By ROY WARD
YOU can create as many chances as you like but if you don’t score, you don’t win.
Dandenong Thunder again found that out the hard way in its 1-1 draw with Oakleigh Cannons at Jack Edwards Reserve in the Victorian Premier League on Friday night.
Cannons winger Goran Zoric opened the scoring in the 12th minute, finding space on the left side of the box before swivelling onto his right foot and smashing the ball into the far right-hand corner.
While the Cannons created a few half chances it was the Thunder that drew level on 26 minutes. Winger Liam Kearney broke down the left flank and sent a superb cross into the path of Luke Sherbon, who volleyed home past a helpless Lewis Italiano in the Cannons goal.
Cannons defender Ari Dracos, who put on a determined display marking Thunder striker and VPL leading scorer Nate Foster, drilled a free kick from 25 yards out into the crossbar late in the half.
The second half was compulsive viewing with both sides working to create holes in each other’s defence.
The Thunder created repeated opportunities with Foster and surprise striker Sherbon working into space on the right side just as Kearney worked down the left.
The trio – with the help of midfielder Ross Thompson, who put on his most impressive performance since joining the club – found chance after chance around the box but couldn’t put home the winner.
Thompson’s left-foot volley from outside the box smashed into the left post. In injury time, defender Brian Bran had a header that was headed off the line by the Cannons.
Sherbon had the last and possibly closest chance when a long kick found him one on one with Italiano. Sherbon got past Italiano but the diving kick shaped just past the far post
Thunder coach Chris Taylor said his side had shown complacent tendencies by falling behind once again but had dominated the second half.
“The boys showed character to fight back from behind. If Sherbon’s last shot got inside the post them I think it would have been fitting, because we dominated the second half.”
Taylor also admonished his defence for leaving Zoric, a dangerous and skilful winger, so free inside the box. “You can’t leave a player like Zoric that far open.”
Cannons coach Huss Skenderovic said his side deserved the point for its fighting defence. “I think we saw the two best teams in the VPL tonight,” he said. “It was a great game of football and I think we got our tactics just right.
The VPL stops for the Queen’s Birthday weekend but the Thunder faces two games in quick succession, against Springvale White Eagles in the Knockout Cup, then hosting premier Green Gully at George Andrews Reserve at 3pm on June 16.
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