By Skip Fulton
The South Melbourne U20s have jumped on the #southexpress and are now just three stops away from the end of the inaugural National Premier League season. The latest challengers were Dandenong Thunder but after just six minutes the South Melbourne goals started flowing. Stefan Zinni would record a hat-trick and Joshua Markovski would also score with his return following injury.
Coach Sasa Kolman continues to motivate and drive his players to reach greater heights as the team recorded their fifth consecutive win scoring twenty goals and conceding just one. Well into the final stages of the season, Kolman has been juggling the line-up as injuries and suspensions start to take their toll. With the likes of Josh Meaker, Andy Kecojevic and Juan Igic unavailable, Stefan Valentini would join the starting eleven and returning to the line-up was Massimo Pesce and Jonas Markovski.
Stefan Zinni would open the scoring in the sixth minute following a classy chip over the defence from Ryan Barbare. He would be at it again twenty minutes later when he again found net with a superb strike. Just inside the half hour mark, a strong run by Stefan Valentini would see a cross into the area to find striker Joshua Markovski. He was able to get the ball past two defenders and the keeper and add another to the score board. South would be unchallenged in the first half going in at the break leading by three goals.
Kolman’s coaching style closely aligns with the ethos of South Melbourne and a key focus of this is achieving a quick transition. Over the last few months it has been pleasing to see how the players have not just developed in this area, but started to excel. The speed at which play in switched across the field and also from attack into defence is the foundation of much success. Whilst every player in the line-up contributes to this success, the play-maker in the centre of the pitch is the heart of the team responsible for keeping the play moving. That play-maker is Ryan Barbare.
Barbare was in superb form on Saturday night against Dandenong Thunder and would have earned Man of the Match had it not been for Stefan Zinni’s hat-trick. The sign of a top quality footballer is the ability the assess the play, make the right decision and then execute. Barbare delivers on this in every respect. In the words of his coach “…there isn’t a goal we score than hasn’t been setup by Ryan in the midfield somehow”.
Well in the second half Barbare continued his fine form from the first whistle. There were many scoring opportunities including when Stefan Zinni was taken down right on the edge of the area. The referee called for a penalty however being positioned a little behind the play, showed the professionalism we want from referees and conferred with the assistant referee on the side line. The outcome was the South Melbourne penalty being overturned and a free kick being awarded. Clearly the South fans behind the goals thought the referees first decision was correct and were more than happy to share their thoughts vocally.
The resulting free kick from Jordan Moncrieff went just wide of the goals. South wouldn’t be denied in the second half however and in the sixty seventh minute Zinni secured his hat trick following his normal blistering run down the left. South Melbourne would defeat Dandenong Thunder 0-4 away from home.
After the match, smfc.com.au spoke to Zinni who reflected on the positive result saying “it was a great game tonight. We came out firing and got early goals. Five in row now you can’t ask for anything more”. Reflecting on the positives in the team’s performance, Zinni highlighted the effort of the team as an area of importance. “I think we all started well. During the week at training we were a bit lacklustre at times. But we started well and went out guns blazing”.
With such success on the pitch defined by a goal difference of +19 over the last five weeks of wins, it is obvious to focus on the goal scorers up front such as Zinni, Markovski and Valentini. That success wouldn’t be achieved however without the defensive contribution of the back four and goalkeeper Jason Giccominato.
To gain a perspective on the defensive unit, smfc.com.au spoke to Giccominato and gained his thoughts on this match. “We played really well, solid in the back and transitioned really well” he said. We also asked Giccominato to comment on the strength of the defensive line and he responded with praise for his colleagues. “We have solid wing backs. They play high and come back really well covering. Jordan [Moncrieff] and Ioannis [Avramidis] are a really good partnership covering each other on the high balls”. Speaking about his own performance Giccominato said “Four clean sheets in a row, I don’t do too much. It’s the back four who do the work. It’s been really great for the team.
South Melbourne continues their impressive run and records their eleventh win of the season. The team sits sixth on the NPL U20 ladder with thirty five points and an improving goal difference of +17. There are three rounds remain starting this weekend at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 24th August when the return fixture against Northcote City will take place. South defeated Northcote at John Cain Memorial Reserve just five weeks ago with a score line of 4-1. Northcote currently sit second on the ladder and a win by South Melbourne will not just rule City out of the title race but also go a long way to helping South climb to fifth on the ladder.
After this weekend the team returns to Albert Park to take on title favourites Oakleigh Cannons and in the last round of the season they make the trek up the Hume Highway to take on the Goulburn Valley Suns at McEwan Reserve.
FINAL SCORE: DANDENONG THUNDER 0-4 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-3)
Match Photos: http://on.fb.me/1vo3kTU
Goal Scorers:
1-0 Stefan Zinni (6’), 2-0 Stefan Zinni (26’), 3-0 Joshua Markovaski (29’), 4-0 Stefan Zinni (67’)
South Melbourne FC:
Jason Giccominato (GK), Tim Kakoliris (Jonas Markovski 61’), Jordan Moncrieff, Ioannis Avramidis, Dion Paola (Spiros Stamoulis 46’), Eric Hauser (Massimo Pesce 33’), Stefan Valentini, Ryan Barbare, Sam Kagioglou, Stefan Zinni (Alex Sporea 75’), Joshua Markovski (Peter Constantinou 61’).
Dandenong Thunder:
Jeremy Sandoval (GK), Dhruv Rodrigez, Arron Braganza, Sunday Kim (Leigh Karavasil 67’), Sam Tamuska-Car, Viktor Muhedinovski, Yianni Toumanidis (Ardian Lumanovski 61’), Medhi Sawari (Nick Farrell 75’), Andy Du, Marcello Aradis (Gianni Salvator 67’), Sebastian Gurho
SMFC Man of the Match: Stefan Zinni
Venue: George Andrews Reserve
Date: Saturday 16 August 2014