Category: News

Monday, 20 January 2003 12:00 AM

South Melbourne’s poor form in Western Australia continued on the weekend as the Albert Park Club went down 2 – 0 to a solid Perth line up. Despite the loss, South Melbourne remain in third position, now only four points behind Newcastle United who drew to Wollongong last night.

Danny Wright’s squad controlled most of the match as Perth sat back after German import Gumprecht scored a wonderful volley to put the home side in front. South continued playing some fluent football as the Glory sat waiting for the counter punch.

South’s best chance came in the 35th minute through Peter Buljan who got onto the end of a through ball, surpassing two Glory players and beating Petkovic. Unfortunately the South striker hit the frame of the wood work. Zeljko Susa also had a glorious opportunity but his first chance let him down as he marched inside the penalty area.

Wright was obviously disappointed with the result but was happy with the way his players persistence throughout Saturday nights Round 18 encounter.

“We realised that we will be playing Perth in the Finals Series and learnt a couple of lessons from the match. The players learnt that Perth are beatable and that we exposed some chinks in their armour which we look forward exposing that next time we go up”.

“We weren’t too disappointed with the result. We came through the match unscaved, looking forward to the next home game, where a good win will set us up for the game against Olympic in two weeks,” says Wright.

South Melbourne takes on Wollongong this week in a match of most importance for Albert Park Club. Newcastle tackle Olympic Sharks this Friday night which could see South come closer to second spot or pull away from the bottom half of the top six.

Friday, 17 January 2003 12:00 AM

The Round 25 home fixture against Brisbane Strikers, which was previously scheduled for Sunday 9 March 2003, has been rescheduled due to the 2003 Australian Formula One Grand Prix being staged in Melbourne.

The fixture was to be South Melbourne final home game before the Finals Series, but will now play the match midweek in between it’s fixture at home with Adelaide City and the Round 22 encounter away to cross town rivals Melbourne Knights.

The re-scheduled fixture will mean South Melbourne plays three matches within a week but no interstate travel will be required as all games are in Melbourne.

Friday, 17 January 2003 12:00 AM

Bill Damianos has joined his teammates today who travel to the west for the top of the table clash with league leaders Perth Glory. Bill Damianos who rolled his right ankle earlier in the week, was only half a chance in catching today’s flight but retains his spot after proving himself fit during a training session last night.

South Melbourne leave for Perth having never won in Western Australia, their best result a 0 – 0 draw in Round 13 which began an amazing run to the finals last season.

Since the Glory’s inclusion into the National League in 1996 the Blue and Whites have played on 6 occasions in Perth. South have conceded 14 goals only scoring 3 in the process with their biggest loss a 4 – 0 drubbing back in 1997.

The odds seemed stacked against the away side, but over the six seasons South’s form has improved at Perth Oval and a win may only be around the corner.

“The last time I visited Perth Oval was a 2-0 win with Brisbane Strikers so I have fond memories of the ground”, says Wright.

The away win against Sydney United which came a fortnight ago, gave Wright’s squad an extra lift leading into the home stretch of the home away season. The win took the monkey off their backs, as third placed South still has five important away matches remaining.

“The players have approached the game in a manner of real enthusiasm, as it is one of the feature matches of the NSL calander. It is not something that should be feared, it is a game we should all look forward to being a part of”, says Wright.

Perth is currently leading the competition and is 10 points in front of the Blue and Whites who will look to close the gap tomorrow night in front of over 10,000 screaming Glory fans.

With Perth still to have their BYE Round and face a tribunal hearing which may cost them three points, tomorrow night’s match becomes vitally important if South Melbourne are any chance in claiming a top two spot.

RECORD V PERTH (Perth Oval)
Season 1996/97 : 4 – 0 Loss
Season 1997/98 : 4 – 1 Loss
Season 1998/99 : 2 – 1 Loss
Season 1999/2000 : 3 – 1 Loss
Season 2000/2001 : 1 – 0 Loss
Season 2001/2002 : 0 – 0 Draw

Monday, 13 January 2003 12:00 AM

In his 100th South Melbourne and NSL game Bill Damianos scored his third goal of the season in the fourth minute, as South Melbourne defeated Northern Spirit last night.

South Melbourne started the better with Panopoulos, Susa and Damianos combining well in midfield. South Melbourne created many opportunities throughout the match but couldn’t add to their lead. The 1 -0 victory should could have been extended after a first half drinks break, as the Albert Park Club squandered four chances in four minutes.

The win has extended South’s third placed position over it’s closest rival Newcastle by 5 points and has edged closer to reigning champions and second placed Olympic Sharks who have lost their past two matches.

South Melbourne now take on league leaders Perth Glory at Perth Oval. The Lakeside’s have never before won in Western Australia, only picking up a point which came last season. Danny Wright’s squad who are currently undefeated in their past four matches. will be working hard to turn around South’s record in Perth.

Friday, 10 January 2003 12:00 AM

Date: Saturday 18 January 2003
Venue: Perth Oval
Kickoff: 7.000m WA time (10pm AEST)

Radio: 6PR 882AM 7pm live broadcast (Perth only) & Radio 3XY 1422AM (Melbourne only)

HEAD TO HEAD (Overall):
Played: 12 Perth wins 7, South Melbourne wins 2, Draws 3

HEAD TO HEAD (at Perth):
Played: 6 (Regular Season) Perth wins 5, South Melbourne wins 0, Draws 1

LAST WEEK:
Perth 1-0 away win over Newcastle
South Melbourne 1-0 home win over Spirit

Position on Ladder: 1st Vs 3rd

PERTH GLORY SQUAD: J Petkovic (gk), S Pryce, S Miller, B Hassell, D Tarka, M Horsley, J Harnwell, A Gumprecht, D Mori, N Mrdja, E Junior, B Despotovski, M Byrnes, A Caceres, V Matassa (gk)

IN: B Despotovski, A Caceres
OUT: C Deans (knee – season), G Faria (groin), A Danze (omitted)

SOUTH MELBOURNE SQUAD: E Galekovic (gk), S Iosifides, M Durakovic, S Panopoulos, V Coveny, P Trimboli, P Buljan, V Lia, M Murdocca, M Baird, P Kisnorbo, Z Susa, B Damianos, N Tolios, D Anastasiadis (gk)

IN: Unchanged
OUT: Unchanged

Friday, 10 January 2003 12:00 AM

Before leaving for abroad, Bill Damianos had an influential role in the centre of the park for the Blue and Whites scoring some wonderful goals and winning the 1997/98 Championship with the club.

On Sunday the attacking midfielder who’s accurate ball skills create havoc for the opposition, will play his 100th National Soccer League and South Melbourne match. He has had a terrific season thus far scoring two goals and being the producer of many more.

After the Championship triumph, the twenty-five year old left for Greece and spent time with Ist Division Club Xanthi before moving to Kallithea. Returning from Europe, Damianos spent the first few rounds on the sidelines trying to reach full fitness and after gaining some match fitness and rhythm, he suffered a hamstring injury, which saw him miss a few weeks.

“I worked hard and trained a lot to get back into fitness. It feels good to be back onto the park. I have played the last two matches and am finding some form”.

I didn’t realise it was my 100th match. It’s a great achievement and a good feeling to have played 100 matches for the same Club”, says Damianos.

Damianos, along with central midfield teammates, Susa, Panopoulos and Clarkson make a formidable line-up in the centre of the park, but with Wright playing three across the middle, the competition within the squad is sure to be cutthroat.

“The competition within the squad is healthy. Susa coming into the squad is great as he is a quality player and playing alongside Panopoulos and Clarkson who I played in a championship is great because they are the real workhorses of the team”.

“We have good depth in the squad which is vital because we need every player”.

Damianos is a crowd pleaser and entertains the Bob Jane faithful with his precision and dynamic runs forward. He will once again be an influential player as we head towards the business end of the season and will continue to shine as one the finest players in the National Soccer League.

Friday, 10 January 2003 12:00 AM

Date: Sunday 12 January 2003
Venue: Bob Jane Stadium
Kickoff: 7:00PM AEST

Radio/TV: 3XX 1611AM 7.00pm live broadcast (Melbourne only)

HEAD TO HEAD (Overall):
Played: 9
South Melbourne wins 5, Spirit wins 3, Draws 1

HEAD TO HEAD (at Melbourne):
Played: 4(Regular Season)
South Melbourne wins 4, Spirit wins 0, Draws 0

LAST WEEK:
South Melb 1-0 away win Vs Sydney United
Spirit 0-0 home draw Vs Newcastle

Position on Ladder: 3rd Vs 12th

SOUTH MELBOURNE SQUAD:
E Galekovic (gk), S Iosifidis, P Kisnorbo, M Durakovic,
V Coveny, P Trimboli, P Buljan, N Tolios, S Panopoulos, Z Susa,
B Damianos, V Lia, M Murdocca, M Baird, D Anastasiadis (gk)

IN: N Tolios
OUT: R Liparoti (knee – season)

NORTHERN SPIRIT SQUAD:
P Henderson (gk), J Watts, A Tobin, A Wilkinson, J Richter,
N Spencer, J Hutchinson, A Kwasnik, I Ferguson, V Tomasevic,
M Cartwright, S Bell, S Walsh, M Osman, L Acevski (gk)

IN: S Walsh
OUT: B Fisher (omitted)

Friday, 10 January 2003 12:00 AM

South Melbourne who are undefeated at home all season, will not only be looking to maintain their perfect record but also uphold their undefeated home advantage against Northern Spirit at Bob Jane Stadium this Sunday evening.

The Sydney Club has lost all four encounters at Lakeside since their establishment in 1998. South Melbourne’s largest winning margin against the Spirit was in season 2000/2001 when the Blue and Whites recorded a 6 – 2 victory in the final rounds of the season.

“We feel very disappointed in the manner in which we lost in the first half of the season match against Spirit. The players are looking forward to avenging the loss which came from a freak accident late in the game,” says Wright.

The Spirit who drew with Newcastle last week, has a squad that contains experience, in goalkeeper Henderson, the National Soccer Leagues most capped player Alex Tobin and Troy Cranney who has played over 250 NSL matches. Lawrie McInna’s squad who is currently sitting in second last position but have two matches in hand, will make life difficult for the home team as they desperately need a win to kickstart their season.

South Melbourne will conduct their last training session tomorrow morning in preparation for Sunday’s encounter. After last Sunday’s spirited away victory, the squad has been training very well and the competition within the squad has risen as players push for first team selection.

The match this week will kick off at 7.00PM, as will South Melbourne three remaining home games of the regular season.

Tuesday, 7 January 2003 12:00 AM

Robert Liparoti has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and as a result will miss the rest of the season.

The central defender had a slow start to the season playing few games, but in the last month Liparoti has been in favour with his coach and has risen to the occasion standing firm in the centre of defence.

Liparoti undertook an MRI scan yesterday that showed damage to his knee, which he says, is not as bad as his previous knee reconstruction three seasons ago.

“I am still able to move around which is a good sign. My knee doesn’t feel as bas as the last time I had a similar injury.”

“I will be out for the season, which is a shame as I was beginning to play regularly and was playing well in my last few starts. This injury will only make me stronger”, says Liparoti.

Liparoti damaged his right knee in Round 2 against Carlton in season 2000/2001 and missed the entire season. He worked hard over that period and spent every training session with his teammates working just as hard to recover from his long-term injury. He is sure to do the same this time round and get back into the good form that he was showing in the past weeks.

“Had the injury occurred during a training session or in a practice match it would be difficult mentally to get back, but Liparoti is in the best form of his career and will now want to get back to full fitness”, says Wright.

Liparoti, who will be visiting the surgeon next week, will be out for at least six months. South Melbourne would like to wish Robert a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in action, in front of his home fans at the beginning of next season.

Monday, 6 January 2003 12:00 AM

Twenty-Four year old defender Robert Liparoti, injured his knee in South Melbourne’s 1 – 0 win against Sydney United last night. It was the Blue and Whites first away win of the season and with Newcastle dropping valuable points the Club sits in outright third position.

The towering defender injured his left knee, the opposite knee that sidelined him in season 2000/2001. An initial diagnosis has identified cruciate ligament damage, which will be confirmed as early as this evening.

“Liparoti prompted on his right foot and pivoted to the right when at the same time he had a mild collision with the opposing player. He was in a fair bit of pain”.

“He is having his MRI scan today and we will know the result of his injury later today”, says South Melbourne physiotherapist Mary Toomey.

Despite Liparoti’s injury, South Melbourne showed some of its best form of the season and displayed some tremendous character. Wright was very satisfied with his players performance as throughout the week he empahised the importance of teamwork and players taking responsibility.

“The difference between the two teams last night was that we showed the ability to dig deep and show great team spirit. Earlier in the week we worked on leadership groups in various areas of the squad.”

“It was very satisfying seeing the way the players went about their business grinding out the result. They took on more responsibility and I was very proud of that”

“Sydney United gave us nothing. It was up to the boys to get the result and it was evident after the match as the boys were pumped as they had got the monkey off their backs”, says Wright.

With Susa returning from suspension, it was the first time this season that Danny Wright had all his midfielders available and started with Panopoulos, Damianos and Susa in the centre of the park.

“We had a very attacking formation as the Damianos and Susa are not natural defensive midfielders. I was concerned with that but in the second half they did pretty good”, says Wright.

Another positive sign came from Steve Iosifidis who replaced the injured Liparoti in the 25th minute. The out of favour Iosifidis was impressive and showed exactly what he is capable of, quite easily slipping into defence.

“Iosifidis was able to come on under pressure and pretty much slip into defence displaying his best form all season. It was satisfying and I have always said for players to prove me wrong and show me what they are capable of”, says the South coach.

South Melbourne will now take on Northern Spirit this Sunday and look to avenge their loss to the Sydney Club in Round 4 earlier this season. Last time the sides met, South’s two-goal comeback was diminished after Jonathan Ritcher scored a last minute winner for Spirit.

The match kicks off at 7.00 PM this Sunday at Bob Jane Stadium!