Category: News

By John Kyrou

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By John Kyrou

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By John Kyrou

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By John Kyrou

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

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

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

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

Last time we met

U12s Won 3:1
Goals: Dusan Pavlovic x3

U13s Won 3:1
Goals: Alan Fogel x2, Trifon 1

U14s Won 1:0
Goals: Keegan Garrow

U15s Lost 0:2

U16s Won 5:2
Goals: Tom Baker x2, Gabriel Riven x1, Timothy Liokos x1, Nicholas Deris x1

U18s Won 3:1
Goals: Edwin Strangherlin x3

U20s Won 4:1
Goals: Josh Markovski

Principal Partner McClures Office Supplies would like to provide South Melbourne supporters with a special introductory gift when purchasing stationery and office supplies.

McClures Office Supplies is an Australian-owned company of stationery and office supply products based in Fairfield. As one of Australia’s largest business-to-business office suppliers, McClures Office Supplies with its friendly staff and personalised service, cater for a broad range of customers including small to medium enterprises, educational institutions and personal customers. McClures Office Supplies stocks an extensive range of stationery, technology and furniture, in addition to complete office solutions such as canteen, janitorial and printing services.

McClures Office Supplies offers free delivery to customers on sales above $50, and will try to match or beat any price quoted by another supplier.

As a special introductory offer, the first order placed by any South Melbourne supporter and corporate partner will receive a bonus bottle of wine, or a box of chocolates if their purchase is greater than $100. To receive this gift, all you have to do is quote the below promotional codes:

Red wine – PROMORED
White wine – PROMOWHITE
Chocolates – PROMOCHOC

For further enquiries to take advantage of these great introductory gifts exclusive to South Melbourne fans and corporate partners, please contact Peter McClure on (03) 9486 1994 or sales@mcclures.com.au.

To view the entire range of products and services, please visit the website www.mcclures.com.au.

Please ensure you mention you are a supporter of the Club and provide the promotion code to receive your gift when you spend more than $100 with McClures Office Supplies.

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC continued its record-breaking start to 2014 with a hard-fought 0-1 victory against Werribee City at Galvin Park on Sunday afternoon. Milos Lujic’s injury-time goal in the first half was the difference as Chris Taylor’s side made it ten straight wins from ten National Premier League matches this season.

Taylor made one change from the side that defeated Pascoe Vale 1-0 last Sunday, as Leigh Minopoulos started in place of Nick Epifano. It was Minopoulos’ first start in the League this season and ironically it was against his former club in Werribee, who he helped to gain promotion last season. Andrew Mullett kept his starting spot in the South side following his solid performance against Pascoe Vale, with Captain Michael Eagar joining Epifano on the substitutes’ bench. Brad Norton was for the second week in a row the acting Captain in Eagar’s absence on the field.

The match was a tough and scrappy affair as both sides struggled to create many chances on goal. Werribee almost opened the scoring but the South defence cleared the ball off the line and away from danger. At the other end of the field, South’s forwards were finding chances difficult to come by as the Werribee defence stubbornly kept them at bay. Ryan Filipovic appeared to be the last defender when he brought Lujic down but the centre-back escaped with only a yellow card issued by the referee for his foul. The breakthrough goal arrived just before the halftime break, when Iqi Jawadi’s through-ball for Lujic saw the centre-forward beat the offside trap before slotting the ball under Bees goalkeeper Tom Dunn and into the back of the net.

South defended their lead relatively comfortably in the second half but could not score a second goal to seal the three points. The closest it got was when Lujic beat the defence for pace but had his one-on-one shot blocked well by Dunn. Later in the half, the Bees goalkeeper was nearly embarrassed when he scuffed his clearance while he was off his goal line, however Tyson Holmes’ shot from distance drifted wide of the goal. The match was a real grind but South held its nerve through the five minutes of injury time to seal another important win. South now lead second-placed Oakleigh by nine points on the NPL ladder, with the two sides due to meet each other in the League on Friday 6 June.

Post-match, Taylor reflected on how it was so important for his side to continue to grind out wins, especially with such a busy schedule over the coming weeks. When asked what he wanted over the next couple of weeks in both League and Cup, the answer was simply and bluntly “just to keep winning”.

South’s new NPL 20s coach Sasa Kolman enjoyed a win during his first game in charge, with his side defeating Werribee City 1-4. Josh Markovski scored all four goals for South in what was an excellent individual and team performance.

South Melbourne FC and Dandenong Thunder meet each other twice this coming week in separate competitions. The first meeting between the two sides is in the Sixth Round of the Dockerty Cup on Wednesday night (28 May) at George Andrews Reserve, followed by a League meeting at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening (1 June).

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

Goal Scorer:
0-1: Milos Lujic (45+1′)

Key Stats (Provided by Steven Orchard):
Shots: WCFC (4) – SMFC (9)
Free kicks: WCFC (15) – SMFC (18)
Turnovers: WCFC (73) – SMFC (68)
Balls into final third: WCFC (14) – SMFC (26)

Werribee City:
1. Tommy DUNN (GK), 4. Ryan FILIPOVIC, 6. Anthony RAGUSA, 7. Simon ZAPPIA, 13. Milan SAVIC, 14. Bobby VIDANOSKI, 19. Rob NAUMOSKI (11. Domenico MARAFIATI 76′), 20. Daniel PETROV, 26. Ray MARKLEY (8. Daniel SWEENEY 57′), 33. Josh GROENEWALD (17. Matthew CUNDARI 20′), 43. Steve CUDRIG.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Jason SALDARIS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 3. Andrew MULLETT, 8. Mathew THEODORE (6. Dimi TSIARAS 89′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON (C), 12. Iqi JAWADI (20. Slaven VRANESEVIC 90+3′), 14. James MUSA, 17. Jamie REED, 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS (7. Nick EPIFANO 80′).

SMFC Man of the Match: Iqi Jawadi
Venue: Galvin Park
Date: Sunday 25 May 2014