SOCCER

LVSL

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT and JOHN CARDONA

 

ROUND 12 of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League offered thorough results and surprises with just six rounds left for the season.

The top four sees some clear separation from the rest, although Fortuna and Falcons hold a three point lead at the top from their nearest rivals.

 

Traralgon Olympians 2 def by Newborough/Yallourn United 3

NEWBOROUGH/YALLOURN caused the upset of the round, rolling Olympians on their home turf.

The 3-2 win was the Combine’s fifth for the year.

Travelling to HP Reserve, both sides were hungry and prepared for it all, which showed with the first half ending in a stalemate, 1-all.

The Fairbrother’s were the saviours of the day, with Mark booting two goals while Dylan scored one to see a gap emerge. Both sides were down on players by the end, each losing one to red cards.

Newborough/Yallourn were getting away with what they could, playing as physical as can be but collecting six yellow cards to three from Olympians.

Guguei Malual kick both goals for Olympians.

Olympians missed their chance to sit beside Moe United at equal-third on the ladder, instead remaining fourth with seven wins, two draws, and three losses.

Newborough/Yallourn sit sixth.

 

Churchill United 6 def Tyers 0

CHURCHILL United recorded their fourth win for the year in a 6-nil thrashing of bottom-placed Tyers.

Lachlan Huizer and Sakhon Khamchom booted two goals each for Churchill United in Saturday’s win at home.

The Rams’ win keeps them in the mix of mid-table, narrowly behind the likes of Newborough/Yallourn and Monash.

 

Monash 3 drew with Sale United 3

MONASH and Sale United ended in a draw, 3-all, at Monash Reserve.

Sale United looked destined for the unexpected, seeing themselves hold a 2-1 lead after 45 minutes.

Monash responded to tie things up before anything got too out of hand.

Thomas Garner had his hero boots on, putting two balls past the goalkeeper with additional support from Luke Wilson.

Jared Baldacchino booted two goals for Monash, along with Jace Paulet seeing the back of the net.

Both Shawn Lawrence (Monash) and Charlie Cockell (Sale United) were discontinued from play.

Sale United acquired their fourth draw for the season and their third in four weeks, but with only two wins for the year they are third-last on the ladder.

Monash remain at five wins, four losses, and now have three draws on the year, good for fifth position.

 

Falcons 2 def East Gippsland United 1

FALCONS kept their title hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 finish against East Gippsland United.

In what was another surprisingly tight affair against two distant teams on the ladder, it was all tied up 1-all by the halftime break.

The second-placed Falcons then had most of the shots on goal, and would have been relieved to see one final score go through to scrape by.

East Gippsland United now sit at a win-loss record of 2-9 and are second-bottom.

 

Moe United 1 def by Fortuna 3

A LARGE crowd gathered at Olympic Park, Moe on Sunday for the clash between Latrobe Valley Soccer League heavyweights Moe United and Fortuna.

The visiting side won 3-1 to reaffirm their position at the top of the table on the quest for back-to-back league titles.

Both sides were hit hard by injuries, with Connor O’Hanlon, Chad Shelley, Tanner Pyle and Joe Stewart out for Moe.

The opening few minutes did not go to plan for Fortuna, when a cross from the left by Moe’s Brendan Ruddell was met by a header from Luke Bathgate to open the scoring.

After the early goal, the momentum was with the home side, as they were creating plenty of chances with no success.

At the 10 minute mark, a run up the left by Bayden Heusmann saw his low, hard cross scrambled off the line.

Fortuna sprung into action 15 minutes in, and some loose marking saw Hayden Tanti find space and make no mistake to level the scores.

Only a few minutes later, Fortuna went 2-1 up when Tanti unleased an unstoppable shot from 20 metres out.

Moe United was next into attack after a Noah Kane free kick was only partially cleared, and the ball fell to Lachie McKenzie.

McKenzie’s 20 metre drive went narrowly over the bar, and then 30 minutes into the game, Fortuna was awarded a spot kick, where Daniel Cooper smashed his penalty low to the bottom left to take the lead to 3-1.

Just on halftime, Fortuna were awarded another penalty for an apparent handball, and Cooper stepped up to take the kick.

His shot however was saved by veteran Moe goalkeeper Peter Albanese.

The second half saw more controlled play, although the home side could not find a breakthrough.

Some great keeping by stand-in Fortuna keeper John Beamer denied a few chances, including a run up the right from Matt Shearing which saw his cross headed by Bathgate, but cleared away by the Fortuna defence.

Moe Untied tried valiantly to mount a comeback, but could not break through.

Best for the winners were Liam Antonelli, Dylan Cassar-Cummings and Hayden Tanti. Best for the home side was Bathgate, Oscar Sceney, Ruddell and Riley Winkelman.

 

Ladder: Fortuna (31 points, +58 GD), Falcons (31, +33), Moe United (25, +31), Traralgon Olympians (23, +10), Monash (18, +13), Newborough/Yallourn United (15, -19), Churchill United (14, -11), Sale United (10, -17), East Gippsland United (6, -33), Tyers (0, -65).

 

ROUND 13

Saturday, June 22

Fortuna vs Falcons (Cringian Road Reserve, 6pm)

Sale United vs Moe United (Godfrey Baldwin Reserve, 7pm)

Sunday, June 23

Traralgon Olympians vs East Gippsland (HP Reserve, 3pm)

Churchill United vs Newborough/Yallourn United (Hazelwood South Reserve, 3pm)

Tyers vs Monash (Tyers Recreation Reserve, 3pm)