Focussed on finals

By Gavin Staindl
AFTER Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with Sunshine George Cross at George Andrews Reserve, Dandenong Thunder coach Stuart Munro is perfectly clear on what needs to happen to make the Premier League finals.
With a catch-up match against Northcote scheduled for Friday and a critical final round encounter against Heidelberg to be played on Sunday the situation is this for Dandenong: win both games and qualify for finals or drop a game and rely on other teams to lose.
Dandenong had the ideal opportunity to top the group of four teams battling for the two finals spots but their 1-1 draw with Sunshine Cross leaves them in sixth position, two points behind fifth.
Munro is looking at the result optimistically. “It gives us a point and gives us an opportunity which could turn into an advantage,” Munro said.
The one point will counteract Dandenong’s poor goal difference that would have prevented the Thunder from making the finals had they finished equal on points with any of the four teams.
With the departures of Jeff Bright, Geoff Kellaway and Luke Sherbon, Munro was forced to change his structure from his preferred 4-1-3-2 to a more conventional 3-5-2.
The decision to change tactics came under-fire early when Georgies’ Leo Shin scored inside 10 minutes.
But after some shaky moments, the defence began to shine in the second half and just as importantly, so did the offence.
After some near misses from both sides, Scott Bulloch calmly scored in the 51st minute to give Dandenong the vital equaliser. With last week’s key departures rocking the foundations of the playing group, the test for Munro now awaits with games against Heidelberg and Northcote to determine who plays finals.
“The next game is huge. It is a must-win game. If we win this then we’re a chance at making finals even if results don’t go our way in the following game,” Munro said.