Image: Anita Milas
The most anticipated fixture of the Round 7 FFA Cup qualifying saw Bentleigh Greens pounce on a 10-man and lacklustre South Melbourne outfit.
As if the standalone contest between the two old foes wouldn’t be enough, the absolute cruciality of the Round 7 qualifier reflected onto the tussle both on the park and in the terraces.
Already early on, Greens players were highlighting their sheer determination to prevail with the ball, thrusting South players into the fence if they were in their way.
While in the terraces, South Melbourne’s active faithful, Clarendon Corner, occupied themselves under the shed which only emphasized their chants – acting as the 12th man to edge their team forward.
The home outfit started off with the vast contingent of opportunities – the initial chance coming in the 7th minute from a Ryan Paczkowski free kick off the left flank which fell to Tyson Holmes, although his shot was obstructed by a sharp Nikola Roganovic.
A late challenge from South Melbourne just short of the 18-yard-box saw tensions spark in the 27th minute as the home supporters contended the wrong colour card was drawn out by referee Shaun Evans.
The resulting free kick from Troy Ruthven was driven low around the wall – although Roganovic was in place to comfortably collect the effort.
The 33rd minute saw a push and shove among both sets of players, highlighting the utter mindset of the players to push forward. The melee resulted in the third caution being drawn.
The Greens were rewarded with their deserved goal when Holmes was taken down in the box, with the wayward ball finding the back of the net in the 38th minute off the body of a South player.
Holmes finally found the back of the net himself after Chris Lucas looked to have overrun with the ball, although he found his feet to square up the ball to Holmes in the 53rd minute, who made no mistake in finishing the ball.
Things went from bad to worse for the travellers as leader Michael Eager received his marching orders after a handball saw his second caution, in only the 56th minute.
The travelling team already felt the burden of playing with one less man merely two minutes after, a long counter attack seeing the reversal of the previous goal – Holmes now squaring up the ball to Lucas to put the third away.
Captain Wallace nodded home the Green’s fourth goal after NPL Player of the Month for May – Paczkowski – swung in a cross on the 83rd minute.
The result confirms the reigning NPL Champions’ place on the FFA Cup national stage, while South are left to rue what is another squandered opportunity at the national cup.
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Bentleigh Greens 3 (O.G 37′, Holmes 53′, Lucas 59′, Wallace 83′) defeated South Melbourne 0 at Kingston Heath [HT 1:0]
Bentleigh Greens: 1. Ryan SCOTT (GK) 11. Dion KIRK 5. Jack WEBSTER 15. Ross Archibald 24. Luke PILKINGTON 8. Wayne WALLACE (C) 16. Troy RUTHVEN 10. Tyson HOLMES 19. Kieran DOVER 9. Chris LUCAS 22. Ryan PACZKOWSKI
Substitutes: 21. Daniel NEESHAM 12. Josh BRINDELL-SOUTH 14. Kamal IBRAHIM 18. Matt THURTELL 4. Nick APOSTOLOPOLOUS
South Melbourne: 1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) 2. Tim MALA 4. Michael EAGER (C) 23.Matthew FOSCHINI 5. Luke ADAMS 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS 8. Matthew THEODORE 18. Matthew MILLAR 99. Iqi JAWADI 7. Nick EPIFANO 9. Milos LUJIC
Substitutes: 12. Amadu KOROMA 17. Marcus SCHROEN 21. Zaim ZENELI 22. Andy KECOJEVIC 24. Manuel Padilla Herrero (MANOLO)