By JARROD POTTER
National Premier Leagues – round 2
DANDENONG Thunder pulled off a result that many around the National Premier League would struggle to fathom.
The Thunder, battling last season’s State Knockout Cup champions Green Gully, had been swamped at the back throughout the first 35 minutes, but the Cavaliers failed to seize its chances in front of the box before everything started improving for the visitors soon after.
Green Gully peppered the Dandenong goals throughout the first half and everyone thought the game was over when Thunder midfielder Kris Kioussis departed – to leave the Thunder one-man down.
“It was an amazing game,” Thunder coach Dean Hennessey said.
“Once we lost Kris – and to be fair we hadn’t played that well in the first half an hour – the boys were all very much up for the game.
“The players were aware that I coached Green Gully last year and really focused on trying to do a good job for us – doing what we were good at.”
With only 10 men the Thunder had its back to the wall, but the Dandenong resolve kicked in and a fight-back of legendary status ensued.
Rotations forced Keiran Dover to be substituted for the defensively minded Anthony Giannopoulos and the shuffle left Thunder playing a 4-4-1 lineup.
Holding onto a drawn clash at half-time, Dandenong exploded in the second stanza as Jake Nakic almost had the go-ahead goal.
Enter Matt Millar. The Pearcedale powerhouse stormed through the midfield at the 75-minute mark of the clash, side-stepping Green Gully defenders at will before launching a thunderous strike into the bottom of the goals to erupt George Andrews Reserve.
Dandenong held out Green Gully for the next 15 minutes to push the Thunder up to fourth on the NPL ladder with results still to come this weekend.
“Matt Millar was always going to be a feature,” Hennessey said.
“Millar scored a great goal off a great build up and great run and it turned into a very fabulous outcome based on a difficult circumstance.
“I thought we dealt with it well – the boys were very organised and Green Gully found it hard to break us down.”
Dandenong Thunder faces Hume City on Saturday night – the first return of premiership player and former captain Shane Rexhepi to George Andrews Reserve since his off-season switch.
“Hume is a good side,” Hennessey said.
“I think Hume have really improved from last year and maybe didn’t finish as high as they should.
“I don’t fear anyone in this league though – every game we go into we should think we can win.
“We want to make Dandenong a fortress… we’re two-from-two there… we’re off to a good start.”
In other NPL Victoria results, Dandenong City knocked off Brunswick City 4-3 in a high-scoring thriller at Dunstan Reserve with Damien Miskulin, Keegan Ziada, Dario Matkovic and Goran Jozeljic scoring goals, while Springvale White Eagles was beaten 0-1 by Richmond.
