Category: News

Friday, 8 May 2009 10:27 AM

After an uninspiring draw last weekend, South Melbourne FC will be out to consolidate second position on the table against the highly rated former champions Altona Magic on Sunday.

Since dropping the opening two games of the season, South has gone on a seven game unbeaten run, with the lakeside team also dominating their attacking end, scoring 19 goals in those 7 unbeaten games. With Goran Zoric and Vaughan Coveny once again expected to lead the charge in this part of the ground, South will be looking to assert their attacking dominance from the outset.

Sitting just behind these two will be Fernando De Moraes, with the Brazilian about to join a unique and prestigious club in playing his 100th club game for South Melbourne FC. Since being recruited by the club in 2005, Fernando has asserted himself as one of the premier midfielders in the competition, with his silky skills and ability to score important goals something that stands out.

The current Futsalroo will be supported in the middle of the park by the hard working trio of Sebastian Petrovic, Joseph Youssef and captain Rama Tavsancioglu, who is starting to relish his role with the armband.

In defence, former Altona Magic club captain Stiven Mrkela is likely to retain his position in the heart of the defence along side Steven O’Dor, with Rhodri Payne and Shane Nunes also part of the back four.

Despite a relatively slow start to 2009, Altona Magic have snuck under the radar of many football pundits to join South in equal second on the table.

In an impressive starting line-up, Altona Magic coach Vlado Tortevski is likely to rely heavily on the services of four former South Melbourne players that include the defensive trio of Steve Laurie, Con Anthopoulos and Carl Recchia, whilst the very dangerous Michael Curcija up front will look to score against his former club.

In his 6 seasons at the club, Curcija amassed 143 games as a player and managed to find the net on 53 occasions. He also managed to score South Melbourne’s final ever NSL goal in the 2003/04 season, after scoring the opening goal in the minor semi final against Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Sunday’s game kicks-off at 4pm and all South Melbourne FC members, sponsors and supporters are urged to attend and support the boys in their attempts to clinch another home victory.  

Wednesday, 6 May 2009 1:34 PM

By John Kyrou

Fernando de Moraes looks set to make his 100th league appearance for South Melbourne FC in Sunday’s match against Altona at Bob Jane Stadium.

Fernando made his debut in the 1-0 loss away at Green Gully in round 9 of the 2005 VPL season. It took him seven matches to score his first goal for the club, but the finish was definitely worth the wait. His 87th minute free kick against the Frankston Pines at BJS in round 16 sealed a 3-1 win for the home side. Fernando went on to score two more goals for the season as South made the Preliminary Final. Unfortunately, his penalty miss against Heidelberg at the Olympic Village came at a large cost, as the Bergers held on to win the match 1-0 and deny South a Grand Final spot.

Fernando’s 2006 season was what elevated him to superstar status at Lakeside. He took all before him in South’s championship-winning season and the culmination was his turn and cross from the left that enabled Gianni de Nittis to head home the winning goal in the Grand Final against Altona. Fernando’s outstanding Grand Final performance was recognised as he was awarded the Jimmy Rooney Medal for Best Afield. The icing on the cake was a clean sweep of all the individual club awards, as Fernando won both the SMFC and Clarendon Corner Most Valuable Player of the Year awards, as well as finishing as the club’s top goal scorer for the season with 12 goals.

While the Futsalroo’s form in recent seasons has not been as outstanding as his form of 2006, he has still proved to be a valuable and key member of the side. Despite struggling in 2008, Fernando still finished as the club’s leading goal scorer (9 goals). Three goals this season sees him sitting in equal second spot (with Vaughan Coveny) in the club’s goal scoring, with only Goran Zoric ahead (6 goals).

South Melbourne FC congratulates Fernando de Moraes on his milestone and wishes him all the best for Sunday’s game and for the rest of the season. Supporters are encouraged to attend Sunday’s match to help Fernando and the team consolidate second spot on the league ladder.

Fernando de Moraes – SMFC Statistics:
DOB 21st January 1980
Debut v Green Gully (round 9, 2005 @ Green Gully Reserve, 1-0 loss)
2006 SMFC Most Valuable Player of the Year
2006 Clarendon Corner Most Valuable Player of the Year
Member of the 2006 VPL championship team
2006 SMFC Leading Goal Scorer (12 goals)
2006 Jimmy Rooney Medal (Man of the match in Grand Final)
Member of the 2007 Hellenic Cup championship team
50th match v Altona Magic (round 8, 2007 @ BJS, 1-3 loss)
2008 SMFC Leading Goal Scorer (9 goals)
Member of the 2009 Hellenic Cup championship team

Season Breakdown:
2005 – 17 games (14 starts, 3 subs), 3 goals
2006 – 26 games (25 starts, 1 sub), 12 goals
2007 – 22 games (18 starts, 4 subs), 4 goals
2008 – 25 games (23 starts, 2 subs), 9 goals
2009 – 9 games (8 starts, 1 sub), 3 goals
Total – 99 games (88 starts, 11 subs), 31 goals

Monday, 4 May 2009 12:10 AM

Photo by Craig Varty

A stubborn and disciplined defensive performance by Oakleigh has seen the Cannons leave Bob Jane Stadium with a point after an entertaining 0-0 draw.

In front of a healthy home crowd, South Melbourne came out of the blocks in storming fashion, almost scoring in the 2nd minute. With the keeper stranded following on from some poor marking, Steven O’Dor hit a shot at the target, only to be thwarted by the acrobatic Adrian Cagalj. From the rebound and with Cagalj on the ground, the resulting shot was hit in identical fashion, with Cagalj somehow saving his club once again.

South continued to dominate the match from that point and continued to test Cagalj from long range, with both Vaughan Coveny and Rama Tavsancioglu being thwarted twice by the experienced custodian.

Despite South having the bulk of possession, South was unable to muster many more meaningful chances for the remainder of the half. Most of the chances came via free-kicks awarded just outside the area, most of which either flew wide of Cagalj or that were saved by the veteran goalkeeper. The closest free-kick opportunity, happened just before the break when a swinging and dipping free-kick by Fernando was plucked from the top corner brilliantly by Cagalj.

The second half continued in exactly the same manner as the first, with South continuing to pile on the pressure, whilst also dominating the possession.

With star players Ricky Diaco and Bill Damianos out for the away side, coach John Anastasiadis was content with sitting players behind the ball and attempting to hit South Melbourne on the counter attack via the quick Jerry Karpeh and vertan Juan Nilo.

Karpeh had his only meaningful chance of the game in the 53rd minute, when the former Floreat Athena (WA) player got past the South defence and hit a wild shot from long range. With the keeper in a good position, the ball swung well wide and out for a goal-kick.

In response, South continued to pile on the pressure, bombarding the Cannons 18 yard box at every possible opportunity.

In the 64th minute the home side thought they had the opening goal when Gianni De Nittis unlocked the defence to play an exquisite through ball into the path of Coveny. With Cagalj to beat, Coveny hit the close range shot way over the bar to the disappointment of the home crowd.

Coveny came close again in both the 68th and 72nd minutes when he headed two firm chances into the arms of the prying Cagalj, who was in exceptional form.

With time ticking away, yet another ball by De NIttis unlocked the Oakleigh defence, bouncing into the path of the Fernando in the box. In an awkward position and with a defender on his tail, Fernando hit a volley just over the bar.

With 7 shots on goal in the final 10 minutes, South were unable to unlock the Cannons defence, with the only threatening shot to hit the target by Fernando being curled around the corner acrobatically by Cagalj.

As the whistle blew, Oakleigh were content to take the point from Lakeside that would see them jump Hume City into 7th position, whilst South will move into outright second position on 17 points, knowing that they could fall to third place after the Richmond vs. Heidelberg game on Monday night.

Next week South Melbourne will host Altona Magic at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday.

Friday, 1 May 2009 4:36 PM

In some exicitng news for the South Melbourne Junior Football Club, the FFA have announced their squad for the Qantas Australian Boys Under 13 team.

The squad consists of three current SMFC Junior players, with Dimitar Mitkov, Milos Ridesic and Lewis Smirlis all being selected. By being selected, our club have the most representatives in the side of any Victorian club.

On top of this exciting news, six South Melbourne players were selected in the Victorian State Under 13 boys Team that competed in the National Junior Championships in Canberra last week:

They include Dimitar Markov, James Vafiadis, Stefan Zinni, Ajdin Hrustic, Milos Ridesic and Lewis Smirlis.

The team performed well and the six boys all contributed to the great football that was played, whilst being able to achieve second spot for the tournament.

We’d like to congratulate the boys for their great performance during the tournament and making South Melbourne FC proud.

We wish them all the very best in their future football careers.

Thursday, 30 April 2009 6:47 PM

By John Kyrou | Photo by Paul Touliatos

South Melbourne FC hosts the Oakleigh Cannons on Sunday in a crucial match for both sides. A win will consolidate South’s position in the top two while a win for the Cannons will get their season back on track whilst easing the pressure on former South championship player and coach John Anastasiadis.

After two home defeats in the opening two rounds of the season, South has hit back in fine style, registering five wins and a draw to sit in second spot on the league table. Last weekend, South defeated Hume City 2-1 away at Broadmeadows Valley Park to win the inaugural ANZAC Day Cup between the two sides. By opening the scoring for the afternoon, veteran and club legend Vaughan Coveny celebrated his 100th league goal for the club, making him only the second South player behind Paul Trimboli (115 league goals) to achieve the milestone.

While South enters the match on the back of excellent and consistent form, Oakleigh will visit Bob Jane Stadium after a run of inconsistent results. The Cannons began the season with a fine 4-1 demolition of Heidelberg but have only registered two wins since. A Michael Curcija goal handed the Cannons a 1-0 loss at Altona last weekend, meaning the club remained in eighth spot in the league and four points from the top 5. With the first round of matches for the season nearly complete, the Cannons will be after a big win on Sunday to bridge the gap between it and the top 5 sides.

If previous matches between the two clubs at Lakeside are anything to go by, Sunday’s contest will produce a result. Since South returned to the VPL in 2005, both sides have enjoyed two wins apiece at the ground with no draws between them. Oakleigh won 0-1 both in 2005 and 2006 while South hammered the Cannons 5-2 in 2007 and 3-1 in 2008. South’s last three goals against the Cannons in the 5-2 win (78’, 84’, 86’) registered as the fifth quickest goal haul at South since 1977.

The match will mark the return of recent South players in Trent Waterson, Robbie Wynne and Ricky Diaco. South legend Dean Anastasiadis looks set to continue as the Cannons’ second-choice goalkeeper behind first-choice Adrian Cagalj, while former South man Bill Damianos looks set to miss the contest after receiving his marching orders at Altona. Diaco will need to be monitored carefully as he has scored in all the games that the Cannons have won in 2009 (four goals from three matches).

South’s forward pairing of Coveny and Goran Zoric has been impressive, with a return of nine goals between them so far this season. With 19 goals from eight games, South is the highest scoring team in the league despite being held goalless in the opening two matches. The home side will be hoping that Coveny can edge closer to breaking Trimboli’s club record, while Zoric can continue as the top scorer in the league. Presently, the youngster is equal first with Heidelberg’s Osagie Ederaro with six goals apiece.

The match kicks off at 4pm on Sunday at Bob Jane Stadium. Supporters are strongly encouraged to attend and lend their support to South as it seeks to claim outright second spot in the league. 2009 merchandise will also be available.

On a side note, the South Melbourne FC players, coaching staff, administration, volunteers and supporters would like to pass on its best wishes to former player Sam Poutakidis, who was involved in a bicycle riding accident last week and is currently in hospital recovering. Poutakidis played for South in 2003/04 and 2008 and for Oakleigh from 2005 to 2007.

Monday, 27 April 2009 12:18 PM

South Melbourne FC
Senior Men vs Hume City (2-1)
Under 21 vs Hume City (3-0)

South Melbourne Women’s Football Club
Womens Premier League vs Ashburton (3-3)
Women’s Premier League Reserves vs Ashburton (3-1)
Women’s State League 3 vs Ashburton (2-2)
Girls Metro 15B vs Kensington (2-9)

South Melbourne Junior Football Club
Under 18 Super League vs Springvale White Eagles (4-2)
Under 16 Super League vs FC Bulleen Lions (0-1)
Under 15 Super League vs FC Bulleen Lions (1-1)
Under 14A Boys East vs Doncaster Rovers (1-1)
Under 14 Super League vs Berwick City (0-0)
Under 13 Super League vs FC Bulleen Lions (2-0)
Under 12A Boys East vs Whitehorse United (3-0)
Under 11 Kangaroo Orange vs Ringwood City (5-0)

Monday, 27 April 2009 9:39 AM

By John Kyrou

Vaughan Coveny’s goal against Hume City on Saturday brought up his 100th league goal for South Melbourne FC in both the National Soccer League and Victorian Premier League. Throughout Coveny’s twelve seasons at Bob Jane Stadium, supporters have taken great delight in seeing their quick and strong forward score many fantastic goals from headers or with his feet. We look back at Coveny’s career at South whilst acknowledging his milestone achievement.

Coveny was brought to South in 1995 by Frank Arok, the senior coach at the time. Before his arrival, Vaughan had experienced NSL football with both the Melbourne Knights and Wollongong. The big Kiwi’s first goal for the club was on the 24th of September 1995 in a Docherty Cup Quarter Final match against Preston at Connor Reserve. Coveny took possession of the ball and outpaced the Preston defence before firing home the away side’s third goal in what turned out to be a comfortable 1-4 victory. A goal in the Semi Final against Morwell and then another in the Final against the Melbourne Knights took the big man to three goals from three games, as South won the Docherty Cup.

Coveny had an excellent debut season for the club in the 1995/96 NSL season, registering nine goals from his 26 games. However he saved his best for the club’s NSL Cup run, with a hat-trick against the Melbourne Knights in the First Round first leg. He added to this with another goal against Marconi in the Quarter Final before scoring a double against Newcastle in the Final. His goals helped South to a 3-1 win to add to its Docherty Cup triumph at the beginning of the campaign. Coveny’s incredible burst of speed and pace when taking on defenders was soon noticed by supporters and the football staff alike, who were both quick to tag him with the nickname of ‘horse’.

Seasons 1996/97 to 1998/99 showed just how valuable Coveny was to the team, as the big forward registered 28 goals to help South reach the Preliminary Final in 1996/97 before going on to win back-to-back championships the next two seasons. One of his finest seasons was in 1998/99, with a return of 14 goals from 31 matches. Season 1999/00 was his leanest in the NSL, with only six goals from 33 matches. However Coveny nearly made history as he twice went agonisingly close to scoring against Manchester United in the inaugural FIFA World Club Championships in Rio de Janeiro, including having a shot that hit the left post and roll across the goal line before hitting the right post and staying out.

Horse was back to his best for the 2000/01 season, scoring eight goals and sharing the goal scoring with Con Boutsianis (14), Andy Vlahos (13) and Vas Kalogeracos (6) as the team fell just short of a record fifth NSL championship. The following season South was rooted to the bottom of the ladder halfway through the season, but it was no surprise that when Coveny (injury) and Boutsianis (Kingz FC) returned to the line-up that the side soared up the ladder to qualify for the finals series. Coveny hit seven goals in the last 9 games of the regular season, including a hat-trick against Wollongong at WIN Stadium in round 25. He added to this in the finals series with a double against the Brisbane Strikers in the first leg of the Elimination Final at BJS.

Although South missed out on the finals in 2002/03, it was through no fault of Coveny, who added another 11 goals to his tally, this time from only 21 matches. Supporters will remember his double against Sydney Olympic in the unforgettable 6-4 home victory, with the Kiwi’s 89th minute penalty wrapping up the three points. New coach Stuart Munro appointed Coveny as captain for the 2003/04 NSL season and the big man did not disappoint, with another big haul of 12 goals from 24 matches. This included a hat-trick against Newcastle in round 5 (4-1 win at BJS) and two doubles, against Wollongong in round 3 (1-4 win at WIN Stadium) and in round 14 against Parramatta (2-1 win at BJS).

Coveny showed his loyalty to South by continuing on with the club when it re-joined the VPL in 2005. His power shot from a free kick outside the area gave South its first goal and first three points for the campaign against St Albans in round 2 at BJS and he ended the season with a respectable eight goals. His other memorable strikes for the season included the last-minute equaliser against St Albans at Churchill Reserve in round 15 (2-2 draw) and the long-distance rocket against Preston at Connor Reserve in round 23 (0-1 win). Horse only played 10 matches in 2006 before being signed by A-League side Newcastle; however he still managed to score six goals before departing.

Coveny again showed his loyalty to South by returning to BJS this season, after retiring from the A-League. A class double in the Hellenic Cup Semi Final victory against Oakleigh and a powerful finish in the 3-0 demolition of Heidelberg in the Final showed the importance of Coveny’s addition to the side, especially after South’s struggle in consistently scoring goals in recent seasons. Despite a slow start to 2009, Coveny has showed his class in recent weeks, with an assist and goal against the Melbourne Knights and then an outstanding strike against Richmond to bring up his 99th league goal. His header into the open net against Hume brought up the milestone, making him only the second player to reach 100 league goals for South. Only Paul Trimboli has scored more, with 115 goals.

Coveny’s 100th league goal for the club has been well deserved for a player that has been a role model not only for South Melbourne FC but also for Australian and New Zealand football.

Vaughan Coveny – Total SMFC Goals – All Competitions
National Soccer League – 83
Victorian Premier League – 17
National Cup – 7
Dockerty Cup – 5
Hellenic Cup – 3
TOTAL – 115

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 27 April 2009 9:21 AM

South Melbourne has cemented it’s spot in the top two of the Victorian Premier League, after a resounding 1-2 ANZAC Cup victory away to Hume City at Broadmeadows Valley Reserve on Saturday.

South were coming into the game on the back of a five game unbeaten run and they started the game like a side in form, attacking the Hume defence from the outset via a long range attempt by veteran Vaughan Coveny.

The Blues continued to bombard the Hume goal with a huge wind behind their backs and could have had the lead only moments later after a long ball down the right hand flank released Coveny in space. With strike partner Goran Zoric waiting in the middle Coveny hit a well-weighted cross into the area, only for the ball to be plucked from above the head of the small striker by Hume goalkeeper Lou Acevski.

Vaughan Coveny continued to torment the Hume defence and his man-marker and former NSL team-mate Tansel Baser at every opportunity, hitting another two long range strikes into the prying arms of Acevski, who thwarted the big kiwi in convincing fashion.

With the man known as the “Horse” intent scoring his 100th career goal for South Melbourne FC, the South midfield continued to work hard in an attempt to give the veteran his opportunity to achieve the milestone.

In the 38th minute, some exceptional work down the right hand side by Eddie Cetkin allowed for the ball to be kept in play and to be delivered to his captain Rama Tavsancioglu. He then confidently barraged his way past two Hume defenders before hitting a lovely cross to the near post towards the unmarked Zoric. With Coveny open at the back post, Zoric flicked the ball across goal to find theveteran, who obligingly buried his header into the back of the net to send the travelling South fans into raptures.

The second half was a far less open contest, with Hume intent on not allowing the same amount of space and possession to be given to the dominant South side. This coupled by a heavy and quite rare Melbourne downpour led for some scrappy and unadventurous football to be played

Despite this South found the 2nd goal of the contest in the 65th minute, after a blistering free kick by Vaughan Coveny was parried into the path of Sebastian Petrovic. With the keeper on the ground, the hard-working midfielder slammed the ball into the net to give his side a two-goal advantage.

With time ticking down, Hume would have their first real chance of the contest in the 74th minute when they were awarded a free-kick just outside the area.

With a howling wind at his back, Ross Thompson stepped up and hit a simply stunning drive past the hapless Tommi Tomich and into the top corner of the net to give his side some hope.

Despite some shaky moments however South managed to claim the three points and the much sought after ANZAC Day Cup, a trophy that will now be added to the club’s growing trophy cabinet.

Captain Rama Tavsancioglu was awarded the man-of-the-match award claiming that “it was a great win by the side against a real quality opposition. We were challenged at times and really worked hard to get the result which is very pleasing”

South will now host Oakleigh next Sunday afternoon at 4pm in a cracking derby match, whilst Hume must re-group before taking on Green Gully away from home next Saturday.

Click here to view smfcTV highlights of the game

 

 

Friday, 24 April 2009 8:57 AM

In a crucial Round 8 VPL contest, South Melbourne FC will need to travel Broadmeadows to take on the in-form Hume City on Saturday.

With the contest falling on ANZAC Day, South Melbourne has been given the opportunity to challenge Hume City for the inaugural ANZAC Day Cup.

The Blues will head into the game on the back of 5 undefeated matches, after capturing a last-gasp draw away to Green Gully last weekend. In what was a see-sawing and quite physical contest, South managed to salvage a point after Gianni De Nittis was able to latch onto a loose ball in the area, before sending it hurtling past the Gully keeper to conclude a valiant South Melbourne fight back.

It is that fighting spirit and commitment that will give South immense confidence heading into this week’s contest against an opponent who is undefeated at their new home venue over the last 4 games. This includes a tough and narrow win over the Melbourne Knights and a comprehensive thumping of Preston in the last two match days.

If South are to replicate the results of the past five weeks, they will continue to rely on the work ethic shown by Michael Michalakopoulos’ men, leading from the midfield where the likes of captain Rama Tavsancioglu, Joseph Youssef and Sebastian Petrovic will be expected to continue to do plenty of hard work.

Up front, South will be looking once again at the same trio to provide them with the attacking edge. With the Blues being the most prolific goal-scoring team in the competition, they will be expecting Vaughan Coveny, Goran Zoric and Gianni De Nittis to break down the Hume defence, whilst midfield maestro Fernando will be looking to find his way onto the score-sheet for the fourth time this season.

Leading the charge for Hume will be former South Melbourne championship player Tansel Baser. The experienced defensive midfielder notched up 106 games in his 7 years at South, whilst also playing a leading role in the most recent VPL Championship win against Altona in 2006. Baser will be joined by a plethora of hardened VPL players including former Preston captain Tony Sterjovski, Serder Pir and goalkeeper Lou Acevski.

The Broadmeadows based club also have current Australian Under 20 Representative Jason Davidson as a key player in their ranks. Davidson is the son of former South Melbourne legend and ex-Socceroo Alan Davidson, who played 176 games for the Blue and Whites in a stellar 9 seasons with the club.

The game kicks off at Broadmeadows Valley Reserve at 3.30pm, with an ANZAC Day ceremony commencing at 3pm

Sunday, 19 April 2009 12:14 PM

South Melbourne have scored a last-gasp equaliser to earn a hard-fought draw against Green Gully on Saturday.

The Blues came into the contest on the back of four straight victories. In contrast, Gully were looking to rebound following their 2-1 loss to Altona Magic at Paisley Park two weeks ago.

The home side went into the contest looking to use their home ground to maximum advantage, having not conceded a goal at Green Gully Reserve in 2009. South faced a difficult task having not scored at the venue since Round 20 of the 1986 NSL season.

The away side came out of the blocks firing, with Vaughan Coveny hitting two half-chances wide of the target, signaling the intentions of the veteran forward and the away side.

South continued to control play in the middle of the park and through a fiercely won ball by their 100th game veteran Rama Tavsancioglu, were able to launch another attack towards goal. On this occasion, Rama played the ball wide to Zoric on the right hand side of the area, before the diminutive attacking player hit a speculative effort into the arms of Steven Tilovski in the Gully goal.

In response Green Gully launched a very fluent attack, with Andy Vargas darting past the South defence before squaring the ball into the path of Kole Delev just inside the area. Delev then hit a low shot just wide of the target.

It was South that opened the scoring, when Sebastian Petrovic was brought down in the area. Fernando De Moraes rushed to the spot and buried the penalty to his left hand side to give the away side a deserved lead and their first goal at Green Gully Reserve in 23 years.

In typical fashion, Green Gully responded to the goal almost immediately with a speculative shot by Vargas once again flashing past the upright of South keeper Tommi Tomich. Gully continued to pressure the South defence and nearly grabbed an equalising goal when a poorly cleared ball fell into the path of Delev in the area once more. With the goal beckoning, Delev’s shot deflected off the South defence for a corner. From the resultant corner, the ball flew into the back post where the wide-open Mile Medjedovic headed the ball across the six yard area, resulting in a scrap. After two attempts, Delev slammed the ball into the roof of the net to get his side on equal terms.

South started the second half well and almost had the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute, when Vaughan Coveny intercepted a loose ball just outside the area. Unselfishly, Coveny then played the ball to Fernando, who after a touch and a step-over opted to launch a curling shot at goal from the corner of the penalty box. Frustratingly for both Fernando and the strong traveling faithful, the ball flew well over the bar.

Coveny continued to cause headaches for the Gully defence and in the 58th minute he stormed down the left hand side of attack and past a host of defenders before hitting a low shot that forced a tremendous save from Tilovski, keeping the home side level.

In the 75th minute, Gully launched an attack towards the goal, with a high ball floated into the six yard area. Despite Tomich looking like he had possession covered, the ball ended up in the back of the net after Joel Nikolic made contact to the arm of the big custodian in an attempt to foil him from catching the ball. This was not spotted by the referee who awarded the goal much to the disapproval of the away team and supporters.

With time ticking away and South throwing more players forward, Tomich made a low save to keep his side in the contest, thwarting a shot from Pablo Cardozo. This save proved important as South managed to snare a draw in the last minute of injury time, when Coveny set up the open Gianni De Nittis who smashed the ball low and hard into the back of the net to send the away contingent into raptures.