North Geelong Warriors have turned the tables on a fast starting Dandenong City to clinch a 2-1 win in their NPL1 clash at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
It was three first half goals which shaped the match; a fortuitous free-kick from Matthew Townley and a thunderbolt from Vito Cichello cancelling out Keegan Ziada’s opener for Dandenong City.
The game started much like the weather did, bright and promising as Dandenong City struck early through the aforementioned Ziada.
The ninth minute goal was bundled through by the opportunistic forward, whose pressure forced keeper Frano Saric to spill, leaving him the simple task of placing the ball into an open net.
The Warriors only had to wait four minutes for their equaliser from a free kick, which came in unconventional fashion.
With the ball situated 30 yards out to the left of goals, a curling cross towards the far post beat everyone including the keeper, who was left stranded by some poor defending from his back four.
City nearly wrestled themselves back into the lead through Melbourne Victory youth player Damien Miskulin who showed some quick feet inside the box to create space for the shot which stung the palms of Saric in goals.
The high tempo start to the game was tempered when the heavens opened up and rain hit the ground.
North Geelong still managed to fashion the occasional chance, the first through Robert Zadworny, who came close to scoring from the angle, with his cross flashing just across goals.
They went one further with their chance in the 31st minute as Vito Cichello put the visitors in the lead.
Cichello took a touch in midfield before unleashing a rapier like strike from 35 yards, which left Dandenong keeper Dennys Martin no chance.
With confidence high, Zadworny attempted to shore up the score line before the half-time whistle.
His mazing run on the left had the Dandenong defence in tatters, before some sharp step over’s had his man on the floor.
The resulting strike was equally matched by the block from Halil Gur who deflected the ball behind.
Rain continued to fall as the sides went into the rooms for half-time.
The second half started much slower with the weather playing a real role in the tempo of the game.
Both sides were error prone, fighting hard to win the midfield battle, where the ball was contained for large chunks of the half.
The first real chance of the half fell to Dandenong in the 67th minute through the unlikely source of captain John Carroll.
The centre-back was up for a free-kick, before the ball fell to him at the edge of the box.
His ambitious attempt to turn the ball goalwards by swinging his leg over his shoulder nearly paid off as the ball drifted just over the crossbar, with the North keeper left planted.
The game began to open up with Dandenong suddenly looking likely to equalise.
The Warriors shot stopper Martin made a clever double save on his near post to deny the home side an equaliser.
The North Geelong defence stood firm in the wet to close the game out, albeit without some late drama.
Goal scorer Matt Townley’s back pass in injury time carried towards goal in the wind.
Frano Saric saved his teammates blushes with an athletic sliding clearance off the line.
Match Details
FT: Dandenong City 1 (Ziada 9’) defeated by North Geelong Warriors 2 (Townley 14’, Cichello 31’)
HT: Dandenong City 1 North Geelong Warriors 2
Dandenong City: 1. Dennys Martin (GK) 3. Halil Gur 5. Alex Rojas (14. Goran Jozeljic 62’) 6. John Carroll (C) 8. Dario Matkovic 9. Damien Miskulin 10. Keegan Ziada 12. Shaun Filipovic (11. Raymond Lay 71’) 15. Andres Jerez 19. Nicholas Glavan 23. Steven Topalovic (17. Danijel Buhic 85’)
Unused Sub(s): 31. Kirby Ziada
Yellow Card(s): Gur 73′
North Geelong Warriors: 22. Frano Saric (GK) 2. Matthew Townley 4. Nathan Cook 5. Matt Grgic (10. Robert Zadworny 9’) 6. Nicholas Jurcic (12. Nicholas Anderson 85’) 7. Reardo Luka 8. Vito Cichello 9. Michael Anderson (C) 11. Michael Bojar (14. Paleka 62’) 13. Nathan Long 15. Reha Kurul
Unused Sub(s): 1. Daniel Zilic 3. Jackson Davis
Yellow Card(s): Luka 91′