By Nick Creely
NPL 2 EAST
REVIEW – ROUND 25
Another powerful performance by Dandenong Thunder on Saturday night has the men from George Andrews Reserve destined for promotion into the top NPL tier next season.
Up against Goulburn Valley, the Thunder flexed their muscles, winning 2-0 in a convincing and almost simple victory.
In windy conditions, both sides struggled to adjust to the weather early, with no scores coming in the first half.
Star striker Brandon Barnes got the ball rolling in the 60th minute with an expert volley over the keeper’s head courtesy of a spectacular pass from the in-form Veton Korcari.
Not content with just the single goal, Korcari then headed one in only moments later effectively sealing the win with over 20 minutes to play.
Scoring dried up from there with the Thunder putting the brakes on, holding up defensively and chewing down the clock.
The latest of the Thunder’s stunning results sees them surge clear at the top-of-the-ladder by a whopping four-points, a buffer unlikely to be threatened as the season starts to close up.
The news wasn’t so good for Dandenong City, who handed the Thunder their handy lead at the top with a 0-2 loss to Murray United that same day.
It didn’t take long for United to get on the board in front of their home crowd at Albury, scoring in the 13th minute via some impressive movement of the ball, catching the City defenders flat footed.
The game tightened up considerably for the rest of the half, and City went into the main break 0-1 down and desperate for their stars to stand up.
After United held firm defensively to begin the second half, the home side once again scored in the 59th minute, virtually sealing the door shut on a comeback.
City then made some structural moves, bringing Adem Huskic on for his senior debut at the expense of James Kelly, but it wasn’t enough to resurrect the game.
This coming Saturday sees City tackle Thunder at Frank Holohan Reserve in the highly anticipated clash for the Jim Memeti Cup.
The match is the replay of the postponed Round 16 clash between the two sides, and is arguably the most important match of both sides’ respective seasons.
A win for the Thunder means they essentially seal top spot and their promotion, while for City, a win means they stay in touch with just a handful of matches left to play.
Kick-off is 3.00pm, with a bumper crowd expected.
