are prepared to do for this club.”

SMFC is currently third in the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria competition and is five points behind League leaders Bentleigh Greens with four games to play until the 2015 NPL Victoria Finals Series. South also has a game in hand over the Greens and must win that game to keep up with the League leaders.

Eagar said that while it was important to celebrate the Dockerty Cup triumph, the players were already looking ahead to the rest of the season. “One of our objectives at the start of the season was to win the Dockerty Cup and now we can tick that off. That’s what we aim to do at this club, to win silverware. The group here, we strive for trophies, we don’t strive to come second or third.”

“We’ll certainly celebrate this and enjoy the moment, however we’re already looking forward to the upcoming challenges over the next few weeks.”

 

South Melbourne FC has claimed an eighth Dockerty Cup triumph in its history after putting in a sublime team performance to defeat the Oakleigh Cannons 3-0 in the final at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday.

Two goals from Milos Lujic and another to Leigh Minopoulos, all after the half time break, delivered South its second piece of silverware in 2015 and a first Dockerty Cup Championship since 1995.

The win was the perfect way to avenge Wednesday night’s FFA Cup loss to the Palm Beach Sharks on the Gold Coast and was South’s third trophy since Chris Taylor took charge of the Club in mid-2013.

Lambros Honos had a fantastic chance to put Oakleigh ahead on the half hour mark when he went through on goal, however he was denied by an excellent one-on-one save from Nikola Roganovic. The save was the only clear cut chance for either side in a tight first half, with space in attacking areas hard to come by.

South won the game with a sensational burst immediately after the break, scoring three goals in the space of fourteen minutes to seal victory. Firstly, a brilliant backheel from Leigh Minopoulos put the ball on a platter for Lujic to score the first goal of the final on 47 minutes. Minopoulos raced onto a Nick Epifano pass and flicked it back into space for Lujic to find the back of the net with ease.

The big striker then sent the South fans into raptures when he scored again four minutes later with a thumping header from an Epifano corner. Lujic continued his penchant for delivering in the big games and has scored a staggering 21 goals across all competitions this season.

South sealed the result on the hour mark, with Minopoulos getting on the scoresheet after some great work from Iqi Jawadi. The tenacious midfielder dispossessed Steve Pantelidis and made a mazy run into the box before slipping the ball for Minopoulos to fire home from point blank range.

In addition to his two goals, Lujic also picked up the Jimmy Mackay Medal as Man of the Match.

Taylor praised the character of his side after a difficult week and said that the first twenty minutes of the game was the main focus heading into the final.

“After the disappointing week we had, the boys showed a lot of character out there.”

“Pre-game we just focused on the first twenty minutes. We just said that we wanted to match them for endeavour and intensity and then see how we progressed from there.”

“At the half time break, I felt we had to move the ball around quicker. We did that in the second half and the result came. I think it was probably our best half of football for the season.”

“This group has got very very good character. It’s been a difficult season for us with injuries, suspensions, boys going away on trial and those sort of things. We’re still a chance to come away with a few trophies at the end of it all, which is great.”

South defeated rivals Melbourne Knights, Heidelberg and Oakleigh on its way to lifting the Dockerty Cup trophy. South now has eight Dockerty Cup triumphs, having previously won the competition back in 1974, 1975, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995.

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

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Milos Lujic (47’)
2-0: Milos Lujic (51’)
3-0: Leigh Minopoulos (59’)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 7. Nick EPIFANO, 8. Mathew THEODORE, 9. Milos LUJIC, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS, 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

Unused Subs: 22. Fraser MacLAREN (GK), 6. Tom LAKIC, 10. David STIRTON, 21. Jake BARKER-DAISH, 23. Andy KECOJEVIC.
Yellow Cards: None.

Oakleigh Cannons:
16. John HONOS (GK) (C), 4. John BLACK, 6. Steve PANTELIDIS, 11. Kofi DANNING, 12. Tremayne SADLER, 14. Mirjan PAVLOVIC, 15. Jake McLEAN (8. Dusan BOSNJAK 53’), 16. Sean ROONEY, 18. Adam LE CORNU (23. Theo PAPAGEORGIOU 73’), 22. Matthew FOSCHINI (5. Aron WILFORD 59’), 26. Lampros HONOS.

Unused Subs: 35. Lajos HUN (GK), 25. Delarno PHAROE.
Yellow Cards: Foschini (55’).

SMFC Fix Hellas Beer Man of the Match: Milos Lujic
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 2 August 2015

South Melbourne FC has the chance to win its first Dockerty Cup Championship in 20 years when it faces the Oakleigh Cannons in the 2015 final this Sunday afternoon.

Should South emerge victorious, it will be the second piece of silverware that the Club has claimed this season, following the FFV Community Shield triumph over the Melbourne Knights on Friday 13 February.

The match has become especially important in the wake of Wednesday night’s heartbreaking Westfield FFA Cup defeat to the Palm Beach Sharks in a penalty shootout.

An issue for Coach Chris Taylor will be managing the fitness of several key players following the Gold Coast loss. The likes of Michael Eagar, Nick Epifano and Milos Lujic all played 120 minutes at Cbus Stadium as well as 90 minutes in the tough 0-0 League draw at Pascoe Vale last Saturday.

Epifano has been a Cup specialist for South so far this season, rising to the occasion with late goals several times in the lead-up to the final. He has scored six goals in the FFA Cup and the Dockerty Cup in 2015. The speedster scored a late brace to inspire South to a memorable victory over the Melbourne Knights in early June and also scored a late brace in the Dockerty Cup semi final win over Heidelberg.

Arthur Papas’ Oakleigh side defeated Corio, Richmond, Bendigo City, South Springvale and Hume City en route to the final. Dusan Bosnjak is the key man in the opposition camp, with the playmaker usually serving as a barometer to Oakleigh’s performances.

The two teams have played each other twice this season and have each claimed a victory. South won the first encounter 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Thursday 19 February, before Oakleigh triumphed 2-0 at Jack Edwards Reserve on Friday 22 May.

The last time South won the Dockerty Cup final was on Sunday 1 October 1995. Paul Trimboli (36’) and Vaughan Coveny (60’) scored for South, with an own goal (67’) also contributing to the 3-1 win against the Melbourne Knights at Olympic Park in front of 7000 spectators.

Should Taylor’s men claim victory on Sunday, it will be the eighth time that South Melbourne have won the Dockerty Cup, following triumphs in 1974, 1975, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995. Oakleigh are yet to win the Dockerty Cup during 106 years of Dockerty Cup competition.

The Dockerty Cup final kicks off at 4:30pm at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday. If the match is drawn after normal time, extra time will follow, as will penalties if the two sides are still level after extra time.

Those unable to make the game can follow the Club’s official Facebook and Twitter pages, using the hashtags #SMFC and #Dockerty Cup for live updates.

South Melbourne FC – Road to the Dockerty Cup Final
FFA Cup Round 4 (Saturday 14 March): 5-0 v Whittlesea United (Thomas Street Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 5 (Wednesday 15 April): 8-0 v North Sunshine Eagles (Lakeside Stadium)
FFA Cup Round 6 (Friday 5 June): 3-1 v Melbourne Knights (Lakeside Stadium)
FFA Cup Round 7 (Wednesday 17 June): 6-1 v Frankston Pines (Lakeside Stadium)
Dockerty Cup Semi Final (Wednesday 15 July): 2-1 v Heidelberg United (Jack Edwards Reserve)

Oakleigh Cannons – Road to the Dockerty Cup Final
FFA Cup Round 4 (Saturday 14 March): 12-0 v Corio SC (Hume Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 5 (Wednesday 15 April): 0-0 (5-4p) v Richmond Eagles (Jack Edwards Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 6 (Sunday 6 June): 5-1 v Bendigo City (Jack Edwards Reserve)
FFA Cup Round 7 (Wednesday 17 June): 2-1 v South Springvale (Warner Reserve)
Dockerty Cup Semi Final (Thursday 16 July): 2-0 v Hume City (Olympic Village)

 

 

 

South Melbourne FC will be looking to keep the pressure on the teams above them on the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria ladder when it travels to CB Smith Reserve to face Pascoe Vale on Saturday night.

South sit in third position on the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder, a point behind Heidelberg United and five points away from the Bentleigh Greens. They will face a tough test in the form of the sixth placed Pascoe Vale, who pushed South all the way earlier in the season at Lakeside Stadium in a match that finished 1-0 to the defending Champions.
South’s last League match was the 2-1 defeat to the Melbourne Knights on Sunday 12 July. Despite losing that game, Chris Taylor’s side come into the Pascoe Vale match full of confidence after defeating rivals Heidelberg United 2-1 in their Dockerty Cup semi final tie on Wednesday15 July.

In a match that could prove to be a turning point in South’s season, Nick Epifano scored a late brace against the Bergers to keep his side alive in all competitions this season. Despite missing a number of games, Epifano has scored nine goals across all competitions in 2015 and shapes as the key man if South are to get the points this weekend.

Barring the absences of Kristian Konstantinidis and Dane Milovanovic, who are both recovering from long term injuries, Taylor will have a full squad to choose from for the Pascoe Vale match.
Saturday night’s match is the first in an incredibly important week for the Club. Following the Pascoe Vale game, South travels to the Gold Coast for their round of 32 Westfield FFA Cup game against Palm Beach SC before flying back to Melbourne for the Dockerty Cup final against the Oakleigh Cannons on Sunday 2 August.

Saturday night’s match kicks off at 7pm at CB Smith Reserve, Fawkner. 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 #PS4NPL and #SMFC

South Melbourne FC won through to the 2015 Dockerty Cup final thanks to a thrilling come from behind derby victory over Heidelberg United at Jack Edwards Reserve on Wednesday night.

After conceding a goal in the first half, a late Nick Epifano brace saw South triumph 2-1 against their old rivals and send the strong contingent of travelling supporters into raptures at the final whistle.

The win was South’s first over Heidelberg this season and sends the blue and white into their first Dockerty Cup final since Frank Arok’s South Melbourne side played in the 1995 edition and defeated the Melbourne Knights 3-1 at Olympic Park on Sunday 1 October 1995.

South started the match well and created chances from the outset. Milos Lujic missed a glorious opportunity to score just after the half hour when he got on the end of Tim Mala’s perfect cross but headed the ball over Griffin McMaster’s crossbar.

Heidelberg capitalised by opening the scoring a few minutes later. Kaine Sheppard found the back of the net, like he did when the two teams met at the Olympic Village earlier this year.

Chris Taylor’s men continued to create chances after the restart. Lujic and Jake Barker-Daish both had efforts saved by McMaster, while up the other end, Nikola Roganovic made a courageous diving save to prevent a certain Heidelberg goal. The Bergers almost killed the game off when Dan Heffernan cut inside from the left but fired the ball over Roganovic’s crossbar.

There always looked to be another goal in the game and it came after 78 minutes through Epifano. Mala’s cross fell to the speedy winger at the back post and he lashed it home from close range to level the scores.

Less than ten minutes later, South had a penalty when Lujic was hauled down in the box by Steven Pace. The veteran Bergers defender was given his marching orders for being the last man, before Epifano coolly sent McMaster the wrong way from the spot kick for his sixth goal in four Cup matches in 2015.

The back four, led by the superb Roganovic, saw out the final few minutes to seal the win.

Taylor was delighted with his side’s never say die attitude. “We made hard work of it. Going behind, it was typical of what we’ve been doing the past four of five weeks, making it hard for ourselves.”

“It shows a lot of character to come back after a goal down, given recent results.  A lot of sides could have thrown in the towel. Like our supporters sing, we fight until the end.”

South plays against the winner of the other semi final between Hume City and Oakleigh Cannons, which will be played at the Olympic Village tonight. The Dockerty Cup final will be played on Sunday 2 August at Lakeside Stadium.

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

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Kaine Sheppard (37’)
1-1: Nick Epifano (78’)
1-2: Nick Epifano (87’p)

Heidelberg United:
23. Griffin McMASTER (GK), 2. Jamie CUMMING (12. Kenny ATHIEU 79’), 3. Les DOUMBALIS, 5. Daniel VASILEVSKI (24. Andrew CARTANOS 84’), 7. Rueben WAY, 10. Jack PETRIE, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Daniel HEFFERNAN, 17. Steven PACE (sent off 86’), 20. Nejc KOLMAN, 22. Kaine SHEPPARD.

Unused Subs: 1. Jason KOUTSADONTIS (GK), 9. Kosta KANAKARIS, 11. Dean JANCESKI.
Yellow Cards: Athieu 82’.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 7. Nick EPIFANO, 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. David STIRTON (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 68’), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 21. Jake BARKER-DAISH (23. Andy KECOJEVIC 68’), 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

Unused Subs: 6. Tom LAKIC, 20. Nick MORTON, 22. Fraser MacLAREN (GK).
Yellow Cards: Hatzikostas 27’.

SMFC Fix Hellas Beer Man of the Match: Stephen Hatzikostas
Venue: Jack Edwards Reserve
Date: Wednesday 15 July 2015

South Melbourne FC face Heidelberg United in a mouth-watering Dockerty Cup semi-final derby at Jack Edwards Reserve tonight.

Heidelberg defeated South in the League recently on Friday 3 July and Chris Taylor’s side will be out to avenge that loss by knocking their oldest rival out of contention for an early piece of silverware.

It has been a difficult month of football for a South side hit with a combination of injuries, suspensions and unavailability at the same time as a tough run of fixtures. This has resulted in League losses to Bentleigh (28 June), Heidelberg (3 July) and Melbourne Knights (12 July). Sandwiched in between was an epic 3-2 win against Green Gully (7 July).

Mathew Theodore scored an impressive goal against the Knights last weekend and the diminutive playmaker looms as a key man for South should he play tonight. Chris Irwin has impressed as a makeshift left back over the last few weeks, however he is Cup-tied and cannot play tonight.

Brad Norton has been filling in at the centre of defence for Luke Adams during the big Kiwi’s absence for international duty with New Zealand. With Adams back, the defence can now resume normality, with Norton at left back, Adams and Michael Eagar at centre back and Tim Mala at right back.

Perhaps the most important man on the pitch for South tonight will be striker Milos Lujic, who always seems to find his best right when his team needs it most.

The danger men for Heidelberg are Kaine Sheppard and Dan Heffernan, with the latter scoring two goals to beat South in Heidelberg’s League win at Lakeside Stadium on 3 July.

The winner of tonight’s match plays the winner of the other semi final (between the Oakleigh Cannons and Hume City) in the Dockerty Cup final at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 2 August. Oakleigh and Hume do battle at the Olympic Village tomorrow night.

The Heidelberg and South Melbourne derby kicks off at 7:30pm at Jack Edwards Reserve tonight and will be decided via extra time or penalties if the match is drawn.

If you are unable to make the game you can also follow all the live updates by following the club’s official Facebook and Twitter pages, using the hashtags #SMFC and #Dockerty Cup.

Heidelberg United – Road to the Dockerty Cup Semi Final
Round 4 (Saturday 14 March): 7-0 v Truganina Hornets (Arndell Park Reserve)
Round 5 (Wednesday 22 April): 5-2 v Langwarrin (George Andrews Reserve)
Round 6 (Friday 5 June): 5-0 v Caulfield United Cobras (Olympic Village)
Round 7 (Tuesday 23 June): 5-1 v Goulburn Valley Suns (Olympic Village)

South Melbourne FC – Road to the Dockerty Cup Semi Final
Round 4 (Saturday 14 March): 5-0 v Whittlesea United (Thomas Street Reserve)
Round 5 (Wednesday 15 April): 8-0 v North Sunshine Eagles (Lakeside Stadium)
Round 6 (Friday 5 June): 3-1 v Melbourne Knights (Lakeside Stadium)
Round 7 (Wednesday 17 June): 6-1 v Frankston Pines (Lakeside Stadium)

A winner deep into injury time from Milos Lujic has seen South Melbourne FC triumph 3-2 in an epic mid-week clash against Green Gully at Lakeside Stadium on Tuesday night.

Lujic’s goal, combined with David Stirton’s stunning first half brace, gave South its first win in three outings, following home defeats to Bentleigh and Heidelberg over the past fortnight. The victory moves the defending PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria Champions to just a point behind League leaders Bentleigh.

Stirton opened the scoring after eleven minutes with a smart finish from a sensational team move. He swivelled in the box then hit a well-placed shot past Rani Dowisha for his first League goal since 12 May.

South were wary of the attacking threat posed by the visitors, following Gully producing one of the upsets of the season to defeat the Bentleigh Greens 4-0 last Saturday. Former Oakleigh striker Liam Boland pounced on a cross from Matthew Breeze to put the ball past Nikola Roganovic to level the scores after twenty minutes at Lakeside Stadium.

Stirton restored the home side’s lead just a couple of minutes later with one of the goals of the season. After taking a corner that was cleared straight back to him, Stirton launched a powerful and unexpected strike on the half volley from an acute angle that crossed the line despite Dowisha’s desperate attempts to clear the ball.

Gully levelled the scores early into the second half when Evan Christodoulou raced onto a through ball before striking the ball across Roganovic and into the bottom corner of the net.

The match was an open affair and another goal always looked likely, with Gully appearing the more probable to win the match with dangerous counter-attacking.

With the match into a second minute of second half injury time, Leigh Minopoulos slipped the ball through for Lujic to find the back of the net and send the crowd at Lakeside Stadium into raptures. The goal was no more than Lujic deserved, after the big man had competed ferociously throughout the night. It was his thirteenth League goal in 2015 and his eighteenth goal across all competitions this season.

There were similar dramatic scenes in the Under 20s, as South Melbourne came from 0-3 down to win 4-3 thanks to a last minute winning goal. South’s goal scorers were (in order) Simon Sesay, Giuseppe Marafioti (penalty), Gerry Kavadas and Nashir Hussainy.

South Melbourne FC’s next match is the original Melbourne derby against the Melbourne Knights at Knights Stadium this Sunday 12 July. Kick-off is at 3pm.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 3-2 GREEN GULLY (HT: 2-1)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: David Stirton (11’)
1-1: Liam Boland (20’)
2-1: David Stirton (22’)
2-2: Evan Christodoulou (49’)
3-2: Milos Lujic (90+2’)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 8. Mathew THEODORE (16. Andy BEVIN 77’), 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. David STIRTON (23. Andy KECOJEVIC 68’), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 14. Chris IRWIN, 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS, 77. Steve HATZIKOSTAS (21. Jake BARKER-DAISH 77’).

Unused Subs: 6. Tom LAKIC, 22. Fraser MacLAREN (GK).
Yellow Cards: Norton 44’, Jawadi 50’, Mala 65’, Irwin 84’.

Green Gully:
23. Rani DOWISHA (GK), 2. Mathew REID, 4. Daniel JONES, 5. Rodrigo VARGAS (C), 9. Evan CHRISTODOULOU, 10. Rinor MURIQI (16. Simon TOLLI 39’), 11. Matthew BREEZE, 17. Alon BLUMGART, 20. Hakeem ALORAIBI, 21. Luc JEGGO (7. Liam SCOTT 59’), 38. Liam BOLAND.

Unused subs: 3. Aaron COHEN, 8. Tomas MURPHY, 12. Mitchell TRAJCEVSKI.
Yellow card(s): Jones 11’, Reid 29’, Christodoulou 47’, Scott 78’, Vargas 90’.

SMFC FIX Hellas Beer Man of the Match: David Stirton
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Tuesday 7 July 2015

South Melbourne FC is aiming to snap a two-game losing streak when it hosts Green Gully in PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria action at Lakeside Stadium tonight.

Chris Taylor’s men have suffered consecutive home losses in the past two weeks, firstly to ladder leaders Bentleigh Greens 0-1 on 28 June and then last Friday night’s 1-2 derby loss against Heidelberg United.

Taylor was forced to field a makeshift starting eleven in South’s two defeats due to injuries, suspensions and the unavailability of a number of players.

Left-back Brad Norton returns to the starting eleven for tonight’s match after serving a one game suspension, whilst midfielder Mathew Theodore will also be available for selection after being substituted in the Bentleigh game following concussion and then missing the Heidelberg match.

Star winger Nick Epifano may miss tonight’s match due to a hamstring issue, whilst centre-half Luke Adams is still away on international duty with New Zealand.

Green Gully is currently in eighth position on the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder and come into tonight’s match in sensational form by having won their last three games. They produced one of the results of the season on Saturday when they smashed League leaders Bentleigh 4-0 and subsequently handed the Greens their first League loss in 2015.

Liam Boland scored a brace against Bentleigh and has impressed since joining from Oakleigh during the mid-season transfer window. Fellow Cannons recruit Evan Christodoulou also got on the scoresheet against Bentleigh and will provide a stern test for South’s central midfielders tonight.

Milos Lujic was one of South’s best in the Heidelberg match last Friday night. He scored a trademark header to take his personal goal-scoring tally to 17 goals across all competitions in 2015. The big striker’s impact will again be vital if South are to take all three points against Green Gully in what is a must-win game tonight.

In the earlier meeting between the two sides this year at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday 4 April, two late goals from Lujic (75’, 90+4’) secured a 0-2 victory for South. In the corresponding meeting last year at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 6 July 2014, Theodore’s headed goal after 12 minutes secured a 1-0 home win for South.

Tonight’s clash between South Melbourne FC and Green Gully kicks off at 8:15pm at Lakeside Stadium. Those unable to make the match can follow proceedings on the club’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, using the handles #SMFC and #PS4NPLVIC.

Dan Heffernan’s goal in the third minute of second half injury time won Heidelberg United the derby against South Melbourne FC at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night.

Heffernan had also scored in the first half, whilst Milos Lujic got on the scoresheet in a thrilling but ultimately disappointing match for South that ended 1-2 to the visiting Bergers side.

Chris Taylor was forced to name a makeshift back four, with vice captain Brad Norton (suspension) and Luke Adams (international duty) both unavailable. Nick Epifano (hamstring) and Mathew Theodore (concussion) were also unavailable, with Taylor handing starts to Stephen Hatzikostas in midfield and Chris Irwin in the unfamiliar position of left back.

Heffernan’s opening goal arrived after seventeen minutes, when the forward headed Kaine Sheppard’s cross over South goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic and into the back of the net. Heidelberg were the deserved leaders at that point in the game, with Rueben Way and Sheppard going close on several occasions in the first twenty minutes.

In an open half of football, South had several chances to score but lacked a precise final ball. On the stroke of half time, the home side received a free kick on the edge of the area after a foul on David Stirton. Jake Barker-Daish’s well-flighted free kick found Milos Lujic, who scored with a trademark diving header into the bottom right hand corner that gave Bergers keeper Griffin McMaster no chance.

The second half was much the same as the first in terms of an open midfield and end-to-end play that characterised the night.

Andy Kecojevic went agonisingly close from two free kicks in the space of five minutes, with the first one seeing his goal-bound shot saved brilliantly by McMaster, before his second free kick hit the post from a near-identical position.

Heidelberg substitute Kenny Athieu might have thought he had scored after 84 minutes, however Tim Mala dramatically cleared his header off the goal line.

With the match into second half injury time, Heffernan finished off a swift counter-attack move from the Bergers and a depleted South side suffered its second straight defeat at home.

In the Under 20s match, South Melbourne and Heidelberg United played out a 0-0 draw.

South only have a few days to regroup before facing Green Gully at Lakeside Stadium on Tuesday night. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:15pm.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-2 HEIDELBERG UTD (HT: 1-1)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Dan Heffernan (18’)
1-1: Milos Lujic (44’)
1-2: Dan Heffernan (90+3’)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 6. Tom LAKIC, 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. David STIRTON (20. Nick MORTON 80’), 11. Iqi JAWADI, 14. Chris IRWIN, 21. Jake BARKER-DAISH, 23. Andy KECOJEVIC (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 63’) 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS (16. Andy BEVIN 77’)

Unused Subs: 19. Massimo PESCE, 22. Fraser MacLAREN.

Heidelberg United:
23. Griffin McMASTER (GK), 2. Jamie CUMMING, 7. Rueben WAY, 9. Kosta KANAKARIS (12. Kenny ATHIEU 76’), 10. Jack PETRIE, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Dan HEFFERNAN, 17. Steven PACE, 20. Nejc KOLMAN, 21. Andreas GOVAS (3. Les DOUMBALIS 2′), 22. Kaine SHEPPARD (5. Daniel VASILEVSKI 83’).

Unused Subs: 1. Jason KOUTSODONTIS, 24. Andrew CARTANOS.

SMFC FIX Hellas Beer Man of the Match: Iqi Jawadi
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 3 July 2015

South Melbourne FC’s huge month of football continues tonight when Chris Taylor’s men host traditional rivals Heidelberg United at Lakeside Stadium in round 19 PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria action.

South will be looking to bounce back against their old foes following the disappointing 0-1 home defeat to the Bentleigh Greens last Sunday, its first home loss in the League in nearly two years.

Tonight’s meeting against Heidelberg is another top of the table blockbuster, with South currently sitting second on the NPL Victoria ladder on 42 points, two points ahead of third-placed Heidelberg.

Star winger Nick Epifano will again be missing, as will defender Luke Adams who is still on international duty with New Zealand. Mathew Theodore suffered a concussion in the first half of the Bentleigh game last Sunday and is considered a 50/50 chance to take his place in the starting line-up tonight.

One bright note from last Sunday’s defeat was the return of midfield enforcer Stephen Hatzikostas from a long-term injury layoff. Hatzikostas came off the bench to play the final ten minutes of the Bentleigh match and will be in consideration for selection tonight.

Heidelberg was on top of the League standings at one point during June but has stumbled slightly in the last fortnight. Bentleigh defeated them 4-0 at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Friday 19 June, before the Bergers conceded an equalising goal in the third minute of second half injury time to draw 1-1 draw against Avondale FC at the Olympic Village last Sunday.

George Katsakis’ men still possess a number of dangerous options in attack, including the likes of Dan Heffernan and Kaine Sheppard, though it remains to be seen if either will play tonight due to recent injuries. Sheppard scored the equalising goal in the second half in the 1-1 draw between Heidelberg and South Melbourne at the Olympic Village earlier this year on Sunday 29 March after Milos Lujic opened the scoring in the first half.

South Melbourne and Heidelberg have been rivals since their very first League meeting on 30 March 1964. In 79 League meetings, South Melbourne has won 40 games, Heidelberg has won 20 games and there have been 19 draws. South’s best win was 5-0 at Middle Park on 17 November 1991, with Heidelberg’s best win being 5-2 at Middle Park on 4 July 1977.

In the corresponding fixture played on Sunday 22 June 2014, South Melbourne smashed Heidelberg 3-0 at Lakeside Stadium.

South has a fixture congestion during July. Following tonight’s game, South has League matches against Green Gully (home, 7 July), Melbourne Knights (away, 12 July), Hume City (home, 19 July) and Pascoe Vale (away, 25 July). Sandwiched in between them is the Dockerty Cup semi final meeting against Heidelberg (15 July at Jack Edwards Reserve), as well as the possibility of playing Palm Beach SC in the Westfield FFA Cup on the Gold Coast on either 28 or 29 July.

Tonight’s clash between South Melbourne FC and Heidelberg United kicks off at 8:30pm at Lakeside Stadium. Those unable to make the match can follow proceedings on the club’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, using the handles #SMFC and #PS4NPLVIC.