By JARROD POTTER
MISSED opportunities cost Dandenong a chance to open their Victorian Premier League account against Southern Stars as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Bryan Bran had his chances, as did Foster early, running into goal but spraying the shot.
Stephen Topalovic received a yellow card and that was about the sum amount of the match, as Dandenong and Southern failed to make an impression on the scoreboard.
Thunder coach Chris Taylor said the result was substandard considering the amount of chances his charges squandered at the goalmouth early.
“We were disappointed with the result, there’s no getting away from that – you expect to go better, but that’s just the way it can go,” Taylor said.
“Probably a case of four or five chances in the first 15 minutes and you don’t put one of them away, and the longer the game goes the harder it was to score.
“Thought we played well and moved the ball around, but lacked in the final pass.”
The Afghan pair – new recruit Sakhi Safa Faisal and last year’s revelation Iqbal Jawadi – were the best of an average bunch according to Taylor, who was generally unimpressed with his team’s performance.
“Safa did very well at the back and looked like he’ll be a good acquisition,” Taylor said.
Behind closed doors, the Dandenong Thunder will look for its first win of the season – serving the first of their five-match lockout against Bentleigh Greens.
Bentleigh went on a shopping spree of former Thunder players – snagging Luke Sherbon, Stuart Webster and Ross Thompson.
Taylor said the lockout wouldn’t affect his side’s preparation leading up to the match, and would focus on the job at hand.
“That’s out of our hands,” Taylor said.
“I don’t even think it’s any focus for us at all – we just need to go about the business.
“Bentleigh is one of the pre-season favourites and the pressure is on us and the pressure is on them, and should be a good game.”
In other Dandenong Thunder news, Liam Kearney had the captain’s armband on Saturday with Shane Rexhepi out for the weekend – sidelined by coach Chris Taylor for a unique reason.
Rexhepi sat out Saturday on account of a wedding – his own the following day as he married his fiancé Fatime.
It’s the fourth piece of silverware in six months for the champion defender – with the VPL championship, minor premiership and State Knockout Cup already on the mantle – but it’s safe to say his wedding ring is the highest prize of them all.
