Dandenong midfielder Marcus Stergiopoulos was among the relieved Thunder players after their dramatic 2-0 win over the Springvale White Eagles on Saturday. By Paul Pickering
JUST when the home fans were beginning to accept their team’s fate, lightning struck twice for the Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve on Saturday.
Eighty-five minutes into the State League Division One clash with the Springvale White Eagles, it appeared the local derby would end in an anticlimactic 0-0 draw. But Alfonso Opazo had other ideas, sneaking into the box to drive in the go-ahead goal for the Thunder in the dying minutes.
The White Eagles, who would have been content to secure one point from the away fixture, were forced to click into all-out attack mode in search of the equaliser. Inevitably, that offensive urgency exposed Springvale’s defence to the counterattack, and the Thunder took full advantage.
A turnover in midfield gave Dandenong’s in-form frontman Joe Dilorio the room to produce a stunning move towards goal and finish with characteristic poise. The home fans erupted with celebration as a likely draw became a flattering 2-0 victory, and the Thunder ascended to second place on the divisional table.
Meanwhile, the White Eagles dropped to seventh, two rungs below the out-of-sorts Southern Stars, who lost to the Bulleen Royals 4-2 on Sunday night.
In State League Division Three South-East, Heatherton United’s resurgence was halted by an emerging Berwick City side at Jack Thomas Reserve. United went one down just two minutes into the contest, when a corner kick from City sharpshooter Matthew Nitz found its way through the away side’s defence and into the back of the net. Heatherton hit back in the 29th minute as Elvedin Klancevic curled a free kick over Berwick’s wall and in at the near post.
Minutes after half-time, United substitute Marcus Roberts gave his team a 2-1 lead when he knocked in a deft pass from Klancevic with his first touch.
But Berwick equalised through Nikolaos Papadopoulos in the 53rd minute before establishing a 3-2 advantage through a scorching strike from Jason Rand moments later.
Despite Heatherton’s efforts to salvage a point from the game, the 3-2 scoreline remained unchanged at the final whistle.
In other matches, Springvale City snapped a four-game losing streak with an impressive 2-1 win over the Boroondara Eagles at Ross Reserve, while Doveton registered a confidence-building 4-1 victory over Endeavour United.
In Division Two South-East, a double from prolific striker Ilias Diniotis spurred South Springvale to a sparkling 5-2 away win – after trailing 2-1 at half-time – against Diamond Valley United.
Round 11 match-ups: State League Division One: Keilor Park at Southern Stars, Dandenong Thunder at St Albans, Bulleen Royals at Springvale White Eagles. State League Division Two South-East: Doncaster Rovers at South Springvale. State League Division Three South-East: Southern Suburbs at Heatherton United, Springvale City at Berwick City, Doveton at North Caulfield.
