Category: News

Arguably the match of the round for Round 20 of PS4 NPL Victoria action will take place at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Friday night when the Bentleigh Greens host South Melbourne FC.

The match is of vital importance to both sides in the race to secure the 2016 Premiership – South’s third in a row should it finish the regular season in first place. Chris Taylor’s side will maintain its current one-point lead over John Anastasiadis’ men with a draw on Friday night but can extend their lead to four points in what would be a huge win. Should Bentleigh win, they will secure a two-point lead over South with seven league matches remaining before the finals series.

Bentleigh has lost only once to South in seven meetings between the two sides across all competitions. The sides have already met three times in 2016 as Bentleigh secured the FFV Community Shield in February with a 3-0 win and then embarrassed South 4-0 in the final round of FFA Cup qualifying last month. Sandwiched in between these two meetings was a 2-1 league win for South in NPL Victoria action at Lakeside Stadium back in April. Kristian Konstantinidis and Mathew Theodore scored South’s two goals and goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic pulled off two magnificent saves from two late Bentleigh penalty kicks to secure three points for his side.

The key Bentleigh players to watch out for are captain Wayne Wallace, former South championship winner Tyson Holmes and striker Chris Lucas. All three were magnificent in Bentleigh’s FFA Cup triumph against South as they constantly harassed and forced South’s players to give the ball away cheaply, which lead to their four unanswered goals. All three will have to be shut out if South are to gain maximum points on Friday night.

Tim Mala was sent off late in the game as South drew 2-2 with Hume City at Lakeside Stadium last Friday night and will serve the first of his two-match suspension against the Greens this Friday. Prolific goal scorer Milos Lujic picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign against Hume and must serve the mandatory one-match suspension against Bentleigh. Taylor was sent off from the coaching bench in the Hume game and he will serve a one-match touchline suspension on Friday night.

The losses of Mala and Lujic will be felt heavily by South but this presents an excellent opportunity for other players within the squad to step up and replace those players. Manuel ‘Manolo’ Herrero was superb off the bench against Hume as he provided a perfect assist for Lujic’s second goal and he is expected to feature prominently in South’s attack on Friday night.

Friday night’s match kicks off at 8:15pm at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex.

SMFC v Bentleigh Greens – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 16
Wins (SMFC): 7
Wins (BGFC): 6
Draws: 3

First match: Bentleigh Greens 0-1 SMFC (15 May 2005, Kingston Heath)
Last match: SMFC 2-1 Bentleigh Greens (10 April 2016, Lakeside Stadium)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 2 goals (3-1 win, 21 August 2005, Lakeside Stadium)
Biggest Winning Margin (BGFC): 3 goals (4-1 win, 21 July 2013, Lakeside Stadium)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 3 (21 August 2005, Lakeside Stadium)
Most Goals in a Match (BGFC): 4 (21 July 2013, Lakeside Stadium)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): None
Biggest Finals Win (BGFC): 3-1 (13 September 2015, Lakeside Stadium)

Male NPL Teams (U12-Seniors)

Seniors: SMFC 2-2 Hume City (Lujic 45+3’p, 78′)
U20s: SMFC 1-2 Hume City (Marafioti 1′)
U18s: SMFC 3-0 Bulleen Lions (Karasawa, Garran, Layton)
U16s: SMFC 1-2 Bulleen Lions (Kolaj)
U15s: SMFC 1-0 Bulleen Lions (Singh)
U14s: SMFC 6-0 Bulleen Lions (Abdou x5, Baker)
U13s: SMFC v Bulleen Lions – Postponed to Saturday 20 August
U12s: SMFC 2-0 Bulleen Lions (Durso, Dzadey)

Female State League Teams (U12-Seniors)

SL1 (Seniors): SMFC 12-2 Yarra Jets (Gleadell 1′, 13′, 25′, 36′, 40′, Alberici 9′, 65′, Greiser 21′, 47′, Laszczak 52′, 61′, Johnson 82′)
SL1 (Reserves): SMFC 9-0 Yarra Jets (Mazzeo 19′, 58′, Sotiropoulos 22′, Taliadoros 25′, 39′, 43′, Delorenzis 27′, Broadbent-Hogan 84′, 90′) 
SL2: No Game (catch-up round)
SL3: No Game (catch-up round)
SL4: No Game (catch-up round)
U16s: SMFC 3-1 Glen Waverley (Trajkovska x3)
U14s: In Canberra for Kanga Cup
U12s: SMFC v Dandenong City – Postponed

(Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC and Hume City played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in an action-packed Round 19 PS4 NPL Victoria match at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night. It was the first time since September 2014 that Chris Taylor’s side had drawn a league match at Lakeside, with Friday’s result keeping South at the top of the NPL Victoria ladder by one point.

Hume should have had an early lead following a poor back-pass from Luke Adams but Nikola Roganovic raced out to block Craig Carley’s shot. Theo Markelis then sent South a warning with a clever chipped shot from outside the box that Roganovic tipped over, before Kristian Trajcevski opened the scoring for the away side with a nice finish past Roganovic that went in off the far post.

Milos Lujic had an earlier one-on-one chance with Hume goalkeeper Chris Oldfield saved but got his side back on level terms deep into first half injury time after the referee spotted a handball in the area. Lujic tucked his penalty past Oldfield for his 61st league goal in South Melbourne colours, seeing him overtake Michael Curcija in outright seventh position on South’s all-time leading league goal scorers of all time.

South had Matthew Foschini to thank for a desperate goal-line clearance to deny Hume, before Taylor made a double-change just before the hour mark to bring captain Michael Eagar and Spanish forward Manolo onto the field. On 78 minutes, Manolo worked himself into a good crossing position on the near grandstand side before providing a perfect cross for Lujic to clip over Oldfield and into the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations by the players and the home fans.

South had done the hard work to edge the advantage after initial being 0-1 down but the hard work was undone straight from the kick-off. Hume worked the ball down the right side before the ball was fired to an unmarked Markelis to tap home at the back post, setting up a grandstand finish to the match.  An all-in scruffle erupted between the players following a foul on Marcus Schroen that saw right-back Tim Mala shown a straight red card by the referee. Members of both team’s coaching staff were also sent off with emotions very high on the pitch.

With only ten men, it was expected that South would sit back and be content with a 2-2 draw. That was not the case, as South created three very late chances that would have dramatically won them the match. Former South captain Rama Tavsancioglu cleared the ball off the goal line before Lujic was put through on goal and beat Oldfield but the ball trickled agonisingly wide of the far post. With the match deep into the five minutes of injury time, Schroen hit an unstoppable shot from outside the area that left Oldfield rooted to the spot but the ball smashed into the crossbar and stayed out as the match ended 2-2.

South’s Under 20s started brilliantly against Hume thanks to Giordano Marafioti’s goal after just 19 seconds. Unfortunately, Hume scored two goals of their own in the second half to defeat Brian MacNicol’s side 1-2.

South heads to Kingston Heath Soccer Complex next Friday night for what is undoubtedly the match of the round against the Bentleigh Greens. With just a single point separating the two sides on the league table, Bentleigh will overtake South in first place should they win but South will remain on top by avoiding defeat.

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

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Kristian Trajcevski (33′)
1-1: Milos Lujic (45+3’p)
2-1: Milos Lujic (78′)
2-2: Theo Markelis (80′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 12. Amadu KOROMA (4. Michael EAGAR 57′), 2. Tim MALA (sent off 84′), 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON (C) / 23. Matthew Foschini, 18. Matthew MILLAR / 17. Marcus SCHROEN, 22. Andy KECOJEVIC (15. Manuel HERRERO 57′), 7. Nick EPIFANO/ 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS, 99. Iqi JAWADI.

Hume City FC:
1. Chris OLDFIELD (GK), 3. Jeremy WALKER, 5. Petar FRANJIC, 6. Rama TAVSANCIOGLU, 8. Theo MARKELIS, 9. Tom CAHILL, 11. Craig CARLEY, 13. Shane REXHEPI (C), 17. Daniel DIXON (15. Charlie BEVERLEY 62′), 19. Declan HARGREAVES, 21. Kristian TRAJCEVSKI (12. Daniel CLARKE 70′).
Unused Subs: 10. Joe FRANJIC, 14. Kym HARRIS, 20. Jordan FRANKEN (GK).

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Matthew Foschini
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 1 July 2016

South Melbourne FC will be aiming for three wins in succession when it hosts Hume City at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night. Three points over Lou Acevski’s side will ensure South remains at least three points clear of Bentleigh in the PS4 NPL Victoria Premiership race, whilst a Hume win could see Bentleigh overtake Chris Taylor’s side.

South goes into the game on the back of four consecutive league wins at Lakeside Stadium, with the most recent being the 3-2 win over Richmond last Friday night. Milos Lujic opened the scoring with his 14th league goal of the season (and 20th across all competitions), Andy Kecojevic scored South’s second with a nice chip over the goalkeeper and Spanish substitute Manolo scored what proved to be the winning goal just eight minutes after coming onto the field.

There are just eight matches remaining in the 2016 NPL Victoria regular season (including the Hume game). With only a three-point lead over Bentleigh but with a lesser goal difference, South knows there is very little margin for error, especially ahead of the trip to Kingston Heath next Friday night. Wins over both Hume and Bentleigh will give Taylor’s men a commanding position as the regular season reaches its conclusion, whilst losses will see South’s current advantage diminish.

Incredibly, South has won all six meetings with Hume in the Chris Taylor era at the club, with the most recent being back in April with a tough 2-1 win at ABD Stadium. Matthew Millar scored both goals that night but South was made to work very hard by a ten-man Hume that battled right until the final whistle. With dangerous players such as Theo Markelis, captain Nick Hegarty and the recent transfer window signing Craig Carley, Hume will be more than confident of achieving something from their visit to Lakeside Stadium.

Friday’s game will have extra significance for Hume defender Shane Rexhepi as he joins forces with SMFC off the field to promote his SR13 Appeal, helping to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Please visit smfc.com.au/SR13 for more details and to donate.

Friday night’s match at Lakeside Stadium kicks off at 8:30pm, with the Under 20s kicking off at 6:15pm.

SMFC v Hume City – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 18
Wins (SMFC): 12
Wins (HCFC): 5
Draws: 1

First match: South Melbourne 1-2 Hume City (24 February 2008, Lakeside Stadium)
Last match: Hume City 0-1 South Melbourne (2 April 2016, ABD Stadium)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 6 goals (6-0 win, 25 April 2010, Broadmeadows Valley Park)
Biggest Winning Margin (HCFC): 5 goals (5-0 win, 17 April 2011, Broadmeadows Valley Park)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 6 (25 April 2010, Broadmeadows Valley Park)
Most Goals in a Match (HCFC): 5 (17 April 2011, Broadmeadows Valley Park)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): None
Biggest Finals Win (HCFC): 2-0 (23 August 2009, Epping Stadium)

South Melbourne FC will proudly join forces with Hume City to support Hume defender Shane Rexhepi’s SR13 Appeal when the two sides meet at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night.

The SR13 Appeal was set up by Rexhepi last year after the unfortunate passing of his father to cancer in August 2014. SR13 aims to raise as much money and awareness as possible to help eliminate cancer for good. Rexhepi donates a portion of his playing wage after every game and increases his donation every time Hume keep a clean sheet and every time he scores a goal.

All proceeds that the SR13 Appeal raise are donated to the Cancer Council of Victoria and so far Shane has managed to raise over $25,000.

Shane formerly represented the Dandenong Thunder and remains friends with many of our current SMFC players (as well as coach Chris Taylor) that also played alongside him there. The SMFC players will support this very worthy cause by wearing yellow socks (the colour of the Cancer Council of Victoria) on Friday night as well as donating an amount to the SR13 Appeal.

Two dollars from every match day ticket sold will be donated to the appeal and there will also be volunteers at the front of Gate 2 accepting gold coin donations. SMFC corporate partners, football staff, operations staff and the board of management will all join the players in making personal donations.

For more details and to make a personal donation, please visit www.smfc.com.au/SR13

Male NPL Teams (U12-Seniors)

Seniors: SMFC 3-2 Richmond Eagles (Lujic 54′, Kecojevic 66′, Herrero 77′)
U20s: SMFC 2-1 Richmond Eagles (Marafioti 20′, Hussainy 62′)
U18s: SMFC 1-1 Port Melbourne (Karasawa)
U16s: SMFC 2-2 Port Melbourne (Morgan, Djiba)
U15s: SMFC 10-0 Port Melbourne (Papazisis x3, Arriaza x2, Barforosh x2, Karagiorgakis, Singh, Own Goal)
U14s: SMFC 7-0 Port Melbourne (Abdou x3, Mitsonis, Rosemond, Zeitoune, Own Goal)
U13s: SMFC 5-1 Port Melbourne (Panakos x2, Vlogianitis, Longhurst, Own Goal)
U12s: SMFC 6-0 Port Melbourne (Sdregas, Durso, Asani, Dzadey, Athanasakis, Sivritas)

Female State League Teams (U12-Seniors)

SL1 (Seniors): SMFC 5-2 Ballarat Eureka Strikers (Greiser 44′, 60′, 75′, Gleadell 53′, 73′)
SL1 (Reserves): SMFC 4-2 Ballarat Eureka Strikers (Delorenzis x2, Taliadoros, Mazzeo)
SL2: SMFC 2-3 North Caulfield (Goal Scorers TBC)
SL3: SMFC 7-1 Beaumaris (Farmer x2, Keaveney, Harrowell, Jones, Van Den Bulk, Crowley)
SL4: SMFC 2-0 Endeavour United (Vrljic x2)
U16s: Bye
U14s: SMFC 3-2 Kensington (Stringfellow x3)
U12s: SMFC 4-0 Boroondara Eagles (Goal Scorers TBC)

(Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC maintained its three-point lead at the top of the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder thanks to a 3-2 home victory against Richmond at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night. Following a scoreless first half, five goals in an open second half saw Chris Taylor’s side win by the odd goal.

Matthew Foschini replaced Amadu Koroma in the starting XI after serving a mandatory one-match suspension last weekend (after accruing five yellow cards in the league) but was shifted from his usual defensive midfield position to right-back. Tim Mala had done an excellent job being a centre-half pairing with Luke Adams against Bulleen Lions last Sunday and remained there for the Richmond match. The starting XI otherwise remained unchanged from the Bulleen game.

2015 South player Jake Barker-Daish skied an opportunity for Richmond early in the game following a nice cross from another former South player in Hamlet Armenian. On the half hour mark, Milos Lujic was put through one-on-one with Richmond goalkeeper Gian Tapia but the custodian made an excellent block to deny South’s centre-forward. Tapia was on hand to parry an Andy Kecojevic shot away from danger shortly before the halftime break.

Nine minutes into the second half and following the ball scrambling around in the six-yard box, Lujic prodded the ball past Tapia and into the back of the net for his 60th league goal in South Melbourne colours. Lujic is now level with Michael Curcija in equal seventh spot in South’s all-time leading league goal scorers, an incredible achievement for a player that is only 26 years of age and that has recently signed a contract extension to remain with the club.

2011 South U21s Championship player Nick Niagoran – who scored against South back in March – was at it again on Friday night as he scored the equalising goal just a few minutes after coming on as a substitute. Andy Kecojevic restored South’s lead shortly after with a nice chip over the advancing Tapia as Marcus Schroen made sure that the ball went over the goal line before the scrambling Richmond defence could clear it.

Spanish signing Manuel ‘Manolo’ Herrero was brought on by Taylor in the 69th minute to replace Kecojevic and he only needed eight minutes on the field before scoring his first goal in South colours. He was put through and cooly finished past Tapia to give the home side what looked like a comfortable 3-1 lead with only 13 minutes of normal time remaining. Nick Epifano should have sealed the result straight after the restart but Tapia made another block to prevent his side from going 4-1 down.

Back in March at Kevin Bartlett Reserve, South had opened the scoring before Richmond equalised. South had then stormed to a 3-1 lead and missed a great chance to go 4-1 up. Richmond pressure and a complete South defensive collapse then saw Richmond sensationally win 6-3. As the rain began pouring down on Friday night at Lakeside Stadium, it was another Richmond substitute in Ratip Cileli – only on the field for eight minutes – that scored to bring his side within one goal of South. Surely history wasn’t going to repeat itself again three months down the track?

Luckily for South, the scoring had ended, though there were a few nerves as Richmond pressed for another goal. Following four minutes of injury time, the referee’s final whistle signalled a solid 3-2 win for South in tough conditions and an eighth home win in nine matches in 2016. Bentleigh defeated Oakleigh by the same score at Jack Edwards Reserve, meaning that the situation has not changed at the top of the NPL Victoria standings – South still lead by three points.

There was further good news in the Under 20s, with Brian MacNicol’s South Melbourne side recording an impressive 2-1 victory over top-of-the-table Richmond thanks to goals from Giordani Marafioti (20′) and Nashir Hussainy (62′).

South has one more home game left before a sequence of away matches and that is against Hume City at Lakeside Stadium next Friday night. Kick-off is at 8:30pm.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 3-2 RICHMOND EAGLES (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Milos Lujic (54′)
1-1: Nick Niagoran (62′)
2-1: Andy Kecojevic (66′)
3-1: Manuel Herrero (77′)
3-2: Ratip Cileli (81′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 2. Tim MALA, 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON (C) / 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS (12. Amadu KOROMA 88′), 18. Matthew MILLAR / 17. Marcus SCHROEN (14. Chris IRWIN 90+1′), 22. Andy KECOJEVIC (15. Manuel HERRERO 69′), 7. Nick EPIFANO / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 99. Iqi JAWADI.

Richmond Eagles FC:
1. Gian TAPIA (GK), 2. Javier MARANGOS, 3. Berkan YURDAKUL, 5. Geert-Arend ROORDA, 7. Hamlet ARMENIAN (18. Ratip CILELI 73′), 8. Jake BARKER-DAISH (22. Nick KOKOLAKIS 82′), 11. Liam FLYNN, 13. Bryan BRAN, 16. Alan MULCAHY, 17. Jakob WILLIAMS, 19. Souheil AZAGANE (9. Nick NIAGORAN 58′).
Unused Subs: 6. Peter SAWAN (C), 20. Tony FOGLIA (GK).

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Matthew Foschini
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 24 June 2016

South Melbourne FC hosts Richmond at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night and will be keen to avoid any repeat of the earlier meeting between the two sides in March.

Chris Taylor’s men were leading Richmond 3-1 with half an hour remaining at Kevin Bartlett Reserve earlier this season and with both sides at opposite ends of the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder, the result seemed a forgone conclusion. This was before a combination of Richmond pressure and calamitous South defending saw the home side score five goals to win by the tennis scoreline of 6-3 and inflict South’s first defeat of the season.

South goes into Friday night’s game against Richmond on the back of a 1-0 home victory against FC Bulleen Lions in a scrappy affair at Lakeside Stadium last Sunday, where Marcus Schroen’s goal after 16 minutes maintained its three-point lead over the Bentleigh Greens at the top of the ladder. Three points against Richmond on Friday night will at a minimum ensure a three-point lead over the Greens, who face the Oakleigh Cannons away at the same time that South plays.

Captain Michael Eagar and defensive midfielder Matthew Foschini are both available after serving mandatory one-match suspensions against FC Bulleen Lions, giving relief to a makeshift South defence that did well to keep a clean sheet last Sunday. Tim Mala had an excellent game playing as a makeshift centre-half, whilst Stephen Hatzikostas also had a very good game playing just ahead of the defence. New Spanish signing Manuel Herrero – aka Manolo – was given half an hour off the bench against Bulleen and showed plenty of promise, giving Taylor another attacking option.

Richmond head into Friday night’s game confident after comfortably defeating Melbourne Victory’s NPL team 3-1 at Epping Stadium last Saturday. Jake Barker-Daish scored an excellent goal from a well-taken free kick and will be keen on scoring against his former side like he did back in March. Former South players Bryan Bran and Hamlet Armenian will also be keen to record back-to-back wins against South this season.

Friday night’s match at Lakeside Stadium kicks off at 8:30pm.

SMFC v Richmond – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 21
Wins (SMFC): 11
Wins (REFC): 6
Draws: 4

First match: South Melbourne 6-1 Richmond (3 June 1961, Middle Park)
Last match: Richmond 6-3 South Melbourne (24 March 2016, Kevin Bartlett Reserve)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 5 goals (6-1 win, 3 June 1961, Middle Park)
Biggest Winning Margin (REFC): 3 goals (2010 and 2016)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 6 (3 June 1961, Middle Park)
Most Goals in a Match (REFC): 6 (24 March 2016, Kevin Bartlett Reserve)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): None
Biggest Finals Win (REFC): None

South Melbourne FC returned to winning form with a 1-0 home win over FC Bulleen Lions at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. An early goal from Marcus Schroen proved the difference as Chris Taylor’s side maintained its three-point lead at the top of the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder.

South came into Sunday’s game on the back of an embarrassing performance against the Bentleigh Greens in FFA Cup qualifying. There were two forced changes as captain Michael Eagar and Matthew Foschini were both suspended (Eager for his red card against Bentleigh and Foschini for accruing five yellow cards in the league). Tim Mala partnered Luke Adams at centre-back, whilst Amadu Koroma, Andy Kecojevic and Marcus Schroen all made starts. Under 20s right-back Joshua Hodes and forward Brandon Jansz were both promoted to the First Team bench but neither was able to get onto the pitch.

The home side began the game well as it sought to make amends from last Tuesday night’s match. Milos Lujic had an early chance but fired his shot over the crossbar in a sign of intent. On 16 minutes, Schroen popped up to score what was the winning goal. Matthew Millar’s header off Nick Epifano’s corner fell to Schroen, who prodded the ball past Griffin McMaster on the second attempt after defender Bhardi Hysolli’s initial block on the line. Bulleen had a couple of chances to level proceedings but Nikola Roganovic made two excellent saves. The first save denied Ersin Kaya after he was put through by captain Matteo Ballan and the second was a fingertip save to deny Felix Rosman from scoring via a header.

Two substitutes almost got on the scoresheet for their sides in the second half. Former South player Andrew Cartanos – who had recently transferred to Bulleen from Heidelberg – curled a shot wide of Roganovic’s far post. Manuel Herrero – or Manolo as he is simply known – replaced Schroen on 67 minutes and produced an excellent run and shot that was well saved by McMaster, denying the Spaniard an excellent goal on his league debut for South.

The full-time whistle confirmed a 1-0 win to South in a scrappy match. Importantly, Taylor’s side returned to winning ways in the league and maintained their three-point advantage over the Bentleigh Greens on top of the ladder. Other promising signs included South’s defence keeping a clean sheet without its captain Eagar and the influential Foschini at defensive midfield. Both players will be available for selection for the upcoming game against Richmond, giving Taylor the opportunity to further strengthen his team.

South’s Senior Women were on show before the Senior Men and they recorded a 3-0 victory over the Melbourne Knights thanks to goals from Renee Laszczak, Caitlin Greiser and Sara Alberici. The Women’s Reserves lost 2-4 against the Knights with Lauren Boyd scoring both of South’s goals. The Men’s Under 20s game against FC Bulleen Lions was postponed and will be played at a later date.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-0 FC BULLEEN LIONS (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorer:
1-0: Marcus Schroen (16′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 12. Amadu KOROMA, 2. Tim MALA, 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON (C) / 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS / 17. Marcus SCHROEN (15. Manuel HERRERO 67′), 18. Matthew MILLAR, 22. Andy KECOJEVIC, 7. Nick EPIFANO (14. Chris IRWIN 88′) / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 25. Brandon JANSZ, 28. Joshua HODES.

FC Bulleen Lions:
1. Griffin McMASTER (GK), 3. Will ABBOTT, 4. Samual BORGHESI, 5. Alon BLUMGART (2. Andreas GOVAS 56′), 6. Bardhi HYSOLLI, 8. Matteo BALLAN (C), 9. Michael DISASI (33. Davide CARDAMONE 80′), 12. Christian CAVALLO (11. Andrew CARTANOS 65′), 18. Felix ROSMAN, 20. Andrew MULLETT, 23. Ersin KAYA.
Unused Subs: 16. Nathan TIDMARSH, 21. Tom BANFIELD (GK).

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Tim Mala
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 19 June 2016

South Melbourne FC’s Senior Women returned to winning ways with a 3-0 win over the Melbourne Knights at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

Coming off the back of their first two losses of the league season against Melbourne University and Eltham Redbacks, Coach Socrates Nicolaidis was keen for a positive result against the Knights. The team featured some faces recently missing from the pitch, with Shannon Foden and Alex Cheal both returning from injury.

The squad’s actions in the first ten minutes set the scene for the rest of the match. They pressed high, made aggressive runs down both flanks and held the majority of possession. Despite playing the majority of the first 45 minutes in the attacking half of the pitch, South was unable to find the back of the net and it was 0-0 at half time.

After the break, the girls started off with the same attacking pressure and were rewarded early on. Caitlin Greiser found space in the box to go one-on-one with the keeper. Her shot was blocked but the ball rebounded to the edge of the area for Renee Laszczak to side-foot it into the net and give South the lead.

Eliza Gleadell caused problems for the Knights as she constantly used her pace down the right to get in behind the defence and feed the ball into the area. The routine continued and on 60 minutes, following multiple chances, the net was again sent flying backwards into the advertising hoarding. It was Greiser latching on to the cross from Gleadell and with the Knights keeper stranded, Greiser doubled South’s lead.

South continued to press forward in front of the Lakeside crowd, which was building as part of the club’s double-header. The team continued to have chances in front of goal but the pressure they put on the Knights defence went unrewarded.

The final goal came on 83 minutes when South won a free kick twenty-five yards out in front of goal. With designated free kick taker Stella Rebholz travelling her way around Europe, forward Sara Alberici stepped up to do the honours. Her strike was well-lofted towards the right post. The Knights keeper moved well to palm it down from above head height but the clearing kick from the defender saw the ball rebound back off the keeper and over the line. The referee officially credited the goal to Alberici, who increases her lead at the top of the South Women’s golden boot tally.

After the match, smfc.com.au spoke with goal scorer Caitlin Greiser, who shared her thoughts on the game. “It was a great game out there today. It was our second double-header with the senior men’s team and this time we were able to show the supporters what we are capable of doing. Again we had many chances in front of goal that we weren’t able to put away, however seeing a 3-0 win on the Lakeside scoreboard is encouraging.”

Shannon Foden returned to the pitch for the first time in nine weeks following injury. “I thought we did well through the midfield with some good linkages of play. They didn’t have a lot going forward but our defence held really strong. There are some areas we can improve on going forward but we did link up very well through the middle of the park, which is what Soc wanted us to focus on.

[Today was] definitely a positive result and the girls can go into next week and the catch-up rounds with their heads held high. At training this week, we’ll again focus on passing and moving the ball, specifically throughout the middle of the park. It’s mainly us fine-tuning our play at the moment but the win today is definitely a boost as we head into the second half of the season.”

Shannon also reflected on her time away from the game and returning after a nine week absence. “I am a lot fitter than I thought I was and almost managed to run out a full first game. Nine weeks out doesn’t help but the girls have been really supportive and that has been good.”

South’s Senior Women host the Ballarat Eureka Strikers at Lakeside Stadium next Sunday. In the Round Two meeting between the sides, South left Morshead Park with a 4-2 win but Ballarat have recorded good results since then and South will need to be on their toes to maintain their top-two position on the ladder. Kick off is at 2pm this coming Sunday 26 June.