Summary: A desperate clash between two teams in need of points has seen Oakleigh Cannons FC defeat South Melbourne FC 2-0 at Lakeside stadium. Lack of communication and chance-creation has hindered South again, conceding an own goal early on and a second in injury time.
Well, here we are, what I can only assume was the most anticipated game of our 2019 season. The South Melbourne A’s vs the B’s. Which team was which was completely speculative. While Oakleigh was a treasure trove for ex-South players, the absence of Nick Epifano and a benched Milos Lujic took most of the polarity out of the game. Which was a shame, because without the drama attached to it, it was just a scrappy game between two of the worst teams in the league. It’s so hard not to repeat myself over and over again, but our suffering always come down to the same set of issues, ones that never seem to be addressed, and so cost us in new ways every match. Last week I said it was “harsh” to conclude South was its own worst enemy from one match. I think that statement perfectly sums up their performance on Sunday.
South needed the win to create a safety net from the bottom of the table, but Oakleigh were hungry, hoping to claw their way out of the relegation scrap. As someone who (out of curiosity) had also watched quite a few of their matches, could attest that their skill was no representative of their position. While we were in possession for a majority of the first half (as we often are), we never created any clear-cut opportunities. Marcus Schroen seemed to play a more active role in the match, and it was great to see, particularly at the beginning of the game, his use of physicality to win balls and drive up the field. But even that was a struggle, as no player or strategy seemed to unify our midfield. We can try and pretend that area on the field no longer exists by relying on long balls, but they are awkward, inaccurate and rarely set up players in a way which leads to anything meaningful.
Oakleigh were also struggling to create chances, but in the end, they didn’t need to. In the 30th minute, as the ball was lobbed awkwardly into their attacking half, a poor Konstantinidis header places it onto the chest of Harry White. An awkward touch places it at the feet of Bradley Norton, who can do many things with it. Clear it to his right, pass it to Marshall, who may have been in a better position to clear it, or even just kick it out for a corner. But instead, he lays a very wide pass to Roganovic, who can do nothing but watch it bobble into his own net. Once again, poor defending mixed with poor communication led to us conceding first, something that has become fatal in recent weeks. Again, I must commend the team, because we never seem to lose our drive even after these dismal plays. After Giuseppe Marafioti was able to win a corner kick, it was brought in by Stratomitros and placed onto the head of Billy Konstantinidis. Konstantinidis delivers a decent header into the left side of goal, well away from goalkeeper John Honos, though is cleared off the line by a defender. From my angle, it seemed a clear goal, having crossed the line, but the referee didn’t agree. After watching the replay, it doesn’t seem as clear cut as I first imagined, and as we’re in the NPL, attempts like that are rarely rewarded.
The game continued to be either lethargic or just low quality, with no fluidity or pace in attacks from either side. We had the odd chance, though none too threatening. A clearance from Kristian Konstantinidis in the 42nd minute, which was then volleyed on by Schroen found its way to our attacking half too quickly for Oakleigh to respond. The aerial duel for it was won by Billy, who laid it off to Marafioti. He did a great job of weaving himself in-between two defenders to obtain the ball, but instantly undid his hard work with what was essentially a pass straight to Honos. The ball wasn’t held onto, but still too close to the keeper for Billy to lob over. A few minutes later, a Brad Norton cross was cleared by Honos after drifting into the top-right corner. And even with the keeper now off his line, a set of scrambling South attackers could not take advantage of it. Once again, our best chances in a match coming from defenders or errors.
The second half was even more dismal than the first, with the same below average play-style but far fewer chances. Our only two compelling attempts at goal were a weak and unguided header from Konstantinidis in the 78th minute, and a powerful, but central header from Marshall in the 89th. As well as conceding early, we have also created a pattern of conceding very late. After being subbed on (unfortunately for Oakleigh), Milos Lujic’s presence either bolstered confidence within his squad, or ours had just given up. He was able to lay the ball to Joe Guest, who’s cross passes Roganovic and to a completely unmarked Marcus Dimanche, who could have a few shots before finishing without any South intervention.
The novelty of having an actual striker has completely worn off now. If we are truly in a position where this is as good as it gets, then we must focus on either hiding or somehow mitigating the extent of our weaknesses. Either a new strategy must be created that somewhat masks our mediocrity, or our future will be completely reliant on luck.
South Melbourne FC: 0
Oakleigh Cannons FC: 2