By Marcus Uhe
Dandenong City was unable to repeat the heroics of last week against another National Premier League (NPL) Victoria heavyweight on Friday night, suffering a 4-0 loss to ladder-leading South Melbourne at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
City pinched a point off second-placed Hume City in a thriller in Greensborough last week, but a six-day turnaround against the league’s best side was too much to overcome in round 10.
The contest’s opening goal gave City a taste of what to expect for the remainder of the contest as the visitors showed their class and skill in a brilliant counter attack.
Michael Martinovic was unable to maintain possession for City deep in his side’s attacking half, before five clinical passes presented an opportunity for the season’s leading scorer in Harry Sawyer, who scored with his first touch despite losing his footing.
The score read 2-0 to South Melbourne after 26 minutes when Ross Archibald doubled the visitors’ advantage.
It was a case of third time lucky for South Melbourne, and third time unlucky for City, which failed to decisively clear a pair of crosses in a busy 30 seconds for John Hall and his defenders.
The telling blow came from the head of Archibald, who rose taller than the pack at his feet at the back post.
The home side was feeling the pressure from the visitors’ defence all over the park, and the squeeze on possession presented the ladder leaders with a chance at their third.
South Melbourne’s midfielders swooped on a slow pass around the halfway mark and were off to the races with sights set on a first half triple-treat.
Sawyer was sprung free by his teammates as City defenders converged on the ball, meaning Hall was forced to come off his line to halt the attack.
His diving attack on the ball, however, collected the legs of Sawyer, forcing the referee to award a penalty, to the frustration of City players, led by Jack Webster, who presented a case on his team’s behalf to the man in charge.
Hall guessed right, and Sawyer went down the middle from the spot, to make it 3-0 in the visitors’ favour shortly before the interval.
Hall had no chance of stopping the fourth, caught out of position and away from his home between the posts as Sawyer completed his hat-trick with a simple tap-in.
Matthew Hennessey was dispossessed by Nahuel Bonada on the edge of the penalty area as City attempted to quell one South Melbourne foray, but Hall was again forced to rush the attacker as he dribbled parallel to the goal face with only the City ‘keeper to beat.
Bonada chose to square the ball to his teammate, who completed one of the easier finishes he will have in his career in front of an unguarded goal in the 68th minute.
City fought out the contest, with Kenny Athiu, Kyan Vanderhurst-Bryant and Webster all centimetres away from scoring in the final half hour, but the visitors left Frank Holohan with a clean sheet.
The loss leaves City winless from its last three outings but a respectable seventh on the table and with only a slight negative goal differential after 10 matches.
A trip to Manningham awaits next week to face the struggling Blues, who have lost three of their last four.
