SOCCER
ROSEBUD has bolstered its championship credentials by signing experienced midfielder Andy Jerez. The 34-year-old’s football CV includes stints at Melbourne Victory, Knox City, Mornington, Dandenong City and Berwick City and he was lured to Olympic Park from VPL2 outfit Doveton. His friendship with first team mainstay Doug Cunnison and the planning and ambition of head coach Stuart Johnson played important roles in Jerez’s decision to drop down five divisions to State 5 South. And Jerez hit the ground running with a man-of-the-match display on debut in Rosebud’s 4-0 derby success over Mount Eliza at Emil Madsen Reserve on Saturday.
The visitors started with experienced strikers Mark Pagliarulo and Dave Greening up front and Greening hit the mark in the 20th minute. When Ben Symonds was felled just outside the area in the 33rd minute Jerez stepped up and sent his free-kick into the top corner. From that point the ’Buds controlled much of the game in one of their better performances of the season. Two minutes into the second half Stef Papaluca’s precise pass picked out Jerez who skipped past two defenders then beat advancing Mount Eliza keeper Luke Armao to make it 3-0. Then a neat Greening finish in the 92nd minute capped an impressive Rosebud display and head coach Stuart Johnston was delighted with his midweek signing.
“Our conversations have been going on for weeks and when the opportunity comes around to sign a player of that quality you don’t want it to pass you by,” Johnston said. “It was important to get him to training and see his quality and how he could help our leadership group. “We’ve lost Barney Johnson for another three to four weeks with a ligament issue and Billy Painting will be in Europe for over a month so I felt we needed a little extra cover and the timing is perfect for us. “We still have so many young players in our senior squad and in my experience they learn so much from experienced players, especially on game day.”
And Jerez was upbeat about the move and his contribution to Saturday’s win. “Rosebud is a really good club with a lot of good people,” he said. “My friendship with Dougie (Cunnison) played a big part as well in coming here.
“Dropping down the leagues didn’t bother me because I wanted to enjoy my football again and after this game I know I’ve made the right decision.”
In other State 5 fixtures last weekend Seaford United earned the points in a hard-fought 3-1 home win over Mount Martha while Aspendale downed Barton United 4-2 at Aspendale Gardens Sports Ground. It took until the 67th minute for Seaford striker Naseer Mohammad to break the deadlock when he got free at the back post for a tap-in.
That lead was doubled three minutes later when man-of-the-match Logan Johnston surged forward from right back and into the box to slot the ball past Mount Martha keeper Derren Elliott.
The visitors hit back through substitute Marcus Poda when he pounced on a poor clearance and it was 2-1 and game on. The decisive moment in this derby came in the 80th minute when Johnston was ruled to have been brought down inside the area, a decision hotly contested by Mount Martha. Cory Osorio took the resultant spot kick and settled the matter. Seaford went into this clash without Backy Barakzoi (suspended), Wisey Barakzoi (injured) and Josh Vega (work commitments) while Michael Nobbs has signed for VPL2 outfit Beaumaris.
A James Macnab hat-trick underpinned Aspendale’s 4-2 home win over Barton. He opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a shot into the bottom corner after an assist from Luca Bozzo. Koray Yildirim made it 2-0 in the 51st minute after receiving the ball from Matthew Bruce and skipping clear of the last defender before rounding Barton keeper Suliman Fazel.Barton’s Reza Hussaini had been booked in the first half and subbed at half-time but in the 71st minute was shown a second yellow while on the bench and sent off.
Macnab nabbed his second in the 78th minute before Barton’s Mostafa Ahmadi pounced on a defensive error to make it 3-1 in the 83rd minute but three minutes later Macnab completed his hat-trick to make the outcome assured.
Ahmadi converted an injury-time penalty to complete the scoreline.
In VPL1 Langwarrin hosted Brunswick City in a nine-goal thriller on Saturday running out a 6-3 winner. Striker Archie Macphee rocketed up the league scoring charts with a four-goal haul and now is a serious contender for Golden Boot honours. Macphee’s afternoon started in stunning fashion after just 10 minutes.
James Kelly intercepted the ball in midfield and Macphee took possession turning quickly and sending a long high shot on his trademark left peg sailing over the head of Brunswick keeper Nicholas Mooney and into the unguarded goal. Nine minutes later Lisandro Paz nipped in behind Langy defender Luke Adams and finished expertly to make it 1-1. Cal Goulding restored Langy’s lead in the 28th minute with a low first-time drive after the ball had pinballed about the Brunswick box.
But Brunswick wouldn’t be denied and two minutes from the interval Austin Wong’s shot from outside the area squeezed underneath diving Langy keeper Griffin Bambach to make it 2-2. Three minutes into the second half a brilliant Macphee volley on the turn was parried by Mooney and a soft penalty was given after Dante Avian chased the rebound.
Macphee sent Mooney the wrong way from the spot. But this seesawing contest had a few more twists and turns and Langy was caught on the break in the 60th minute as lightning-quick Dylan Allshom slammed home a left-foot strike from the edge of the area to make it 3-3.
Macphee’s hat-trick came in the 69th minute from a poor defensive header inside the box that he chested down then volleyed low past Mooney. One of the goals of the game came in the 72nd minute when Ryo Takahashi unleashed a 25-metre screamer that soared into the top corner to give Langy a two-goal cushion.
Macphee’s fourth goal in the 89th minute completed the scoreline and a remarkable scoring performance.
In State 1 news a late Rhys Craigie goal couldn’t stop Mornington losing 2-1 to visitors Eltham Redbacks on Saturday.
Last week it was wrongly reported that Nick Waite was the new Mornington president when in fact Nick Townsend has been appointed to the leading role. Unfortunately the error was not picked up in the nick of time.
Sorry, moving right along …
In State 2 news promotion-chasing Peninsula Strikers and relegation-threatened Skye United both lost last weekend. Strikers lost 3-2 away to Knox City with the visitors’ goals coming from Campbell Steedman and Riley Anderton while Skye went down 3-1 at home against Mooroolbark.
Saturday’s Skye v Mooroolbark clash was the local club’s Chris Attard memorial round honouring the late club administrator who lost his battle with multiple myeloma in 2016. The Attard Memorial Day Winner in the senior game was Steve Hadjikakou while the reserves winner was Dale Atkins.
In State 3 news Frankston Pines drew 1-1 away to Dandenong South. The local club’s women’s program is in disarray after the side withdrew from State 3 South last week. Pines’ women’s team had been badly beaten throughout the season and had not won a game. It no longer appears in Football Victoria’s online fixtures and results section with previous results being declared as byes and the club’s name removed from the league ladder.
In State 4 news Baxter earned an away point with a 3-3 draw with Springvale City on Friday night. Fijian international Anish Khem hit back from the previous week’s disappointing loss with his hat-trick earning him man-of-the-match honours. “All round it was a fantastic performance in fact I’d say it was our best display of the season,” Baxter gaffer Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor said.
Chelsea hitman James Stinson was back among the goals last weekend with a hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 away win over Lyndale United. Stinson opened the scoring in the 16th minute following a Daniel Vella cross but four minutes later Lucas Whiteside equalised with a bullet header from a corner.
A Daniel Lewis header in the 36th minute gave the visitors a 2-1 half-time lead and in the second half Stinson converted a penalty at the second attempt and later finished from a one-on-one with Lyndale keeper Michael Napolitano to secure a comfortable win. Chelsea’s home game against Endeavour United this weekend will be for the Melino Cup played exclusively between these clubs.
Meanwhile Somerville Eagles have Tom Simmons to thank for Saturday’s 1-0 derby win over Mentone at Mentone Playing Fields. Simmons was on the end of a pinpoint ball from Alessio Izzo in the second half which he controlled superbly at the back post before sending his shot into the top corner for the winner.
NEXT WEEK’S GAME
Thursday 4 July, 8.30pm:
Skye Utd v North Caulfield, Skye Recreation Reserve
Friday 5 July, 7.30pm:
Langwarrin v Kingston City, Lawton Park
Friday 5 July, 8.30pm:
Frankston Pines v Rowville Eagles, Monterey Reserve
Saturday 6 July, 3pm:
South Springvale v Mornington, Warner Reserve
Peninsula Strikers v Mooroolbark, Centenary Park
Chelsea v Endeavour Utd, Edithvale Recreation Reserve
Baxter v Monash University, Baxter Park
Somerville Eagles v Lyndale Utd, Westernport Secondary College
Seaford Utd v Mount Eliza, North Seaford Reserve
Saturday 6 July, 6pm:
Rosebud v Aspendale, Olympic Park
Casey Panthers v Mount Martha, Prospect Hill Reserve
Saturday 6 July, 7pm:
Sandown Lions v Mentone, Ross Reserve
First published in the Mornington News – 2nd July 2024
