Category: News

Monday, 7 April 2008 7:30 PM

The club wishes to announce that John Anastasiadis has resigned from his role as coach of South Melbourne FC.

Both John Anastasiadis and his assistant John Gabrielson spoke with SMFC football director Jim Marinis today and made the club aware of their intentions.

Commenting on the events of the last couple of days Jim stated:

“It is regrettable that that the performance of the team has led to this course of action but unfortunately the club had no choice but to accept his resignation. John has served the club with distinction and honor both as a player and as a coach and can leave with his head held high.
Results are a reality of all football clubs and recent results have not been favorable.
Needless to say, the club has already embarked on finding a suitable replacement.”

Johnny A is one of South’s longest serving coaches having taken the reins in 2005 after the club’s fall from the NSL.

The highlight of his tenure has been winning the 2006 VPL Championship in front of 7,000 fans at BJS.

The club wishes John all the best in his future endeavors and reminds both him and John Gabrielson (Assistant) that they will always be welcome back at the club which they have served admirably over the last few years.

The club is considering a number of candidates which include past South players and will be making an announcement in due course.

Monday, 7 April 2008 10:17 AM

By George Kouroumalis

A professional and dominant display by Green Gully has seen them crush South Melbourne 0-3 at a sun-drenched Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday.

With both sides were coming off impressive wins, an excited crowd arrived at Bob Jane Stadium expecting to see a cracking contest. However, not even the staunchest Green Gully fan could have predicted the one sided contest that evenuated.

South coach John Anastasiadis made a few structural changes to the starting line-up from last weekend.

In defence, Robbie Wynne was once again dropped to the substitutes bench, with Sam Poutakidis returning the right back position. Joining the veteran defender would be the same three that started against Preston, with Steven O’Dor and Shane Nunes asked to perform central defensive duties, whilst Rama Tavsancioglu would once again play on the left hand side of the park.

In the middle of the park, both Goran Zoric and Gianni De Nittis were given starting positions, with the latter recovering from the injury that had seen him miss out on the last few games. Making way for De Nittis would be the unlucky Bill Natsioulas.

The other two players that made up this midfield quartet would be Fernando and Antonio La Verde, both of whom have been in decent form leading into the game, with La Verde cementing his claim to the central midfield position with some great and hard working performances.

Up front, Hamlet Armenian was dropped to the bench, with last week’s hero Nathan Caldwell given the nod to start beside Ricky Diaco.

South started the game brightly, when a quality run down the right hand flank by Goran Zoric saw the speedy midfielder dart past a few defenders, before hitting his shot into the arms of Steven Tilovski in the Gully goal.

Fernando tried to replicate Zoric’s effort only three minutes later, with the Brazilian also hitting a long range drive into the secure arms of the very confident Tilovski.

Gully’s first real opportunity of the contest came in the 20th minute, when an opportunistic ball was swung into the back post.

With confusion inside the area and an indecisive attempt to capture the cross by Dean Anastasiadis, the ball found Joel Nikolic open at the back post, who headed the ball into the back of the net with consumate ease, giving Gully a 0-1 lead.

Gully doubled their advantage in the 26th minute when the referee awarded them a penalty, after Steven O’Dor was judged to have handled the ball just inside the area.

With no hesitation, Stephen Burton stepped up and slammed the ball into the back of net, sending Anastasiadis the wrong way for 0-2.

With the South side in complete disarray, Nikolic should have scored his second after spooning a long drive well over the bar from just outside the area.

South had a big opportunity to get back into the contest in the 33rd minute, when a lovely ball passed through the stagnant defence and found the feet of Fernando.

With only Tilovski in front of him, Fernando hit a poor shot into the feet of the lunging keeper, who once again thwarted the South attack.

Tilovski again stood in the way of South just before the interval, after a brilliant cross into the area by Fernando was poorly defended by Dean Fak and his Gully defence. The ball then fell to O’Dor inside the six yard box, who hit the poor shot directly into the legs of Tilovski.

The second half was all Green Gully, with the away side controlling the tempo and being first to the ball at every opportunity.

In the 58th minute a lunging tackle by Poutakidis, who appeared to have got the ball, was awarded as a penalty to Gully, with referee Jim Zafiriou claiming Poutakidis caught the man.

Stepping up to take the penalty was Andy Vargas, with the experienced midfielder keen to score another goal against South Melbourne, as he had done on a few occasions back in the NSL whilst playing for the Melbourne Knights. With the keeper once again beaten, South dodged a bullet as the ball struck the post and stayed out.

South’s biggest opportunity in the second half came in the 63rd minute.

Some lovely work by Zoric on the left flank saw the midfielder launch an inch-perfect pass to the back post, where Hamlet Armenian was waiting by himself. Armenian looked to have steered a powerful header into the top corner, only for Tilovski to fly past the goal face and once again capture the ball somewhat athletically in mid-air.

Gully closed the game off in the 72nd minute when some poor defending allowed for Joel Nikolic to gain possession just outside the area. With no defender in sight, Nikolic slammed the ball underneath the oncoming Anastasiadis for his second of the night.

With the game well and truly over, South dodged yet another bullet when a poor effort late in the game by Shaun Romein from just inside the area saw the ball fly past the outside of the post.

South Melbourne will now somehow have to regroup and travel to the in-form Melbourne Knights next week at Knights Stadium.

With the club currently languishing in 10th position on the table, a win next week against an old rival from the National League is imperative. Kick off is at 3pm.

Friday, 4 April 2008 3:56 PM

By George Kouroumalis

After a thrilling derby win last weekend against Preston, South Melbourne must remain composed as it welcomes Green Gully to Bob Jane Stadium this Sunday.

South performed a classic second half comeback last week at Connor Reserve, with two late goals to Goran Zoric and Nathan Caldwell giving the club an invaluable 1-2 win against the Lions.

Despite not playing the most fluent football, South coach John Anastasiadis will be excited by the persistence and character his boys showed in front of the parochial home crowd.

Defensively, South will be expected to go into the game on Sunday with the same starting line-up that performed quite well against the Lions.

Captain Dean Anastasiadis will be in goals, with Robbie Wynne on the right. Wynne has been impressive in his two games to date this season and has grasped the opportunity given to him, providing the side with a versatile and energetic defensive option. Joining the youngster in the defensive back four will be Shane Nunes and Steven O’Dor, both of whom will play in the central defensive position. Vice captain and inspirational leader Ramazan Tavsancioglu will be asked to once again patrol the left hand side of defence.

In the midfield, Anastasiadis will most likely persist with playing Sam Poutakidis on the right hand flank. Last week in that position, Poutakidis was a standout player for the side, providing both a presence in the attacking third as well as assisting the defence. The central midfield position will be filled by Antonio La Verde, with Fernando De Moraes playing a more attacking role in the centre of the park, just behind the front two. The other midfield position will be awarded to either Bill Natsioulas or Goran Zoric. After a solid first half performance against Preston, Natsioulas did not re-appear after the interval and was replaced by Zoric, who had a superb second half and scored the equalising goal.

Up front there are three strikers vying for two positions, with Nathan Caldwell’s solid performance against the Lions (including scoring the winning goal) firmly putting his case forward for re-inclusion into the starting line-up. Others in the mix will be Hamlet Armenian and Ricky Diaco, with the latter playing ninety minutes against the Lions and working extremely hard to create goalscoring opportunities. If South are to win on Sunday, whoever gets the nod to start up forward must make an impact on the contest.

South will come up against an experienced and well-drilled Green Gully side, with coach Ian Dobson renowned for producing football teams that are hard working and able to pick up results at any ground.

In goals for the Cavaliars will be Steven Tilovski, a player that stood in the way of South on both occasions last year when playing for the Fawkner Blues. In both games, he single-handedly won a point for his side after producing two superb performances in between the sticks. Tilovski’s shot stopping ability and strength in the air makes him a formidable wall to get past and South’s attacking players will need to be effective when presented with goal scoring opportunities. In front of Tilovski, veteran Dean Fak will lead a Green Gully defence that has only conceded 4 goals in six rounds, making them the second best defensive team in the league statistically.

In the midfield, Andy Vargas will be the player to watch. The hard working and experienced former NSL player will be well known to South fans as a player that can rip a game apart on his day. Whether it be with the ball at his feet, from a free-kick or a corner, Vargas will no doubt be a massive headache to the home side and someone that must be kept quiet in order for South to increase their chances of winning the contest. Other dangerous midfield options that will come either into the starting line-up or off the bench are the Delev brothers, who crossed over from Altona in the pre-season. Both players are experienced at this level and both can hold down the midfield as well as provide dangerous attacking threats going forward.

Up front, the Cavaliers have the in-form Joel Nikolic leading the charge, partnered by the elusive and skillful Campbell Banks. Nikolic really stepped up last week against Coburg, netting on two occasions to ensure that his team would take all three points. He is another player who is well accustomed to this level and will provide South’s central defensive duo with a nightmare when he has the ball at his feet or at aerial challenges.

South Melbourne urges all fans once again to come to the game on Sunday and get behind their side that is striving to get itself back into the top six. After a huge win last week, the scene is set for a cracking match at Bob Jane Stadium. Kick off is at 4pm.

South Melbourne FC vs Green Gully

When: Sunday, April 6th
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Kick-off: 4pm (Under 21s at 1.45pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Steven O’Dor, Shane Nunes, Tony La Verde, Bill Natsioulas, Robbie Wynne, Fernando De Moraes, Hamlet Armenian, Ricky Diaco

Green Gully
Steven Tilovski, Mile Medjedovic, Dragi Nastevski, Dean Fak, Steven Burton, Ryan Ollerton, Jeffrey Fleming, Campbell Banks, Kole Delev, Andy Vargas, Joel Nikolic

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 8
South Melbourne : 2
Green Gully : 4
Draw : 2

Last Meeting

When: Sunday, 15 July 2007
Where: Green Gully Reserve
Score: Green Gully 0 drew with South Melbourne 0

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South Melbourne: Loss, Loss, Win
Green Gully: Win, Draw, Win

Monday, 31 March 2008 12:46 PM

By John Kyrou & George Kouroumalis

A dominant 20 minute spell in the second half was enough to see South Melbourne overcome a stubborn Preston Lions side at BT Connor Reserve on Sunday.

South entered the clash in indifferent form, having lost their last two games, including a poor home loss the previous week to the AIS. Despite the poor form, South were slightly encouraged by the fact that the club had not lost at BT Connor Reserve since returning to the VPL in 2005.

The away side went into the game with veteran goalkeeper Dean Anastasiadis in goals, with Robert Wynne doing enough against the AIS to be awarded a second consecutive start in the back four. Joining the inexperienced Wynne were Ramazan Tavsancioglu and Steven O’Dor, with the latter being welcomed back into the team after serving a one week suspension. The other component of the back four was Shane Nunes, who was expected to assist O’Dor in the heart of defence to try and thwart any Preston attacking move. Sam Poutakidis was assigned a role on the right hand flank, with the experienced campaigner having the duel role of providing South with an attacking threat down the wings as well as assisting the defence.

In the midfield area, South went into the game with the same trio that commenced the AIS game. Bill Natsioulas and Fernando De Moraes were expected to not only control the midfield area but to also provide attacking options to the side when going forward. The other midfield player was Antonio La Verde, who once again was selected to play in the central midfield slot after an impressive first few weeks at the club.

Up front, Hamlet Armenian was restored to the starting line-up and was partnered with Ricky Diaco, who replaced the injured Gianni De Nittis in the side.

South commenced the game brightly and had the first chance of the game in the second minute through Fernando’s long range effort that flew wide. Minutes later, a sweeping counter attacking move saw La Verde play the ball down the left to Fernando, who launched a low cross into the area only for Preston goalkeeper Lupce Acevski to come off his line and smother the ball and prevent the oncoming Armenian from opening the scoring for the afternoon. South could sense an early goal and continued to press forward at every opportunity. A well constructed move in the 18th minute culminated in Tavsancioglu darting past a few stagnant Preston players before hitting a long range bullet over the bar.

In the 22nd minute, Preston launched their first dangerous chance of the contest when a sublime through ball by Marinos Gasparis was played into the path of veteran Johnny Sapazovski. With only Anastasiadis in front of him, Sapazovski hit a timid shot from just inside the area and into the prying arms of the big South custodian.

In response, South once again pushed forward immediately and through a Fernando effort once again almost found the opening goal from long range. On this occasion the Brazilian maestro cut past Les Anastasiou before hitting a strong and swirling 20 metre attempt into the advertising boards and out for a goal kick.

Preston returned fire and the home side were awarded a free kick only a metre outside the penalty area, after a foul was committed by Tavsancioglu in the 30th minute. With the angle and distance favouring the left footed Tony Sterjovski, the Preston captain took the free kick that beat Anastasiadis before smacking into the cross bar and out for a goalkick.

The home side only needed to wait a few minutes before finally getting the opening goal of the contest. In a bizarre goal mouth scramble, a poorly hit cross failed to be dealt with by the South defence. Anastasiadis, in his 150th league game for South Melbourne, looked to be fouled as he tried to punch the ball to safety. The ball fell to the feet of the waiting Nicholas Schwal around 8 yards out from goal and he comfortably slotted the ball into the open net to give Preston the lead.

South managed to have the last attempt on goal before the break, when a cross from the left hand side by Fernando was driven low into the near post. With a host of South players free inside the six yard area, Anastasiou put in a desperate lunging tackle that knocked the ball just inches wide of the post and out for a corner kick.

In a surprising move at half time, both Natsioulas and Armenian were sacrificed, despite both having had decent games. They were replaced by the speedy Goran Zoric and Nathan Caldwell.

South came out in the second half in a similar fashion to the first, attacking the Preston side from the outset. A dashing run by Poutakidis down the right hand side saw the ball find its way into the area. With defenders hanging off him, Diaco somehow hit a shot on target, but Acevski was on hand to easily catch the incoming shot. Diaco once again proved dangerous in the 58th minute after finding space just outside the area. After taking a touch he then hit a stinging volley onto the target. Unfortunately for the South side, the ball was captured once again by Acevski.

Preston had a chance to double their advantage in the 64th minute, when a nice run by Gasparis was cut short just outside the area, with the midfielder fouled by O’Dor. With the previous free kick striking the cross bar, Sterjovski stepped up and hit yet another cracking free kick towards goal with his left foot. To his disappointment, the ball floated inches wide of the target and over for a goal kick, despite looking goal bound.

With time appearing to be running out and after a period of continually turning over possession, the away fans were rewarded for making the trip to Preston when South equalised in the 71st minute. A sweeping counter attack saw the ball fall to the feet of Poutakidis on the right hand side of the area. Poutakidis launched a inch perfect low cross into the path of Zoric, who slammed the ball into the back of the net to make the score 1-1.

South had only been on level terms for 90 seconds before another foray forward saw Caldwell gain possession just inside the area. The much maligned striker somehow got past a couple of defenders before slotting a lovely shot past the helpless Acevski in the Preston goal to make the score 1-2 and complete a remarkable turnaround by South.

In the 79th minute, Preston had a chance to get back onto level terms after a speculative long range effort by Gasparis fizzed past the right hand goal post and out for a goal kick.

With South in control of the midfield area and the game in general, a final foray forward for the away side saw Diaco let loose in acres of space. Diaco had been craving a goal all afternoon but was superbly denied by Acevski, who saved his side once again to keep them in the game.

The final chance of the game fell to Preston, but once again a long range effort by Gasparis failed to land on the target and floated well wide of a relieved Anastasiadis, who celebrated his 150th game with a memorable win against the Lions.

South jump to 9th and are only two points outside of the top six, with a huge game next week against Green Gully at Bob Jane Stadium. Kick off is at 4pm and all fans are encouraged to get behind the side as it strives to get itself back up to the upper echelons of the table.

Thursday, 27 March 2008 6:41 PM

By John Kyrou & George Kouroumalis

After a disastrous start to season 2008, South Melbourne must wipe everything aside as it prepares to take on old rivals and reigning Foxtel Cup champions Preston in a must-win derby match on Sunday at Connor Reserve.

After a very disappointing opening five rounds in which South has only won once, the team will be striving to return to winning ways with a positive result over the Lions, which will hopefully once more kick-start the 2008 campaign.

Going into the game, South is expected to make changes to the line-up that were comprehensively beaten 0-2 at home against the AIS on Monday.

Steven O’Dor will be a welcome return to the back four, serving his one game suspension during the AIS match. It is expected that he will partner Shane Nunes in the centre of defence, with veterans Sam Poutakidis and Ramazan Tavsancioglu both expected to patrol the right and left hand sides respectively. Both ‘Rama’ and Poutakidis have had reasonable seasons to date, with the latter impressing his new team-mates and fans with his dedication to the blue and white cause both on and off the park.

The position in the middle of the park is still presenting a grey area for coach John Anastasiadis, but it is expected that he will once again place his faith in youngster Antonio La Verde in central midfield. La Verde has been impressive in his opening three games for his new club and his performances have proven that he is a capable and hard working player with a lot of potential.

The other midfield positions will most likely be awarded to Fernando and Goran Zoric, with doubts raised on the fitness of Bill Natsioulas, who limped off on Monday with what appeared to be a minor strain to his leg. If selected, all three will need to have big games if South is to gain all three points at Connor Reserve.

In the attacking third, Ricky Diaco and Nathan Caldwell will be staking a claim to start the game, following an injury to Gianni De Nittis. A starter in the last three matches, De Nittis received a knock on his knee against the AIS and will require a fortnight on the sidelines to recover. The other striker vying to keep his spot in the team is Hamlet Armenian, who will no doubt want to keep his spot in order to experience his first derby game against the Lions. Armenian will also be keen to put aside his poor performance on Monday and capture his form of 2007, where he was one of the most exciting players in the Foxtel Cup.

South will also have to account for a very disciplined and well-drilled Preston side, with the Goran Lozanovski lead side firmly intent on winning all three points in front of their home crowd. The star of the Lions is undoubtedly goalkeeper Lupce Acevski, who returned to Preston after leaving his Czech Republic club. Acevski is a superb keeper at VPL level and will be the equivalent of a wall in goals, with the former NSL custodian having excellent reflexes and the ability to save anything that comes his way. Against South in 2007 he was the difference between the clubs, making a series of superb saves to deny South winning a game that ended 3-3.

Helping Acevski in the defensive area will be a committed defensive unit lead by the experienced Les Anastasiou. The big central defender always lifts a level when the big games arise and he will be giving his all to get in the way of any South foray forward on Sunday.

In the middle of the park, Preston will be reliant on the services of captain Tony Sterjovski and Marinos Gasparis, both of whom are well known for their work ethic and abilities to score from long range. Gasparis will be remembered by South supporters for his Man of the Match display at Bob Jane Stadium last season, where he ripped apart the South midfield and defence alike to score a double and cause mass panic every time he gained possession of the ball.

Up front, Preston will go with long-time servant Johnny Sapazovski, a player that on his day can cause problems with his deadly finishing and ability to find the ball in the right areas on most occasions. He will be supported by Ricky Chillico, yet another player who will be desperate to play his first derby match after crossing over to Preston from Fawkner in the summer.

To add a bit more spice to the derby, big South goalkeeper and captain Dean Anastasiadis will make his 150th league appearance for the club against the Lions. Anastasiadis began his career in the 1992/93 NSL season and left after the 1995/96 season but returned again at the beginning of the 2002/03 season. He is in his tenth season at the club, having played 84 games for South in the NSL and a further 65 games for the club since it joined the VPL in 2005. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 37 year old’s previous 149 South games would have been captaining the 2006 championship team and lifting the VPL trophy together with his brother and coach John Anastasiadis. ‘Deano’ has played against the Lions many times in the past and his experience and leadership skills will be crucial and much needed, in order for him to guide his young side through the cauldron that will be the Connor Reserve on Sunday.

With a large derby crowd expected and both teams needing three points to consolidate their seasons, the game promises to be an enthralling contest and one which South simply needs to win in order to get itself back on track for season 2008.

Preston Lions vs South Melbourne FC

When: Sunday, March 30th
Where: BT Connor Reserve
Kick-off: 3pm (Under 21s at 1pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

Preston Lions
Lupce Acevski (GK), Victor Pititto, Les Anastasiou, Marinos Gasparis, Tony Sterjovski, Ricky Chillico, Johnny Sapazovski, Igorce Kolevski, Stephen Masalkovski, Francesco Catalano, Blaze Georgioski

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Steven O’Dor, Shane Nunes, Tony La Verde, Bill Natsioulas, Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes, Hamlet Armenian, Ricky Diaco

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 5
Preston Lions : 1
South Melbourne : 2
Draw : 2

Last Meeting

When: Sunday, 27 May 2007
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Score: South Melbourne 3 drew with Preston 3

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South: Win, Loss, Loss
Preston Lions: Win, Draw, Win

Tuesday, 25 March 2008 10:22 AM

The South Melbourne family will once again be out in force again tonight, with the kick-off to the 2008 Women’s Premier League campaign.

South have resurrected themselves from State League 1, finishing second in season 2007 and being awarded with promotion back to the Women’s Premier League after only one season down a division.

With a new coach on board and a host of new players, the club feels quite confident that the players have what it takes to have a successful season and play a prominent role later in the season, with finals football an aim.

Speaking to www.smfc.com.au, Jaime Floros was confident about her side’s chances for the upcoming season.

“We have trained quite hard over the break and are really excited to get the season off to a good start. We were quite disappointed being relegated to State League 1, but the girls showed great character and really played well last year to get promoted back into the Premier League. South is a big club and we really want to do both the club and ourselves proud this season with our performances.”

When asked about the aim of the team in season 2008, Jaime was intent that she wanted to play finals football, claiming that “everyone that plays football wants to have the opportunity to play finals football and we are no different. We have a new look squad, a new coach and the place is buzzing with excitement about our chances this year. I think our squad is good enough to take on the best, so with a bit of luck I want to see us play finals this year and really make our mark as a team that has improved from last year.”

South will commence the season in round one tonight at the Darebin Sports Complex in Northcote against Gippsland, the other side promoted from State League 1 last season. Kick off is at 8.30pm and all fans are encouraged to get along and support the side as it strives for an improved and successful 2008 Premier League campaign.

Tuesday, 25 March 2008 9:50 AM

By John Kyrou
South Melbourne FC would like to congratulate former forward Duncan Cummings, who celebrated his 50th birthday in the past week.

Cummings was born on March 20, 1958. Brian Edgley bought the then 18 year old to Middle Park in 1976, where he stayed with South for another six seasons until the end of the 1981 season.

Cummings was a member of South’s Victorian State League championship winning side in 1976. He ran riot during that season, scoring 8 goals in the League, 2 goals in the State League Cup (where South went down 1-2 to Footscray JUST in the final) and 4 goals in the AMPOL Cup (where South beat Footscray JUST 4-1 in the final). He scored one of the goals in the final, with fellow team mate Peter Ollerton netting a hat trick.

With South’s promotion into the National Soccer League in 1977, Cummings continued to represent the blue and whites, now on the national stage. He played 90 games for the club in the NSL and scored 22 goals. He was a nominee as a forward for South’s Team of the Century but missed out as Jim Pyrgolios, Paul Trimboli and Jimmy Armstrong made the team.

The club wishes to once again congratulate Duncan Cummings on his birthday milestone and thanks him for his contribution to the club.

Duncan Cummings

• Six seasons at the club, from 1976 to 1981
• 90 South Melbourne games (NSL)
• 30 South Melbourne goals (22 NSL, 8 VPL)
• Member of South’s VPL championship team in 1976

Tuesday, 25 March 2008 9:40 AM

By George Kouroumalis

A wasteful South Melbourne has been defeated by the AIS 0-2 in their Easter Monday clash at Bob Jane Stadium.

Going into the game, South coach John Anastasiadis was forced to make a couple of changes to the starting line-up, with the suspension of Steven O’Dor and the injury to Adam Van Dommele, who also missed out on the match.

Replacing the two in the back four were vice captain Ramazan Tavsancioglu and youngster Robert Wynne, who was looking to impress with a rare starting eleven position given to him. Wynne was instructed to play in the central defensive position, an area in which he was given an opportunity to play in throughout the pre-season competition in January.

South commenced the game as the more aggressive of the two sides, launching an early raid on the AIS goal in the fourth minute. A storming run on the left hand flank by Goran Zoric finished with the speedster launching his shot wide of the target. Minutes later, South had yet another opportunity to take the lead, only for another Zoric run and cross being headed over the bar by Hamlet Armenian.

In response the AIS showed their speed and quality in a sweeping counter attack move, with the ball ending up at the feet of exciting winger Kofi Danning. Danning received the ball on the right hand flank, cut back into the centre of the park, darted past a host of South defenders as if they were witches hats and hit a swinging left footed drive just wide of the target.

In the 23rd minute Danning continued to pester the South Melbourne defence. On this occasion, the winger opted to launch an early cross into the box, beating Sam Poutakidis on the right hand side. With the South defence poorly positioned, Jason Naidovski rose above all defenders and slammed a well struck header inches over the cross bar.

In the 33rd minute, South had a golden chance to take the lead after a swinging corner by Bill Natsioulas was met by Shane Nunes just outside the six yard box. With no-one around him, Nunes hit a timid header into the prying arms of the AIS keeper Mark Birghitti.

South thought it had received the lifeline it needed in the 43rd minute after an inviting run into the area by Gianni De Nittis saw the striker fouled just inside the area. With the failure of the AIS player to win the ball, the referee awarded a penalty, much to the disgust of the AIS defenders.

With all South fans up on their feet in anticipation, Fernando hit his penalty to the right hand side of the goal, beating Birghitti who dived to his left hand side. Unfortunately though for the Brazilian and for the blue and whites, his shot swung past the right hand goal post and out for a goal-kick.

In an attempt to rectify his earlier error, Fernando had the final opportunity of the opening half in the 45th minute, when he recovered a loose ball in the middle before running unmarked and launching a drive from 25 yards out. The goal-bound strike was superbly collected by keeper Birghitti, who ensured that his side would go into the game on even terms.

South had numerous opportunities to take the lead in the early stages of the second half, with both Fernando and Natsioulas spooning chances into the arms of Birghitti, after both hit timid shots onto the target.

With the home side being so wasteful in front of goal, the determined AIS side were intent on punishing South and did so in the 56th minute, when a ball was floated into the path of the ever reliable youngster Naidovski. Naidovski, who is tipped to be the next big thing in Australian football, made room before latching onto a cross in typically deadly fashion to give his side the 0-1 lead.

South continued to push forward in an attempt to equalise, but it seemed as if there was no spark or luck for the home side. A sweeping move by the home side in the 73rd minute appeared to be the last major effort. A lovely lay-off ball by substitute Nathan Caldwell found Hamlet Armenian in space with only the keeper to beat. To the dismay of the home support, Armenian completely fluffed the chance, spooning the ball over the bar and into the terraces behind the goals.

From that point on the AIS had all the play and should have doubled their advantage in the 75th minute. A stunning counter attack saw the ball strike the upright, before falling into the feet of Naidovski, with Anastasiadis on the deck. A heroic lunge on the goal line by Shane Nunes thwarted the shot on goal and breathed some life back into the lackluster home side.

However, despite the finest efforts of the South defence, a piece of Naidovski brilliance iced the game only two minutes later when he scored one of the goals of the season from 30 yards out. Naidovski gathered possession and launched a wonder strike on goal that flew past the helpless Anastasiadis and off the post into the goal for 0-2.

South now sit 12th on the table with only one win out of the opening five rounds. The matches do not get easier for South, with the next game being a tough trip to BT Connor Reserve to face Preston in one of the big derbies of the VPL season. The match is on Sunday and kicks off is at 3pm.

Saturday, 22 March 2008 11:04 AM

By George Kouroumalis

After a 17 day break, South Melbourne will be keen to return to the Foxtel Cup action on Easter Monday as it hosts the league leading AIS side at Bob Jane Stadium.

South will go into the game confident of getting a result, even though results wise the club is struggling this season with only one victory from their opening four fixtures, with the most recent result being a 1-0 loss away to Oakleigh. However South’s confidence going into the AIS fixture will come out of the team’s performance against Oakleigh, as South dominated all over the park but struggled to convert their chances in front of goal.

South coach John Anastasiadis will not be expected to make many changes to the starting line-up, with the only change likely to be to the back four. Ramazan Tavsancioglu is expected to return, after sitting out the Oakleigh game due to a family commitment. ‘Rama’ will most certainly be replacing Steven O’Dor, with the big central defender set to be sitting out this week’s match after being sent off against the Cannons.

South will once again rely on Hamlet Armenian and Gianni De Nittis up front, with experienced duo Ricky Diaco and Nathan Caldwell also staking a claim for a first eleven position. All four will be looking forward to pressing forward against the AIS on the Bob Jane Stadium field, where in the last outing they had a field day against Western Suburbs, netting goals galore and creating many opportunities.

South will however be without youngster Yusuf Yusuf, with the young winger succumbing to a horrific knee injury against the Cannons. Yusuf, who had his knee taken from underneath him, suffered an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament and will be expected to miss twelve months of first team football as he recovers.

With his absence, South will most likely commence the game with the same midfield quartet as against Oakleigh, with young Antonio La Verde impressing in his two appearances in the centre of the park for his new club. With the experienced Fernando and Bill Natsioulas around him, coupled by the inclusion of the elusive Goran Zoric in the midfield area, South will be keen on dominating play throughout the entire middle third.

The AIS will be no pushovers, with the Canberra based side possessing a squad that is filled by some of the most talented footballers in the country. This talent has shone throughout their opening four games so far this year, with the AIS currently undefeated and only one point off the top of the table.

In order for South to win the game they must contain two very high credentialed youngsters in Jason Naidovski and Kofi Danning, who so far this year have both had stellar performances against highly rated opposition.

Naidovski is considered one of the brightest prospects that Australian football has to offer, with the 18 year old striker already representing his nation at U17, U19 and U23 level, as well as being a train-on player with A-League franchise Sydney FC. A hard worker and quality finisher, Naidovski has buried 6 goals in his side’s opening four games, which includes scoring in every game thus far.

With an A-League call-up for next season a possibility, Naidovski will be keen to keep up his goal scoring record and prove he deserves to be playing at national level. Should South shut Naidovski and strike partner Danning down, they will go a long way towards winning the match.

South reminds all fans, members and the general public that Monday is Ladies Day at Bob Jane Stadium, with all females admitted to the game for free, whilst a BBQ will also be provided for all ladies and 2008 club members. The match kicks off at 4pm.

South Melbourne FC vs AIS

When: Monday, March 24th
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Kick-off: 4pm (Under 21s at 1.45pm)

Projected Starting line-ups

AIS
Mark Birghitti (GK), Daniel Mullen, Dane Milovanovic, Richard Greer, Alexander Sunasky, Luke Devere, Kofi Danning, Jason Naidovski, Daniel Taylor, Howard Fondyke, Ante Cicak

South Melbourne
Dean Anastasiadis (GK), Sam Poutakidis, Rama Tavsancioglou, Adam Van Dommele, Shane Nunes, Tony La Verde, Bill Natsioulas, Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes, Hamlet Armenian, Gianni De Nittis

Head to head (Games since 2005)

Played : 1
AIS : 0
South Melbourne : 1
Draw : 0

Last Meeting

When: Sunday, 6 May 2007
Where: Bob Jane Stadium
Score: South Melbourne 2 def AIS 1

Form in 2008 (last 3 games)

South: Loss, Win, Loss
AIS: Win, Win, Draw

Monday, 17 March 2008 11:12 AM

Key South Melbourne midfielder Yusuf Yusuf has suffered a knee injury and is likely to miss the remainder of the 2008 Foxtel Cup season.

Yusuf went down clutching his knee only moments after he was substituted onto the park in the round 4 clash against Oakleigh.
A collision of legs saw the young midfielder in immediate and immense pain.

Recent scans have shown that Yusuf has injured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament and that he will require a knee reconstruction to rectify this problem.

The club wishes Yusuf all the best during this tough time for him and hopes that he can get back onto the park in the not too distant future.