SOCCER

LVSL

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT, JOHN CARDONA and JOE AUCIELLO

 

ROUND 11 of the LVSL featured another ensemble of fantastic games as we now move into the final stretch heading towards the end of the season.

 

Newbough/Yallourn 3 def by Moe United 8

THE derby day clash at Burridge Reserve, Newborough saw Newborough/Yallourn up against title challengers Moe United at the weekend.

The Combine were looking for an unlikely derby upset win and after only five minutes play a corner kick from the left saw a clash of players in the goalmouth with Mitch Wooton getting his head onto the ball to give the Combine an early lead.

Ten minutes into the match and Moe striker Connor O’hanlon received a pass from Oscar Sceney who then sent his pass onto Matt Shearing to level the scores.

Not long after, the Combine not to be out done were back in the lead, when a long ball was sent into the goalmouth area, which saw Combine striker Mark Fairbrother in an aerial challenge with Moe keeper Peter Albanese and the resultant play saw Fairbrother win the header to score.

With play going from end to end, and the match opening up in the midfield, more goals were expected and the crowd were not going to be disappointed.

It was not long before Moe United were going to break open the Combine defence from a run of corners. Moe United were on level terms when Bayden Heusmann’s corner saw the ball fall to the feet of goalmouth. Sneak in Lachie McKenzie who slammed his shot onto the back of the net.

Thirty minutes into the first half, and another corner from Connor Dastey saw O’hanlon denied a rare headed goal by a reflex save from Combine keeper Justin Allman.

A third consecutive corner by Heusmann led to a scramble in the goalmouth, where at the back post was the waiting Matt Shearing to shoot the ball home, to give Moe United a 3-2 lead.

By this stage, Moe United had taken full control of the play by its midfield dominance of Sceney, Dastey, Riley Winklemann, Heusmann and Shearing.

Minutes later the Combine’s hope of an upset disappeared in a matter of minutes, with three goals in the space of five minutes going to Moe.

A run by O’hanlon saw his pass find an unmarked Heusmann, who’s shot was saved by Allman in goals, but Winkleman latched onto the loose ball to slam it home.

From the kick-off, Moe United went into attack and from a a strong challenge by Shearing after a stray pass from keeper Allman the ball landed to O’hanlon, and with Allman well off his line, O’hanlon finished off the chance with a clever chip over the keeper.

Within minutes, Moe United raced to a 6-2 lead when Dastey made a great run up the right wing and his cross was brilliantly headed home at the near post by Winkelman.

From the commencement of the second half, the intensity had dropped off due the the final few minutes of the Moe United onslaught, with play being negated between both sides’ defence. Finally after 70 minutes of play, a Sceney through ball opened up the Combine defence with O’hanlon running through to slot the ball home past the oncoming keeper to give Moe a 7-2 lead.

Moe United were to save their best goal to the last when Dastey’s pass picked out O’hanlon in space, and he passed onto Shearing who then put sent a perfectly timed pass on for Heusman to run onto and make no mistake with a low shot into the far corner.

In the final few minutes the combine were to get a consolation goal from a Fairbrother shot from 10 metres out to make the final score Newborough/Yallourn 3 – Moe United 8.

Best for combine were Wooton, Fairbrother and Johnathon Cook. Best for Moe were Nick Fogarty, O’hanlon, Shearing, and Heusmann.

 

Falcons 7 def Tyers 0

SATURDAY night football returned to Latrobe City Sports and Entertainment Centre as second-placed Falcons 2000 hosted bottom of the table Tyers Lightning in a match that could be easily mistaken to be a David vs Goliath contest.

The home side were expected to make light work of their opponents, especially as news filtered through that Tyers had forfeited their reserves the previous day.

With a number of injury concerns plaguing the Birds, they decided to blood some fresh blood into the squad with a view to help bolster their quality of depth for later in the season.

Josh Gangi,in his first start for the senior side, took full advantage of his opportunity to give his side the lead after 15 minutes, as Falcons eventually broke down a Tyers defence that, if sitting any deeper, would be off the pitch entirely.

From there it was all one-way traffic as Nick D’Alessandro tapped in from close range which was then followed by the goal of the night as wonderful interplay between Josh Patterson and D’Alessandro allowed Moni Eliaser to convert from inside the box.

The score line at half time would read 3-0, but it could’ve been so much more.

The Morwell side were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal as they increased their lead soon after the restart, as Tom D’Alia blasted a shot from close range which left the Tyers goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

It became five when Eliaser got his second with relative ease.

Young, energetic playmaker Chocho Jacob, who made his senior debut only a week earlier, came off the bench and in a wonderful sign of team camaraderie, Eliaser, who was felled in the box with a penalty awarded, handed the ball to his young teammate rather than take it himself to secure his hat trick.

Jacob made no mistake from the spot as his teammates swarmed him to help him celebrate the special moment in his fledgling career.

With the result beyond doubt, Falcons took their foot off the pedal, but there was time for one more goal as a well hit corner from Eliaser was headed home convincingly by captain Harley Broadbent to round out a comprehensive victory for his side.

In a one-sided game, Tyers goalkeeper Sash Danilovic was clearly their best player as he thwarted chance after chance.

For the home side, clear best on ground went to Eliaser as he is fast becoming a fan favourite at the club.

 

Fortuna 4 def Sale United 0

TOP-placed Fortuna 60 defeated Sale United Saturday night, 4-0, to go to 9-1-1 on the year tied with Falcons 2000.

The Orangemen led 1-0 by halftime and finished with another three goals despite losing Ryan Mcauley due to a red card.

Jordan Campbell had two goals, whilst Damon Scott and Jack Lester booted one each.

Fortuna’s seventh clean sheet of the season still gives them top position due to only conceding seven goals for the season.

Sale United move to 2-3-6 on the year and sit third bottom.

 

Churchill United 1 def by Olympians 2

TRARALGON Olympians move to 7-2-2 on the year after a 2-1 finish over Churchill United.

Churchill United managed one goal in the second half to make things interesting but the Olympians still held on in the end.

Dylan Dunstall and Jordan Martin converted on both of the sides score, whilst Jayden Unmack kicked one goal for Churchill United.

Churchill United move two games back to fifth place with 3-2-6, whilst the Olympians begin to gain on the top of the table Fortuna and Falcons.

 

East Gippsland 4 def by Monash 5

MONASH won a thrilling 4-5 contest against East Gippsland United to remain in the top five of the table at 5-2-4 on the year.

Monash led at the break 3-2 but gave East Gippsland United a chance subbing three of their four goal scorers for the day in Caleb Semple (with two goals), Adam Semple, and Ethan Lawrence.

Shawn Lawrence was the other to kick one and Monash held on in the end by a goal.

Jaydon Steele kicked two goals whilst Lachlan Dare and Oscar Bury had one goal apiece for East Gippsland United.

East Gippsland United move to 2-9 for the year as the worst side by winless Tyers at 0-11.