SOCCER
BAXTER players and supporters were euphoric at the final whistle after witnessing one of the club’s greatest comebacks in Saturday’s State 4 showdown at Westernport. Each year local rivals Somerville Eagles and Baxter use their league fixtures to compete for the Eagles Cup which raises money for research into motor neurone disease.
It’s a clash that rarely disappoints and last weekend diminutive Baxter winger Keegan Myatt stole the show with a 16-minute hat-trick that turned this contest on its head.
With 10 minutes of normal time remaining Baxter was staring down the barrel. Goals from Somerville’s Tom Simmons, Howie Anderson and Joe Simmons and an own goal from teammate Connor Carson had produced a 3-1 scoreline and the Eagles Cup was heading in Somerville’s direction. But Myatt threw Baxter a lifeline in the 80th minute when Brody Taylor got free down the right and squared the ball to the far post for Myatt to slide in and make it 3-2.
Odds remained stacked in the home team’s favour but in the 94th minute Aiden McKenna’s long ball to the far post was headed in by Myatt who had stolen the goalside position from his opponent. Surely that was that but Myatt had other ideas. In the 96th minute Somerville couldn’t clear from McKenna’s long throw and Myatt was the player in a packed penalty area that somehow volleyed the loose ball into the far corner for an unexpected winner.
Defender Izaak Barr and attacking midfielder Nat Daher have left Baxter. Daher is unsure of his next move but is expected to train with Seaford this week while a knee injury has sidelined Barr. Baxter’s home game against Keysborough this weekend will be the last for one of the club’s overseas contingent, Tomonari Miyazaki, who will return to Japan due to an illness in his family.
In other State 4 news Chelsea defeated visitors Sandown Lions 3-0 in a spiteful encounter at Edithvale Recreation Reserve on Saturday. The less said about this one the better. Daniel Vella, Harry Salisbury and Jake Ross scored.
Mentone picked up three points in a 3-1 win over Springvale City at Ross Reserve on Friday night. The visitors went in front in the 34th minute when Marcus Spivey forced home keeper Kadir Puric into spilling the ball and Cameron Ironside calmly finished from the tightest of angles.
Springvale equalised on the hour mark when Mentone failed to deal with a dangerous in-swinging free-kick headed home by Edim Lolic. Mentone brought on Tyler Pollard and Joe Dunbar and it was Pollard in his 100th game for the visitors who cooly converted from the penalty spot on 79 minutes after Peter Varsamis had been brought down. Ten minutes later Dunbar robbed a defender then charged forward before playing in Spivey whose finish secured the win.
In VPL1 news Langwarrin lost 1-0 away to North Geelong last weekend. The decisive moment came in the 74th minute when Sonny Brimmer was on the end of a ball that had bounced over the outstretched leg of Lucas Portelli and he slotted his shot past Langy keeper Griffin Bambach.
In State 1 news controversial decisions and questionable goalkeeping highlighted Mornington’s 2-2 away draw with Springvale White Eagles on Friday night. Mornington keeper Kane Runge and White Eagles counterpart Thomas Hull had nights they’d rather forget while an assistant linesman played a crucial role in denying Mornington striker Rory Currie from breaking clear on goal from an onside position.
That same official flagged for an infringement in the White Eagles penalty area in the dying moments of the clash that ruled out a Mornington goal from a set piece. The home side led at half-time after Runge parried a shot into the path of Goran Zoric who finished from point-blank range. Six minutes into the second half Hull failed to cut out a Ryan Paczkowski cross from the left and James Clark was at the back post to steer the loose ball home.
White Eagles were back in front in the 70th minute after a low shot from outside the area beat Runge’s dive at the near post. But the Seagulls wouldn’t be denied and seven minutes later Luke Burgess equalised capitalising at the near post from a Paczkowski free-kick. David Stirton came off the bench for his first run of the season.
Due to work commitments Craig Lewis has stepped down from his role as senior assistant to Mornington head coach Adam Jamieson. “I have a new job involving a lot of international travel,” Lewis said. “I’m disappointed because I really enjoyed being with the group and I enjoyed working with ‘Jamo’.”
In State 2 news Peninsula Strikers lost 2-0 at Centenary Park on Saturday to promotion rival Bayside Argonauts.
The visitors boast the biggest budget in the league and flexed their financial muscle recently with the capture of Scott Jamieson while fellow Socceroo Bernie Ibini is expected to join him shortly.
Strikers gaffer Scott Morrison had a blunt assessment of the opening exchanges. “We didn’t show up for the first 25 minutes and we were made to pay because of it,” he said. The visitors struck in the 4th minute with a superb first-time volley from Liam McKenna and increased the margin in the 19th minute when a Jesse Devers’ cross set up Mitch Cooper for a tap-in at the back post. Strikers did well to keep their opponent to two goals going into half-time and although the home side had the better of the second half its best chance couldn’t be converted by Riley Anderton who headed wide.
Skye United’s home game against Greater Dandenong on Friday night was abandoned after 24 minutes due to a serious knee injury to one of the visitors’ teenagers. Play was immediately halted and an ambulance called but after a long wait a private vehicle was driven onto the pitch and the injured player taken to hospital.
In State 3 news Frankston Pines fought back from 2-0 down to draw level eventually losing 3-2 to a late goal for home side Sandringham last weekend. Michael Wright and Sam Delaney scored for Pines who have the chance to get a first win of the season when facing second-bottom side Elwood at Monterey Reserve this Friday night.
In State 5 news former Mount Eliza coach Alex Halikias has been found not guilty of two serious charges laid against him by Football Victoria. The charges followed the abandonment of the Mount Eliza v Barton United round 5 fixture at Emil Madsen Reserve in April.
Referee Farhad Sharif sent off Halikias and his offence was given an R8.2 grading which covers offences against officials and if proven carries an automatic five-week suspension. Halikias also faced a more serious charge of bringing the game into disrepute (an MP10 infringement) and if proven the length of suspension is at the tribunal’s discretion.
Halikias consistently disputed referee Sharif’s version of events and feels vindicated by the tribunal decision.
“I think Mount Eliza might have a lot of egg on their face right now because they sacked me without a proper hearing and well before I went up in front of the tribunal,” Halikias said. Halikias claims that he was unfairly dismissed by Mount Eliza and is expected to seek payment of unpaid coaching fees.
Since Halikias’ departure technical director Gary Talbot and reserves coach Graeme Ferguson have stepped into caretaker roles with the senior squad but that ended last week when former Berwick and Doveton head coach and Mornington assistant Gerry McDonagh was appointed to the senior position.
McDonagh’s first game in charge didn’t go to plan though as Mount Eliza lost 2-1 to Aspendale at Emil Madsen Reserve on Saturday. The home side was without number one keeper Luke Armao who is holidaying overseas and found out three hours before the game that its back-up keeper was also unavailable due to work commitments
Up stepped reserves striker Caleb Best making his senior debut albeit in goal. The game also marked the return to senior action of Jordan Vacouftsis who entered the fray as a second-half substitute having been sidelined since late last season amid fears that he may not play again.
Aspendale took the lead in the 22nd minute when a slide-rule pass from James Macnab allowed Taylan Yildirim to run onto the ball and finish well. Aspendale had dominated periods of play in the first half but it was a different story in the second period as Mount Eliza gained more possession and created some good chances. The home side drew level in the 53rd minute when Callum Drysdale headed home from a corner and from then on it was an end-to-end affair. The winner came from a lung-bursting run by Aspendale left back Callum Norris who charged forward from inside his own half and into the box before hammering home a firm shot in the 90th minute.
Mujtaba Sakhi, who was recruited during the off-season, has left Mount Eliza and returned to former club White Star Dandenong.
Rosebud sits on top of the table after Saturday’s 5-0 home win over Pakenham United. This one was done and dusted by half-time after goals from Billy Painting, Dougie Cunnison, Caleb Davies and Barney Johnson. Cunnison scored his sixth penalty this year and for the second successive week it came from a foul that stopped the surging run of man-of-the-match Davies who was a constant threat when running at defenders. Substitute Jakob Markulin had a great day out rounding off the scoreline in the second half after scoring the reserves’ curtain raiser.
The result sets up an intriguing clash at North Seaford Reserve this weekend against fellow title chaser Seaford United who was held to a 3-3 draw away to Bunyip District on Saturday. Dion Pavlic put Bunyip 2-0 up early in the contest but Blake Hicks was at the back post to head home from a Paul Aitchison cross and it was 2-2 at half-time after Naseer Mohammad got free to glance his header past Bunyip keeper Jake Biondo.
Ten minutes after the restart Seaford hit the front when Backy Barakzoi’s low shot from outside the area was deflected past Biondo. But Seaford has conceded late equalisers this season against FC Noble Hurricanes and Barton and history repeated when the visitors didn’t deal with a long throw allowing Tynan North to seal their fate.
Michael Nobbs (overseas for a family wedding), Nathan Meade (on holiday), Sam Luxford (injured) and Josh Vega (work commitments) missed this game but only Nobbs is expected to be unavailable for the Rosebud clash.
Mount Martha celebrated its opening win of the season on Friday night when it beat Cleeland United 5-3 at Thomas P Carroll Reserve. David Jones and Daniel Bancroft both scored twice with Zachary Foad also on the scoresheet for the locals.
NEXT WEEK’S GAMES
Friday 7 June, 8.30pm:
Langwarrin v Caroline Springs George Cross
Frankston Pines v Elwood, Monterey Reserve
FC Noble Hurricanes v Mount Martha, Alex Nelson Reserve
Saturday 8 June, 3pm:
Banyule City v Mornington, Yallambie Park
Hampton East Brighton v Peninsula Strikers, Dendy Park
Bentleigh Utd Cobras v Skye Utd, Victory Park
Chelsea v Springvale City, Edithvale Recreation Reserve
Baxter v Keysborough, Baxter Park
Monash University v Somerville Eagles, Monash University Playing Fields
Endeavour Utd v Mentone, Reema Reserve
Seaford Utd v Rosebud, North Seaford Reserve
Endeavour Hills Fire v Aspendale, Power Reserve
Pakenham Utd v Mount Eliza, IYU Reserve
First published in the Mornington News – 4th June 2024
