CHELSEA blew a great chance to continue its promotion push when it couldn’t beat 10-man Baxter in Saturday’s feisty State 4 South derby at Edithvale Recreation Reserve.
The 1-1 scoreline reflects the persistence and commitment of Baxter despite facing an uphill battle after Brodie McMinimee was cautioned twice for dissent in the 23rd minute and sent off.
In dreadful weather conditions that washed out two other games featuring local sides it took until the 65th minute of this clash for the deadlock to be broken.
Chelsea striker Piers Brelsford came out of retirement last week and couldn’t have timed his comeback any better.
In the 65th minute with the ball toing and froing in front of the Baxter goal a blocked header and blocked shot ended with Brelsford getting a touch from point-blank range and Baxter had a mountain to climb. But climb it did and the man who represented the greatest threat to the home side was on the spot in the 85th minute to grab a point for the visitors.
Fijian international Anish Khem has been in fine scoring form recently and he got free inside the area to effect a glancing header from a Declan Seca free-kick for the equaliser.
Brelsford’s return was timely in more ways than one.
Chelsea talisman and league leading scorer James Stinson watched this one from the sidelines in a moon boot and crutches due to an ankle ligaments injury. It’s believed that the Stinson camp contacted strength and conditioning guru Kosta Drakoulakos for a prognosis and was told that Stinson would likely be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
That’s not the view of Chelsea’s coaching staff who believe that he could be available for the last two games against Sandown Lions and Springvale City which are both away fixtures. Stinson will spend most of August in the UK visiting family and friends.
Saturday’s game also marked the end of Aaran Currie’s retirement and the Baxter striker was a welcome addition to the matchday squad.
Somerville Eagles hosted Sandown Lions in a nine-goal thriller last weekend with the home side coming off second best in a 5-4 scoreline.
Marcus Anastasiou, Alessio Izzo, Max Watson and an own goal from a Sandown defender hit the mark for the Eagles.
Mentone was forced to switch its home game against Hampton Park United from Keysborough to Ross Reserve in Springvale but the promotion-chasing visitors edged out their opponent 1-0.
In VPL1 news Langwarrin lost 4-1 away to Melbourne Victory in a controversial clash that saw Langy defender Luke Adams and keeper Griffin Bambach both red carded and ended with Langy captain Rogan McGeorge in goal as the visitors had used up their substitutes when Bambach saw red.
The Langwarrin coaching staff refused to comment after the match on the display of referee William Quartermain but it’s a safe bet that the match official won’t be invited to the club’s annual Christmas festivities. Archie Macphee scored for Langy and now is one goal clear in the race for league Golden Boot honours.
In State 1 news Mornington lost 1-0 away to Malvern City last weekend and is battling with Brandon Park and Gippsland United to push clear of the relegation zone.
Mornington had a gilt-edged chance of taking the lead against Malvern but Jack Kimber missed the penalty he had earned in the 23rd minute. Ten minutes later the telling blow was struck when Jai Ingham didn’t miss his chance to convert from the spot.
Mornington blew a number of chances to level in the second half and now faces a crucial away game against bottom team Casey Comets on Saturday.
Comets effected one of the season’s upsets when downing the Seagulls 2-1 at Dallas Brooks Park in May.
In State 2 news Peninsula Strikers stayed in the promotion hunt with Sunday’s 3-0 home win over North Caulfield.
Tom Wood, Justin Eiman and Campbell Steedman scored.
Skye United’s away game with Berwick City last weekend was called off when Jack Thomas Reserve was ruled unplayable.
Last week Stuart Lawrence resigned as vice-president of Skye after 10 years’ service. The reason given for Lawrence’s decision was a need to concentrate fully on his coaching role with the club’s women’s program.
In State 3 South-East news Football Victoria’s competitions department confirmed last week that despite being an 11-team competition – when 12 teams are the norm throughout State Leagues – there still will be two teams relegated at the end of the season. That makes Frankston Pines’ task of avoiding the drop even harder as the bottom-placed Pines are now eight points behind third-last White Star Dandenong.
At Monterey Reserve on Friday night Pines lost 2-0 to league leader St Kilda.
There are six games remaining and in the run home Pines face four teams currently in the top half of the table.
In State 5 news Rosebud’s unbeaten run throughout the season ended with Saturday’s 4-2 away loss to Bunyip District.
Rosebud started well and led after 10 minutes with Caleb Davies getting the first of two goals on the night, breaking the lines on the left-hand side with a great finish. Rosebud had gone in to this clash without Billy Painting who is overseas and the suspended duo of Doug Cunnison and Jacob Bigg who have all been mainstays this season. Bunyip stepped up the pressure and was aided by poor defending from the visitors’ makeshift backline.
The home side took full advantage with a well-worked equaliser from Tristan Durovic then hit the front in the 32nd minute through Mark Comini’s volley from outside the area. Things didn’t get better for the visitors in the second half and two superb Comini goals gave Rosebud keeper Colin McCormack no chance and completed an impressive hat-trick for the home side striker.
With 25 minutes left Rosebud was given a lifeline with Davies now operating on the right finishing well with a shot in off the far post. Chances then came Rosebud’s way first with a Ben Symonds strike hitting the bar then with the goal at his mercy substitute Frank Barrett somehow managed to head over from close range. But Bunyip held firm and Rosebud’s lead at the top of the table had been cut to three points.
Seaford United’s 5-1 away win over Pakenham United on Saturday has Paul Williams’ side in third place in the league a point ahead of Aspendale.
Pakenham led early when a deflected shot beat Bayleigh Caulfield at his near post but minutes later Backy Barakzoi put Josh Vega through and his composed finish made it 1-1. Two goals from Naseer Mohammad had Seaford in control by half-time his first thanks to a pinpoint Vega cross to the back post and the second from a long kick downfield by Caulfield that was flicked on by Cory Osorio for Mohammad to round Pakenham keeper Daniel Gray and make no mistake.
Seaford dominated the second half and Mohammad completed his hat-trick in the 64th minute after Blake Hicks skinned two opponents then put his teammate through for a finish in between Gray’s legs. An own goal from an attempted interception of another Hicks’ through ball to Mohammad completed the rout.
Aspendale’s 4-2 away win over Mount Martha on Saturday sees it in fourth spot on the ladder with the best goal difference in the league.
The win in cold and wet conditions was a tonic for Aspendale head coach Gregor Macnab who returned from a trip to the UK the night before this clash. But the home side got out of the blocks quickly with Marcus Poda capitalising on Aspendale’s failure to clear and striking his shot through a mass of players inside the area in the 13th minute.
Five minutes later David Jones made Aspendale pay for a defensive blunder and it was 2-0 for the Mariners.
In the 35th minute the visitors responded when Ollie Clark headed home a James Macnab corner and just before half-time Koray Yildirim was on the end of Felix Hampson’s chip into the box and his looping header beat Mount Martha keeper Derren Elliott for the equaliser.
Hampson struck twice in the second half to end the home side’s resistance his first coming when he headed in from another Macnab corner and the second when he was given too much time outside the area to line up a shot that rocketed past Elliott to complete the scoreline.
Mount Eliza’s away fixture against Barton United was washed out.
First published in the Mornington News – 23 July 2024
