Draw suits Stars

By Gavin Staindl
A DRAW in most situations would be a game dropped for promotion hopefuls, the Southern Stars, but their 2-2 draw with the Whittlesea Zebras could be seen as reinforcement of its placing in State League One.
The tussle for the two promotion spots has boiled down to three teams, with the second-placed Stars holding a half-game advantage over the Zebras, making last Saturday’s clash at Epping Soccer Stadium such a crucial match.
Obviously, the Stars would have preferred the win, but in such an even contest, the players and coach Dean Hennesy were content to hold their nearest rival to a draw – and keep them at arms length in the race for promotion.
The Stars came out in a burst of energy with the club’s leading goalscorer from last year, Berkan Sakaci, netting his first goal of the season courtesy of a pinpoint cross from former Dandenong Thunder striker, Joe Di Iorio.
But after controlling play for most of the half, it was the Zebras who scored next, earning a penalty in the 50th minute after Stars’ defender Luke Fitzpatrick was judged to have played the ball in the box with his hand.
While Fitzpatrick pleaded his case to the referee that the ball hit his stomach, the league’s leading scorer, Vincent Faherty, stepped up and levelled the match.
The Zebras scored 15 minutes later through a header by Ersin Kaya at the back post.
The lead was short lived as the Stars’ Darragh Ryan slammed home a 20-metre rocket that was enough to see out a 2-2 draw.
SOUTH Springvale continued its stranglehold over Noble Park, downing United 2-5 in the Division Two match-up at Parkfield Reserve.
South Springvale has won its two encounters with its cross-town rival this year after Noble Park pipped South Springvale to finish first in the penultimate game of Division Three last year.
Heatherton United could not make it three in a row after going down to in-form Morwell Pegasus 3-0 at Bosnia and Herzegovina Centre on Saturday.
MEANWHILE, Dandenong opened a whopping eight-point lead atop the Division Two ladder after downing its nearest rival.
Entering Saturday’s match at Kooyong Reserve with a one-and-a-half game buffer over Malvern, Dandenong wasted no time getting on the scoreboard before closing up shop for the 1-0 win to extend its dominance in the South-East league.
The other Dandenong team cruising along nicely is Provisional One side Springvale City, who enjoyed a 4-1 win over Brandon Park at Freeway Reserve.
Kosta Olabuntu scored the first and third goal for the visitors as Springvale City continue to firm its promotion hopes.