SOCCER

SCOTT Miller won’t coach Langwarrin next season.

The Lawton Park club made the announcement last week after scheduled talks between Miller, president Tanya Wallace and main sponsor Greg Kilner due to be held at the end of the season were brought forward.

Miller’s last match as head coach was Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Brunswick Juventus a result that confirmed the visitors’ relegation.

Goals from Brad Blumenthal and Tom Youngs sealed Juve’s fate but its cause wasn’t helped by the straight red brandished at Mathew Whatley in the opening seconds of the second half.

Miller’s first match at the helm was in round 1 of the 2019 season.

In all he was in charge in 90 league games winning 34, drawing 24 and losing 32 with Langy scoring 144 goals and conceding the same number of goals during this period.

The team’s highest finish was fourth in 2019.

“There’s been lots of rumours especially ones associating me with Bentleigh (Greens) but I made it clear to Tanya and Greg when we sat down last week that I have had no discussion with Bentleigh or any other club,” Miller said.

Miller has not recommended a successor and Langwarrin is yet to decide whether or not to open up the appointment process.

“Had I made a recommendation I would have been biased as the plan always was to do five years then for Jamie (Skelly, assistant coach) to step into the role but in the end it comes down to what Jamie wants,” Miller said.

“I told Tanya and Greg that I didn’t want to be involved in selecting the next coach as I believe they need a fresh outlook and it has to be their decision to lead the club moving forward.

“I don’t know who’s interested in the job but I do know with what we’ve done at the club that it’s readymade to go to the next level so it’s a very attractive job.”

In State 1 Mornington’s 1-1 away draw with Malvern City on Saturday makes its grasp of second spot tenuous at best as third-placed Eltham and fourth-placed Malvern each have a game in hand against Richmond.

Shaun Kenny gave Mornington a 1-0 half-time lead but the Seagulls fell victim to a contentious refereeing decision when a penalty was awarded to Malvern two minutes into stoppage time.

The Malvern player was clearly offside before colliding with Seagulls keeper Kane Runge.

In State 2 both Skye United and Frankston Pines remain in a relegation dogfight despite wins last weekend.

Skye led 1-0 at half-time at home on Saturday after Daniel Walsh converted the penalty awarded when Leo McLeod was fouled inside the area in the 30th minute.

Phil McGuinness’ men went further ahead in the 64th minute when veteran midfielder Mark O’Connor headed home Nhan Than’s cross.

Berwick hit back from the penalty spot through Nathan Credlin and a pivotal moment in this contest came in the dying minutes when Skye custodian Jonathan Crook made a crucial one-on-one save to preserve all three points.

Supersub Dylan Waugh scored the all-important third goal for Pines in their 3-2 away win over Knox City last weekend.

Pines were 2-0 up after nine minutes thanks to a Kaspar Fry goal on the break and Graham Hill’s finish after Knox keeper Thomas Andersen couldn’t punch clear effectively.

A minute later it was 2-1 when Pines defenders slid in and missed crucial tackles allowing Knox to break on the right then square the ball for Patric Ponce to tap in from point-blank range.

Waugh made it 3-1 not long after coming on when he neatly controlled a long throw-in then hit a low shot on the turn that beat Andersen at his near post.

Ponce’s near post header from an 82nd minute corner made it 3-2 in the 85th minute and Pines held on for a vital three-pointer in its last-ditch try to avoid the drop.

Peninsula Strikers lost 4-2 away to title-chasing Brandon Park on Saturday.

Steve Elliott and Andy McIntyre scored for Strikers but defensive errors were costly.

In State 4 Sandringham all but sealed a promotion play-off spot with Friday night’s 3-1 away win over Chelsea.

Sandy had this wrapped up inside 15 minutes when it led 3-0.

Vinnie Van Dyk hit back for Chelsea in the 40th minute but Carlo Melino’s side couldn’t make further inroads.

It was Melino’s last home match in charge of Chelsea and both sets of players formed a guard of honour before the match to celebrate his six years at the helm.

Melino and Sandy coach Billy Natsioulas are long-standing friends having played and coached together.

Baxter still has a chance of snatching second spot from Sandringham after a nail-biting 3-2 away win over relegation battler Keysborough on Saturday.

Noah Green was given the responsibility of marking Keysborough playmaker Felipe Ulloa and was outstanding.

This allowed Brody Taylor to become instrumental in creating Baxter’s attacking moves.

Brodie Jones opened the scoring in the 14th minute from a scramble in the Keysborough box with Jones following up after his initial attempt came back off the bar.

Three minutes after the break Dylan Murchie doubled the lead with a cool finish but in the 59th minute the game almost descended into farce.

The referee awarded the first of two penalties in three minutes to Keysborough.

The second penalty resulted in the stand-in referee’s assistant handing the flag back to the referee who then bizarrely threw the flag away.

But Baxter fans were up and about in the 88th minute after big Jack Elliot poked home the winner.

Somerville Eagles lost 3-1 at home against Sandown Lions on Saturday.

Sandown led 2-0 at half-time through Dobuol Kong but the home side hit back in the 47th minute when a superb Marcus Anastasiou cross found Conor Mcfall at the back post who powered home his volley.

Despite pressing hard for an equaliser Somerville was punished when a defensive mix-up allowed Kong to break into a one-on-one with Somerville keeper Nick Bucello and complete his hat-trick.

In State 5 Seaford United’s 2-1 home win over Bunyip District last weekend has won a third-placed finish and a promotion play-off spot for Paul Williams’ side.

Harry McCartney reports that offside pleas from Bunyip defenders went ignored as Josh Vega got clear on the left and side-footed the ball past Bunyip keeper Jake Biondo in the 44th minute to give Seaford a 1-0 half-time lead.

Two minutes into the second half a Bunyip free-kick was initially saved by Hayden Hicks only for Liam Lenders to head home the equaliser.

The decisive moment came in the 84th minute when a long-range strike from substitute Andrew Packer settled the issue.

Mount Eliza hammered Barton United 5-1 at Emil Masden Reserve on Saturday.

The win was spearheaded by a Jamie Powell hat-trick with Yodishtra Jagatheson and Cohan King also getting on the scoresheet.

An 89th minute penalty converted by Jaden Taberner gave Mount Martha a 1-0 home win over Aspendale last weekend while two Marcus Spivey goals couldn’t keep Casey Panthers at bay as Mentone went down 5-2 at home.

First published in the Mornington News – 22 August 2023