Category: News

Monday, 7 October 2013 10:46 AM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC is through to the 2013 Victorian Premier League Preliminary Final following the hard-fought 0-1 victory against the Melbourne Knights at Somers Street in the Minor Semi Final on Friday night. Trent Rixon’s goal after 67 minutes was the difference as the crowd of 4750 saw South prevail and the Knights exit the finals series in straight sets.

Both sides came into the match in contrasting form, with the Knights having lost consecutive home matches (2-4 against Oakleigh Cannons on the final day of the regular season and 2-4 against Bentleigh Greens in the Qualifying Final), whilst South had won two in a row (4-0 against Port Melbourne on the final day and 1-0 against Green Gully in the Elimination Final). It was also the first time that the Knights and South had faced each other in a finals match since Sunday 4 May 1997, when South defeated the Knights 3-0 at Lakeside Stadium in the 1996/97 Elimination Final second leg. In the previous week of that finals series, South travelled to Somers Street on Sunday 27 April 1997 and defeated the Knights 1-4 in the first leg.

The first half of Friday night’s game was largely dominated by the Melbourne Knights, as the home side created several chances to score but could not do so. Shayan Alinejad caused South’s defence all sorts of problems on the right side and he almost had an assist when his pinpoint cross was headed over South goalkeeper Peter Gavalas’ crossbar by Andrew Barisic. Alinejad then held the ball up and laid it off for Anthony Colosimo to shoot but Gavalas made an important block at his near post to deny the Knights again. South left-back Alan Kearney then accidently allowed the ball to slip past him, putting Alinejad through on goal, however the South defence recovered and scrambled Alinejad’s shot over the crossbar for a corner. Luke Hopper wasted the away side’s best chance of the half when he turned his defender and fired just wide of Knights goalkeeper Chris May’s far post.

Tim Mala almost gifted the Knights the lead early in the second half when his mis-timed header back to his goalkeeper was intercepted by Barisic, however once again Gavalas denied the Knights by blocking Barisic’s shot to keep the score locked at 0-0. Since arriving at the Club in early July, South coach Chris Taylor had been stressing the importance of clean sheets and Gavalas’ timely saves were able to keep the away side in the match and give it a chance of pinching a goal at the other end to win the game. The away side was slowly getting on top of the Knights in midfield and almost took the lead when Tyson Holmes’ thunderbolt strike from outside the area hit the crossbar, bounced on the line and stayed out, with Rixon unable to put the ball in the back of the net on the follow-up. Rixon did not make the same mistake shortly after when he ghosted in at the back post unmarked to tap Holmes’ cross into the back of the net and give the away side the lead. It was Rixon’s tenth goal of the season and definitely his most important as South now held a slender but crucial lead.

The Knights threw everything at South in the final twenty minutes of the game but could not break through the stubborn and resilient defence expertly led by centre-halves Bryan Bran and Shaun Kelly. Gavalas also stood tall and made sure he held onto the ball after every cross launched into the box by the Knights. The one time his goal was breached was when Barisic headed past him after combining with Tomi Uksok but the goal was disallowed for what appeared to be a clear offside call against Barisic. The final whistle sparked wild celebrations by the 1000+ South fans on the far corner of the terraces opposite the grandstand and many more in the main grandstand. It was a cruel way for the Knights to bow out of the finals and they deserve congratulations for finishing second on the ladder after the regular season, however it was South’s night on Friday night as they beat their old rivals to progress through at the Knights’ expense.

South plays in the VPL Preliminary Final for the first time since 2005 when it faces Northcote City next Sunday 13 October at SS Anderson Reserve. Kick-off is at 3PM.

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

Goal Scorer:
0-1: Trent Rixon (67′)

Melbourne Knights:
Christopher May (GK), Tomislav Uksok, Milan Batur, Sam Torrens (Jacob Colosimo 80′), Andrew Barisic, Ben Surey, James McGarry, William McLachlan, Shayan Alinejad, Marijan Cvitkovic (Adam Zilic 90′), Anthony Colosimo (Christopher Talajic 67′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Bryan BRAN, 5. Nick EPIFANO (12. Rhys MEREDITH 66′), 7. Luke HOPPER, 9. Trent RIXON (C), 10. Tyson HOLMES, 13. Iqi JAWADI, 16. Alan KEARNEY, 17. Nick SOOLSMA, 19. Shaun KELLY

SMFC Man of the Match: Bryan Bran
Venue: Knights Stadium
Date: Friday 4 October 2013

Friday, 4 October 2013 9:03 AM

By John Kyrou

Two giants of Victorian football clash in the Victorian Premier League Minor Semi Final on Friday night when the Melbourne Knights host South Melbourne FC at Knights Stadium. The losing team will be eliminated from the 2013 VPL finals series, whilst the winner will progress to play the loser of Northcote City and Bentleigh Greens in the Preliminary Final next Saturday 12 October.

The Melbourne Knights head into Friday’s game having lost 2-4 against the Bentleigh Greens in the Qualifying Final at Somers Street last Sunday afternoon. It was the second game in a row that the Knights had lost 2-4 at home, having also lost to the Oakleigh Cannons by the same score only a week earlier in the final round of the regular season. In fairness, that match meant very little as the Knights had already secured second spot on the VPL ladder no matter what the result on the day. In contrast to the Knights’ two match losing streak, South goes into the game having won their last two matches, including the last-gasp 1-0 victory against Green Gully in the Elimination Final last Sunday evening. The match looked like heading for extra time after Keiran Gonzalez saved substitute Brad Norton’s 85th minute penalty, however in the 91st minute Nick Soolsma laid the ball off for Tyson Holmes to fire past Gonzalez from outside the area to seal a remarkable victory and spark wild celebrations in the grandstand.

The Knights have had the better of South throughout the 2013 derbies thus far, earning a 2-2 draw at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 16 June before winning 2-1 at Somers Street on Sunday 1 September. Andrew Barisic scored the winning goal for the Knights after 67 minutes in that match and is definitely the key man for South to shut down on Friday night, having scored eight goals in the Knights’ last 10 League matches. South has enjoyed two clean sheets in a row but it will take another big effort from Peter Gavalas and his defence to keep Barisic and his Knights side scoreless. At the other end of the park, Trent Rixon and Luke Hopper have scored a combined 15 League goals between them (Rixon with 9, Hopper with 6) in the second half of the season. Both worked hard against Green Gully last Sunday but could not put away their chances; Friday night presents another opportunity for both of them to start scoring goals again.

Considering the rich histories of both clubs, it is an amazing statistic that this is the first time that both the Knights and South have featured in the same VPL finals series since they both joined the League in 2005. In fact, the last time both clubs featured (but did not play each other) in a finals series was back in the 2001/02 National Soccer League season. It has been over 16 years since the Knights and South actually played each other in a finals match, when South defeated the Knights 3-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 4 May 1997 in the 1996/97 NSL Elimination Final second leg. A week earlier on Sunday 27 April 1997, South travelled to Somers Street for the first leg of the tie and defeated the Knights 1-4. South coach Chris Taylor will be more than delighted if a similar score line is repeated on Friday night.

A possible omen for South is the fact that the last time it won a VPL Championship (2006), it hosted and defeated Green Gully in an Elimination Final at Lakeside Stadium (Friday 1 September 2006) before travelling to Somers Street the following week and winning again (2-1 against Altona Magic on Sunday 10 September 2006). South will be hoping that history can repeat itself once more.

Friday night’s match kicks off at 7:30PM at Knights Stadium. All South fans are strongly encouraged to attend and lend crucial support to the side as it strives to defeat its old rivals and book a place in the 2013 VPL Preliminary Final.

Last time we met

Monday, 30 September 2013 12:23 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC progressed to the Victorian Premier League Minor Semi Final after prevailing 1-0 against Green Gully in the 2013 Elimination Final. Tyson Holmes’ winning goal in second half injury time sparked scenes not witnessed for a long time at Lakeside Stadium with euphoric celebrations in the stands by the 2,773 fans in attendance.

South came into the match having demolished Port Melbourne 0-4 at SS Anderson Reserve on the final day of the regular season to qualify for the finals series. Green Gully also qualified for the finals on the final day thanks to a 3-1 victory against Dandenong Thunder at Green Gully Reserve. The two sides had already met on three occasions throughout 2013 in both League and Cup competitions, with South prevailing 0-3 on the opening day of the League season at Green Gully Reserve (Saturday 6 April) before losing to Gully 1-3 in the return League fixture at Lakeside Stadium (Sunday 7 July) and losing again 0-1 in the Cup Semi Final (Wednesday 21 August) at SS Anderson Reserve.

South had the better of the first half in the Elimination Final but could not finish off the chances it created, with Nick Epifano coming closest to scoring when his shot across goal beat Gully goalkeeper Kieran Gonzalez but not the far post as Gully were let off the hook. The away side had half-chances of their own during the second half but apart from a timely block by South goalkeeper Peter Gavalas, South was mostly untroubled by a Gully side seemingly happy to soak up the pressure and take the game to extra time. Despite Gully’s laid-back approach, history has shown their ability to grind out results in finals matches and although South was on top for the majority of the game, Chris Taylor’s team needed a goal to break Gully’s back. Trent Rixon had an excellent opportunity to do just that from Luke Hopper’s cross but he put his chance wide.

The match was still 0-0 with five minutes remaining and was seemingly heading for extra time until there were shouts for a penalty following a handball in the box by a Green Gully defender. Initially referee Perry Mur did not award the penalty – nor did he see his linesman’s flag raised for a penalty – however, after a lengthy consultation with his linesman he eventually awarded the spot kick. Substitute Brad Norton – who had only come on to the field four minutes earlier – stepped up to take the penalty but his weak shot to Gonzalez’s left was saved by the goalkeeper. It seemed that South had blown their chance to win in regular time but there was one more twist to come as the clock ticked over into the first minute of injury time. Norton and Alan Kearney exchanged passes before the ball was played to Nick Soolsma outside the box. Soolsma looked to shoot before teeing the ball off for Holmes to fire into the bottom corner of the net and send the entire grandstand into raptures as the players and coaching staff celebrated wildly with an ecstatic Holmes.

South had to endure another nervy four minutes of injury time before Perry Mur’s final whistle confirmed a win and a visit to Somers Street this Friday night for a Minor Semi Final date with the Melbourne Knights. It is the first time that both the Melbourne Knights and South have featured in the same finals series since the 2001/02 NSL season and it is the first time that the two rivals of Victorian football have faced each other in a finals match since Sunday 4 May 1997. On that evening at Lakeside Stadium, goals from Michael Curcija (1’, 25’) and Steve Panopoulos (32’) gave South a 3-0 victory in the second leg of the 1996/97 NSL Elimination Final (South won the first leg at Somers Street 1-4 on Sunday 27 April 1997 for a 7-1 aggregate win). Ironically, in South’s last VPL Championship year (2006), it hosted and defeated Green Gully at Lakeside Stadium in the First Elimination Final (Friday 1 September 2006) before travelling to Somers Street the following week and winning again, however that match was played against Altona Magic not the Melbourne Knights.

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

Goal Scorer:
1-0: Tyson Holmes (90+1′)

Key Stats (provided by Steven Orchard):
Shots: South Melbourne (16) – Green Gully (4)
Saves: South Melbourne (2) – Green Gully (6)
Turnovers: South Melbourne (76) – Green Gully (62)
Balls into Area: South Melbourne (40) – Green Gully (32)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Bryan BRAN, 5. Nick EPIFANO (11. Brad NORTON 81′), 7. Luke HOPPER, 9. Trent RIXON (C), 10. Tyson HOLMES, 13. Iqi JAWADI, 16. Alan KEARNEY, 17. Nick SOOLSMA, 19. Shaun KELLY

Green Gully:
Kieran GONZALEZ (GK), Daniel JONES, Shaun TIMMINS, Mitchell BISSINGER, Stephen DOWNES, Jeffrey FLEMING, Jason HAYNE, Brent FISHER (Hamid BASMA 60’), Mathew SANDERS, Sean HARDING, Andy VARGAS

SMFC Man of the Match: Tyson Holmes
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 29 September 2013

Friday, 27 September 2013 10:36 AM

Major Sponsor Star21 swept all before it as it clinched the 2013 SMFC Corporate Cup last weekend.

On a glorious day on Fields 18 and 19 near the Club’s recently opened Junior Pavilion, twelve teams were divided into three groups of four teams. The SMFC Corporate Cup was a seven a side tournament, with the first placed team in each group, plus the best second placed team across the three groups would progress to the semi-final round.

Group 1 consisted of GPZ Legal, MW Group, Global Gypsum, and Hardcore FC. Group 2 was headed by Star21, Commonwealth Bank, Symmetry, and All Stars FC. The third group was comprised of IBM, SMFC Media Team, Vent Air Legends, and K&A Accountants.

At the conclusion of the preliminary matches, the best four teams which qualified for the semi-final round were Star21, IBM, Global Gypsum, and GPZ Legal. In a pulsating and end-to end affair, Star21 did enough to knock off the current holders IBM and claim bragging rights until next year’s competition.

South Melbourne FC would like to congratulate all the participants of the 2013 SMFC Corporate Challenge Cup for making it a fun, enjoyable and successful day.

Friday, 27 September 2013 9:32 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC hosts Green Gully in the 2013 Victorian Premier League Elimination Final at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It is the first time that South has played in the finals series since 2011 and the first time it has hosted a finals match at Lakeside Stadium since 2006. The winner of the match will play the loser of the Melbourne Knights and Bentleigh Greens in the Minor Semi Final next weekend.

Both South and Green Gully won their respective matches on the final day of the regular season last Sunday to secure a finals position. Gully defeated Dandenong Thunder 3-1 at Green Gully Reserve and South put on a commanding display to defeat Port Melbourne 0-4 at SS Anderson Reserve. Tyson Holmes’ header in the first half sent South on their way before a second-half double from Trent Rixon (including a penalty) and a late header from substitute Brad Norton secured the three points for the away side and the right to host the Elimination Final this weekend.

The two sides have met three times already this season across League and Cup competitions and the results have been mixed. South took first honours on the opening day of the VPL season on Saturday 6 April with a 0-3 victory at Green Gully Reserve thanks to goals from Brad Norton, Marinos Gasparis and Renco Van Eeken. Gully returned the favour with a 1-3 victory at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 7 July thanks to goals from Osagie Ederaro, Jason Hayne and Daniel Jones, with Andy Vlahos’ thunderbolt free kick being South’s only goal of the afternoon. The two sides then met in the Semi Finals of the State Knockout Cup on Wednesday 21 August, with Hayne’s second half goal proving to be the difference as Gully won 0-1 before defeating Dandenong Thunder in the Cup Final a few weeks later.

Lakeside Stadium plays host to a South Melbourne FC finals match for the first time since Sunday 24 September 2006, when Gianni De Nittis’ header from Fernando De Moraes’ cross in the 63rd minute proved to be the difference as South beat Altona Magic 1-0 in the VPL Grand Final to secure its eighth Victorian State League championship in front of 5,125 fans. Since that wonderful day, South missed the finals in 2007 and 2008 before losing the 2009 Elimination Final against Hume City at Epping Stadium. South missed the 2010 finals series before it hosted (and defeated) Heidelberg United in the 2011 Elimination Final, however the match was played at SS Anderson Reserve due to Lakeside Stadium being redeveloped at the time.

Ironically, South’s Championship year saw it host Green Gully in the First Elimination Final at Lakeside Stadium on Friday 1 September 2006. Late goals from Fernando De Moraes’ free kick (83’), George Tzirtis (89’) and an Andreas Oliveira penalty (90’) sent South on its way to the Championship. South coach Chris Taylor will be more than delighted with a similar score on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s match kicks off at Lakeside Stadium at 5pm. South fans are reminded that 2013 membership cards cannot be used for entry to the match, with free entry only for those with 2013 FFV Media Passes.

Last time we met

Friday, 27 September 2013 9:14 AM

By Brandon Galgano

On a fine Sunday afternoon for football, South Melbourne’s U18 side was been crowned Victorian state champions following an emphatic 2-1 victory over the Caulfield Cobras.

Under the guidance of former back to back Under 21’s championship winning coach Gus Caminos, South Melbourne went into the match full of confidence following an enthralling penalty shootout victory over Diamond Valley in the Semi Final last weekend.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing early though as Caulfield took the lead after twenty minutes with a superb cut back and finish proving too much for South keeper Jordan Gifkins. South Melbourne rallied late though and equalised right on half time with a superb header from Michael Sdregas making it 1-1. And following a tense second half in which neither side could get a winner the match went into extra time.

In true South fashion though, the boys stepped up a gear and came close to taking the lead ten minutes into extra time with a long range strike hitting both posts before bouncing out. They were not to be denied for long though as Josh Pulvirenti, scorer of the winning penalty a week before against Diamond Valley, slotted home into the bottom corner late in the first half of extra time to make it 2-1 South Melbourne.

And just as it looked like South had the title in the bag a late opportunity opened up for Caulfield but a superb one on one save from Gifkins ensured that South wouldn’t be denied with the final whistle sounding just a few minutes later crowning South Melbourne 2013 Victorian U18 champions.

Coach Gus Caminos was understandably delighted come the final whistle with the former Dandenong Thunder senior assistant having guided the side to victories in the Hellenic Cup, the League and now the State Finals in 2013 alone. Caminos lauded his side following the victory, stating that that this is a team of ‘’talented individuals who have represented South Melbourne FC with pride and honour throughout the whole season’’.

Congratulations to the SMFC U18 squad and their coach Gus Caminos for a sensational 2013 season.

Go South!!

Friday, 27 September 2013 9:10 AM

The 2013 South Melbourne FC Most Valuable Player of the Year Award was held at Principal Partner Beachcomber Cafe shortly after the match against Port Melbourne. Fans, players, and officials mingled and celebrated the Club’s qualification for the finals series.

The MVP Award was voted on by the coaching staff, with awards on a 3-2-1 basis.

Goalkeeper Peter Gavalas was awarded the 2013 Theo Marmaras Medal for Most Value Player of the season. In total, Gavalas made 20 VPL and 2 State Knockout Cup appearances in 2013, with the South custodian making a number of timely saves to keep his team in many matches. Gavalas was gracious in accepting the award, thanking his team mates and former coach Peter Tsolakis.

The Golden Boot Award was won by Trent Rixon with 9 VPL goals who hit a rich vein of form in the second half of the season. Two goals against Port Melbourne in the final match of the home and away season secured Rixon the top goal scorer award at the Club.

The SMFC Media Team Award was presented to Bryan Bran for his formidable presence in the back line, and playing a pivotal role in assisting his team mates in their resurgence in the second half of the season. Accepting the award, Bran mentioned he was shocked and very honoured to have been nominated for the award. He thanked the coaching staff, team mates, and the Media Team for their hard work throughout the season.

South Melbourne FC wishes to congratulate all winners in what was a fantastic evening.

Theo Marmaras Medal (top vote-getters)
17 – Peter Gavalas
14 – Tyson Holmes
14 – Nick Soolsma

Golden Boot Winner
Trent Rixon – 9 goals

SMFC Media Team Award
Bryan Bran

Monday, 23 September 2013 4:29 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC secured its spot in the 2013 Victorian Premier League finals series with a commanding 0-4 victory against Port Melbourne in the final round of the regular season. Tyson Holmes opened the scoring in the first half before a Trent Rixon double and a header from substitute Brad Norton ensured a fourth-placed finish on the VPL ladder and the right to host Green Gully in the elimination final next Sunday evening.

Both sides went into the final day of the season in the top five standings, however with sixth-placed Green Gully expected to beat Dandenong Thunder and climb into the five themselves, it was very likely that this game would be the ‘elimination final before the elimination final’. Port Melbourne had the advantage of just needing to avoid defeat to make the finals whereas South needed the three points to guarantee themselves a top five spot. With Port having defeated South 0-1 at Lakeside Stadium in the reverse fixture earlier in the season on 30 June, South knew that it needed to work hard in order to win the match.

The away side enjoyed large periods of dominance in the first half as they put Port Melbourne on the back foot. South took the lead just after the quarter-hour when Holmes headed Nick Epifano’s cross past Adam Hrehoresin and into the back of the net. With word filtering through that Green Gully had taken the lead against Dandenong, it was becoming more obvious that South needed a second goal in order to give it some breathing space. Peter Gavalas made a vital block from substitute Tim Paton as South held its slender lead at the halftime break, putting it on course for a place in the finals.

As word spread that Gully had doubled their lead early in the second half, Gavalas again made an important save to keep South ahead. Having not kept a clean sheet since the 0-0 draw against Pascoe Vale all the way back on 1 June, South coach Chris Taylor knew it was vital that his side score again. With twenty minutes to go, the all-important second goal arrived when referee Shaun Evans awarded a spot-kick following a Port Melbourne handball in the penalty area. Rixon stepped up and buried his penalty under Hrehoresin to double the away side’s lead and start the celebrations early. Only minutes later Lambros Honos was sent off for Port Melbourne as he kicked out at Rixon as he ran past him, as Port coach Eric Vassiliadis was also sent off from the bench after questioning the decision.

With a two goal lead and an extra man, South turned on the style and blew Port away with two more goals late in the game. Rixon got his second for the afternoon when he tapped home after Hrehoresin could only parry Epifano’s shot into the big centre-forward’s path. Brad Norton replaced Epifano after 86 minutes and it was the substitute who scored the final goal of the day when he flew in at the back post to head Rixon’s perfect cross past Hrehoresin and wrap up the 0-4 score line. The final result not only guaranteed South a finals spot but also secured a fourth-placed finish and the right to host Green Gully in the elimination final at Lakeside Stadium next Sunday 29 September at 5PM.

When asked post-match about whether he believed South could win the Championship from fourth place, Taylor replied “I believe that this team can…I’m very proud of how the boys played today and I think a few teams will fear us in the finals series.” The winner of the elimination final will play the loser of the Melbourne Knights-Bentleigh Greens minor semi-final for a spot in the preliminary final.

It was further good news in the Under-21s as South defeated Port Melbourne 4-1 to end the season on a good note. Baggio Yousif scored twice as the other two goals came from Francis Solano and Jeffrey Salazar.

In the Most Valuable Player night held at Beachcomber Café post-game, the following players were recognised for their fantastic efforts in 2013:

Theo Marmaras Medal: Peter Gavalas (17 votes)
SMFC Media Award: Bryan Bran
Golden Boot Winner: Trent Rixon (9 League goals)

FINAL SCORE: PORT MELBOURNE 0-4 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-1)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Tyson Holmes (16′)
0-2: Trent Rixon (70’pk)
0-3: Trent Rixon (84′)
0-4: Brad Norton (90′)

Port Melbourne:
1. Adam HREHORESIN (GK), 2. Peter ROBERTS (9. Luke BOWEN 65’), 3. Martin MASON, 5. Felix ROSMAN, 6. Chris GROSSMAN, 10. Graham HOCKLESS, 12. Phillip RICCOBENE (4. Tim PATON 22’), 15. Luke PRELEVIC (14. Kamal IBRAHIM 60’), 19. Daniel VISEVIC, 23. Jake NAKIC, 26. Lambros HONOS (sent off 74′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Bryan BRAN, 5. Nick EPIFANO (11. Brad NORTON 86′), 7. Luke HOPPER (12. Rhys MEREDITH 81′), 9. Trent RIXON (C), 10. Tyson HOLMES, 13. Iqi JAWADI, 16. Alan KEARNEY, 17. Nick SOOLSMA (18. Jonathan MUNOZ 90+2′), 19. Shaun KELLY

SMFC Man of the Match: Tyson Holmes
Venue: SS Anderson Reserve
Date: Sunday 22 September 2013

Friday, 20 September 2013 12:57 PM

By John Kyrou

In an amazing week leading into the last round of the 2013 Victorian Premier League season, South Melbourne FC has regained control of its finals destiny and will qualify for the finals series should it defeat Port Melbourne Sharks at SS Anderson Reserve on Sunday afternoon. After believing that it had surrended control of its finals aspirations, a turn of events during the week has now given South a wonderful opportunity to play finals football for the first time since 2011.

South’s heartbreaking 1-1 draw against Northcote City at Lakeside Stadium last Saturday initially meant that its finals destiny was out of its control. Two wins for Green Gully in its final two matches against Oakleigh (which Gully won 2-0 on Wednesday night) and then against Dandenong Thunder on Sunday would have normally ensured Green Gully finals football irrespective of South’s result at Port Melbourne. However, due to the Southern Stars alleged match fixing controversy, Football Federation Victoria declared all Southern Stars matches played in 2013 as a ‘no result’ in the interests of fairness for all other VPL clubs. Whilst both Port Melbourne and Green Gully gained six points against Southern Stars, South only gained four points, meaning that with the revised League ladder South is now only two points behind fourth-placed Port Melbourne and is now level on points with Green Gully and one goal better in goal difference. In short, this means that a victory against Port Melbourne on Sunday WILL qualify South for finals football and may even be enough for it to finish fourth and host the Elimination Final.

South coach Chris Taylor was extremely disappointed with the result last Saturday but the revised ladder will no doubt give him and his side added confidence heading into what essentially will be an ‘elimination final before the elimination final’ should Green Gully gain maximum points against Dandenong. A Gully win will qualify them for the finals series and will mean that South must beat Port Melbourne in order to also make the finals. With all VPL games being played at the same time, there will be some nervous moments throughout the course of the 90 minutes and when the final whistle sounds one of Port Melbourne, South and Green Gully will have just missed out on finals football in 2013. Three points for South will ensure that it will continue playing on for at least another week.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 3PM at SS Anderson Reserve. All South supporters are strongly encouraged to attend and help get their side into the finals in 2013.

POTENTIAL LADDER SCENARIOS:

Current VPL ladder:

4

Port Melbourne Sharks

21

9

5

7

24

24

0

30

5

South Melbourne

21

8

6

7

36

33

3

28

6

Green Gully Cavaliers

21

8

6

7

29

27

2

28

South will finish fourth if:
* It defeats Port Melbourne
* Green Gully does not defeat Dandenong Thunder by at least two goals more than South does over Port Melbourne

South will finish fifth if:
* Both South and Gully win but Gully wins by at least two goals more than South does over Port Melbourne, or
* It draws with Port Melbourne and Green Gully fails to beat Dandenong, or
* It loses to Port Melbourne and Green Gully loses to Dandenong

South will miss the finals if:
* It does not defeat Port Melbourne and Green Gully defeats Dandenong, or
* It loses against Port Melbourne and Green Gully draws against Dandenong

Last time we met

Monday, 16 September 2013 11:17 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC’s finals aspirations suffered a huge blow when it could only draw 1-1 with Victorian Premier League leaders Northcote City at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday night. Captain Brad Norton gifted Evan Kounavelis the opening goal for the away side before Trent Rixon leveled the scores against his former Club.

South came into the game knowing that wins against Northcote and Port Melbourne in its final two VPL fixtures would guarantee it finals football, with any slip-ups allowing Green Gully the chance to jump into the five. Goran Lozanovski’s Northcote arrived at Lakeside Stadium knowing that a win would secure the Minor Premiership with a game to spare.

The away side dominated the first half with excellent free-flowing football and a high pressing game, with Milos Lujic looking extremely dangerous up front. He thought he had opened the scoring when he latched onto a through-ball and scored past the advancing Peter Gavalas, however the linesman flagged late for offside and the goal did not count. The next controversial moment arrived when referee Perry Mur denied South a penalty after Hayden D’Agostino looked to have dragged Luke Hopper down in the penalty area. In an end-to-end encounter, Lujic again came close to scoring but Shaun Kelly saved South’s blushes after clearing Lujic’s goal-bound shot off the line.

South coach Chris Taylor was furious in the second half when Hopper again looked to have been dragged back but once more no free kick was given by referee Mur. Hopper then missed South’s best chance of the match when he toe-poked the ball wide of Chris Petropoulos’ goal following a wonderful cross from the left. Lujic again went close for Northcote with a header that Gavalas tipped onto the crossbar before Michael Eager blasted a shot over his near post. The warning signs were there for South that they needed to be careful with their defending and they ultimately paid the price when Norton’s weak back-pass to Gavalas was intercepted by Kounavelis, who rounded Gavalas before scoring into the empty net to give Northcote the lead and put them on course for the Minor Premiership.

With time running out and their finals aspirations rapidly diminishing, South threw everything at Northcote and almost equalised when Hopper’s effort was cleared off the line and out for a corner. Nick Soolsma’s resultant corner was met at the back post by Rixon, whose header flew past Petropoulos and into the back of the net. Rixon has been in outstanding form, with seven goals in his last seven League matches. Northcote had the chance to win the game in the first minute of injury time but Alex Rojas’ weak free kick was easily saved by Gavalas. South pressed forward in one final attempt to score a dramatic winner but it was not to be, with Soolsma’s header flying over Petropoulos’ crossbar.

South is currently in fifth spot on the VPL ladder and is one point and +2 in goal difference ahead of Green Gully, however Gully has two games to play, the first being away against Oakleigh Cannons on Wednesday night before they host Dandenong Thunder in the final round. For South to qualify for the finals series, it must defeat Port Melbourne at Anderson Reserve next Sunday and hope that Green Gully drops points either against Oakleigh or Dandenong. If Green Gully wins their two remaining games, they will qualify for the finals irrespective of South’s result against Port Melbourne next Sunday.

It was bad news for the Under-21s as South Melbourne FC was defeated by Northcote City 2-0.

In the South Melbourne Legends vs. Victoria Police friendly match played before the Northcote game, both sides drew 2-2 with Mehmet Durakovic and Sam Poutakidis scoring South’s goals.

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

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Evan Kounavelis (75′)
1-1: Trent Rixon (83′)

Key Stats (Provided by Steven Orchard):
Shots: South Melbourne (16) – Northcote (11)
Saves: South Melbourne (6) – Northcote (5)
Turnovers: South Melbourne (87) – Northcote (65)
Balls into Area: South Melbourne (45) – Northcote (27)
Clearances: South Melbourne (10) – Northcote (22)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Bryan BRAN, 5. Nick EPIFANO (12. Rhys MEREDITH 74’), 7. Luke HOPPER, 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON (C) (16. Alan KEARNEY 87’), 13. Iqi JAWADI, 17. Nick SOOLSMA, 19. Shaun KELLY

Northcote City:
22. Chris PETROPOULOS (GK), 2. Adrian CHIAPPETTA, 4. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS, 6. Bonel OBRADOVIC, 9. Milos LUJIC, 10. Alex ROJAS, 12. Hayden D’AGOSTINO, 14. Michael CATALANO (8. James KALIFATIDIS 76′), 17. Marinos GASPARIS (16. Nick TEREZAKIS 87’), 18. Michael EAGER, 20. Evan KOUNAVELIS

SMFC Man of the Match: Bryan Bran
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Saturday 14 September 2013