Image: Smile for Peter
Sunday afternoon saw the Oakleigh Cannons defeat the Bentleigh Greens, with the Cannons doing it in style against a side that has been impossible at times to break down this season. Peter Tsolakis and his men surprised many people with the win, which places them in next week’s final against South Melbourne F.C.
The Cannons showed organization and maturity throughout the encounter. Tsolakis’s men were efficient in possession and waited for the right moments to attack the experienced Bentleigh Greens defence.
Oakleigh’s star players all performed on the day, with the likes of Steve Pantelidis and Dusan Bosjnak showing their worth. The cannons finished in 4th spot this season and were not heavily favoured coming into the finals series.
Although the performance was impressive, Oakleigh Cannons coach Tsolakis believes that they must remain humble and focused for next week’s blockbuster against South Melbourne.
“We’ve just got to keep our feet on the ground – there’s still 90 minutes to go next week. Bentleigh is the benchmark in the league – but in saying that, we had a strategy that we worked on at training where we can defensively be nice and organised and keep our shape and I thought we did that quite well. And we knew we could hit them on the break.
“The main thing is just to be really organised – that’s half the battle in these games – and playing each opponent on their merit. We knew that they were a good football side but if we didn’t allow them to find gaps they couldn’t hurt us.”
A major bonus for Oakleigh this season has been the form of Steve Pantelidis. The former A-league defender has not only performed well, but also led by example towards the younger players within the squad. His experience in pressure situations may well and truly be the difference between a championship or a runners up medal this Sunday. Tsolakis expressed how pleased he was with Pantelidis’s efforts throughout the season.
“He’s [Pantelidis] been fantastic. He’s an unassuming guy and he’s only missed one training session all year. That just proves the character of the guy and how high-esteem he’s held at the club. We draw on his experience we run things by him and he gives us feedback and hes a leader and the boys look up to him – he’s very important,” Tsolakis said.
Another player who has strengthened the Oakleigh Cannons squad in recent weeks is Adrian Chiappetta. The former Northcote City and Port Melbourne Sharks defender has added stability and experience to the Oakleigh defence.
If anybody has experience winning championships, it’s Chiapetta. In 2011 he won the Mirabella Cup with Northcote City, and in 2013 captained a youthful Northcote side to a Victorian championship.
“Chipa [Chiapetta] has been fantastic as well. He’s had a bit of back luck with his knee reconstruction and came back a bit and had a recurrence of a knee injury. He’s done very well in the past five weeks to come back into the side and he’s worked his arse off. It’s paying off for him now and I’m rapt for him. He’s a true professional as well.”
At the other end of the pitch, South Melbourne’s back four will have to be on red alert this weekend as they come up against a very threatening front four.
“Our front four between them [Bosnjak, Hatzimouratis, Piemonte, Zoric] have scored almost 50 goals. Going forward on the counter we are very potent,” Tsolakis said.
Prior to the start of the season, many people doubted Oakleigh even surviving relegation. It seems as though the players, along with the staff, have used that as motivation to create a winning culture in 2016.
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and this weekend could lead to another surprise. Tsolakis believes that his side’s success has come down to a great camaraderie amongst his players.
“We’re stoked. No one gave us a hope in hell of making finals. Everyone had us down as relegation candidates. It’s about having a good dressing room and good culture. The boys have worked really hard.”
“150% I think that’s the key. If you have a good team in the change room, you have a good team on the park and they boys are all together, nobody misses out on training, they go out together and I think that’s very important in a semi-professional environment [to gain results].”
The Grand final will take place at Lakeside stadium on the 11th of September at 5.30pm. Gates open at 1pm.