Marconi Stallions played what Coach Lee Sterrey described as their worst game all season yet won 1-0 against a makeshift travelling South Melbourne side, through a 38th min knock into an empty goal by John Maisano. The final round of the first half of the season brought a smallish band of fans back from their Christmas puddings, New Year's hangovers, and perhaps even fire fighting. The lush Marconi Stadium surface was a delight to see after the cow paddocks dished up by the Rugby League controlled grounds at present.
South Melbourne flew in with seven (7) first team players out, according to assistant coach (and former Socceroo goalkeeper) Jeff Olver, mostly through injury, and Vaughan Coveny rushed back from injury to provide feed to the forwards. After wins to the Kingz and Wolves the night before they desperately needed points away to avoid holding up the league table at the half-way mark.
Marconi had ex-player Chad Gibson (back from Scandinavia at Christmas) on the bench, much to the delight of some youthful female fans, but otherwise fielded a side that has been settled for the last few games. Again after the other results so far this weekend a win would catapult Marconi into fourth (4th).
It was generally all Marconi for the first 20 mins as South stayed on the back foot trying to absorb the assault down both flanks. Sterrey's favourite tyro striker Alex Brosque was putting himself about and in the 10th min he laid on a ball to John Maisano in 'the box' but the in form midfielder couldn't find a way through. Norman Tome chased a through ball into the area at the 12th min but Michael Petkovic was out quickly to cover. Petkovic's propensity to stroll about was almost his undoing a few minutes later when he almost failed to dribble the ball past an advancing Marconi player.
At last South got into range of attack and in-form Steve Panopoulos got a cross onto Coveny's head but the Kiwi striker made a weak attempt. This brief lift for South saw first Buljan waste a shot way over the crossbar, and then ex- Eastern Pride youth player Massimo Murdocca hit one with less elevation but to the same effect.
Marconi pushed back up and in the 28th min a free kick by Maisano bent menacingly toward the right corner of the goal but went wide. Marconi's revival included a ball from Renaud on the left to Brosque whose cross was cleared, and an uncharacteristic run by Dominic Longo into the area on the left but his cross was poor. Marconi struck in the 38th min when Brosque hit a through ball over the static Melbourne defence and Maisano ran onto the ball, sidestepped the advancing Petkovic and slotted in home from 10m into an empty net. The only other excitement of the half was when Peter Buljan got a chance but headed wide.
The second half started with better application from South and a cross from Coveny had to be cut out by Renaud under pressure. The Melbourne team continued to press but couldn't get through a Marconi defence in which bald pated captain Dominic Longo was a tower of strength. Lively Alex Brosque got free from his markers and entering the goal area he turned and shot, but Petkovic parried to safety. Three minutes later in the 55th min Marconi's left side wide man Renaud beat two players, and hit a curling cross that a diving Brosque just failed to meet.
The game dropped tempo and settled down to a midfield battle until the 73rd minute when Coveny at last got free on the right only to have his run covered by Longo.
From the clearance substitute Sasha Petrovic missed off a great cross from the right by Mehmet Durakovic.
Marconi almost gave away the game when a mix-up in the box by two defenders saw South get a boot to it and the ball hit the right upright, ran across goal until Michael Turnbull cleared it.
Marconi was best served by Dominic Longo, Brendan Renaud, John Maisano, Alex Brosque, Michael Turnbull, whilst South Melbourne can applaud Steve Panopoulos, Mehmet Durakovic, Michael Petkovic, and Massimo Murdocca. Marconi Stallions coach, the vocal and astute Lee Sterrey, said he was "happy with the result and very, very disappointed, but that was the worst performance this year". "I'm disappointed with the intensity, mobility, was garbage". "We got the goal and we should have gone on with it from there, on our home ground!"
Jeff Olver, standing in at the after match conference for Eddie Krncevic, said that he wasn't trying to make excuses but that when a team loses that many players, especially three just before the game, they must be expected to struggle.
He said that Coveny had not even had a game in the youth league and that Paul Trimboli would play in the youth team next week but was three weeks away from a senior start.
The two teams were in some ways indicative of the problems the league has. Too many good young players lifted too soon, or for too much time, and a few very experienced veteran players, but not much in between. It makes for mistake-ridden play and variability in standard which the modern TV raised fan compares with the few top leagues in the world. It seems that only Perth, and to a lesser extent Newcastle and Brisbane have found a broad mix and their table position show it.