Image: Bulleen Lions
Coming into the final fixture of NPL Victoria’s first round between Bulleen Lions and South Melbourne at the Veneto Club, there seemed a clear difference in the composition of both sides.
Reigning NPL champions South Melbourne, bar the inclusion of Bentleigh Greens’ Liam McCormick, had almost an unchanged starting 11 from last year.
Bulleen, on the other hand, had changes galore, starting with the coaching ranks. Gone was Dom Barba, succeeded by Dandenong City man Aaron Healey, and many of the experienced heads of last year – who played a key role in keeping the club away from relegation – had also moved on: Griffin McMaster, Felix Rosman, Matteo Ballan, Takanori Nishimoto and Sami Nour to name a few.
Anecdotally, most players providing TCF’s season previews had earmarked usual suspects South Melbourne and Bentleigh as the clubs to watch. Bulleen, in chatter behind the scenes, were touted as relegation candidates.
And that narrative was playing out early. South had the better of the early exchanges, with Bulleen relying on new custodian Shane Viitakangas to deny the visitors. The first regulation save was from a Marcus Schroen free kick, but the next was more difficult: a one-on-one with Nick Epifano resulting in a crucial stop to deny the winger.
Defensively, the back four of Luttmer, Abbott, Mullett, Borghesi had familiarity to it, and for the most part was doing well to contain the visitors’ chances towards the break.
But the deadlock was eventually broken on the stroke of half time when Leigh Minopoulos – potentially benefitting from Matt Millar’s suspension carried over from last season, but also having worked his way into starting 11 contention with crucial goals including the 2016 grand final opener – once again proved his worth by pouncing on a Bullen mistake from a throw-in and waltzing his waY into the box before finishing into the bottom left corner with cool conviction.
The half-time words must have been profound because Bulleen looked a different side in the second half, completing a remarkable turnaround.
Fair to say Healey’s front-third fledglings, comprising the likes of Brad Clarke, Jordan Templin and Luke Gallo, alongside American import Oliver White, were struggling to make inroads early against the more experienced and physically imposing South backline of Mala, Adams, Eagar and Norton, shielded well by Foschini and McCormick.
But the hosts finally found a way to bypass that roadblock: aerially, via Jordan Templin’s crosses.
The first came in the 58th minute from a set piece. On the right flank, a delivery to back post met White, whose big figure burst through the pack to power home a header.
One criticism of 2016 Bulleen was that it lacked an out-and-out striker that could regularly threaten opposition defences even if the side wasn’t at its best. The 2017 Bulleen may have found that solution in White.
Minutes later it was 2-1, this time from open play, as Templin again found joy on the right wing when he ran into space and whipped in a pinpoint cross which Clarke dived at and also headed in.
Chris Taylor’s men were rattled. Maybe it was the synthetic turf that Bulleen’s players were accustomed to, and had troubled many sides last season, along with the Monday night lights. It was, of course, at this corresponding fixture last year that South Melbourne found themselves 2-0 down from strikes by Nour and Nishimoto before Matt Theodore and Milos Lujic salvaged a 2-2 draw.
Lujic, once more receiving plenty of attention from defenders, toiled hard and had to revert to acrobatic efforts to find a way on goal, but was coming closer each time. At 2-1, even with the hosts now brimming with confidence – Luke Gallo had a goal to make it 3-1 rubbed out by the linesman – it was impossible to rule South out.
And so it was that Lujic, with the ball at his feet, took a stride forward and was felled in the box. There was a sense of déjà vu as he stepped up and sent the ball straight down the middle, past the diving Viitakangas, to repeat the 2-2 scoreline of last season.
Both sets of players and supporters will have bittersweet feelings about the contest, with both teams giving up a lead on their way to a draw.
Bulleen’s youngsters will perhaps be more buoyed by the result, proving they’re no pushovers. Consistency will be their key and may determine the outcome of their season.
Meanwhile, South know that 2016’s championship-winning season featured a 2-2 draw at the Veneto club, so this may be a blip on the radar. However, following a defeat in the Community Shield last week – again, can too much be taken from that result? – and a win against Port Melbourne in Round 2 would go some way to settle any early-season nerves.