SOCCER
LVSL
By JOHN CARDONA AND LIAM DURKIN
MOE UNITED celebrated after winning its ninth Latrobe Valley Soccer League championship.
The Red Devils secured the title with a 4-nil victory over Monash last Sunday.
The result gives Moe an unassailable lead at the top of the LVSL ladder with one round to play. The Red Devils have the bye in the last round (to be played this weekend), and are five points clear of second-placed Traralgon Olympians.
It is Moe’s first league championship since 2016.
A brilliant first half of football saw the Red Devils take a 3-nil lead into the break at Monash Reserve.
In what was one of the largest crowds to ever attend a Moe versus Monash derby, the Red Devils’ defence, headed Lachie McKenzie, Chad Shelley, Noah Kane and Brendan Ruddell, repelled most of the Monash forward attacks, which gave the visiting forwards plenty of avenues to goal.
Moe got the breakthrough after 10 minutes of attacking soccer, culminating at the 23 minute mark.
A cross into the box caused a goal scramble, which the Monash defence failed to clear properly, and an alert Noah Kane seized onto the ball and hammered it home from close range.
The Red Devils made it 2-nil after one of the more bizarre passages of play saw the keeper literally kick the ball straight to Moe striker Connor O’Hanlon.
O’Hanlon needed no invitation, and ran in to slot the easiest of chances.
At 42 minutes, Sceney collected a loose ball and then make a run on the right side to dribble his way past two Monash players, and unleashed an absolute right foot thunderbolt of a drive which rocketed into the roof of the goal with the keeper glued to his spot.
With the 2025 league championship virtually wrapped up, Moe United set out to limit the chances of a late Monash revival,
Up front in attack, O’Hanlon was always a constant threat, and was again in the play when he let loose with another cracking drive which rattled the crossbar. The rebound was met by Matt Shearing, but his header attempt went over the crossbar.
Midway through the second half, a run up the left by Shearing saw him illegally tackled by a Monash defender, and referee Kieran Lenders had no hesitation to award Moe United a penalty spot kick.
Despite calls from the crowd for club favourite and keeper, Peter Albanese to take the shot, O’Hanlon stepped up and made no mistake.
Albo showed there was nothing that could break his ageing body, even getting straight back to his feet after virtually being spear tackled in the first half.
O’Hanlon’s second goal came after 81 minutes, meaning there was little left to do but wait for the final whistle.
Subs were given a run around this time, with the game’s only sour note a late injury to McKenzie forcing him off the field.
Winning coach, Lee Dastey waited until there was around two minutes left before taking in congratulations from the bench.
A somewhat subdued celebration took place on the pitch, with just the league trophy presented.
Moe skippers Shearing and Luke Bathgate proudly lifted the championship trophy.
Moe players and officials will receive their medals and Football Victoria banner once the season is officially over.
Best players on the day for the Red Devils were O’Hanlon, McKenzie, Sceney and Shelley.
Adam Semple put in a commendable effort for Monash.
IN other results, Olympians did their best to try and get ahead of Moe on goal difference, beating East Gippsland 12-nil in West Bairnsdale.
Olympians needed Moe to lose or at least draw their game to potentially win the league title.
Alradi Ali and Moni Ellaser returned from East Gippsland with hat-tricks.
Newborough/Yallourn put up a great fight against Falcons, losing 3-nil at Burrgae after holding last year’s champions to nil-all at the half.
Churchill United bounced back from defeat, beating Sale United 2-nil on the road last Saturday night.
Goal scorers for the winners were Germaine Otleno and Kuku Mahammud.
The last round of the 2025 league season sees Traralgon City (coming off a bye) host Monash, Churchill welcomes East Gippsland, Olympians and NYU clash at Harold Preston 2, while Falcons plays Sale United on the Morwell Football-Netball Club synthetic.
All games are this Sunday afternoon from 3pm.
