SOCCER

STATE LEAGUE

By ALLAN ROVERTS

 

ROUND 14 of the Veto Men’s State League saw Fortuna ’60 play their second away game in a 3 week run of games on the road.

This weeks game saw Fortuna head down to Keysborough SC to play their first night fixture of the season against the Keysborough Cardinals, a team that gave the Lions a run for their money back in Round 3 of the season.

With news filtering through that Pakenham United had defeated the Lions closest title rival Mt Eliza SC earlier in the day, the game took on extra significance with the Lions now having opportunity to obtain a 6 point gap at the top of the table over Mt Eliza SC.

The crowd was bolstered by players and supporters from Mt Eliza SC, Seaford United SC and Pakenham Utd SC – all of whom had played earlier in the day and where now keen to see the outcome of this match and the ramifications that it had on the league table as the competition moves into the business end of the season.

The conclusion of the game would see the travelling Fortuna come away with a hard fought, but well deserved 2-1 win over the Cardinals.

With the whistle sounding the start of the game it would be the home team that would take it to the ladder leaders, with the Cardinals playing attacking and fast football – rattling the visiting Fortuna team and not letting them settle into any rhythm or dictate the pace of play.

Keysborough continued to pressure Fortuna in the early stages of the match and it would be this pressure that would lead to the home team hitting the scoreboard first via a calamitous passage of paly from the Lions in the 13th minute.

Fortuna fullback Joel Palermo was forced to play the ball back to his central defender Alex Bowman who would take a horrendous touch on the ball, coughing up possession and allowing the Cardinals Sergio Alverez to pounce on the mistake and strike the ball past the Lions keeper to give the home team a 1-0 lead early in the match.

The goal rattled the Lions and they began to pick up the pace of play, but poor passing and missed opportunities would be the story of the first half for the visiting team.

With tempers on the park flaring for the ladder leaders the half time whistle sounded, the break could not come soon enough for Coach Clayton Bell as he headed into the sheds trailing 1 nil and with plenty of work to do to get his chargers back in the game.

With the commencement of the second half a different Fortuna team took to the field, one that resembled a team that was at the top of the table and intended to remain their. Fortuna started to dictate the pace of play, finding feet with the passes, creating space and opportunities on goal.

Three minutes into the half it would be the Lions ever maturing Damon Scott who would score after linking up with midfielder Jordan Campbell in a delightful passage of play that would see the Lions get back on equal terms with the Cardinals.

With the game poised in the balance and the home team keen to be the first club to take the three points off Fortuna the match became a spicy affair, with some big tackles being thrown in that were reminiscent of the German Bundesliga in it’s heyday.

In the 60th minute it would again be that man Damon Scott who would perfectly position himself at the back post to be on the receiving end of another great ball from the Nonda Lazaris, with the Fortuna forward talisman perfectly heading home Lazaris’s cross into the back of the goal.

With 10 minutes of the game left Coach Bell went to the bench and subbed on one of the Club’s homegrown talents in Dylan Cassar-Cummings, “CC” as he affectionately known again showed why he is knocking on the door of a senior starting position with a solid 10 minute cameo.

Come the 87th minute Jake Bugija for the Lions would get onto the end of a cheeky little pass from Daniel Cooper, converting the opportunity to see the travelling Lions go 3-1 up and close out the game.

The Fortuna win and the earlier loss by Mt Eliza sees the team from the Valley maintain their top spot, but more importantly they open up a 6 point gap over 2nd play Mt Eliza SC who they are fixtured to play against this weekend coming in what is now a match that will have massive part to play in who will be crowned State Leage South Champions for 2025.

A win on the road for the Lions next week will open up the gap to 9 points between first and second with seven rounds remaining, in what is now a three horse race between Fortuna ’60 SC, Mt Eliza SC and Seaford Utd SC for the coveted League title and more importantly one of the top 2 positions to ensure that relegation under the new 2026 Football Victoria structures does not come into play.

Earlier in the day the Fortuna Reserves took to the pitch against a team that they were expecting to match up well against.

The Lions Reserve’s put in a spirited performance lead by Dontae Marino who showed plenty of dash and run in the midfield.

Final result 0-1 loss to the Lions, but the team showed definite signs of improvement