SOCCER

LVSL

By JOHN CARDONA

 

THE final round of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League season was played on Sunday afternoon.

Round 18 games had no bearing on ladder positions, and most went as expected. (Moe United had already wrapped up the league championship the previous week, and had a bye at the weekend).

In the match on the astro turf at Morwell Recreation Reserve between Falcons and Sale United, it was a closely-fought match.

Falcons edged out the Swans 3-2 after leading 3-1 at the half.

The result saw Falcons claim third spot on the league table, while Sale – the most-improved senior side in the competition, finished fourth.

Scorers for the winners were Jamie Pistrin, Josh Gangi and Josh Patterson.

Dean Nichols and Luke Wilson found the back of the net for Sale United.

Best for Falcons was goalkeeper Callum Dominguez, Jethro Alison and Patterson. Wilson was good for Sale United, as was Nicholls, and Daniel Patchett.

In the match at Harold Preston Reserve 1, a determined Traralgon City drew with a Monash 3-all.

Flynn Mangion, Kieran Hanlon and Luke Waters scored for Traralgon, while Jared Baldacchino, Ethan Lawrence and Ryan Harvey did likewise for Monash.

Best players for the respective teams was: Hanlon, Isaac Burgoine and Sean Sayle (City) and Ryan McCluskey, Ryan Davis, and Jake Dickason (Monash).

Churchill United continued their late season good form with an 8-nil thrashing of East Gippsland at Hazelwood South.

Germaine Otleno had a day out up front, scoring five goals, with singles to Monday Cholelel, Santo Simon and Tinashe Madhuvu.

Best for Churchill was Adinew Demse, Otleno, and Cholelel.

Olympians finished second on the league table after beating Newborough Yallourn United 3-nil at Harold Preston No 2.

The Combine fought bravely all day, but couldn’t counter the class of Alradi Ali, who scored a hat-trick.

Best for NYU was Adam Batt, Steve Birrell, Ash Birell and Tim Shaw.

Clubs will now turn their attention to the Battle of Britain Cup, set to commence in coming weeks.

 

LVSL Reserves

SALE United was crowned LVSL reserves champions after they defeated Falcons 7-2.

The result was far from a formality however, with the score 2-all at Morwell Recreation Reserve synthetic before the visitors ran away with the game.

Congratulations are due for the Swans, who won the league title on goal difference from Moe United.

The Red Devils were dealt a cruel fate after leading the league ladder for most of the season, but dropped a crucial game to Monash in the penultimate round.

Churchill reserves finished the season with a big 10-2 win over East Gippsland at Hazelwood South.

Best on for the winners was Cooper Rohde, Harry Forbes and Lloyd Turnbull.

Scorers were: Raymond Myers, Takudzwa Gwara, Forbes, Rhode, Dean Pyle (all two), while singles went to Shaun Kafuka and Harley Scandrett.

Traralgon City lost 2-nil against third-placed Monash at Harold Preston 1.

It was a fiery match, with both sides reduced to nine men each after an on-field altercation which led to four players receiving their marching orders.

Best for Traralgon City: Nick Westwood, Brodie Inglis and Josh Van Lankveld.

Traralgon Olympians were too strong for Newborough Yallourn United, winning 7-2 at Harold Preston 2.

Moe United had the bye.

 

LVSL Women

CHURCHILL United women finished the 2025 season in second position after a 3-nil win over Tyers at Hazelwood South.

Scorers were: Christine Bingham, Hayley Scott and Breeanna Morse.
Best players were: Scott and Lana Bongioletti.

Traralgon City lost 1-nil to Monash in a hard, physical match at Harold Preston 1.
Best for Traralgon City: Sienna Giblett, Nikita Buhagiar and Kate Henne.

Sale United women finished off their treble winning league title run with a 4-nil win over Falcons (at Morwell Football-Netball Club synthetic), while at Burrage, it was a nil-all between Newborough Yallourn United and Olympians.

This weekend is the catch-up round, although there is only one game to be played, which is the senior woman’s game between Moe United and Traralgon City at Olympic Park, Moe (this Sunday, 11am kick-off).

This makes up for the Round 14 abandonment when the lights went out at Olympic Park.

 

LVSL Division 3

TRARALGON Olympians’ league title was made official at the weekend.

Olympians had a bye in the final round of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League Division 3, but had championship in the bag heading into the round.

Moe United’s third division side finished the 2025 league season with a comeback 4-2 win over Fortuna at Olympic Park last Sunday.The final round win by the Red Devils’ third division side jumped last season’s league champions to third place on the ladder after a scratchy start in the first half of the season.

The match for the first 20 minutes saw a very even tussle, but in saying that, the better chances went to Fortuna, who were to be denied on a few occasions by Moe United keeper Reg Poxon, who pulled off a couple of superb saves.

The opening goal came around the 25-minute mark after a perfectly timed through ball by Gedd Heusmann sent speedster Ashley Huber through as he then outpaced the Fortuna defence and from a slight angle, powered home a well struck left foot drive.

The homes team’s lead only lasted five minutes, after Fortuna won a corner kick on the left flank.

The corner was sent into the six yard box, which saw a goal mouth scrimmage with the ball falling to Nick Brewer, who found the net through a crowded goalmouth.

With 10 minutes to go in the first half, Fortuna earnt another corner kick which the Moe United side again failed to clear, and it was seized upon by Michael Anderson, who slammed the ball past a helpless Poxon.

Fortuna led 2-1 at the half, forcing Moe Untied to go straight on the offensive.

A mix-up in defence by a defender and keeper saw Zane Poxon challenge and win the ball to then glide the ball past a stranded Fortuna keeper to level the scores 2-all.

Both sides were creating many chances, with fortuna having the better of the, but good defending by Andrew Robinson, Mark Whitney, Adam Cassar and youngster Mason Troughton, plus some more great saves by Poxon held the Fortuna side out.

Moe united eventually grabbed a 3-2 lead when a Troughton corner kick again saw a goalmouth scrimmage, with the ball falling in front of Cassar to chest home the ball from close range.

Just on fulltime, Moe United won another corner kick, which was taken by Gedd Heusmann and headed home by Kayne Heusmann.

Best for Moe United was Huber, Reg Poxon, Judd Van Breugel and Zane Poxon.

Best for Fortuna was Luke McNeill, Eamon Dolan, Anderson and Brewer.

In other results, Sale United defeated Falcons 4-2, and Tyers defeated Churchill United 6-nil.

Olympians and Monash had the bye.

Olympians had the league championship sewn up heading into the round.