SOCCER
RELEGATION, retirements and a remarkable comeback made for a roller-coaster final round of the 2024 State League season. There also was a significant personal milestone in the much-lauded career of Dave Greening when the doyen of goalscorers won his 10th league Golden Boot award. Add to that a change of coach at a local State 5 club and there was no shortage of news to emerge from the season’s swansong.
Frankston Pines succumbed to a first-half goal from Oscar Mariner-Stone losing 1-0 away to Elwood City on Saturday and losing their State 3 South-East status in the process. Pines have a topsy-turvy league history this century which has taken them to the highest club level under the state federation’s banner and also sent them tumbling into the old Provisional Leagues. But they have proven remarkably resilient and although their senior women’s program closed down this year their junior and all-abilities programs give the club hope for the future.
There were a host of players calling it a day on Saturday.
Peninsula Strikers defender Andy McIntyre and Skye United’s Alex Van Heerwarden, Brett Heskins, Daniel Walsh, Mark O’Connor and Mo El Hassan all ended their senior playing careers. And they all marched off the pitch as winners with Strikers comprehensively beating promoted Hampton East Brighton 3-0 and Skye downing Bentleigh United Cobras 4-3.
East Brighton came to Centenary Park hoping to celebrate winning the State 2 South-East title but Strikers hadn’t read the script. By the time it was 3-0 the handful of young East Brighton fans who thought they could disrupt Strikers’ keeper Ben Caballero by standing just to the side of his goal and setting off a plastic air horn had finally realised the futility of their actions. They decamped to the outer part of the ground and little was heard from them until the end of the match when one of them decided to light a flare and throw it onto the pitch in a fit of pique.
Strikers took 21 minutes to strike after the visitors couldn’t clear another long throw from Billy Rae and Steve Elliott turned quickly and hit the mark with a powerful low drive. Seven minutes later Tom Wood finished in style after being put through by Cooper Andrews.
The final nail in East Brighton’s coffin was delivered in the 63rd minute after a superb long ball from Wayne Gordon sent Noah Musso on a darting run into the area only to be brought down for a penalty. Riley Anderton had no trouble converting. Strikers finished a promising season in third place in the league with 45 points and would have won promotion in most seasons in State 2.
It’s the club’s highest points total in 17 years and its highest in State 2 since the turn of the century.
At game’s end head coach Scott Morrison applauded the efforts of his players but singled out McIntyre for special mention. “Macca is a warrior, the kind of guy every club wants to have on the pitch and off,” he said. “He’s the first name on the teamsheet, he’s as hard as nails, consistent and humble and we will miss him. “He spent two years at Strikers and apart from me taking him off in the last minute today he played every minute of every game – what a shift he’s put in.”
For Skye’s El Hassan it’s been a 17-year shift starting in the juniors and his contribution was honoured on Saturday as he led out the side wearing the captain’s armband for the first time. Head coach Phil McGuinness acknowledged the departures by selecting the most experienced starting 11 of the season. After just five minutes Daniel Attard’s header was saved by the Bentleigh custodian but Brett Heskins was on hand to bundle the ball over the line for the opener.
In the 10th minute Mitch Blake played Attard in and he finished well into the bottom corner to double the lead.
But the goal of the match came a few minutes later when Van Heerwaarden unleashed from over 30 metres and found the top corner seemingly putting Skye in cruise control. However Bentleigh clawed its way back into the contest with two goals from Daniel Maiorana and another from Miguel Ramone Anderson to make it 3-3 at half-time.
The second half was a slogging affair but this was to be Skye’s day and in the 80th minute Blake latched on to Marcus Colliers’ interception then leathered the ball home for the winner. It was an emotional day for the home club which finished in seventh place with one more point than it gleaned in the previous year’s campaign.
In State 1 news Mornington got off the floor to finish Banyule City’s promotion hopes at Dallas Brooks Park on Saturday. Banyule led 3-0 at half-time and the contest was over. Or so it seemed. But the home team had other ideas. Banyule failed to clear a long throw in the 49th minute and Jack Kimber spun and shot from just inside the box to make it 3-1.
Seven minutes later a Max Civil header from Halil Reki’s cross made it 3-2 and a curled free-kick from Reki in the 67th minute tied it all up. Reki also had a hand in the winner as his cross from the right in the 70th minute was headed down by Kyle Johnson and Joe O’Brien nipped in to steer the ball past Banyule keeper Lee Mottershead from close range.
In State 4 news Baxter and Somerville finished their seasons on a winning note while Chelsea and Mentone both drew. A Davide Sbalchiero double and goals from Declan Seca and Keegan Myatt underpinned Baxter’s 4-1 away win over Keysborough on Saturday.
Somerville Eagles ended Monash University’s promotion hopes with a 2-1 win at Westernport Secondary College last weekend. Monash struck first through a questionable handball from Corey Riddle in the 35th minute and James Oana converted from the spot. The lead didn’t last long. A Somerville corner led to a delightful cross from Marcus Anastasiou and Josh Simmons was free at the back post to head home.
The second half was much like the first with Somerville having more chances but Monash looked dangerous on the counter and was denied by the woodwork. The decisive moment came in the 65th minute. A cross from Alessio Izzo led to a goalmouth scramble and Conor Mcfall hammered his left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
Chelsea drew 2-2 away to Springvale City last weekend. Gus Macleod’s side led twice through Daniel Vella and Harry Salisbury but had to settle for a point.
Mentone played out a goalless draw against Endeavour United at Mentone Grammar Playing Fields on Saturday. Mentone’s Ricky Balcaceres missed the outstanding opportunity in the first half when he somehow scooped the ball over the bar just two metres from goal. The visitors hit the woodwork twice in the second half but the game ended in stalemate.
In State 5 news Mount Martha will have a new head coach next season. Andrew Hall has stepped down due to work commitments and has been replaced by assistant Charlie Platt. The Civic Reserve outfit couldn’t give Hall a winning send-off at home losing 3-1 on Saturday to FC Noble Hurricanes. The result clinched promotion for the visitors who were 3-0 up when Mount Martha captain Adam Steele converted from the spot late in the contest.
Rosebud rounded off its title-winning season with Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Seaford United. There was a celebratory atmosphere for the newly crowned champion home team who were given a guard of honour by their opponent before kick-off. But that’s where Seaford’s philanthropy ended and it didn’t take long before a poor back pass from Jacob Bigg was pounced on by Mitch Hawkins to give the visitors the lead. It remained at 1-0 going into half-time but the second half was a different matter.
Caleb Davies’ left-foot shot levelled the scores before the Green Machine kicked into action with a double against his old side that sealed victory and made him the league’s leading scorer yet again. Cue celebration reboot.
Aspendale missed out on promotion by a point after Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Endeavour Hills Fire. Had FC Noble Hurricanes slipped up Gregor Macnab’s side would have been eyeing a State 4 campaign but it was not to be.
Aspendale started this contest in nervous fashion given what was at stake and there were no clearcut chances to either side in the first half. That changed after the break with a James Macnab shot striking a post before being cleared.
Shortly after Liam Norris was fouled and Macnab’s free-kick was met by Gianluca Bozzo who powered home his header for the only goal of the match. Aspendale continued to work hard and had a Koray Yildirim penalty well saved by Endeavour keeper Josh Permal.
Mount Eliza ended the season on a high note following Saturday’s 5-0 home win over Pakenham United.
Doubles to Harris Battison and Austin Mcewen and an own goal helped Mount Eliza to finish in fifth spot on the ladder.
Off the pitch the club faced the disruption of a change of head coach in the first half of the season but has cemented its position in the top half of the table.
First published in the Mornington News – 10 September 2024
