By Marcus Uhe
Dandenong Thunder’s massive clash with NPL giants South Melbourne succumbed to bizarre scenes at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the match abandoned at the halfway mark due to lighting issues.
Trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Thunder were set for a significant second half in the context of the season, before referees put a stop to play.
“Due to a lighting issue with the stadium, the referees have deemed there is not enough light to continue the match tonight,” South Melbourne FC said on their Twitter page on Sunday afternoon.
“Further information will be provided once updates are received from Football Victoria.”
The match will be replayed at a later date.
Dandenong went into the break having stymied the home side’s momentum, scoring in stoppage time, but had conceded two earlier in the contest to find themselves behind.
With South Melbourne sitting second on the table heading into the clash, a win for Dandenong on the road would have done wonders for their momentum as they turn for the remaining third of the NPL season.
The Thunder entered the clash having won three of its last four contests, but fell short to Oakleigh Cannons in its most recent outing on Friday 2 June.
After a slow start to the campaign in which they acquired just seven points from their first eight fixtures, the Thunder had entered a purple-patch in the second half of the season, before losing to Oakleigh.
A season defined by clumps and streaks sees them sit eighth on the NPL Victoria table, but with a game in hand as a result of Sunday’s abandonment.
Three points would see them just up to sixth place, overtaking Altona Magic and Green Gully, in seventh and sixth respectively, while one would see them outseat Altona Magic on goal difference.
Gerhardus Damen leads the club in scoring with six goals from 16 appearances, having found the back of the net in four of his last five matches as part of the Thunder’s hot streak in May.
Dandenong will return to action on Saturday afternoon at George Andrews Reserve with another game against Bentleigh Greens at 3pm.
The home side will be hoping for a repeat of the matchup’s round three result, when it bagged the second victory of the campaign 3-0 back in March.
