Category: News

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC won its fourth straight National Premier League Victoria match with a hard-fought 2-0 victory against Hume City at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Following a 0-0 stalemate at halftime, Hume defender Izzy Erdogan’s own goal after 54 minutes and Nick Epifano’s emphatic finish after 68 minutes proved to be the difference as South maintained its six point lead over the Oakleigh Cannons at the top of the NPL ladder.

Chris Taylor’s side went into the match with a slender three point lead at the top of the NPL ladder following Oakleigh’s 1-5 victory against Green Gully on the Saturday and needed the three points against Hume for breathing space at the top of the table. However the first half was a rather dull affair, with neither side really stamping their authority on the match. Hume suffered a big loss when captain Shane Rexhepi hobbled off with a knee injury after only 17 minutes, making the task an even harder one for their coach Lou Acevski. South’s best chances in the half came from a fierce Epifano shot from distance that just flew over Chris Oldfield’s crossbar and when an unmarked Jamie Reed failed to properly control the ball at the back post, allowing for Oldfield to save. Hume hit the post twice in the first half, firstly from Erdogan and secondly from John Sapazovski.

Both sides showed more intent in the second half and luckily for South they got the breakthrough goal shortly before the hour mark when Erdogan deflected Epifano’s low cross from the right past Oldfield and into the back of the net. Hume nearly levelled on the hour mark when Christopher Cristaldo’s effort hit the crossbar and stayed out, making it the third time in the match that the away side had hit the woodwork. Unfortunately for Hume, those missed chances came back to haunt them when in the move of the match, Iqi Jawadi played a nice one-two before cutting the ball back from the left side for an unmarked Epifano to steer the ball into the back of the net from inside the penalty area. The final result confirmed South goalkeeper Jason Saldaris’ tenth clean sheet in 17 League matches and his twelfth clean sheet in the 20 League and Cup matches he has played in 2014.

Post-match, Taylor noted how his side lacked fluency in the first half but won the game due to “a couple of pieces of individual brilliance.” Right-back Tim Mala was pleased with the result and added ahead of next weekend’s derby against the Melbourne Knights that “we all need to be ready for that one… it’s a very important game.”

There was further good news in the NPL 20s as South Melbourne smashed Hume City 5-0, with the goal scorers being Eric Hauser (2), Josh Markovski, Alex Sporea and Josh Meaker.

South Melbourne FC’s next match is a huge derby meeting with the Melbourne Knights at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 20 July, with kick-off at 5PM.

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

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Own Goal (54′)
2-0: Nick Epifano (68′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 7. Nick EPIFANO (11. Brad NORTON 79′), 8. Mathew THEODORE (10. Tyson HOLMES 76′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 14. James MUSA, 17. Jamie REED, 25. Shaun TIMMINS, 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

Hume City:
1. Chris OLDFIELD (GK), 4. Izzy ERDOGAN, 13. Shane REXHEPI (43. Nikos JACKSON-TSEREXIDIS 17′), 8. Adel FESSEHA (9. Anthony PROIA 72′), 10. Richie CARDOZO, 14. Baki EFE, 17. Aaron TURNER, 18. John STOCJEVSKI (Adrian ROGLIS 72′), 23. Christopher CRISTALDO, 24. Jeremy WALKER, 44. John SAPAZOVSKI.

SMFC Man of the Match: Nick Epifano
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 13 July 2014

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC will be aiming for a fourth straight National Premier League Victoria win when it hosts Hume City at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. With ten matches to go in the NPL season, victory for Chris Taylor’s side will at the very least maintain a six point cushion at the top of the NPL ladder ahead of the Oakleigh Cannons.

South goes into the game having defeated Green Gully 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium last Sunday evening thanks to a headed goal by Mathew Theodore in the 12th minute. Hume City also head into the game in winning form, having defeated Dandenong Thunder 1-0 at Broadmeadows Valley Park last Sunday afternoon. It was Hume’s second win in succession and lifted them to fifth place on the NPL ladder.

Nick Epifano rolled his ankle against Green Gully last Sunday but should be available to play on Sunday. Apart from the absences of Dimi Tsiaras and Leigh Minopoulos (both overseas), Taylor has almost a full squad to choose from for the Hume match. Taylor noted post-match last Sunday that he was going to start rotating his squad around more, which may give the likes of Andrew Mullett, Kobbie Boahene and Dion Kirk the opportunity to play. Goalkeeper Jason Saldaris has enjoyed eleven clean sheets in the 19 matches he has played so far this season and will be hoping for another one on Sunday evening.

In the meeting between the two sides earlier this season on Sunday 13 April at Broadmeadows Valley Park, second half goals from Epifano (60’, 75’) and Milos Lujic (78’) gave South Melbourne a commanding 0-3 win. In the corresponding match between the two sides at Lakeside Stadium last season (Sunday 11 August 2013), South smashed Hume City 6-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Luke Hopper (62’, 85’, 88’), a double from Trent Rixon (34’, 45+1’) and a ripping free kick from Nick Soolsma (89’).

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 #SMvHC.

By Skip Fulton

A goal to Timothy Liokos on the back of a defensive error put South Melbourne U16s in front however missed opportunities meant the team was unable to get the win after Box Hill equalised.

A blustery Albert Park was the venue for the round thirteen match-up between South Melbourne FC and Box Hill United in the NPL U16 East league.

South started the match with positive attacking play through the midfield and had the majority of possession as Box Hill took some time to get into the game.

An attacking move down the right side bought Box Hill goal keeper off his line rushing out to the edge of the area. An error meant the ball wasn’t gathered allowing South to keep possession. A pass was centred to the top of the box where Timothy Liokos was on the end of it. A right foot strike easily found the back of the net in the twenty eighth minute.

The encouraging start and goal was quickly countered by an improving Box Hill and they equalised just three minutes later.

South set about trying to re-establish the lead and in the remainder of the half controlled possession and several times play went into the final third without reward.

Seven minutes after the break South were presented with another opportunity to hit the front. A careless Box Hill challenge inside the area resulted in the whistle going and the referee pointing to the spot. Unfortunately the strike went over the crossbar for a goal kick.

Both teams continued to push for the winning goal until the final whistle. South goal keeper Nicholas Moraitis made a number of great saves include one from a superb Box Hill strike which was just tipped over the crossbar.

The final result was a 1-1 draw leaving the team in fourth on the ladder three points behind Heidelberg United.

South Melbourne U16s coach Davide Bertamini spoke to smfc.com.au after the match saying “the first half was very convincing after a few weeks where we struggled a bit with playing good football. We missed a penalty and a few chances in the second half, that’s football its part of the game.”

Looking at the positives that could be taken away from the game, Bertamini indicated his highlights were “the playing from the back in the first twenty minutes and the organisation that we applied today was very good.”

The ongoing process of South Melbourne developing its teams and players continues all the way through the season right to the end. Bertamini has a number of areas of to consider but he was very clear on one. “Well definitely we missed too many chances. Not just the penalty, it is only one small episode in a game but the fact we create every game seven, eight, ten chances and we convert only a few is the aspect we should work on. We got away with one point today it’s a bit disappointing.”

Match photos: http://on.fb.me/1mLfLbL

Other SMFC Youth Results
U12s lost 0:2
U13s lost 0:4
U14s won 3:0, goals: Tristan Meaker x2 and Matthew Loutrakis
U15s drew 1:1, goal: George Kalas
U18s lost1:3, goal: Nasir Hussaini

South Melbourne FC Youth teams play in the penultimate round of the season this weekend against Dandenong City away at the Frank Holohan Soccer Complex in Dandenong.

By Skip Fulton

A South Melbourne FC own goal in the eighty fifth minute gave Green Gully the win in NPL U20s this Sunday at Albert Park. The move from Lakeside and good conditions provided an opportunity for the team to use their strong possession and passing game but were unable to capitalise beyond Eric Hauser’s early goal.

The starting lineup had two changes to that which drew 1-1 with Port Melbourne last week at Lakeside Stadium. Alexandru Sporea and last weeks goal scorer Stefan Zinni made way for Juan Igic and Massimo Pesce.

South got off to a flyer in the early minutes with Ryan Barbare setting up attacking play in the midfield. Barbare’s through ball released Joshua Markovski who made a blistering run down the right wing only to find himself with a single defender to beat but running out of room. Somehow Markovski found space just a few feet from the byline and cut the ball back to the top of the area. Eric Hauser pounced and a superb strike made it past three defenders and the goal keeper into the back of the net.

Green Gully lifted the tempo and started to push forward aggressively in attack. They found their opportunity through an unfortunate outlet when in the twenty ninth minute South Melbourne were adjudged to have handled the ball in the area sending the green team to the penalty spot. Daniel Trajkocki stepped up to the mark and in confident and clinical fashion put a powerful strike into the bottom right corner.

Play oscillated through the midfield for the balance of the half with sporadic attacks including a solid move by Andy Kecojevic down the left. A minute before the break Dion Paola took the liberty of getting the ball past the goal keeper into the net only for his celebration to be met by a raised offside flag.

Sammy Kagioglou came on at half-time and Green Gully also made a substitute with a change in goal keeper. Neither team were able to gain the ascendency in the second half. A number of opportunities presented at both ends of the pitch as the pace slowed and space became more available. The addition of Angel Taravillo and Jordan Moncrieff added some fresh legs for the home team but wayward finishing up front and desperate defending from Green Gully prevented the winning goal.

Disappointingly for the team they were to score in the eighty fifth minute however it was at the wrong end of the field. The own goal five minutes from time would be all that separated the two teams in a match which would be otherwise be characterised as being a well-structured effort with solid team work albeit unable to put away the attacking moves.

After the match, Joshua Markovski spoke to smfc.com.au reflecting on the match, “we played well, but we just couldn’t convert. We were just unlucky with the two goals we copped.”

Looking at the positives from the match, “we definitely played well as a team, especially being on this field we train on every day. We were pressing more, not holding back as much. Just unlucky with the result.” Markovski was very clear on the focus for the weeks ahead “personally goals, but definitely wins for the team”.

South Melbourne sit in tenth on the ladder in a precarious position surrounded by four other teams with just two points separating them all. The coming rounds present opportunities to consolidate on field teamwork and look to convert the attacking style of play South Melbourne is renowned for into goals.

Next week the team is in action again at Albert Park when they welcome Hume City who defeated Dandenong Thunder 3-2 at home this round.

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

Goal Scorers:
1-0 Eric Hauser (7’), 1-1 Daniel Trajkocki (30’ pen), 1-2 Ioannis Avramidis (85’ OG)

South Melbourne FC:
Jason Giccominato (GK), Ryan Babare, Andy Kecojevic, Peter Constantinou, Timothy Kakoliris (Jordan Moncrieff 77’), Dion Paola, Ioannis Avramidis, Eric Hauser, Juan Igic (Angel Taravilio 69’), Massimo Pesce (Sam Kagioglou 45’), Joshua Markovski

Green Gully:
Akim Abdul (GK) (Dilen Ibrahuim 45’), Kieren Farrugia, Ari Battistella, Jake Kremers, Zac Balabouron (Peter Younan 75’), Daniel Trajkoski, Cody Nagy (Oliver Goodwin 81’), Oman Abdigafar (Muhammed Uzumcu 72’), Peter Modafferi, Baran Kockaya (Anthony Marafioti 56’), Habib Fleifec

SMFC Man of the Match: Juan Igic
Venue: Albert Park
Date: Sunday 6 June 2014

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC recorded its third straight National Premier League Victoria win in succession when it defeated Green Gully 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Mathew Theodore’s first half header proved to be the difference between the two sides as South managed to record a third straight win against Green Gully and at the same time maintain its six point lead over the Oakleigh Cannons at the top of the NPL Victoria ladder.

The home side scored the winning goal after 12 minutes, when an inspired Jamie Reed did very well to get past his marker on the right side of the box before delivering an inch-perfect cross for Theodore to head past Gully goalkeeper Kieran Gonzalez. It was Theodore’s fifth goal of the season in what has been an excellent 2014 so far for the midfielder. Green Gully almost levelled straight from the resulting kick-off, firstly from a blocked Osagie Ederaro shot and secondly from Mathew Sanders, however luckily for the South its right back Tim Mala was on the goal line to clear Sanders’ shot. Sanders had another chance to level for the away side but South goalkeeper Jason Saldaris was on hand to make the save.

South should have wrapped the match up in the first five minutes of the second half, when centre-forward Milos Lujic found himself completely unmarked in the six-yard box but headed the ball over Gonzalez’s crossbar. He then turned provider, putting in a dangerous low cross to the back post for an incoming Reed to somehow steer the ball wide of the goal. Green Gully enjoyed a large period of possession in the second half and with that had a series of half-chances but the South defence managed to stand firm, allowing Saldaris to claim his eleventh clean sheet of the season.

Post-match, South Coach Chris Taylor said that it had been a scrappy match “but we defended well, so that’s very pleasing.” On the amount of excellent chances missed by his team, he admitted that “we made it hard for ourselves but the pleasing thing was to get the three points.” Captain Michael Eagar added that “looking ahead to the next two weeks we have a couple of tough home fixtures against Hume City and the Melbourne Knights, so it was very important to win against Gully here and set ourselves up for a big fortnight.”

The news was not so good in the NPL 20s, as Green Gully came from a goal down to defeat South Melbourne 1-2. Eric Hauser scored South’s only goal.

South Melbourne FC’s next match is against Hume City at Lakeside Stadium next Sunday 13 July, kick-off at 5PM.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-0 GREEN GULLY (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorer:
1-0: Mathew Theodore (12′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 7. Nick EPIFANO (10. Tyson HOLMES 26′), 8. Mathew THEODORE (11. Brad NORTON 64′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 12. Iqi JAWADI (15. Kobbie BOAHENE 90+3′), 14.
James MUSA, 17. Jamie REED, 25. Shaun TIMMINS, 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

Green Gully:
1. Kieran GONZALEZ (GK), 2. Daniel JONES, 4. Mathew REID, 5. Roddy VARGAS, 7. Jeffrey FLEMING, 8. Jason HAYNE, 10. Ratip CILELI (11. Jem BERKANT), 12. Mathew SANDERS, 16. Thomas DENG (9. Brent FISHER), 17. Andy VARGAS, 20. Osagie EDERARO.

SMFC Man of the Match: Jamie Reed
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 6 July 2014

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC hosts Green Gully at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening in what will no doubt be another tough match for the home side. South’s inconsistent form in June, coupled with Gully’s now traditional mid-season run of winning form and their good record against South at Lakeside Stadium, makes Sunday’s game a very difficult one for Chris Taylor’s men.

South goes into the game having won two National Premier League Victoria matches in succession, with the 3-0 win against Heidelberg on Sunday 22 June followed up with a 2-1 win against Port Melbourne last Sunday 29 June (both games at Lakeside Stadium). South extended its lead at the top of the NPL Victoria ladder to six points ahead of the second-placed Oakleigh Cannons and at this present time will be confirmed as League Champions should they win ten of their last eleven matches. However, there is still a long way to go yet in the season and the first hurdle to overcome will be a Green Gully side that has enjoyed a good run of form in recent weeks. After losing four of their opening fives League matches in 2014, Gully has begun their now traditional mid-season revival and have picked up four wins and a draw from their last six matches. This has elevated them to equal fifth spot on the NPL Victoria ladder with 22 points, though they still trail South by a whopping 18 points.

The two sides met earlier this season at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday 5 April. On that day, South raced to a 0-4 lead in the opening half hour before a ten-men Green Gully (who had their goalkeeper Kieran Gonzalez sent off early in the second half) pulled the score back to 3-4. Luckily for South, substitute Leigh Minopoulos scored deep into injury time to confirm the three points and a 3-5 win. In their last meeting at Lakeside Stadium (Sunday 29 September 2013), Tyson Holmes’ 91st minute winning goal saw South overcome Gully 1-0 in the Elimination Final amid wild celebrations from the South supporters. In the ten League meetings between the two sides at Lakeside Stadium, both South and Gully have won four games each, with the other two games ending in draws. These previous results show how tough Gully are to defeat and how South needs to be very sharp on Sunday if they are to overcome them.

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 #SMvGG.

Last time we met

South Melbourne FC and BenQ Australia are excited to team up to offer its corporate partners and fans an exceptional promotion, including the opportunity to win cash prizes!

As part of BenQ’s FIFA World Cup promotion, South Melbourne supporters who purchase any BenQ W Series Projector until13th July 2014 will go into the draw to win one of five $1,000 cash prizes. 

In addition to the FIFA World Cup promotion, BenQ Australia is offering an exclusive offer to all South Melbourne fans. Simply by clicking here, South Melbourne corporate partners and supporters will be able to save big on purchasing the following BenQ W Series projectors:

W1300 Projector – $1,399 (saving of $399)
W7500 Projector – $2,999 (saving of $599)

As an added bonus, both projectors will come with a FREE 100-inch screen!

To redeem this exceptional promotion, please enter the following voucher codes:

W1300 Discount Voucher Code: SMFCW1300
W7500 Discount Voucher Code: SMFCW7500

Please ensure you quote the above voucher codes to take advantage of this exciting promotion.

South Melbourne FC would like to advise that due to the heavy rain in Melbourne over the past few weeks, the next two Under 20’s matches have been moved to Field 18 and 19 in Albert Park.

The match details will now be as follows:

SMFC Under 20 vs Green Gully Under 20
Sunday July 6th
Albert Park Field 19
Kick-off: 2.45pm

SMFC Under 20 vs Hume City Under 20
Sunday July 13th
Albert Park Field 18
Kick-off: 2.45pm

U12s lost 1:4
Goal: Dusan Pavlovic

U13s won 2:1
Goals: Alan Fogel and Hayden Korn

U14s won 2:1
Goals: Keegan Garrow and Tristan Meaker

U15s won 1:0
Goal: Julian Zinni

U16s lost 1:4
Goal: Tom Baker

U18s won 3:1
Goal: Edwin Stangherlin and Kalebh Horrocks

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC extended its lead at the top of the National Premier League Victoria competition with a comfortable 2-1 victory against Port Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. South’s win, coupled with Oakleigh’s 1-1 draw against Heidelberg last night, gives Chris Taylor’s side a six point lead at the top of the NPL Victoria ladder with 11 League matches remaining.

Following the disappointing Dockerty Cup loss against the Melbourne Knights midweek, South were keen on winning the Port Melbourne game in order to officially move on from its exit in the Cup. Taylor made three changes from the Knights game as he started with Jamie Reed (for Leigh Minopoulos), Stephen Hatzikostas (for Tyson Holmes) and new left-back signing Shaun Timmins (for Brad Norton) as the other three players took up a spot next to Dimi Tsiaras and Chris Maynard on the substitutes’ bench.

After a slow start to the match, Port Melbourne took the lead when a stray square pass by the South defence was intercepted by the away side and the ball was played through for Zois Galanopoulos to slot past the advancing Jason Saldaris and into the back of the net. South levelled only minutes later when Tim Mala played the ball to Reed on the right side of the penalty area and the striker cut the ball back for centre-forward Milos Lujic to tuck past Stjepan Gal and into the back of the net. From there, South took control of the game and were awarded a spot kick less than five minutes from the halftime break when Iqi Jawadi was brought down in the area by Stefan Nigro after
taking on and beating the defender for pace. Reed was under a great deal of pressure to score the spot kick after his penalty was saved against Goulburn Valley two weeks ago and he coolly stepped up and blasted the ball past Gal to complete the scoring on the night.

South were dominant in the second half but could not score another goal to wrap up the three points, thanks to both wayward finishing and excellent saves by Gal. Nevertheless, the job had been done in the opening half and the South defence were minimally troubled as the home side confirmed its second League win in a row. Taylor was relieved post-match and thought his side thoroughly deserved the three points. “Wednesday night was very disappointing, however it was good to bounce back with a win tonight and put that Cup game behind us. We can now focus on the League and making sure we stay at the top of the ladder come the end of the season.” With regards to his new signings and rotating his squad, Taylor added that “now is the time of the season to start rotating the squad a bit more, we have brought in some new guys (Hatzikostas and Timmins) who both played well, which is good because it keeps everyone else on their toes.”

In the NPL 20s match, South Melbourne and Port Melbourne played out a 1-1 draw, with Stefan Zinni the goal scorer for South.

South’s next match is against Green Gully on Sunday 6 July at Lakeside Stadium. Kick-off is at 5PM.

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

Goal Scorers:

0-1: Zois Galanopoulos (11′)
1-1: Milos Lujic (13′)
2-1: Jamie Reed (41’p)

Key Stats (Provided by Steven Orchard):

Shots: SMFC (14) – PMFC (3)
Turnovers: SMFC (69) – PMFC (77)
Balls into Final Third: SMFC (35) – PMFC (11)
Clearances: SMFC (7) – PMFC (14)

South Melbourne FC:

1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 7. Nick EPIFANO (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 79′), 8. Mathew THEODORE, 9. Milos LUJIC (10. Tyson HOLMES 90′), 12. Iqi JAWADI, 14. James MUSA, 17. Jamie
REED, 25. Shaun TIMMINS (11. Brad NORTON 72′), 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

Port Melbourne:

1. Stjepan GAL (GK), 3. James RICCOBENE, 6. Chris GROSSMAN, 8. Zois GALANOPOULOS (4. Timothy PATON 77’), 9. Nicky MCNAMARA (23. Connor REDDAN 67’), 11. Nicholas KROUSORATIS (19. Anthony Ianchello 90’) 15. Stefan NIGRO, 17. Phillip RICCOBENE, 20. Milos RIDESIC, 26. Lambros HONOS, 27. Andrew MILICEVIC.

SMFC Man of the Match: Jamie Reed
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 29 June 2014