SOCCER

FOR 78 minutes lions roared at Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve last Wednesday night.

Glenroy Lions from State 5 North had travelled south to square up to State 2 local Skye United in what loomed as a David and Goliath affair.

For the opening 20 minutes Skye created the better chances with an Alex Van Heerwarden back post header striking the crossbar.

That didn’t deter Glenroy and the home side was set back on its heels when Nathan Ibrahim’s fine finish in the 26th minute made it 1-0.

Spurred on by this success the visitors almost increased their lead but struck the post two minutes later.

But right on half-time Glenroy was reduced to 10 men when Siraj Gergeis received a straight red.

Skye couldn’t get an early breakthrough in the second half prompting gaffer Phil McGuinness to bring on Lewis Gibson and Daniel Attard in the 62nd minute.

It proved to be a masterstroke.

In the 71st minute Gibson received the ball out wide and drove it across the face of goal to be inadvertently turned into his own net by Glenroy’s Alarqam Jaafar.

Seven minutes later Skye hit the front after Marcus Collier won possession then released Attard into a one-on-one and he finished well into the bottom corner.

However the drama was far from over.

In the 88th minute Skye had the chance to put this tie to bed after Attard was brought down inside the area but Glenroy keeper Nael Ibrahim saved Dusko Erkalovic’s penalty attempt.

It wasn’t just the scoreline that left a sour taste in the visitors’ mouth as three minutes into injury time they were reduced to nine men after a late challenge from Jack Yosif gave referee Stefano Di Giovanni little option but to brandish his red card again.

And while Skye battled to overcome its opponent State 2 neighbour Frankston Pines lost 3-0 in its Monterey Reserve cup tie against NPL1 side St Albans Saints.

This was a tame affair compared to some of the previous battles between these clubs but Pines refused to take a backward step against an opponent four divisions higher.

Just seven minutes in St Albans’ winger Joseph Monek was shoved in the back inside the area.

He recovered only to send his penalty attempt wide.

It took 30 minutes for St Albans to have a shot on target and when it came it was straight at Pines’ second string Pabel Rivera deputising for injured Colby Jones.

But five minutes later Pines’ resistance was broken when Rivera and his near post defender didn’t communicate properly and Daniel Fabrizio’s corner from the left eluded both to make it 1-0.

Three minutes into the second half Lathan Dunn should have given Saints a two-goal cushion but he shot across Rivera and wide of the far post.

Dunn didn’t have to wait long to strike though as he was on the end of a ball from the left played in behind the defence and his first time effort went in off the bar in the 61st minute.

A moment of silliness from Saints’ Troy Ruthven saw him sent off in the 76th minute.

He had been booked in the first half yet chose to shove Pines’ substitute Anish Khem in the chest and referee Louis McIntosh gave the visitors’ midfielder a second yellow.

The 10 men signed off on their passage into the next round with a third goal in the 88th minute.

Substitute Mouad Zwed controlled a long ball over the top with a sublime first touch that enabled him to sidefoot past Rivera from close range.

Mornington lost its cup tie 4-0 to FC Clifton Hill at Quarries Park on Saturday.

With head coach Adam Jamieson overseas assistant Craig Lewis took charge and fielded a young and inexperienced side against a strong Clifton Hill outfit with many UK visa players on its books.

The contest was decided in the first half and Mornington’s cause wasn’t helped when it was forced to replace second string 19-year-old keeper Ethan Farrell in the 32nd minute due to concussion.

He was replaced by 17-year-old Frankie Anderson.

A double from Joseph Hunt and a Gav Jones goal four minutes from the break had Clifton Hill 3-0 up at half-time and substitute Robbie Williamson completed the scoreline in the 86th minute.

That leaves just Skye and Langwarrin as the only local clubs remaining in the Australia Cup.

Langy plays its round four preliminary tie on Tuesday this week against Brandon Park at Lawton Park at 7.30pm.

Scott Miller’s men will only have a three-day turnaround after going down 4-0 in their NPL2 clash with Dandenong City at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex on Saturday.

The home team led after three minutes when Damian Iaconis was presented with a tap-in after a cutback from the right.

Langwarrin keeper James Burgess made a couple of key saves to keep the visitors in the contest but six minutes into the second half Iaconis made no mistake from a one-on-one with Burgess to make it 2-0.

Brady Quinn sealed the home side’s victory in the 71st minute with a tap-in from a rebound and the pick of the goals came in the 92nd minute courtesy of a free-kick from substitute Nick Hamakiotis.

In women’s football three local sides will field senior teams in State League for the first time – Frankston Pines, Mount Martha and Chelsea.

All three were initially placed in State 5 South-East but when a vacancy arose in State 4 South clubs were emailed by Football Victoria inviting applications on a first-come first-served basis and Pines was quickest to respond.

Fixtures should be released this week.

First published in the Frankston Times – 11 April 2023