By Nick Creely
NPL 2 EAST
REVIEW – ROUND 20
There is no stronger endorsement for the A-League bid of the Dandenong and Casey areas than the sensational football being played by both Dandenong City and Dandenong Thunder.
In what is one of the richest soccer regions in Australia, the quality of talent in the area further highlights belief that an A-League side on their door step is only a matter of time.
It was another massive weekend for the Dandy powerhouses, with City defeating Springvale White Eagles 3-1 in clinical fashion on Saturday afternoon.
It took until just the third minute for star striker James Kelly to send a ball crashing into the back of the net, in a deja vu moment to last week’s victory in which Kelly scored in just the fifth minute.
The goal set the tone for a series of attacking opportunities, with the Eagles holding up solidly defensively.
But the dam wall once again broke in the 40th minute when Kelly once again scored, bringing the score to 2-0.
The Eagles would have been counting their lucky stars it was half time, because as soon as
soon as play resumed, they found some renewed vigor and looked likely.
But in the 74th minute, Kelly snared his third via a penalty to extend the lead to 3-0 and close the door of any comeback mission for the Eagles.
With the game well and truly over, the Eagles scored a consolation prize, scoring in the 83rd minute from a penalty.
Meanwhile, down at George Andrews Reserve, Thunder produced a stunning comeback, coming from the clouds to defeat Box Hill United on Saturday night.
The second placed Thunder were going in as heavy favourites after a brilliant run of form in the
last month.
But in the 73rd minute, the Thunder found themselves down 0-2 and staring down the barrel
of a rare off night.
A sudden five minute blitz with goals to Simon Colosimo, Brandon Barnes and Adam Centofani
saw the Thunder surge into an unlikely 3-2 lead after never looking likely, before a trademark Veton Korcari header in the 86th minute gave the Thunder a fourth goal in the space of 15 minutes,and a remarkable 4-2 lead.
As a result of another immense weekend for the Dandenong clubs, City sit atop the NPL 2 East ladder and are favourites for promotion, while Thunder sit second and breathe down the neck of their rivals.
Springvale White Eagles are sitting in sixth position as their up and down season continued.
