Image: Smile for Peter
The opening four games of the FFA Cup fifth round were played out in the last two nights with heavy favourites Bentleigh, Kingston and South Melbourne securing convincing wins, while the Oakleigh Cannons edged out Western Suburbs in a narrow victory.
The defending Dockerty Cup champions had little trouble accounting for 2015 NPL2 Champions Richmond at Kevin Bartlett Reserve on Tuesday night following a one-sided 6-0 triumph.
Captain Jack Webster opened the scoring for the Greens just before the break, before star strikers Andy Brennan and Matt Thurtell added doubles to their name in the second half.
Kieran Dover sealed the comprehensive victory late on, with assistant coach John Gabrielson taking the managerial reins for the night, filling in for the absent John Anastasiadis.
Over at Moores’ Road, State League Three side Monbulk Rangers faced a David v Goliath task in trying to upset South Melbourne, wounded by yet another league debut on the weekend.
Youngster Andy Kecojevic was handed a rare start and took his chance well, with his initial shot parried into the path of fellow teenager Jesse Daley, who gave Hellas a first-half lead.
The floodgates opened in the second half with the impressive Daley adding a second following some good play by Matt Millar on the right, as marksman Milos Lujic added a third after the hour mark.
Kecojevic netted a well-taken free-kick in injury time to add more gloss to the scoreline, with the Rangers far from disgraced following a remarkable run to the last 32 of the competition.
Further inwards at Jack Edwards Reserve, Oakleigh co-coaches Con Tangalakis and Peter Tsolakis gave teenager Mehdi Sarwari his second start following his off-season move from Melbourne City.
The 19-year-old lit up the first half with a brilliant brace, the first a sublime shot from outside the box as the former Southern Stars midfielder put forward his best case for another start.
Sarwari came close to scoring a hat-trick in the second half with another strike from just outside the box before being at fault for the Suburbs goal which was scored by Deang Aguek.
The teenager surrendered position, allowing Terry Antoniadis’ side to launch a swift counter-attacker which ended with their star striker Aguek tapping the ball home into an empty net.
On Wednesday night, Kingston City had little trouble against fourth tier North Caulfield at the Grange Reserve, with a Rowan McNamee hat-trick leading City to a 6-0 romp over their opponents.
Further goals to Slaven Vranesevic, Ali Sulemanovski and Velibor Mitrovic completed the rout, with McNamee staking his claim for more regular playing time having made three substitute league appearances this term under Nick Tolios.