By JARROD POTTER
NPL VICTORIA – ROUND 18
REPELLING the Western invasion, Dandenong City savoured a 3-0 success over Moreland Zebras.
In what looked on paper to be a fairly tight tussle between two sides near the top of their respective ladders, City made it clear the East is the conference to beat with a clinical dissection of the Moreland defence from the get-go.
Ross Frame (6’) opened the accounts quickly and from there neither side really roused much advantage until after half-time … but from then on it was a one-way spree.
Dandenong City put the sword to the Zebras quickly and emphatically after the resumption.
Played in brilliantly by a Keegan Ziada chip, Amir Osmancevic opened up on the wrong foot and slotted a cracking low-strike to double the margin before sealing the game soon after with his second.
If anything Dandenong City could have blown the result out even further as chance after chance came and went unrewarded in the last 20 minutes as Ziada, Osmancevic and Gonzalo Freddi kept the pressure up.
Coach Aaron Healey was thrilled with the performances Osmancevic, Frame and captain John Carroll in the back half, while Lewis Foster and David Morovic also earned his kudos after their great work off the bench.
But all told Healey was impressed with the team-wide exceptional effort.
“I think this game today was one of the most complete performances we’ve put in this season – I don’t think we had a poor player on the park,” Healey said. “Had 14-15 contributors and that’s what you need to have – unfortunately we haven’t had that consistently enough throughout the season.”
It leaves Dandenong City still a mathematical chance to catch second place Kingston City and attempt to make the NPL play-off matches and keep promotion hopes alive.
“You’ve got to dream,” Healey said. “As long as it’s mathematically possible we’ll keep fighting and hope that they slip up and that’s what I’ve said to the boys.
“You’ve got to be in a position that if they slip up, you can pounce and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
It sets up a monumental NPL 2 East showdown with ladder leaders Dandenong Thunder on Saturday night – with Osmancevic set to return to George Andrews Reserve on the opposing side this time around.
“I think last week they (Thunder) dropped two points but haven’t lost a game all season and it’s a massive challenge for us,” Healey said. “With a good result like that obviously the boys are full of confidence going into that game with really nothing to lose.
“I hope everyone is looking forward to it as I certainly am.”
Speaking of Dandenong Thunder, they had to do it with 10 in the end, but still managed to get the job done against North Geelong Warriors. After an early goal from Simon Colosimo (22’), the away trip for Thunder was made all the more difficult when new recruit Sam Catherine was red-carded in the first half.
It forced the Thunder to rearrange and consolidate, but despite the Warriors’ best efforts the Dandy men booted away through Brandon Barnes (88’) to take win number 17.
Springvale White Eagles were downed 0-2 by Melbourne City in the other East versus West clash.
In the state leagues, Noble Park United was defeated 0-3 by Old Scotch while Dandenong South knocked over Lyndale United 5-3 – brought home with a brace from Malik Sulemani. Keysborough smashed Springvale City 4-0 on the back of a Felipe Ulloa Barraza double, while Harrisfield drew with East Brighton United, Endeavour Hills Fire lost to Bayside, while Dandenong Warriors was defeated by Baxter 2-3 and Sandown Lions beat East Bentleigh 2-1.
