Category: News

Monday, 6 August 2012 1:54 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC has moved to within a game of the top five following a 2-1 victory against Hume City at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Goals from Steve Burton and Andy Vlahos early in the second half were enough to earn all three points for the home side, who had to survive a late charge by Hume City following Nick Hegarty’s goal for the away side later in the half.

South came into the game on the back of the amazing come-from-behind 3-2 victory against Southern Stars at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex the previous weekend. With Dimi Tsiaras and Shaun Kelly returning to the starting line-up after serving their one-match suspensions against the Stars, the home side were always confident of getting a positive result. This would have to be done without coach Peter Tsolakis, who was serving the first of his two game touchline ban following his send-off from the sidelines in the game against Richmond on Friday 20 July. Assistant coach Joe Montemurro took the reigns in his place and now currently enjoys a 100% winning record for South Melbourne FC.

Hume City went into the game unbeaten in three matches (including two wins) with the most recent result being the 3-1 home win against Heidelberg United at Epping Stadium the previous Friday night. That win lifted Hume into sixth position on the VPL ladder on 24 points (three points ahead of South), making the game all the more interesting for the neutral observer. Hume was also very keen on inflicting revenge on South after it conceded an 87th minute goal against the Blues at Epping Stadium earlier on this year on Friday 11 May to lose 0-1. On that occasion, captain Steven O’Dor was on hand to flick Glen Trifiro’s cross from the left into the goal for all three points. Unfortunately for South’s captain, his hamstring injury forced him to miss out against Hume this time around.

The first half was a dour struggle as both sides battled in the wet and windy conditions. South came close twice through Bradley Norton and Fernando De Moraes, but on both occasions their headers were easy pickings for Hume goalkeeper Chris Oldfield. Hume themselves came close to scoring right on the halftime break when a stinging shot from outside the area zipped just over Peter Gavalas’ crossbar. A halftime downpour from the heavens above suggested an even bigger struggle for ball control in the second half and that perhaps only a single goal would decide this contest, however this was to be proven wrong immediately.

For the second week in a row, South started the second half with all guns blazing and opened the scoring after only 40 seconds. Rhodri Payne managed to break free past a couple of Hume markers down the left side and cut the ball back for Burton to flick past Oldfield for the opening goal. Hume had had barely enough time to wake up when De Moraes won the ball in midfield and flicked over the top for Vlahos to run onto. With Hume’s defenders backing off, Vlahos was allowed time and space to run all the way into the penalty area before curling a shot around his marker and into the bottom right hand corner of Oldfield’s goal. It was Vlahos’ first goal for South in the Victorian Premier League and his 16th career goal at the Club, having scored fifteen times for South in the old National Soccer League.

The home side had a comfortable lead but was unable to find another way through the tough Hume defence led by former South man Steven Pace. The old saying that a two goal lead was the most dangerous in football looked to be applicable to South when Hegarty won the ball on the left and beat three South players before hitting a fierce low shot into Gavalas’ bottom left corner, with the South custodian rooted to the spot. With just under 20 minutes of play to go and with their lead halved, South suddenly were shocked while Hume came out of their shelves in search of an equalising goal. The away side had a couple of half-chances before Gavalas won the match for South with an outstanding one-handed save from Pace’s chested flick of the ball towards goal from a Hume set piece. Three nervous minutes of injury time were played without any more damage on the scoreboard and the final whistle marked South’s second victory in a row and its march up the League table.

South now go into next Sunday’s derby game against the Melbourne Knights in good form and knowing that a victory at Somers Street could put it level on points with fifth-placed Bentleigh Greens should other results go the Club’s way. A win against the Knights will also make it mathematically impossible for South to be relegated as it will leave the Blues a minimum of 13 points clear of Moreland Zebras (currently second-last) with only four matches remaining after that.

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

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Steve Burton (46′)
2-0: Andy Vlahos (49′)
2-1: Nick Hegarty (71′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 5. Phillip PETRESKI, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS (7. Joe KEENAN 77’), 15. Fernando DE MORAES (10. Glen TRIFIRO 82’), 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 19. Shaun KELLY

Hume City:
Chris OLDFIELD (GK), Jarryd BARNES (Ben HARRISON), Isiyan ERDOGAN, Steven PACE, Serdar PIR, Jose GUERRERO (Richard CARDOZO), Nick HEGARTY, Zoran PETREVSKI, Phillip RICCOBENE, Howard FONDYKE (Ryan BALDACHINO), Mark LEECH

SMFC Man of the Match: Steve Burton
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 5 August 2012

Friday, 3 August 2012 9:22 AM

South Melbourne FC hosts Hume City at Lakeside Stadium this Sunday evening in what is simply a must-win game for the home side in its quest to make the Victorian Premier League finals in 2012. With six rounds of the regular season remaining, South are currently in eighth spot on the VPL ladder with 21 points, four points behind fifth-placed Northcote City. A victory against Hume could see South end the round only a point from finals contention.

South goes into the game on the back of a thrilling 3-2 victory against Southern Stars at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex last Saturday night. South were 1-0 down at halftime and 2-1 down in second-half injury time before a 91st minute leveling goal by Steve Burton was followed by a 94th minute Nick Jacobs header that won the match for the Blues. Most pleasing for South was the combination of three youth players – Phil Petrevski, Andrew Cartanos and Jacobs – in setting up the winning goal. South was forced to use youth due the amount of injuries and suspensions that the Senior side was carrying but the move paid off dramatically.

Hume City go into Sunday’s game unbeaten in three matches (including two wins) with the most recent result being a 3-1 home win against Heidelberg United last Friday night. That win lifted Hume into sixth position on the VPL ladder on 24 points (three points ahead of South), making Sunday’s game all the more interesting. Hume will also be keen on revenge, having conceded an 87th minute goal against South at Epping Stadium earlier this year on Friday 11 May. Captain Steven O’Dor turned in Glen Trifiro’s cross to win the game for South 0-1.

Dimi Tsiaras and Shaun Kelly are both available for selection this week after both players served their automatic one game suspension against Southern Stars. O’Dor is likely to miss again with a hamstring injury. Trent Rixon had his 12 game suspension reduced to a 6 game suspension mid-week at the Tribunal and he will not be available until the last round against Heidelberg United. Coach Peter Tsolakis was handed a 2 game touchline ban and a fine for his send-off against Richmond on Friday 20 July and he will have to sit in the stands for Sunday’s match as well as next week’s game against Melbourne Knights at Somers Street. Finally, Tom Matthews will serve the third of his four game suspension against Hume. He will also miss the Knights game next Sunday before being eligible to play the following week against Dandenong Thunder.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5:00PM at Lakeside Stadium. South fans are encouraged to attend and support their team as it strives to hit the top five again.

Last time we met

Thursday, 2 August 2012 3:32 PM

South Melbourne FC would like to announce the departure of Jason Trifiro, who has signed for A-League franchise Western Sydney Wanderers.

Jason joined the Club in 2012 after crossing over from Northcote City during the summer. He was a key contributor to the SMFC midfield in his short spell with the Club and scored three League goals in the process.

We wish Jason all the best as he embarks on a professional playing career.

Thursday, 2 August 2012 9:09 AM

South Melbourne FC wishes to update its members and supporters in regards to the Tribunal hearings for Trent Rixon and coach Peter Tsolakis that occurred last night (Wednesday 1 August) in relation to their red cards received in the Richmond game at Lakeside Stadium on Friday 20 July.

Trent Rixon was originally given a 12 match suspension (Automatic game + 11), however after appearing at the Tribunal he has had his suspension reduced to 6 matches (Automatic game + 5). Having already missed the Southern Stars match last weekend, Rixon will miss South’s next five Victorian Premier League games and will be eligible to play again in the final round of the regular season against Heidelberg United on Sunday 16 September.

Coach Peter Tsolakis was given a two game touch-line ban as well as a fine following his send off against Richmond. He will be unable to be on the coaching bench for this Sunday’s match against Hume City as well as next weekend’s game against the Melbourne Knights at Somers Street. He will be eligible to return to the coaching bench for the game against Dandenong Thunder at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 19 August.

In further updates, Shaun Kelly and Dimi Tsiaras will both be available for selection for this weekend’s match, as both served their automatic one-game suspension in last week’s 3-2 victory against Southern Stars. Tsiaras was suspended for accumulating his fifth yellow card of the season against Richmond, whilst Kelly was suspended for being sent off (after receiving two yellow cards) in the same fixture. Finally, Tom Matthews will serve the third of his four game suspension against Hume this weekend and will be available for the Dandenong game on 19 August. Matthews was suspended for four matches following his send-off against Green Gully on Sunday 15 July.

Monday, 30 July 2012 10:42 AM

South Melbourne FC scored two goals in second half injury time to record a thrilling 3-2 victory against Southern Stars on Saturday night at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. The victory was all the more incredible considering the way the side had been decimated with injuries and suspensions in the week leading up to the game.

South came into the game on the back of two horrible home defeats against Green Gully and Richmond. This left the Club in 10th position on the Victorian Premier League ladder, five points from the top five but also seven points from the relegation zone. This meant that while South could still aim for finals, it had to start picking up points to erase the slight possibility of relegation. With Southern Stars only two points ahead of South going into the game following a 2-2 draw at Heidelberg last weekend, it presented the Blues with a great opportunity to jump up the ladder. However South was missing several players such as Tom Matthews (serving the second of his four game suspension), Trent Rixon (12 game suspension that will be heard at the Tribunal this week), Shaun Kelly (1 week suspension), DImi Tsiaras (1 week suspension) plus the long-term injury to Dimi Hatzimouratis and the 2-3 week injury sustained by captain Steven O’Dor last week.

The first half was an ordinary one for South as the makeshift three-man defence of Rhodri Payne, Luke Byles and Brad Norton struggled to contain the Stars’ runs down the flanks. The Stars took the lead in the 10th minute when Nick Harrhy was put through on goal and he rounded Peter Gavalas before placing the ball into the back of the net as the South defence continued to appeal for offside. South was reduced to only a handful of half-chances in the first half and was unable to capitalise. Fernando De Moraes’ curling shot forced a sharp save from Frazer Siddal before the Futsalroo danced through the Stars midfield before firing a shot that went just wide of Siddal’s goal on the stroke of halftime.

The away side came out inspired in the second half and levelled the scoring after just 45 seconds, when Phil Petreski’s cross from the left was deflected in for an own goal by Luke Fitzpatrick. De Moraes and Marinos Gasparis more than doubled their first half work-rate and were involved in everything as South poured forward in search of a second goal. On the hour Joe Keenan was replaced by youngster Nick Jacobs, who made his first League appearance in 2012 and only his second appearance since the Statewide Knockout Cup match against Malvern City on 29 April.

Shortly after Jacobs’ arrival on the park, Gasparis skipped past his Stars marker before firing in a cross from the right that found an unmarked Steve Burton at the top of the six yard box, but the striker failed to connect with the header at all as South missed a golden opportunity to go 2-1 up. As has happened all season, that miss proved to be costly barely a minute later when Stars ventured down the other end and scored with their first genuine chance of the half. Again it was Harrhy that was the goal scorer as he beat the offside trap for a second time before finishing neatly past Gavalas’ near post.

South heads may have dropped at that point but the team kept pushing for an equalising goal. Gasparis had been exceptional but was cramping up and he was duly substituted as young Andrew Cartanos made his debut for the Club. With five minutes remaining, a De Moraes cross from the right was met powerfully by Jacobs but Siddal made an outstanding fingertip save to deny the youngster a headed goal. With the match into the first minute of injury time and with the away side wondering what it had to do to score again, Rhodri Payne’s shot from outside the area fell to Burton with his back to goal. The striker’s quick turn and left foot shot rocketed past Siddal, bounced off the right post and went into the back of the net for a deserved equaliser.

Stars won a free kick in a dangerous position from kickoff but failed to capitalise as South won possession in the 94th minute and poured forward again. The youngsters were the heroes for the away side, as Cartanos linked up with Petreski who took on and beat his marker before firing in a cross from the left. Siddal did well to block Burton’s shot on goal but could only parry the ball into the path of the incoming Jacobs, who had the easy task of heading the ball into the empty net to send the away bench and the away supporters wild on the far side of the ground. South had conjured up one of the great escapes with a threadbare squad and in the process kept its finals chances well and truly alive.

It was another high-scoring affair in the Under-21s, as South defeated Southern Stars 3-2. South had a 2-0 lead erased before finding the winning goal in the final 10 minutes.

With six games remaining, South sits four points from fifth placed Northcote City. South now has a wonderful opportunity to close this gap even further with a home game against Hume City next Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Stadium at 5:00PM.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTHERN STARS 2-3 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Nick Harrhy (10′)
1-1: Luke Fitzpatrick OG (46′)
2-1: Nick Harrhy (67′)
2-2: Steve Burton (90+1′)
2-3: Nick Jacobs (90+4′)

Southern Stars: Frazer SIDDAL (GK), Ryan DARRAGH, John FITZGERALD, Luke FITZPATRICK, Kieran FITZGERALD, Alan MULCAHY, Alan KEARNEY, Josh WOOD, David STIRTON, Liam MCCORMACK, Nicholas HARRHY

South Melbourne FC: 1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 5. Phillip PETRESKI, 7. Joe KEENAN (24. Nick JACOBS 62’), 10. Glen TRIFIRO, 11. Bradley NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS, 15. Fernando DE MORAES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (20. Andrew CARTANOS 85’)

SMFC Man of the Match: Fernando De Moraes
Venue: Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Date: Saturday 28 July 2012

Thursday, 26 July 2012 3:19 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC travels to Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Saturday evening to take on the Southern Stars in a match of extreme importance for the Blues. With South sitting five points from the top 5 but at the same time only seven points from the relegation zone, the result of Saturday’s game will be a huge factor in determining whether South’s season will end with the team either fighting relegation or pushing to make the finals.

South goes into the game on the back of two horrible home losses against Green Gully (0-2) and Richmond (1-3), with the team finishing last week’s game against the Eagles with only nine men following the red cards given to Shaun Kelly and Trent Rixon. Tom Matthews will again be missing after receiving a four game ban following his red card against Gully. In more bad news for South, Dimi Tsiaras will miss the Southern Stars game after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend, incurring an automatic one game ban. In addition, it seems likely that captain Steven O’Dor will also miss after being substituted early in the Richmond game due to a hamstring injury.

With so many injuries and suspensions, South faces a monumental battle against a Southern Stars side that defeated South 0-2 at Lakeside Stadium earlier this season on Friday 4 May. The Stars have adjusted well after being promoted into the Victorian Premier League at the end of last season and currently have 20 points and sit above South in 9th spot on the League ladder. Southern Stars come into this weekend’s match on the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw against Heidelberg last Sunday, with the Stars leading 2-1 before conceding a late goal.

South will most likely start Andy Vlahos up forward with Steve Burton, with the veteran impressing last Friday against Richmond. Forgotten man Rhodri Payne was substituted on for O’Dor against the Eagles and had an excellent match and will no doubt be deployed in defence again this weekend. Joe Keenan limped off last week but is expected to be fine to make at least an appearance off the bench against the Stars. The Trifiro brothers were on the substitute’s bench against Richmond and will be expected to step up and perform on Saturday.

Saturday’s match kicks off at 7:00PM at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex.

Last time we met

Monday, 23 July 2012 8:52 AM

By John Kyrou

Richmond inflicted South Melbourne FC’s fifth home loss in 2012 and condemned South to 10th spot on the Victorian Premier League ladder when it defeated the Blues 3-1 at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night. The match ended bizarrely, with South’s Shaun Kelly, Trent Rixon and then coach Peter Tsolakis all sent off in the final 20 minutes.

South simply cannot take a trick in 2012, and the events of the Richmond match were just a reflection of what has been a disastrous season for the Club. The home side looked good in the first half, as Andy Vlahos dominated on the left side, however that was not reflected on the scoreboard. Vlahos had the best chance for South after cutting in past his Richmond marker, however his final shot was hit straight at Stjepan Gal in the Richmond goal. Richmond’s best chance of the half fell to Tom Cahill, whose shot from outside the area beat Peter Gavalas as well as the far post, with the home side breathing a sigh of relief as the ball rolled out for a goal kick.

Jason Trifiro replaced Joe Keenan at halftime and it was the midfielder that had the next best chance for South in the 66th minute, when a mix-up in the Richmond defence resulted in the ball deflecting straight to him but catching him off-guard. Trifiro managed to get the ball on target and the ball was rolling into the back of the net but Gal’s spectacular goal-line clearance with his foot deflected the ball off the post and out to safety. With all the possession but nothing to show on the scoreboard, it was only a matter of time before the Eagles were due to punish the home side and it occurred barely a minute later. Daniel Visevic took on and beat Kelly on the left flank before crossing to the back post where the unmarked substitute and former South player Hamlet Armenian was on hand to slot home. Having already substituted Rhodri Payne for the injured Steven O’Dor as well as Jason Trifiro for Keenan, coach Tsolakis played his final roll of the dice by introducing Rixon to the action (in place of Marinos Gasparis) in an attempt to level the scoreline.

The night turned from bad to worse for the home side in five minutes of madness. In the 78th minute, a hopeful, non-dangerous long ball by Armenian wasn’t cleared properly by Kelly. Cahill intercepted and was through on goal before being brought down by Kelly, resulting in a penalty being awarded and Kelly being sent off for a second yellow card. Cahill took the penalty and made no mistake, sending Gavalas the wrong way. From the resulting kick-off, South played the ball down the other end and Steve Burton played a wonderful through-ball for Rixon to split the Richmond defence and slot past the advancing Gal and halve South’s deficit. There was an incident involving Rixon that resulted in him being shown a straight red card which prompted coach Tsolakis to protest, also resulting in him being issued a red card by the referee Shaun Evans.

Ironically, South’s best passages of play had been when the team had been down to ten men and then nine. South continued to press forward urgently seeking an equaliser, however this left them horribly exposed at the back. Richmond took advantage on a counter-attack and Armenian had the easy task of passing into an empty goal and seal the 3-1 win. Even with nine men and a two goal deficit and the match in its 95th minute, South still almost scored but Burton’s final shot from Fernando De Moraes’ cut-back was cleared off the line by the Richmond defence. The final whistle moments later confirmed another miserable home result for South, its fifth loss at home in the League in 2012 and sixth in all competitions. South now sits five points from fifth spot, but also worryingly is only seven points from the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.

It was more misery for South in the Under-21s, with Richmond triumphing 4-1.

With several injuries and potential suspensions, South now faces a monumental task away from home against the Southern Stars next Saturday night at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. Kick-off is at 7PM.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-3 RICHMOND EAGLES (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Hamlet Armenian (68′)
0-2: Tom Cahill (79′ pk)
1-2: Trent Rixon (80′)
1-3: Hamlet Armenian (90+5′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 4. Steven O’DOR (3. Rhodri PAYNE 17’), 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 7. Joe KEENAN (23. Jason TRIFIRO 46’), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 14. Andy VLAHOS, 15. Fernando DE MORAES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (9. Trent RIXON 74′ [sent off 85′]), 19. Shaun KELLY (sent off 78′)

Richmond Eagles:
1. Stjepan GAL (GK), 3. Erhan KARAHAN, 4. Antun KOVACIC (2. Andrew VIOLA 46’), 5. Liam CANNELL, 6. Tom MILARDOVIC (30. Michael FARNHAM 86’), 7. Timmy PURCELL, 9. Tom CAHILL, 10. Kyle JORYEFF, 14. Daniel VISEVIC, 13. Davey VAN’T SCHIP (19. Hamlet ARMENIAN 65’), 23. Scott MUIRHEAD

SMFC Man of the Match: Andy Vlahos
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 20 July 2012

Friday, 20 July 2012 9:39 AM

By George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC take on Richmond tonight, in a must win game at Lakeside Stadium.

After a disappointing result at home last week to Green Gully, South need to bounce back immediately if they are to have any chance of playing finals football in 2012.

In a big loss for the home side, South will go into the game without Tom Matthews, who has been suspended for a month after being sent off for dissent. Matthews is expected to be replaced by fellow Englishman Shaun Kelly, who will be looking to make a mark in his debut game for the club. Kelly is a fast and versatile defender, who will hopefully fill the massive void that has been created by Matthews’ suspension.

In the attacking third, South will need to break down a stubborn Richmond defence, with the Rixon-Burton combination needing to fire for South to take the three points. Rixon’s last goal for the club was in the Round 4 against Richmond, and he is in desperate need to find the back of the net as a reward for his hard work in the past month.

Richmond will not be an easy opponent, with the Eagles also sitting on 18 points and eyeing off a spot in the top five.

While being a team known for its defensive strength, Richmond will be keen to get the ball to the feet of a potent attacking trio of Tom Cahill, Daniel Visevic and Kyle Joryeff. Joryeff is well known to South fans, having recently transfered from South Melbourne to Richmond during the transfer window. Cahill also joined the club during the transfer window and scored a double last Friday against Heidelberg United, whilst Visevic is a slick attacking player who will look to break down the South defence.

In the last meeting between the two clubs, an early goal by Richmond was cancelled out by a Trent Rixon header for a one all draw.

The match at Lakeside Stadium kicks off at 8.30pm.

Last time we met

Tuesday, 17 July 2012 9:50 AM

By George Kouroumalis (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

After three games without defeat, South Melbourne FC have fallen at home to reigning champions Green Gully, after a brace by Brian Vanega brace sealed the win for the Cavaliers at Lakeside Stadium.

Following a comprehensive win over Oakleigh the previous week, South came out of blocks firing and could have scored early after some fantastic lead up work culminated with Steve Burton’s close range shot saved by Gully custodian Rhyss Keane.

South should have had the lead moments later when a wonderful run by Tom Matthews saw the Englishman fire a perfect cross into the path of Trent Rixon. The big striker, who has not scored since Round 4 against Richmond, smashed his shot into the bar. Marinos Gasparis latched onto the resulting rebound and also a stinging drive onto the bar.

Whilst South were playing some exciting and free-flowing football, that would be their only real chance of the opening 30 minutes, as Gully were content with absorbing the South attack and breaking on the counter attack at any chance they got.

This plan worked perfectly in the 33rd minute, when a cross into the area was poorly dealt with by Matthews, enabling the ball to fall directly into the feet of Vanega. He then hit a wonderful volley into the bottom corner to give his side the 0-1 lead.

Gully should have doubled their lead just before the break, when a shot by Brent Fisher striking the upright from just inside the box.

Whilst the first half was generally played on South’s terms, the second was completely opposite, with Gully strangling South at every opportunity.

The first serious chance of the half fell once again to Burton, who hit a speculative long drive from 30 yards, only to see the ball fly out.

With the crowd increasingly voicing their frustration, Peter Tsolakis tried to change things up by bringing Joe Keenan and Andy Vlahos off the bench in an attempt to spark the team.

Moments later it would be Gully that would score a second and seal the game. An innocuous cross from the right hand side was once again poorly dealt with at the back by South. Like the opening goal, Vanega was in the right position, latching onto the loose ball and smashing the ball into the back of the net.

South found energy in the last 10 minutes, and should have been rewarded in injury time, with a stunning run by Matthews finishing with yet another cross being played into the area. On this occasion however the ball looked to strike the arm of a Gully defender on the way though, with the referee waving play on. Vlahos then latched onto possession and hit a goal-bound shot onto the target, only for it to be cleared off the line.

The Blues then lost Matthews moments later, after being given a straight red card for something he may have said to the assistant referee.

It was more bad news for South in the Under-21s, with the Green Gully youngsters triumphing 3-1.

South are now four points out of the top five and must re-group against Richmond on Friday night. Kick-off at Lakeside Stadium is at 8:30PM.

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

Goal Scorers: 
0-1: Brian Vanega (33′)
0-2: Brian Vanega (74′)

South Melbourne FC: 
1. Peter GAVALAS, 2. Tom MATTHEWS (sent off 90+3′), 4. Steven O’DOR, 6. Dimi TSIARAS, 9. Trent RIXON (15. Fernando DE MORAES 78’), 10. Glen TRIFIRO (14. Andy VLAHOS 68’), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (7. Joe KEENAN 65’), 23. Jason TRIFIRO

Green Gully Cavaliers: 
Rhyss KEANE, Daniel JONES, Rodrigo VARGAS, Stephen DOWNES, Brent FISHER (Joel NIKOLIC 84’), Scott ROBSON, Mathew SANDERS (Anthony SELEMIDIS 89’), Mile MEDJEDOVIC, Andy VARGAS (Jason HAYNE 78’), Brian VANEGA, Osagie EDERARO.

SMFC Man of the Match: Dimi Tsiaras
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 15 July 2012

Friday, 13 July 2012 9:16 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC host Green Gully at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon in what is shaping up to be a blockbuster match. A win for South could see the Club end the round in the top five, an amazing turnaround in fortunes from three weeks ago when it was in ninth position on the Victorian Premier League ladder and only a few points away from dropping into the relegation zone.

South’s good form in recent weeks has seen victories against rivals Heidelberg (2-1) and Oakleigh (2-1) as well as being desperately unlucky not to defeat the Moreland Zebras in an exciting 2-2 draw. These results have seen the Blues slowly climb up the VPL ladder and be in a position where a victory over the reigning VPL champions this Sunday has the potential to have South creep to within a point of third place on the ladder, the position currently occupied by Gully.

New signing Steve Burton excelled on debut for South last weekend against Oakleigh and was unlucky not to score at least twice in the 2-1 victory against the Cannons. Instead South had Glen Trifiro and man of the match Dimi Tsiaras to thank for getting the goals that secured the three points against the Cannons, who gave South a late scare in the final minute when Ricky Diaco’s free kick deflected off Tom Matthews’ foot and wrong-footed Peter Gavalas. South old boy Andy Vlahos returned for his second stint at Lakeside Stadium and his late appearance off the substitutes’ bench showed that he hadn’t lost his trademark pace and skill. More positive signs from South was Joe Keenan appearing off the bench following a recent injury, as well as the excellent performances by Tsiaras and Matthews and a big general improvement by all players. This will need to be repeated on Sunday against what will be a very difficult opponent.

Green Gully will not be giving three points up easily this weekend, as the Cavaliers traditionally are a very tough opponent to break down and are masters of grinding out results. South has never defeated Gully at Green Gully Reserve since returning to the VPL in 2005 and has achieved mixed home results against them. In the eight League matches played between the two sides at South’s home ground (either Lakeside Stadium or John Cain Memorial Park), South has won 3, drawn 3 and lost twice. In the corresponding match played in the opening round of last season (Sunday 20 February 2011), Jesse Krncevic’s early goal was cancelled out by Brent Fisher’s second half goal in the 1-1 draw at John Cain Memorial Park. South’s last match against Gully at Lakeside Stadium was the season before (Sunday 21 March 2010), when a Fernando De Moraes double, including a penalty and a wonder goal from outside the area, was enough to defeat Gully 2-1 despite Gary Wales’ goal for the Cavaliers. Earlier this season in round 3 (Saturday 14 April), Gully smashed South 3-1 at Green Gully Reserve to bring the Blues back to Earth after South began the season with two big wins. The home side will be hoping that there is no repeat of this on the weekend.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5:00PM at Lakeside Stadium. South fans are encouraged to come down in numbers and support their team as they strive to end the round back in the top five.

Last time we met