By ROY WARD
WHEN you have won the Victorian Premier League treble and taken three more points, you don’t have to say too much.
Dandenong Thunder coach Chris Taylor knew that, following his side’s workmanlike 1-0 win over Oakleigh Cannons in the VPL grand final rematch at Jack Edwards Reserve on Friday night.
The Thunder won the cagey VPL grand final rematch with a Bryan Bran penalty in the 60th minute after Cannons keeper Lewis Italiano brought down Thunder striker Nate Foster in the box.
Bran’s penalty, struck high into the roof of the net, was all the Thunder needed but the Cannons did create a few half-chances late in the match. The Thunder failed to convert some counter-attacking chances as the Cannons pushed for a goal.
The Cannons took all the headlines leading into the match, signing former Gold Coast United and Brisbane Roar coach Miron Bleiberg as interim coach and cutting loose Bill Theodoropoulos. The Cannons took only five points from their first five matches.
Bleiberg’s status remains in question as he has only agreed to coach the Cannons against the Thunder and then South Melbourne this Sunday before assessing whether he wants to stay.
Taylor again started younger players Iqbal Jawadi, Shpetim Mala, Nicholas Epifano and Feston Azizi in midfield while pairing Bran with Afghani international Sakhi Faisal in defence and Nate Foster and Luke Hopper up front.
“I’m just pleased we got the result,” he said. “I felt we played well early on and could have been 3-0 up. The football was excellent, as good as I’ve seen in the premier league, but we didn’t put our chances away and that means they could always come back at us.
“They were dangerous on set plays and gave us a few scares, but in the end the better team won.”
Taylor will have plenty of selection quandaries in the next few weeks as his younger players keep out tested veterans like Shane Rexhepi, Craig Elvin, Liam Kearney and Mathew Theodore. “Epifano and Azizi had wonderful games tonight. They are the ones keeping the other boys out of the side.
“But you can’t tell what happens next week — we might get two injuries and a suspension and then players get their chance. You see that happen all over the world.
“Players get opportunities when they don’t expect it, then they cement a place in the side and the rest is history.
“Reputations don’t count for much, in my opinion.”
The Thunder plays its final game behind closed doors this Saturday, hosting Pascoe Vale at George Andrews Reserve at 3pm.
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