By JARROD POTTER
NPL1 EAST – Round 21
DANDENONG City will rue what could have been as a win slipped away in the growing shadows.
Dandenong City dictated the tempo all afternoon against FC Bulleen Lions – with Chris Antoniadis slotting the opener in the 17th minute at City’s Endeavour Hills’ home ground.
That would be the highlight of a frustrating day for City as the next hour was spattered with missed chances, defensive scrambles and a lack of cohesion across the lines.
Despite the best efforts of their faster footballers Sean Seavill, Keegan Ziada and Antoniados up front, City’s peppering of the Lions’ goal didn’t amount to anything tangible as chance after chance was squandered to put the result beyond doubt.
Goalkeeper Damir Salcin made a few heroic saves as the Lions roared into life for the last 15 minutes in particular, but couldn’t keep out the last.
Will Abbott weaved his way easily through the City defence, forcing Salcin to come out from goals to attack, but he was bypassed by the Lion, who smashed home the equaliser to save face for Bulleen and take the solitary point.
City coach Aaron Healey thought that 10 minute lapse at the death was not indicative of his side’s resolve.
“Against a team who is top of the table in the other league (NPL1 West), I thought we were the better team and probably could’ve got the three points if we did the job for 90 minutes,” Healey said.
“I thought we were the better team for 80-85 minutes and what happens when you’re 1-nil up is they throw numbers forward and try to get an equaliser.”
Healey praised the efforts on and off the park from new recruit Antoniados – who drives from Epping to Endeavour Hills and back every training – and also thought it was pleasing to get Dario Matkovic and Seavill running around once more.
City sits sixth in NPL1 East and faces Box Hill United this weekend for a chance to spring up the ladder.
WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE AND STATE LEAGUES
They did it! Casey Comets finally broke a 16-game winless drought this season with a 6-0 thrashing of lowly South Yarra.
Antonia Niteros and Mykaylin Rosenquist both rattled off a brace each alongside Harriet Cordner and Raelynn Mikell to well-and-truly put the visitors to the sword.
It keeps the once slender chances of the Comets’ staying in the top flight well-and-truly alive now – sitting in 11th now two points behind 10th ranked Caulfield. The Comets have five rounds left to find the extra points, starting on Saturday away against Bundoora United.
In State League 2, Berwick City maintained its stranglehold on the league with a 3-1 win over Whitehorse United as Kelsey Minton (2 goals) and Shirley Anthony continued to pepper the opposition nets.
Across the men’s side of the ledger, Casey Comets continued the women’s efforts to defeat Noble Park United 2-1, Doveton SC was belted 4-2 by Mooroolbark and Berwick City drew 1-1 with Beaumaris.
