Summary: South Melbourne FC will be progressing to the next round of the FFA Cup after a 2-1 victory over Langwarrin SC. While both teams seemed equally matched throughout a majority of the match, it was a Billy Konstantinidis’ header that sees the home side reach the next stage of the competition.
I had mixed feelings about our lineup going into this match. I understand that resting players is an important part of managing a squad across multiple competitions, but it seemed a bit disjointed. It wasn’t particularly weak, but the absence of key players spearing our attack felt like a liability. In saying that, Billy was on the bench, which was reassuring, and alongside a few excited South prospects. At this stage, I suppose prioritising the league is also more important anyways. We had a comfortable start to the match - we met their aggression with composure, and in the opening minutes were able to create multiple chances on the counter, the first of which went in. In the sixth minute, Giuseppe Marafioti was able to bring the ball up the right hand side, cut into the box and send the ball across goals. It wasn’t an easy ball to bring down, but an unmarked Krousoratis was able to slot it passed the keeper, scoring his first goal since round 1.
Slowly, fears about scoring early began to materialise, as our next few opportunities lacked the venom of a side on the rocks. We kept the pressure on them, seeing a few shots from a returning Leigh Minopoulos, but we never cut them out of the game. It became clear that Langwarrin were not a team that could be left with the ball for extended periods of time, at least not with only a one goal lead. They possessed the insight to setup and create goals, and their equaliser came 15 minutes later. After being awarded a free kick, Damir Stoilovic floats the ball to the back of the pack, and Wayne Wallace is able to nod the ball past Roganovic. They continued their pressure, we switched off, and they almost gained the lead a few minutes later, as a ball passed into the penalty area is sent just wide by Johnny Kuol.
We seemed quite shaken by conceding, and even though we gradually regained large portions of possession, we began to utilise our less than savoury tactics e.g. long balls. Our best chance of the half came from another Marafioti run, who took on multiple defenders before laying off a similar cross to the one given to Krousoratis. The ball finds Schroen, though he’s attempt goes wide. We then had one more chance on the stroke of half time, in which a shot from Schroen is saved by Maclaren, but results in the ball ping-ponging around the goal area. A awkward deflection prevents Minopoulos from controlling it, and the ball is sent out.
The first half had quickly deteriorated from a comfortable to a scrappy match, one where neither team seemed particularly on top of the other. We had the most compelling chances, but at the end of the day, the same amount of goals to show for it. Both sides knew this, and the second half contained a high intensity start. They had the first early chance, with Luis Covarrubias unable to control an oncoming cross, sending his header just wide. When we first conceded, I felt much more confident that we could reply, but the amount of chances we created had slowly begun to dwindle. Another cross of there’s required a fully-stretched Roganovic to prevent a direct shot at goals. Maybe we underestimated how much pressure they’d put on us, but they begun to force errors, whether it was opting for long balls that could be easily cleaned up, or causing turnovers in our defending half.
What I’d define as our ‘golden chance’ of the night came in the 52nd minute, in which Marafioti volleyed the ball over the crossbar within ideal striking range. A few minutes later, Billy Konstantinidis is brought on for Krousoratis, and his presence seemed to settle our nerves. Again, having a striker like Billy on the pitch isn’t just for scoring purposes; he acts as a focal point for any oncoming attacks. With another surprising display of pace from a player of his stature, Billy runs up into the box before having his low and hard shot saved by Maclaren in the 73rd minute. Around this time, youth player George Gerondaras replaced Leigh Minopoulos, giving another young player the chance to show their skill and desire.
There was a minor scuffle for an incident off the ball, but tensions never boiled over. Towards the end of the game, Langwarrin’s chance creation had lessen, though they continued to hold a decent amount of possession. South, however, slowly began to push more, maybe due to the newfound confidence that comes with having Konstantinidis on the pitch. In the 79th minute, players from both teams had momentarily switched off due to a perceived foul on Gerrie Sylaidos, and skipper Brad Norton capitalised on this by playing a quick ball to Marafioti. And after divvying out crosses all night, he was able to get his second assist. His powerful ball into the box meant that Konstantinidis, who had steamed into the goal square, just had to guide the ball passed Maclaren, and he got down to it beautifully.
We saw out the last few minutes with somewhat comfortably, though there were a few uncertain moments as we continually booted the ball down, creating a full-pitch game of ping pong. Luke Adams was replaced by Perry Lambropoulos in the 84th minute, limping off in what I hope is not a pervading injury. By that point, we had locked the game in, slowed it down, and while they desperately pushed, we were able to hold off their attacks, obtaining our fourth straight win in all competitions.
We weren’t emanating confidence, but we also weren’t at full strength. I trust coach Esteban Quintas knows the perfect balance between producing an appropriately rotated squad, but also a winning squad. It will be interesting to see how, if we make it through the next round, what level of priority the FA cup will hold for us, considering we aren’t safe from relegation yet, and the baggage of an A-league bid is no longer a motivator.
Notable players: Giuseppe Marafioti, Billy Konstantinidis, Nick Krousoratis
South Melbourne FC: 2
Langwarrin SC: 1