Author: Craig MacKenzie

SOCCER SKYE United’s FFA Cup journey took a dramatic twist on Saturday when it came from two goals down to beat Monbulk Rangers 4-3 at Centenary Park. Monbulk had beaten Skye in the promotion race from State 3 last season and came into the clash as a firm favourite. But things didn’t go Monbulk’s way when injury forced Declan McAleese to be replaced by Cameron Poynter after just 14 minutes. Four minutes later Daniel Walsh’s lethargy in pushing up from defence allowed Poynter to beat the offside trap and hammer the ball past Skye keeper Jonathan Crook for the opener.…

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SOCCER BAXTER soccer club discovered 14 heroes on Saturday and set a benchmark of commitment for the upcoming season that threatens to silence the naysayers and confound its critics. In one of the most remarkable stories of the FFA Cup the local club overcame enormous odds to record a 3-2 victory after 120 minutes of gut-busting effort. Here was a club that a few days earlier was facing the possibility of having to forfeit this fixture. Worse still rumours abounded about players leaving and forcing the committee to withdraw its senior and reserve teams from State 4 South. Senior coach…

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SOCCER SOUTHERN United kicks off the 2019 season against one of the most cashed-up outfits in the NPLW when it hosts South Melbourne’s imposing women’s team at Monterey Reserve on Saturday. It is a massive challenge for a team that created records last season for all the wrong reasons finishing last in the elite competition with a solitary point having scored five goals and conceding 188. South Melbourne in stark contrast finished on top of the ladder and lost the Grand Final 3-1 to Bulleen. And Southern’s preparation has been far from ideal. “We go into the season with just…

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SOCCER LANGWARRIN kicks off the most anticipated season in the club’s recent history when it hosts Melbourne City at Lawton Park on Saturday at 3pm. The spotlight has shone on the local club ever since it made the surprise announcement last August that Scott Miller had been appointed head coach. Few expected the former Fulham assistant manager and Newcastle Jets boss to step down from professional to semi-professional ranks but his appointment raised the bar markedly in terms of expectations for the 2019 season. Langy has backed Miller with a host of new signings and the establishment of the club’s…

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SOCCER ROSEBUD has had its application to join State League 5 accepted by Football Victoria and it will compete in the South division in 2019. And club president Melissa Osorio confirmed last weekend that merger talks with neighbouring Rosebud Heart are ongoing. “At the moment we’re going through the 2019 season ticking all the boxes and working with Football Victoria and Rosebud Heart and looking to the 2020 season (to merge),” Osorio said. Rosebud returned to competition under the state federation’s banner last year finishing second in Metropolitan 2 South-East. The previous time the club played under the controlling body…

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