Stars set for first match

By Stuart Teather
THE State League season is two rounds in but the Southern Stars are yet to play their first game after a double serving of bad luck kept the side off the pitch for the past two weeks.
First up a scheduling clash with Little Athletics at the Stars’ Ross Reserve saw the opening round match with St Albans postponed until the catch-up round on 6 June; then the away game at Bulleen was postponed until 6 May with the Royals’ ground ruled unfit to play on.
Stars’ coach Ufuk Kubilayhan said the delayed start to the season was a blessing in disguise for his team.
“It’s been good for us, we had one of our main players injured and he’s come back strong, so we’ll have 95 per cent of our squad,” he said. “Even with nil points we’re still sitting mid-table so I’m pretty happy about that.”
Kubilayhan said he had been watching plenty of games around the league, and he did not hold back in his assessment.
“I’ve been watching a few games and it looks pretty ordinary this year, it just doesn’t look like there’s one team dominating. Bentleigh is always there, flash transfers with Dean Hennessy, who I worked with last year and I have great respect for as well, they look like they’re playing good football, but still ordinary as well.”
Hennessy was the 2008 coach of the Southern Stars, but moved to Bentleigh in the off-season.
The two sides will meet in the Stars’ first game for the year on 18 April, after the Easter break, in what will be an interesting clash between the former coach and his protege.
In other State League One competition, the Springvale White Eagles received a 3-1 belting at the hands of the St Albans Saints.
Tomi Razov struck twice for the Saints and Ivan Mioc once, while Koray Suat scored the only goal for the White Eagles in a difficult day out.
In State League Two South East, Heatherton United finally got on the park after the opening round’s game against Casey was cancelled, and the side made the perfect start to the season, downing Morwell Pegasus 1-0.
Dandenong City went down 3-1 to Diamond Valley United, and South Springvale had a 0-0 draw with Knox City.
In State League Three South East, Springvale City won 2-1 over Peninsula, and Noble Park United defeated Nunawading City 3-2.