Dandenong Thunder struck back and rebounded after a tough loss with a 1-0 victory away against South Melbourne in round 19 of the NPL.
In the first half, neither team was able to trouble the scorers as the game went level into the break.
Both teams had managed five shots each, whereas Dandenong had fired four on target to South Melbourne’s three.
Thunder were on the attacking front foot, earning eight corners in the half but just couldn’t find the back of the net from the set pieces.
In the second half, plenty of chances arose but again neither team was able to capitalise and it seemed both sides were destined to share the points.
That was until the 86th minute, where a quick dribble in midfield from Mersim Memeti led Dandenong on the charge.
He played the ball out to the left to Hassan Jalloh, who slipped in the dangerous Yuki Uchida.
Uchida used some dazzling foot skills to quickly turn twice and get by his defender, creating enough space to chip a cross into the box.
Waiting was Memeti who had pressed forward, with Uchida’s ball perfectly placed for him to header it home.
The ball was a rocket off the head of Memeti, bouncing once at pace but leaving the keeper no chance from close range.
From there, Thunder were able to defend the final eight minutes of the match, escaping Lakeside Stadium with the full three points.
Despite the hosts having seven shots in the second half, none were on target as the Dandenong last line did a great job limiting the quality of attempts.
Thunder finished with eight shots on target, four in either half to go along with 14 corners.
The win solidified Dandenong in third, as Oakleigh’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of St Albans further widened the gap of third and fourth to five points.
On the other side, Thunder drew two points closer to Avondale as the Avengers drew with Preston.
Dandenong has a crucial clash with Avondale in round 20 at Avenger Park, which essentially becomes a six-pointer if Thunder have any hope of finishing in the top two.
